Hashtag: A genie or ally governments around the world cannot rein in?
After Twitter drew world attention to schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram terror group, Nigerian security forces began to arrest protesters and later deployed armed police and water cannons onto the median. That scene would only provide more arresting footage to help drive the story further up the Twitter algorithm. Nigeria...
How a hashtag went viral and incited a military intervention in Nigeria
Russell Simmons was finishing his morning yoga routine on a yacht floating in the turquoise Caribbean waters off St Barts, peacefully unaware that he was about to provoke a tidal wave. The man who founded the boom-bap hit machine Def Jam Records in a cramped Manhattan dormitory room and made...
Egypt secures €109 million AfDB loan for rural sewage infrastructure development
Egypt has embarked on a massive rural areas sewage infrastructure for which it has secured €109 million from the African Development Bank to finance the project. The projects will improve sanitation infrastructure and services for rural communities in Luxor Governorate in Egypt’s Upper Nile region, the two parties said in...
Regional integration at the ce of Mozambique’s energy success
As one of leading resource-rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Mozambique has the potential to not only significantly advance its own socioeconomic status, but also dramatically boost economic growth throughout the region. According to the World Bank Group, regional integration helps countries to overcome divisions that impede the flow of goods,...
Four media workers arrested in Ethiopia’s conflict-wracked Tigray
Four media workers in Ethiopia’s conflict-wracked Tigray region have been arrested and detained, their families and employers said. Tigray has been at the centre of fighting since November last year when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced military operations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), accusing them of attacking...
Gunmen release hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted last week
Hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted last week from a boarding school in the north-western Zamfara State have been released. The girls were freed unharmed and will be reunited with their families. Witnesses say the gunmen also attacked a nearby military camp to prevent soldiers from responding. An armed gang abducted...
African legal support facility receives $3.2m from Norway and United Kingdom
Norway and the United Kingdom have donated $3.2 million to the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) to support its activities over the next two years. The Norwegian government, through its Agency for Development Cooperation, provided $1.923 million to support ALSF 2021 and 2022 work programmes. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development...
Africa needs pragmatic free market policies to attract capital into gas markets
When I spoke at the International Petroleum (IP) Week on February 25, 2021, I commended Nigeria for its efforts in driving gas monetisation. However, we have to be clear that the oil and gas industry and hardworking people remain frustrated by the delays and inability to pass and sign the...
Energy Chamber resolves to raise funding for new projects in Africa
Investment committee of the African Energy Chamber has prioritised capital mobilisation for investment in new energy projects on the continent. The committee, which met virtually for the second time since its inception last year, resolved to make capital mobilisation a top agenda of the industry in the post-Covid era. The...
Despite religious hurdles, women’s football in Morocco is growing – Fifa president
Fifa President Gianni Infantino wants the world football governing body’s cooperation with African strengthened through the support of women’s football. Despite religious encumbrances that sometimes prevent girls from taking the sport seriously, Mr Infantino acknowledged the efforts made in Morocco, a largely Muslim country, in getting women to participate in...
