Concern Over Kilimanjaro’s Biodiversity
The Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Mechtild Rössler, expressed concern after the fire that, on the afternoon of 11 October, broke out in Kilimanjaro National Park, a property inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987. The site protects the largest free-standing volcanic mass in the world and the highest mountain in Africa: […]
Betting on Gamification, a Nascent Sector in Nigeria
Nigerian startup Hatixa has entered into a joint venture with United Kingdom (UK) firm BrandMobile to launch BrandMobile Africa, with the goal of creating a scalable ad-tech product built on gamification principles. Founded by Toby Nwanede and Habeeb Aremu in 2017, Hatixa initially focused on media productions before developing a product called PEEP that would […]
Mixed Reception of Juba’s New Currency
Business leaders in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, say the government’s new rule ordering all transactions be conducted in South Sudanese pounds rather than U.S. dollars puts their businesses at risk of going under — while others say it’s a good idea. Last week, Information Minister Michael Makuei told reporters the government adopted 34 measures recommended […]
Kenya’s Education Crisis
Thousands of private schools in Kenya are on the verge of collapse as the reopening of the education system is pushed to 2021. They’ve been starved of income since March 15, when President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that all schools would be shut as part of the government’s attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus. […]
Could the Halt of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Affect Trials in Africa?
Operation Warp Speed expects that the U.S. trials of vaccines made by AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson to restart as soon as this week. The two companies developing Covid-19 vaccines backed by Operation Warp Speed temporarily halted their trials because participants fell ill, slowing down the race for a shot to halt the pandemic. […]
Guinea’s Worst Case Scenario Happens after Elections
Nine people, including one police officer, have died in the West African state of Guinea, the security ministry said Wednesday, following days of unrest after a tense weekend presidential election. In a statement, the ministry pointed to shootings and stabbings in the capital Conakry and elsewhere in the country since Sunday’s presidential vote. Clashes were […]
Shortfalls of Kenya’s Quest to Provide Quality Healthcare to All
Nairobi has made several reforms in recent years intended to expand health service coverage to a wider population, and with a specific focus on the poor, and to reduce financial hardship due to healthcare costs. The first of these reforms, in 2013, was the abolition of user fees at public primary healthcare facilities. The second, […]
A Brutal Scramble to Fly African Migrants Out of the Country in the Run-up to the U.S. Elections
Lawyers and activists say US immigration officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders. Many of the Cameroonian migrants in a Mississippi detention centre refused to sign, fearing death at the hands of Cameroonian government forces responsible for widespread civilian killings, and because they had asylum hearings pending. […]
Unified Condemnation from Continental and World Bodies on the Situation in Nigeria
The African Union has “strongly condemned” the violence against anti-police brutality protesters in Nigeria. The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki, urged both “political and social actors” to “respect human rights and the rule of law”. He hailed the disbandment of the hated Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) and encouraged investigations to ensure “perpetrators of […]
Buhari’s Message on #EndSARS Demos Described as Cold
Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, has been criticised for his muted response after security forces opened fire on people protesting against police brutality in Lagos on Tuesday, drawing international condemnation. Security forces shot live ammunition to disperse crowds who had gathered in defiance of a government curfew. Amnesty International said at least 12 people died in the shooting in the […]
