West Africa: Census Data in West Africa Is Badly Out of Date - 5 Reasons Fresh Population Statistics Are Crucial

West Africa, an area composed of 16 countries, is one of the fastest growing regions in the world. The region has a population of over 350 million, a five-fold increase since 1950… Read more »

Nigeria: 'Peter Pan' Enahoro, Nigerian Journalist and Publisher, Was Not Afraid to Speak His Mind

There are some people whose lives intersect with yours even if you never meet them in the flesh. One of these was Peter Osajele Aizegbeobor Enahoro, the Nigerian journalist who was… Read more »

Nigeria: Tinubu's Administration Must Address Nigeria's Deteriorating Security Situation

Nigeria's new president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has promised to make security a top priority of his administration. In his inaugural speech he promised, among other things, to provide… Read more »

Nigeria: Cycling Could Be a Boon for Lagos - but People Fear for Their Safety On Bikes

With an estimated 16 million residents, Lagos is the most densely populated state in Nigeria. It's under immense pressure to transport its huge population. According to a global… Read more »

West Africa: West African Countries Show How Decades of Working Together Build Peace, and Stop Wars Breaking Out

Africa is often portrayed as a continent ravaged by war, terrorism, poverty and political instability. But over the past five decades few violent conflicts have occurred between… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana and the IMF Have Struck a Deal, but Hard Choices Lie Ahead

In mid-May 2023 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finally approved a US$3 billion 36-month arrangement with Ghana. It immediately disbursed the first tranche of US$600 million. Read more »

Ghana: Accra's Market Fires Are Devastating to Informal Traders

Ghana's informal urban markets play a key role in the country's economy. They employ more than 80% of the people who work in the informal sector. They create livelihoods for… Read more »

Africa: What Makes Peace Talks Successful? The 4 Factors That Matter

Peace talks that seek to end armed conflicts are underway in several African countries. Because very few conflicts are resolved on the battlefield, negotiations are fundamental.… Read more »

Nigeria: President-Elect Tinubu Inherits Nigeria's High Debt - Economist Analysis

As the 16th president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherits an economy that is grappling with inflation, chronic unemployment, extreme poverty, crumbling infrastructure and… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigerian Architect Demas Nwoko On His Award-Winning Work - 'Whatever You Build, It Should Suit Your Culture'

Demas Nwoko, born in Nigeria in 1935, has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale, arguably the world's most prestigious… Read more »

Africa: Dangote Launches Africa's Biggest Oil Refinery - 4 Ways It Will Affect Nigeria

Nigeria's new Dangote petroleum refinery is Africa's biggest - it will produce 650,000 barrels a day, giving it the potential to address the country's energy supply crisis. Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's City of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ Has Survived and Thrived for 1,000 Years - Here's How

By the end of this century, the three most populous cities in the world are expected to be in Africa, with Lagos in Nigeria leading as home to 88.3 million people. Read more »

Africa: Grand Infrastructure Projects Aren't a Magic Bullet for Industrial Development - Insights From Ghana and Kenya

The African Union's flagship Agenda 2063 initiative prioritises large-scale infrastructure development and promises to "link the continent by rail, road, sea and air". Read more »

Ghana: Venice Architecture Biennale - How Pioneering Ghanaian Architects Reckoned With Tropical Modernism

As curator of the 2023 Venice architecture biennale, the Ghanaian-Scottish architect, Lesley Lokko, has chosen to highlight the African continent as "the laboratory of the future". Read more »

Nigeria: Obaro Ikime Was One of Nigeria's Great Scholars - He Showed Why History Matters in Building African Nations

Iku o mo eni'san! "Death does not know the good ones" is a Yoruba phrase to describe the indiscriminate nature of death. If character and social values were considered in the… Read more »

Burkina Faso: Teen Mothers and Depression - Lack of Support From Partners and Violence Are Big Drivers in Malawi and Burkina Faso

Up to one in four African girls have their first child before the age of 18. Becoming a mother at such a young age can lead to mental health problems like depression. Research… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Street Food Adds to the Plastic Problem - Green Leaves Offer a Solution

Street food is popular in Nigerian cities. Most of the local food delicacies are sold by vendors whose livelihoods depend on informal subsistence activities such as local food… Read more »

Ghana: Black and Bold Queens Is a New Children's Book Celebrating Women in Ghana's History

A new children's book, Black and Bold Queens: Women in Ghana's History explores the lives of 16 notable female pioneers and leaders in the West African country, with a strong focus… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana School Students Talk About Their Social Media Addiction, and How It Affects Their Use of English

Social media networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube and Instagram have been shown to have significantly transformed student behaviour. But the focus has been on… Read more »

West Africa: West Africa Has a Small Weapons Crisis - Why Some Countries Are Better At Dealing With It Than Others

Research has found that globally, small arms and light weapons increase the likelihood, intensity and longevity of conflict. Read more »

Nigeria: Kidnapping in Nigeria - Criminalising Ransom Payment Isn't Working - Families Need Support

Kidnapping for ransom has become a national security threat in Nigeria. How it's done varies from targeted individuals, to indiscriminate kidnappings and mass kidnapping in schools… Read more »

Nigeria: Remote Teaching in Nigeria and South Africa Got a Covid Wake-Up Call - How to Capitalise On It

Universities had to deal with many anxieties and uncertainties during the early days of the COVID pandemic. One of these was how to move all of their teaching online. For some, the… Read more »

Nigeria: Flooding in Nigeria Is On the Rise - Good Forecasts, Drains and Risk Maps Are Urgently Needed

Nigeria is one of the most flood-prone countries in west Africa. Many areas experience annual flooding. This happens during heavy rainfall and one of the reasons is poor drainage… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Regions - Why Creating New Territories Has Caused Problems

Ghana split four administrative regions between June 2017 and February 2019 to create six new ones. The process proceeded calmly in some regions, but was so contentious in others… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Fuel Subsidy - It's Time to Kill It and Spend the Money in Ways That Benefit the Poor

Nigerians are being hit from all sides by a combination of factors that are making their lives increasingly difficult. These include rising cost of living which is reflected in… Read more »