February 20
West Africa: Burkina Faso's Ibrahim Traoré Is Making Waves in West Africa. Who Is He?
Captain Ibrahim Traoré is the interim leader of Burkina Faso, having taken over the position following a coup which he led against Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba in… Read more »
Ghana: Kumasi Was Called the Garden City - but Green Spaces Are Vanishing in a Clash of Landuse Regulations
Urban parks in Kumasi, the capital city of Ghana's Ashanti region, are fast disappearing or in decline. Kumasi was designed 60 years ago as a "garden city", with green belts, parks… Read more »
February 19
Nigeria: Is Nigeria in Danger of a Coup? What the Country Should Do to Avoid One - Political Analyst
African countries have had nine successful military coups since 2020. In west and central Africa, there have been at least 10 coup attempts in the same period. Those of Niger,… Read more »
West Africa: Ecowas Breakup Could Push Up Food Prices and Worsen Hunger in West Africa
The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) lost three of its founding members on 29 January 2025. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger comprised 16% of the bloc's population of… Read more »
February 17
Africa: Green Skills to Help Nature Repair Itself Are Scarce - What We're Doing to Train More Experts in South Africa and Senegal
Africa's population is growing. This means more landscape change and development of supporting infrastructure. Ecosystems are under pressure, made worse by natural disasters… Read more »
West Africa: Why Is There So Much Gold in West Africa?
Militaries that have taken power in Africa's Sahel region - notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger - have put pressure on western mining firms for a fairer distribution of revenue… Read more »
February 12
Ghana: Ghana's Urban Strategies Neglect the Needs of Street Vendors - Policy Must Catch Up With Reality
Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana's urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in places convenient to… Read more »
West Africa: West Africans Have a High Risk of Kidney Disease - New Study Confirms Genetic Cause
Kidney disease, leading to kidney failure, afflicts disproportionately more black people than white people. Thus, there is a huge burden of kidney healthcare costs among black… Read more »
February 11
Nigeria: Online Romance Scams - Who Nigeria and Ghana's Fraudsters Are, How They Operate, and Why They Do It
People find love in many ways and through diverse mediums. Online platforms have become popular meeting places for people looking to find intimate partners, making them a prime… Read more »
February 10
West Africa: Power Vacuum in West Africa's Sahel - 3 Ways China Could Fill the Gap As West Exits
With France fast losing its influence in west Africa's Sahel region and an unpredictable US president in power, will China fill the vacuum? Read more »
February 06
Mali: Why Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger's New Plan to Tackle Extremist Violence Is Likely to Fail
The military-led nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on January 29. They had announced their… Read more »
February 05
Nigeria: U.S. Health Funding Cuts - What Nigeria Stands to Lose
US president Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization is threatening funding for critical health programmes like HIV/Aids and tuberculosis in… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's BRICS Partnership - Economist Outlines Potential Benefits
During its 16th annual summit in Kazan, Russia, Brics - a group of emerging economies determined to act as a counterweight to the west and to whittle down the influence of global… Read more »
February 02
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso's Nature Reserves Are Worth Protecting - but People Have to Be Part of the Plan
Burkina Faso is a west African dryland country known for its diverse ecosystems, including savannas, forests and wetlands. Large herbivores like elephant, giraffe and hippopotamus,… Read more »
January 30
Nigeria: Nigeria's Plastic Bottle Collectors Turn Waste Into Wealth - Survey Sheds Light On Their Motivation
Plastic waste in Nigeria presents a dual challenge: cleaning up environmental pollution, and tapping into its economic potential. Read more »
January 28
Cameroon: Cameroon Could Do With Some Foreign Help to Solve Anglophone Crisis - but the State Doesn't Want It
What began in late 2016 as a peaceful protest by lawyers and teachers in Cameroon's North West and South West regions quickly turned violent and developed into what's become known… Read more »
January 22
Sierra Leone: It's Hard for Women in Sierra Leone to Own Land - Here's Why
Land disputes in Sierra Leone are a complex issue, dating back decades. Weak land tenure systems, rapid urbanisation and population growth, poverty, inequality, corruption and weak… Read more »
January 16
Africa: African Countries Need More PhD Graduates but Students Are Held Back By a Lack of Money and Support
Over the past 15 years there's been an increasing demand from within and outside the higher education sector for African countries to produce more PhD graduates. For this to… Read more »
January 15
Mali: Mali's Military Junta Has Made Homosexuality a Crime - What the New Law Says
A bloodless coup in 2020 saw the military take control of Mali. Since then there have been growing reports of a declining human rights record in the west African country. Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria's Ọ̀ṣun Òṣogbo Festival Celebrates the Power of a Yoruba Goddess
The Ọ̀ṣun Òṣogbo festival is the most important annual event in Òṣogbo, south-west Nigeria. It draws thousands of devotees and tourists from across Nigeria… Read more »
January 14
West Africa: West Africa Is the World's New Epicentre for Terrorism
When the Nigerian Air Force celebrated its 60th anniversary in May 2024, its spokesperson declared it was set to become the third largest air force in Africa within the next two… Read more »
January 13
Ghana: Ghana's New President Faces Tough Regional Security Problems
John Mahama has been sworn in as Ghana's new president. He inherits a host of security challenges by dint of the country's position in the west African region, which has become… Read more »
Nigeria: 26 Million Nigerians Face Acute Hunger
Food security in Nigeria is at a critical point and needs urgent attention. Over 26 million people out of an estimated population of 229.5 million faced acute hunger in the period… Read more »
January 12
West Africa: West Africa Could Soon Have a Jihadist State - Here's Why
The Sahel region of Africa, between the Sahara and the tropical savannahs to the south, has emerged as a significant base of groups that want to establish jihadist states. Read more »
January 06
Nigeria: Nigeria's Economy in 2025 Doesn't Look Bright - Analyst Explains Why
Nigerians may be wondering whether the year 2025 will bring the "renewed hope" promised by the President Bola Tinubu administration - or whether they are in for another year of… Read more »