Nigeria: Nigeria At 65 - a Long Road to Economic Freedom

Nigeria turns 65 on 1 October 2025, having obtained independence from Britain on 1 October 1960. Read more »

South Africa: Will the G20 Listen to Its Own Advisors? 4 Urgent Steps On Climate Change

The world's 20 most powerful economies, the G20 - currently led by South Africa - face mounting pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions and help nations adapt to climate change.… Read more »

Nigeria: One in Two Nigerians Live in Poverty - Why Relief Programmes Have Failed

Poverty in Nigeria has reached critical levels, recent data shows. About 31% of Nigerians lived in poverty prior to the COVID-19 epidemic. Since then, an additional 42 million have… Read more »

South Africa: Helen Zille - Will Competence, Courage and a Dose of Arrogance Be Enough to Get Her Elected As Johannesburg's Mayor?

Love her or loathe her, it is hard to deny that Helen Zille is one of the most remarkable politicians South Africa's democracy has yet seen. Remarkable because she has served in so… Read more »

Africa: G20 in a Changing World - Is It Still Useful? Four Scholars Weigh in

US president Donald Trump's address to the annual gathering of the United Nations general assembly in late September 2025 set a new low in international relations. Trump delivered… Read more »

South Sudan: South Sudan Is Unstable - How a Weak State Benefits the Ruling Elite

Salva Kiir, the president of South Sudan, met with then US president Barack Obama at the White House in 2011 to discuss the future of the newly independent state. Read more »

Tanzania: Tanzania's Social Media Clampdown and the Elections - What's At Risk

Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and X have transformed political dialogue and activism in Tanzania. The democratisation of political expression has… Read more »

Africa: Graduated, Now What? Survey of Young Africans Shows Degrees Don't Always Land Them a Job

Study hard, get your degree, and then step confidently into a stable, well-paid job. That's long been the assumption about how to secure a livelihood: in neat, predictable stages.… Read more »

Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Two Bids At Democracy Have Failed - What It Will Take to Succeed

Ethiopia has attempted to transition to democracy twice. First in 1991, when a new government overthrew a dictatorial military regime. Second in 2018, when Abiy Ahmed took over as… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria Scores Well On Electricity Reform Rankings, but Power Supply Isn't Affordable and Reliable. Here's Why

Nigeria's electricity sector remains fragile. About 85 million Nigerians (43% of the population) lack access to grid electricity. This is one of the biggest energy access gaps in… Read more »

South Africa: South African Men May Now Take Their Wife's Surname - Why Traditional Leaders Are Upset

A unanimous Constitutional Court ruling has sparked fierce controversy by affirming the right of South African men to adopt their wives' surnames if they wish to. Read more »

Uganda: Uganda Has Signed a Deal With the U.S. to Take Asylum Seekers - What's Behind It and What's At Stake

A new deal to deport asylum seekers from the US to Uganda was announced in August 2025. The full agreement, already signed by the ambassadors of the two countries at the end of… Read more »

Cameroon: Paul Biya At 92 - Will Defections Weaken His Grip On Absolute Power in Cameroon?

Cameroonians go to the polls in October 2025 in what some people hoped might be a break from the country's troubled recent past. They thought that President Paul Biya (92) might… Read more »

Cameroon: Cameroon Could Be Turning Waste to Energy - Study Uncovers Why It's Not, and Sets Out Solutions

Many African cities still struggle with litter and garbage that is not properly disposed of. This poses serious public health risks. It attracts vectors of disease like mosquitoes… Read more »

Africa: Inequality in Africa - What Drives It, How to End It and What Some Countries Are Getting Right

The relationship between inequality and economic growth is a complex one, especially in Africa. Inequality is the result of a host of factors, including policy choices,… Read more »

Malawi: Malawi Can End Hunger After the 2025 Elections If Bold Steps Are Taken to Transform Food Systems

Malawi has a history of peaceful democratic transitions. Since the advent of multiparty politics in 1994, power has regularly shifted between rival parties. Citizens and… Read more »

Angola: Angolans Are Fed Up With Broken Promises - Why the Ruling MPLA Keeps Stalling Local Elections

Weeks of protests in July 2025 in Angola left 30 dead and hundreds imprisoned. Sparked by a hike in fuel prices, the outcome of a governmental effort to reduce subsidies, the… Read more »

South Africa: Chalk and Talk Vs. Active Learning - What's Holding South African Teachers Back From Using Proven Methods?

As a full-time teacher completing a PhD part-time, I made a decision early on: do research that speaks to the daily realities of teachers and teaching. And so, the idea came from a… Read more »

Nigeria: 2027 Nigerian Poll Could Trigger Unrest Unless Electoral Commission Is Fixed

Political activities heralding Nigeria's 2027 general elections are beginning to pick up. Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Use of Soldiers for Civilian Tasks Comes With Serious Costs - How to Prevent This

Nigerians have experienced what it means for their government to be controlled by the military. Read more »

South Africa: Gender Equality Is the Goal, but How to Get There? Case Study of South Africa and Australia Shows That Context Matters

It will take an estimated 131 years for the world to achieve gender parity, defined as equal access, opportunities and outcomes for women and men across economic, political,… Read more »

Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Mega Dam Has Taken 14 Years to Build - What It Means for the Nile's 11 River States and Why It's So Controversial

In April 2011, Ethiopia began construction of Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), on the Blue Nile river. The dam is expected to… Read more »

South Africa: South Africa's Small-Scale Rooibos Tea Growers Aren't Getting Much From an Industry Deal - Why It's Not Fair

A ground-breaking benefit-sharing agreement was signed in 2019 between South Africa's lucrative rooibos herbal tea industry and two organisations representing Indigenous San and… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Joseph Kabila Is On Trial for Treason in the DR Congo. What the Case Against the Former President Is All About

The Congolese military court has accused former president Joseph Kabila of treason, corruption, war crimes and supporting the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group. During court… Read more »

Egypt: Curious Kids - in Ancient Egypt, Did Pyramids Really Have Booby Traps? Why Was Treasure Hidden Inside?

In ancient Egypt, did pyramids really have booby traps? Why was treasure hidden inside? - Effie, age 8, New Plymouth, New Zealand. Read more »