Contributed, Author at Future Media News

Bird flu: what is it, how does it spread and how can we protect ourselves from it?

By Daniel Oladimeji Oluwayelu, University of Ibadan There has been an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital. The viral disease, also called avian influenza, killed 441 chickens out of a flock of 641 on a farm. There have been several outbreaks bird flu across Africa over the past 18 years. Nigeria was the first African country to report an outbreak in February 2006. […]

25 March, 2024

World

South Sudan opposition protests party registration fee hike

South Sudanese opposition parties protested Monday at an "exorbitant" $50,000 fee to register ahead of the fragile country's first ever elections, branding it a slap in the face for democracy. The world's youngest nation is due to go to the polls by the end of the year under a 2018 peace deal, although the United Nations and others say key obstacles still need to be overcome if they […]

25 March, 2024

Africa

Cultural wealth can drive economic growth in African cities

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency With the right policies, African cities hold immense potential to drive significant economic growth by capitalizing on their rich cultural heritage and harnessing the creativity of their youthful populations, according to a new report. “Africa’s urban landscapes are not just repositories of heritage and tradition; they are dynamic centres of innovation, awaiting the right policies to support unlocking their full potential,” the […]

25 March, 2024

Africa

Kigali is Africa’s fastest rising international financial centre

By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Rwanda’s deliberate move to carve a niche in sustainable finance is helping to grow Kigali as Africa’s next significant International Financial Centre. The capital city has climbed up 18 spots, the highest in Africa and third highest globally, in the 35th edition of the Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI) rankings, placing it third in Africa and 67th globally. “The greatest improvements were […]

25 March, 2024

Africa

Africa’s promising sports future evident at the 13th Africa Games in Accra

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency After three weeks of intense field and track event actions across multiple venues in Accra, the 13th edition of the Africa Games came to a close this past weekend. The pan-African sporting event has, yet again, showcased Africa's rich and diverse sports talent, with more than 35 countries participating across 23 sports disciplines. Egypt led with 107 gold, 47 silver, and 42 […]

25 March, 2024

World

Hundreds of Nigerian children are being kidnapped – the government must change its security strategy

By Al Chukwuma Okoli, Federal University Lafia School abductions have been a trend in Nigeria. The latest took place in Kaduna and Sokoto states, both in the north-west region, when over 300 children were abducted at different times in March 2024. Previous prominent cases have included the Chibok, Dapchi and Kankara abductions, which insurgents claimed to have perpetrated. As a security scholar and analyst who has researched and […]

25 March, 2024

Lifestyle

Parents who believe their children can have a better future are more likely to read and play with them – South African study

Both children and parents benefit from daily play and reading activities. iThemba Projects, Author provided By Kendra Thomas, Hope College Every day, a small group of women make their way through the community of Sweetwaters, near the South African city of Pietermaritzburg, with bags of toys and books. They work as home mentors supporting families who signed up for an early childhood development intervention. They swap puzzles and […]

25 March, 2024

Business / Economics

Why do identical informal businesses set up side by side? It’s a survival tactic – Kenya study

By Tim Weiss, Imperial College London The population on the African continent will have nearly doubled by 2050, according to UN projections. About 800 million more young Africans will enter the job market by then. Combine this forecast with the high youth unemployment rate in many African countries today, then the pressing question is: who will create stable jobs at mass scale? Many policies to create […]

25 March, 2024

Business / Economics

Worried about how to support your child’s education? Here are four useful steps you can take

By Benta A. Abuya, African Population and Health Research Center Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children’s learning. Their involvement lays the foundation for success both inside and outside the classroom. This makes a parent’s consistent support and nurturing important at every stage of formal schooling, and even before that. The key lies in creating a supportive and encouraging environment at home. In the school […]

25 March, 2024