insert_link Africa Cameroon’s rebels may not achieve their goal of creating the Ambazonian state – but they’re still a threat to stability By Manu Lekunze, University of Aberdeen Cameroon’s separatist insurgency is an armed conflict in the country’s North West (NW) and South West (SW) regions that began in 2017. It pits government forces against several non-state armed groups, locally known as “Amba rebels”. The rebels seek to create a state called Ambazonia out of Cameroon’s English-speaking regions. The conflict has killed over 6,000 people and displaced 765,000. Over […] todayMarch 18, 2024 5
insert_link Africa Inflation in Nigeria is still climbing while it has slowed globally: here’s why By Stephen Onyeiwu, Allegheny College Just as Nigerians were gradually digging out from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were hit by high inflation. The Nigerian economy contracted by 6.1% at the peak of COVID in the second quarter of 2020. Unemployment rate rose from 27% in the second quarter of 2020 to 33% in the fourth quarter of the same year. The World Bank estimated […] todayMarch 14, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Appetite from local investors fuels surge in African startup funding By Seth Onyango, bird story agency Despite a steep downturn in startup funding in Africa since 2022, more African investors are channelling substantial investments into homegrown enterprises. This is a marked departure from the previous years, when North American investors, particularly from the U.S., led the charge in startup funding across the continent. Analysis from Africa: The Big Deal identified at least 619 unique investors who participated in […] todayMarch 14, 2024 42
insert_link Africa Lagos bans single-use plastics – why I think Nigeria should have taxed them instead By Kehinde Allen-Taylor, Technical University Braunschweig Waste pollution is a huge problem in Nigeria, with serious impacts on the environment. In response, the Lagos state government has banned styrofoam (a type of plastic widely used as food containers) and other single-use products. Following a three-week moratorium for producers and sellers to mop up styrofoam containers, enforcement began on 4 March 2024. In 2019, Nigeria was estimated to […] todayMarch 12, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Nigeria risks losing all its forest elephants – what we found when we went looking for them By Rosemary Iriowen Egonmwan, University of Lagos and Bola Oboh, University of Lagos Nigeria is one of 37 African countries where elephants are found in the wild. Savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) can be found in the north and forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in the south. It’s not clear how many elephants there are in Nigeria. Eighteen years ago, the African Elephant Study Report estimated that there were […] todayMarch 12, 2024 21
Africa Nigeria is the second fastest-growing country in the world for software developers, Egypt seventh Conrad Onyango, bird story agency The latest data from GitHub, a global hub for software development, has listed the two African economies - Nigeria and Egypt - as among the world’s 10 fastest-growing countries for software development in 2023. It may come as no surprise that software development is on the rise in Africa. Vibrant startup hubs across the continent have become famous, with Silicon Cape, Silicon Savannah and Silicon […] todayMarch 8, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Women battle when trying to take climate change cases to court – South Africa and Nigeria study shows why Pedi Obani, University of Bradford Across domestic courts in Africa, climate cases have been decided in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, with some cases pending in Uganda. However, climate litigation is still fairly new. Climate lawsuits are an important way to access justice. This is particularly true for African women because, as research has shown, climate change affects women more than men in key areas including farming, […] todayMarch 8, 2024 14
insert_link Africa Binance to stop transactions in Nigeria Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, is ending all transactions and trading in Nigeria's local currency after 8 March 2024. This after Nigeria clamped down on the global crypto exchange, blaming it for feeding a black market for foreign exchange. Ajeck Mangut reports from Abuja. todayMarch 6, 2024 19
insert_link Sport Capricorn Eagles Set to Soar at Debut Appearance in African Games The Namibia women's cricket team, The Capricorn Eagles, is gearing up passionately to make its mark at the African Games hosted in Ghana. Scheduled from 7 to 13 March, this historic tournament marks cricket's grand entrance into the African Games. The Capricorn Eagles are looking forward to showcasing a good brand of cricket against formidable opponents from across the continent. Placed in Group A, alongside South Africa, Tanzania, and Nigeria, […] todayMarch 6, 2024 26