insert_link Africa Nigeria’s plastic ban: why it’s good and how it can work By Temitope O. Sogbanmu, University of Lagos Two weeks into January 2024, Nigerian authorities took steps to curb environmental degradation caused by plastic pollution in the country. The Federal Ministry of Environment and the Lagos State government both announced bans on single-use plastics. The Federal Ministry of Environment was the first to issue a directive. It banned single-use plastics in its own departments and agencies. The Lagos State government […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 36
insert_link Africa Africa’s battery manufacturing activity is charging ahead By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Africa is leading a homegrown revolution in battery manufacturing, leveraging its abundant green mineral resources and clean energy to feed surging global demand for clean, green, renewable energy storage. Strategic partnerships between countries and investment partners are gaining momentum, aiming to transform the continent, currently a net importer of batteries, into a self-sufficient region capable of meeting the growing battery storage demand […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 40
insert_link South Africa Nelson Mandela’s personal items under the hammer in New York? Why it outraged some, and what’s at stake By Duane Jethro, University of Cape Town An identity document, a pair of reading glasses, a hearing aid and a pair of worn shoes. These are just some of Nelson Mandela’s personal items that were due to go on auction on 22 February 2024. A month before the auction was due, the New York-based Guernsey’s auction house put a notice on its website that it was suspending the […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Ghana’s looted Asante gold comes home (for now) – Asante ruler’s advisor tells us about the deal By Rachel Ama Asaa Engmann, Rutgers University After 150 years, 39 artefacts that form part of Asante’s royal regalia are due to return to the Asantehene (ruler of the Asante people) in Kumasi, Ghana, in February and April this year. The Asante empire was the largest and most powerful in the region in the 18th century and controlled an area that was rich in gold. Many of the gold […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 6
insert_link Environment Can bioplastics help shape a more sustainable future? Mike DiGirolamo holding a boomerang produced by the ARC Training Centre for Bioplastics and Biocompositses. Image by Nicolas Rakotopare for Mongabay. By Abhishyant Kidangoor, Mike DiGirolamo via Mongabay As the world struggles to contain plastic pollution, eco-friendly alternatives to plastics have garnered attention in recent years. One example: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a naturally occurring bio-based polymer, have been touted as a potential solution. Biotechnology startups have enthusiastically embraced the functional and economic […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 19
insert_link Environment Can ‘degrowth’ solve our ecological, social & economic problems? Two people biking in Amsterdam, a city well known for its cycling culture. Image by Sabina Fratila (@momhasapples) via Unsplash. By Mike DiGirolamo, Rachel Donald via Mongabay Research published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications finds that just in the United States, trillions of dollars are wasted on things that do not improve the quality of life for Americans. Podcast guest Timothée Parrique, an economist and researcher at the Lund University School of […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 23
insert_link Environment Ocean heating breaks record, again, with disastrous outcomes for the planet A lemon shark in the mangroves in the Bahamas. Image by Anita Kainrath / Ocean Image Bank. By Elizabeth Claire Alberts via Mongabay Human actions are rapidly changing the world’s oceans, whether through overfishing, pollution or coastal development. But among the most intense pressures placed on the seas right now is humanity’s ongoing burning of fossil fuels, pumping dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn has pushed sea temperatures to record levels. […] todayJanuary 31, 2024 6
insert_link Africa World NTD day: What are neglected tropical diseases and how is Africa successfully eliminating them? Edith Magak, via bird story agency As the world observes the 5th annual Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on January 30, 2024, Africa’s commitment and progress in combating these devastating forgotten diseases is one of its greatest achievements. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), out of the 50 countries globally that have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease as a public health problem, 21 are in Africa. […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 14
insert_link Opinion Pieces Customer experience, efficiency to drive growth of Africa’s telco sector this year by Louis Avenant, Senior Project Manager at Itemate Solutions Africa's vibrant telco sector is set for a bumper year in 2024 as it expands operations and broadens service offerings to meet the needs of an increasingly digital-savvy customer base. Industry projections estimate the Africa telco sector will grow by $2.24-billion between 2020 and 2024, with longer-term growth expected to be powered by the rollout of high-speed 5G connectivity and a growing […] todayJanuary 30, 2024 23