How ‘food sexism’ has turned Nigeria into a pariah nation where land access is restricted by patrilineal inheritance
Last year, Nigerian farmer Odam Obat lost about two thirds of her cassava crop to devastating floods at her home in the Niger Delta – a densely populated but erosion-prone region on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. To avoid such a loss again, she decided this year to...
Malaria outbreaks in Africa linked to arrival in East Africa of Indian species of insecticide-resistant mosquito
Compelling evidence has emerged that a malaria outbreak in Ethiopia this year was caused by the arrival in eastern Africa of an insecticide-resistant species of mosquito (Anopheles stephensi). The finding complicates disease-elimination efforts in Africa – where 95 per cent of the world’s malaria infections occur – and has worried...
Scramble for top talent II: ‘Think from the future’ through integrated approach where measurable results drive decisions
Imagine that you have suddenly been directed to “increase the global leadership competency” of your company’s mid-level managers, and been given a budget to accomplish this miracle. What is the optimal approach? Unfortunately, the one frequently chosen by novices is to schedule a period of time in which high-potential leaders...
Scramble for top talent: New behaviour, skills and thinking are key if companies want to secure talented people
Everyone I work with these days wants to grow “global leaders” even if they can’t explain exactly what that means. Many companies today are looking overseas for new markets and new customers in order to sustain the profitable growth of their businesses. New behaviours, skills and thinking are required to...
US court set to dump affirmative action, which may radically affect Blacks student admission to university
The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next week in two cases that could change the landscape of higher education in the country. The eventual outcomes will determine whether Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill are allowed to use race...
Medical research findings raise hope of ‘love hormone’ being used to repair memory loss in humans
A new study by medical researchers at the Tokyo University of Science has found that a cell-penetrating oxytocin derivative administered in the nasal passages of memory-impaired mice reversed the rodent’s cognitive impairment. Consequently, the results have raised hope that oxytocin, also known as ‘love hormone’, can be used to restore...
Forever war II: Massacre of civilians in Bucha, Izyum towns in Ukraine signals Russia’s intent on gruesome violations
It is perhaps a sign of restraint that the Biden administration has so publicly specified just what weaponry it’s providing to Ukraine and which other countries it’s offering assistance to in the name of security concerns over the war. And in making decisions about which munitions and armaments to offer,...
Forever war: US pledge of $15 billion to Ukraine, $8 trillion spent in Iraq keeps war industry on the roll
Ukraine is obviously a powder keg. With each passing day, in fact, the war there poses new threats to the world order. Only recently, Vladimir Putin’s Russia intensified its attacks on civilian targets in that beleaguered land, while threatening to use tactical nuclear weapons and adding Ukraine’s neighbour Belarus to...
A modern customer is tricky and too impatient, so shrewd businesses owners tap them and flow with them
The rise of the internet and information technology have greatly contributed to revolutionising customer experience from what we knew of it in the past. Today’s customer is quite different. He is in control of when, where and how they want to interact with a brand and brands don’t have many...
How Middle East uses earnings from oil exports to buyers choking in carbon emissions to invest in clean energy
The world’s green spotlight is tilting towards the Middle East as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prepare to host the next two major world summits on climate change. Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort will be the site of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27),...
