Special

The situation of irregular migrants in Libya which in better times was always precarious has assumed a humanitarian crisis proportion. Femi Awoniyi* explains why the North African country is fast becoming a dead-end for migrants. The current humanitarian crisis in Sabratha, Libya, has once again brought the precarious situation of migrants in the North African country to the fore. The …

Four West African presidents said on Tuesday they planned to accelerate the creation of a shared currency for the 15-country ECOWAS bloc by 2020, according to a joint statement. The future currency, whose name is yet to be determined, would replace the dominant CFA Franc introduced by former colonial power France in 1945 and whose treasury still backs it. “Our …

There is currently a humanitarian crisis in Libya where between 800,000 and 1 million migrants are trapped. Most of them are waiting to embark on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. With new measures adopted by the Libyan government and other similar developments, the chances of the overwhelming majority of the migrants reaching Europe are almost foreclosed. Most …

Six crew members from a German-owned container ship, including the captain, have been kidnapped off the coast of southern Nigeria, maritime security analysts said. The Sea Guardian consultancy said the Demeter “was attacked by pirates” at about 7:00 am (0600 GMT) on Saturday south of the Nigerian oil city, Port Harcourt. “Pirates boarded the ship, kidnapped six crew, including (the) …

The youth empowerment initiative to promote educational achievement in the African community in Germany holds its annual award ceremony at the premises of the IHK in Hamburg on Saturday, 21 October 2017. The annual African Youth Education (AYE) Awards aim to motivate young people of African origin in Germany to seek excellence in school. The scheme was initiated in 2011 …

Nigerians from across Europe will converge on the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, on 9-11 November for the annual general meeting or AGM of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE). The congress will deliberate on the state of the organisation and on issues important to the Nigerian Diaspora generally. Moreover, NIDOE members will discuss developments at home as they affect the …

Policies aimed at reducing the number of migrants arriving in Europe across the Mediterranean from Libya are trapping refugees in the country where they’re exposed to harsh living conditions and widespread human rights abuses, group warns. Would-be Nigerian migrants have been advised to avoid Libya due to recent developments in the North African country. The advice was issued in a …

Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has promised to initiate a programme that will ensure every student receives free chocolate or cocoa products every day. He said the decision is tied with the government’s plans of boosting the local consumption of cocoa products from the world’s second largest producer of the cash crop. “Our target is to provide every Ghanaian …

MoneyGram Plus* members can win 100,000 euros with the new MoneyGram MegaDeal. Additionally, the world’s second biggest money transfer provider will raffle amazing prices worth more than 1,000 euros each from July until December 2017. MoneyGram PLUS clients who make a transaction will receive a leaflet with an activation code to register for the MegaDeal monthly raffle. This personal activation …

Ghana wins three-year case as the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea rules that it did not violate the rights of its neighbour in oil exploration, report Emma Farge and Kwasi Kpodo. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, sitting in Hamburg, Germany, on Saturday drew an ocean boundary favouring Ghana in a dispute with its …

Femi Awoniyi** on ‘Look before you Leave!’ an information campaign by the Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria (MEPN) to raise awareness of the risks and dangers of irregular migration. ——————————————————————– Irregular Migration  We receive daily news of the suffering of young African migrants seeking better opportunities in Europe through illegal routes. The ordeal that many go through either in the transit …

Youths have been advised to properly assess all their options before deciding to travel abroad for greener pastures. The advice was given by Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, president of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Europe, on Tuesday (12 September) while launching the campaign again irregular migration in Lagos. The Germany-based journalist and media consultant said travelling abroad does not in …

The Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is hosting the Start-up Night! Africa on 26 October in Berlin. This will be a networking and matchmaking event, bringing together digital African start-ups and German start-ups and established companies. Are you interested in broadening your network? If so, do make the most of this opportunity and be a part of the Start-up …

In the second and concluding  part of his report on Ghanaians in Germany, journalist, translator and community activist Sam Atsu Nove* writes on the changes in the patterns of Ghanaian migration in the past 40 years and the contribution of the Diaspora to Germany’s and their home  country’s development. ———————————– The economic crisis of the 1970s and 1980s in Ghana …

An information campaign to raise public awareness of the dangers of irregular migration will kick off  at the Centre for Management Development in Lagos on 12 September. Initiated by African-German Information Center (AGIC), Hamburg, and The African Courier Verlag, Berlin, with the support of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the campaign under the aegis of the “Migration Enlightenment Project in Nigeria (MEPN)” …

A cashless economy is one in which the purchase of goods and services and the payment of debts and remittances are done through electronic money media, either through credit and debit cards, direct transfers from one account to another, smart cards, mobile payment systems, and other technologies. With aspirations of becoming an African economic powerhouse, Ghana is partnering with organisations …

Kenya’s main stock index rose 2.51 per cent on Monday to a 14-month high, building on gains last week as investors welcomed the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta. The NSE-20 index has risen nearly 7 per cent since the election last week’s Tuesday. Kenyatta was declared winner by a clear margin on Friday but his main challenger, Raila Odinga, has …

Ghana’s central bank has revoked the operating licenses of two distressed local banks and transferred their deposits and selected assets to state-owned GCB Bank in order to protect financial stability, it said on Monday. The liquidation of UT Bank and Capital Bank became necessary in order to protect depositors funds owing to the “severe impairment” of their capital, the central …

Fifteen young African entrepreneurs have emerged as finalists from a field of more than 800 applicants for the seventh annual Anzisha Prize, Africa’s premier award for her youngest entrepreneurs. Supported by African Leadership Academy (ALA) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the Anzisha Prize celebrates and cultivates the next generation of young African entrepreneurial leaders who are creating job opportunities, …

The population of people of African origin in Germany has nearly doubled in only five years, according to new figures published on Tuesday by the Federal Statistics Office. Moreover, the number of people with an immigrant background in the country reached a new high of 18.6 million in 2016, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared to the previous year. …