January, 2020

• 19 January

  Lagos airport tightens security as it records higher passenger traffic

  

  The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos handled 187.49 million kg of cargo and 7.319 million passengers last year, figures obtained by the national newspaper PUNCH from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have shown. The Manager, South-West Airports, FAAN, Mrs Victoria Shina-Aba, who reportedly gave the figures, said the MMIA witnessed increased growth in passenger, cargo and aircraft movement in …

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• 18 January

  Berlin talks seek way out of Libya impasse

  

  All the parties to the civil war in Libya will gather in the German capital city on Sunday in renewed efforts for peace in the North African country. Convened by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the talks bring together Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who is the head of the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), and Khalifa Haftar, commander of …

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• 18 January

  Anthony Joshua presents heavyweight titles to Nigerian president in London

  

  World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has presented his IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO titles to President Muhammadu Buhari. The 30-year-old celebrated his recent victory with President Buhari on Saturday in London when the Nigerian leader met with some Nigerians living in the United Kingdom. Excited Joshua, a British-Nigerian, could not hide his feelings as he prostrated to pay homage to …

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• 18 January

  Division breaks out in ECOWAS over common currency

  

  Disagreement among members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has broken out over the adoption of a common currency in the bloc. Six member countries have rejected the move by eight others to adopt the name ‘Eco’ as their common currency. In a surprise move on 21 December, the eight West African countries using the CFA franc …

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• 18 January

  Migration boosts Germany’s population to new high

  

  According to new figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the population of the country stood at 83.2 million at the end of 2019 – 200,000 more than a year earlier. The population figure represents a new high, Destatis said even though the population growth was much smaller than in the years 2013 to 2018. The agency also revealed …

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• 17 January

  Gambia: Jammeh’s supporters take to the streets to demand his return

  

  The political temperature in the West African nation of The Gambia is rising as thousands of supporters of former President Yahya Jammeh took to the streets of Banjul on Thursday (16 January) to demand for the return of the ousted ruler. The protest action, organised by Jammeh’s party Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party (APCR), is to send a …

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• 16 January

  Italian priest cries out over African migrants trapped in Libyan detention centers

  

  Roman Catholic priest Father Mussie Zerai, president of the humanitarian organization Habeshia and pastor to migrants who arrive in Italy, has sent out a dramatic ‘SOS’ from migrants allegedly being held in detention centers in Libya, where they live in appalling conditions but are also exposed to danger as different factions in the country’s civil war battle for control. “We continuously …

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• 16 January

  Outpouring of support for Karamba Diaby after shots were fired at MP’s office

  

  Condemnations trail attack on the office of Karamba Diaby, a Senegal-born member of the Bundestag, in Halle. Germany’s foreign minister called the attack “disgusting and cowardly” The citizens’ office of Karamba Diaby, an SPD member of the Bundestag, in Halle was attacked between Tuesday and Wednesday. Diaby said the windowpanes had five bullet holes. “I condemn this violence. I know …

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• 15 January

  Russian hacking group attacking banks in sub-Saharan Africa – Kaspersky warns

  

  “We urge all banks to stay vigilant, as apart from the large sums Silence group also steals sensitive information while monitoring the banks' activity as they video record screen activities. This is a serious privacy abuse that might cost more than money can buy.”

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• 15 January

  Germany: Recruitment of non-EU nurses must be fair to their countries of origin – Caritas

  

  A new law (Skilled Worker Immigration Act or Fachkräfteeinwanderungsgesetz) that facilitates the recruitment of skilled workers from non-EU countries will enter into effect on 1 March. Germany is currently suffering from labour shortages in many sectors, including health care. Caritas has however warned that the needs of the countries where nurses would be recruited should be considered in the implementation …

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