TimeLine Layout

February, 2020

  • 18 February

    UPDATED – Nigerian embassy in Germany calls on applicants to re-confirm appointments for passport

    The Embassy of Nigeria to Germany has called on applicants who had scheduled appointments for the issuance of passport to reconfirm their appointments with the mission. A statement, dated 13 February 2020, signed by the Head of Chancery, Mrs Foluke Atanda, said: “I am directed to inform that the Embassy of Nigeria, Berlin, is upgrading its appointment scheduling portal for …

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  • 18 February

    What you should know about Lassa fever – A backgrounder

    Alarmed by a rapid spread of Lassa fever, the Nigerian Academy of Science is calling on government to declare a national health emergency. Dr Doyin Odubanjo, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Academy of Science, explains the background to the current outbreak of the disease and what needs to be done to contain it. ———- How serious is the current Lassa fever outbreak …

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  • 17 February

    Interview: How Afrolynk addresses Africa’s development challenges with technology

    Afrolynk is a Berlin-based company that promotes increased African-European business relationship with a focus on technology as the chief driver of integration. The social enterprise, which is present in 8 African countries – Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, supports young entrepreneurs with free online courses for the development of their skills. The company, which organises …

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  • 17 February

    What the EU can do for South Sudan right now – Opinion

    The power-sharing deal signed in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar has already been extended twice – in May 2019 and November 2019 – delaying the formal end to a war that has killed nearly 400,000 people, displaced millions, and pushed tens of thousands to the brink of starvation. The new deadline is 22 February. Unresolved …

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  • 16 February

    Nigerian senators reject Diaspora Voting for now

    Agitation for Nigerians living outside their homeland to be allowed to participate at the country’s elections has suffered a setback. Nigerian legislators on Friday (14 February) dismissed the agitation because the country is not ready for diaspora voting. The Senate, during a debate on the issue, said certain conditions had to be met before Nigeria could allow its citizens living …

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  • 16 February

    Black Africans subject to increasing racist abuse and violence in Egypt – report

    As Egypt suffers an economic downturn, migrants and refugees from sub-Saharan countries are experiencing growing abuse and violence. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is trying to intervene, making skin-deep reassurances. Sertan Sanderson reports ​The mega-city of Cairo has long established itself as a key destination for many refugees in the region. People fleeing civil war in Syria and in Libya have …

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  • 16 February

    Chancellor Merkel seeks closer ties with Angola and South Africa

    Chancellor Angela Merkel’s recent visit to Angola and South Africa seeks to boost trade and political relations with the continent in continuation of the government’s policy to increase German engagement in Africa. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, accompanied by top government officials and senior business executives, paid a state visit to South Africa and Angola from 5 – 8 February. Her …

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  • 16 February

    McDonald’s CEO seeks ‘a clearer future’ for refugees in Germany

    The head of the fast-food chain McDonald’s in Germany says refugees should be offered more certain future prospects. Holger Beeck also said that he could not understand why well-integrated migrants are deported. McDonald’s has employed more than 5,000 refugees since 2015, the company’s CEO in Germany, Holger Beeck, told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. “These are people who came to (McDonald’s), …

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  • 15 February

    Four African countries license vaccine for Ebola prevention

    The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Ghana and Zambia have licensed an Ebola vaccine, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Registration of the vaccine is expected in additional countries in the coming weeks. The licensing of the vaccine means that the manufacturer can stockpile and widely distribute this vaccine to African countries at risk of Ebola virus …

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  • 15 February

    Africa announces first confirmed coronavirus case

    The death toll from the epidemic virus, which WHO has named COVID-19, has neared 1,400 cases, almost exclusively in China where it was first identified.

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