January 19, 2023
Nigeria: New Lekki Port Has Doubled Cargo Capacity, but Must Not Repeat Previous Failures
Three-quarters of the world is covered by water and up to 90% of world trade is seaborne. Seaports and shipping are critical to the conduct of global trade. Read more »
Africa: Free Movement of People Across Africa - Regions Are Showing How It Can Work
The end of January 2023 will mark five years since the African Union Free Movement of Persons protocol was signed by the African Union. A parallel initiative to the African… Read more »
January 18, 2023
Somalia: Al-Shabaab Is Just a Symptom of Somalia's Tragedy - The Causes Are Still in Place
For at least 14 years now, the militant group Al-Shabaab has terrorised the southern region of Somalia. Its ambition is to impose a tyrannical dictatorship over the entire country… Read more »
January 13, 2023
South Africa: Frene Ginwala Remembered - Trailblazing Feminist and First Speaker of South Africa's Democratic Parliament
Frene Ginwala, feisty feminist, astute political tactician and committed cadre of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), has died at the age of 90. In… Read more »
Western Sahara: The Six-Decade Struggle to Liberate Africa's Last Colony
Western Sahara is the territory in north-west Africa bordered by Morocco in the north, Algeria and Mauritania in the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. A former Spanish… Read more »
January 08, 2023
Africa: Mad World - Global Flashpoints to Watch in 2023 in the Era of 'Polycrisis'
When 2022 began, there was trepidation about what might happen in at least ten regions. Topping most lists were concerns about tensions in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Ethiopia. Read more »
January 11, 2023
Africa: Chinese Workers On Africa's Infrastructure Projects - the Link With Host Political Regimes
China has rapidly become Africa's most important infrastructure builder, and the footprint of Chinese construction companies is seen in cities, towns and villages across the… Read more »
January 06, 2023
Africa: Deforestation - Proposed EU Import Ban May Fail to Protect Tropical Rainforests and Farmers - Here's How It Should Work
Most European consumers' shopping baskets tend to include items linked to deforestation in tropical regions, involving agricultural commodities such as beef, soybeans, palm oil,… Read more »
January 09, 2023
South Africa: The South African Government Has Been Buying Farmland for Black Farmers. It's Not Gone Well
When the African National Congress came to power in South Africa in 1994, an expressed priority was land reform. This was to address the fact that black farmers had been excluded… Read more »
January 04, 2023
Africa: COP27 in Review - Climate Talks Delivered Big Gains for Africa, but Also Several Challenges
Africa has contributed negligibly to the changing climate, with less than 4% of global emissions. Yet it stands out disproportionately as the most vulnerable region in the world. Read more »
December 17, 2022
Africa: ICC Upholds Jail Term for Ugandan Rebel Commander Ongwen - Why It Matters for Africa
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has upheld its 25-year jail term against former Ugandan rebel commander Dominic Ongwen. In a decision delivered on 15 December, the ICC… Read more »
December 28, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria Insecurity - 2022 Was a Bad Year and Points to Need for Major Reforms
2022 has been an eventful year in Nigeria. For one thing, it's been the precursor to the country's general elections, which are due to be held in the first quarter of 2023. That's… Read more »
December 26, 2022
Nigeria: What's At Stake As Millions Head to the Ballot Box Around the Globe
Predicting the outcome of national elections can be a mug's game. Polls are often wrong, and second-guessing how people will vote months down the line can leave even the most savvy… Read more »
December 22, 2022
West Africa: West Africa Has Experienced a Wave of Coups - Superficial Democracy Is to Blame
West Africa has seen coups and military takeovers in three countries in 2022. Like those of the past, they came with promises of a quick return to civilian regimes once… Read more »
December 20, 2022
Nigeria: Nigeria's Economy in 2022 - Winners and Losers
At the start of 2022, Nigerians hoped that, with less than two years to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration, the government would ramp up its efforts to reduce… Read more »
December 15, 2022
South Africa: Is South Africa Better Off With or Without Cyril Ramaphosa?
President Cyril Ramaphosa came to the helm of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC) in 2017 on an anti-corruption, or anti-state capture, platform.… Read more »
South Africa: Governing Party Is Fighting to Stay Relevant - 5 Essential Reads
South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), is in a crisis. Having dominated the country's politics since democracy in 1994, it has been losing voter… Read more »
December 14, 2022
Kenya: Four Essential Reads On a Year of Political Drama and Economic Hardships
The year 2022 was always going to be an eventful one. After nearly 10 years in power, President Uhuru Kenyatta was destined to leave office to make way for the winner of the August… Read more »
December 13, 2022
Nigeria: 2022 Was a Rollercoaster for Nigeria - 4 Essential Reads On What Went Down and How to Fix It
For Nigeria and Nigerians, the year 2022 was a rollercoaster ride of sorts. As a year preceding the country's general elections in 2023, it was expected to hold a lot of political… Read more »
December 12, 2022
Ghana: Ghana Had a Bad Time in 2022 - 4 Reads to Catch Up On What Happened
Ghana, a country with a good reputation for democracy, human rights, governance and economic growth in Africa, endured a difficult 2022. Read more »
December 08, 2022
Ethiopia: Abiy Ahmed Gained Power With the Help of Young People - Four Years Later He's Silencing Them
When Abiy Ahmed took power as Ethiopia's prime minister in April 2018, he was the youngest head of government in Africa. Read more »
December 07, 2022
South Africa: What Is RET and What Does It Want? The Radical Economic Transformation Faction Explained
It has been standard for some years, in any analysis of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), to refer to the "radical economic transformation" (RET)… Read more »
December 04, 2022
Nigeria: Violent Extremism Could Beckon in North-Western Nigeria If Local Dynamics Are Ignored
In January 2022, in a bid to stem a tide of violent attacks and kidnappings in north-western Nigeria, the government labelled the armed groups involved in the violence… Read more »
December 01, 2022
Africa: 'Historic Moment' as Ramaphosa Faces Possible Impeachment
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has an impeachment case to answer. This was the finding of the independent parliamentary panel probing the scandal over the theft of… Read more »
November 29, 2022
Kenya: 6 Priorities to Get Kenya's Curriculum Back On Track - or Risk Excluding Many Children From Education
Kenya's education curriculum was reformed in 2017 to improve its quality - but now many Kenyans are calling for change again. Public disillusionment with the competency-based… Read more »