Nigeria: Calls to Restructure Nigeria's Federal System Are Missing the Point

In Nigeria, a range of voices have called for the review of the federal system of government. They include former president Olusegun Obasanjo; an academic and former electoral… Read more »

Africa: The Sierra Leonian Gangster Who Gave up Violence and Drugs for Poetry

For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics in a comparative perspective.… Read more »

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone Is Working to Transform Its Food System, but It Faces Mounting Challenges

One of the most pressing issues facing humanity is the need to transform food systems to become more equitable, environmentally sustainable, able to deliver healthy diets for all,… Read more »

West Africa: Hustle Academies - West Africa's Online Scammers Are Training Others in Fraud and Sextortion

As the world becomes increasingly connected, digital fraud has evolved from a local problem into a global one. West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria, is witnessing the rise… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria Is the World's Second Biggest Plastic Polluter - Expert Insights Into the Crisis

Plastic pollution is a major problem in Nigeria. Read more »

Nigeria: Nigerian Farmers Lack Insurance - Payouts Triggered By Weather Data Offer a Solution

Agriculture is hugely important to Nigeria. It makes up about a quarter of the country's economy, and almost half of the population are smallholder farmers. Most farm on less than… Read more »

Africa: Ghana Is Africa's Largest Gold Producer, but It Has an Illegal Mining Issue - 5 Essential Reads

Ghana is one of the world's gold hotspots. It is Africa's largest producer of gold and it ranks sixth globally. In 2023, 4 million ounces were produced. It is essential to Ghana's… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigerian Households Use a Range of Energy, From Wood to Solar - Green Energy Planning Must Account for This

Low and middle-income countries generally lack access to renewable energy and rely excessively on traditional fuels like firewood and charcoal. In these countries, 2.6 billion… Read more »

Ghana: Victory for Women's Rights in Ghana As Affirmative Action Law Is Passed - What Must Happen Next

The passage of the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill by the country's parliament on 9 August 2024 marked a victory for women's rights in Ghana. The bill, which has been… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria Has Seen a Lot of Conflict Over the Years - Resistance From Minority Groups Is a Strong Driver

Conflict and tension in Nigeria are not new. Ever since independence in 1960, there have been conflicts over natural resources and political agitations. The country has also… Read more »

West Africa: The Conversation Africa Condemns Harassment of West Africa Editor Adejuwon Soyinka

The Conversation Africa condemns the harassment of its West Africa editor, Adejuwon Soyinka, by Nigeria's Department of State Security operatives. Read more »

Africa: Africa's Ageing Leaders - Succession Race in Cameroon, Congo and Equatorial Guinea Could Destabilise the Region

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea is 82 and has been in power for 45 years. Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo, 79, has held on to power for 40 years. Cameroon's Paul… Read more »

Ghana: Corruption Holds Small Businesses Back - Ghana Study Reveals Two Strategies to Avoid the Traps

Small and medium enterprises account for 95% of all registered businesses and contribute about 50% to the total GDP of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Read more »

Niger: Onyeka Onwenu Remembered - Nigerian Pop Star, Activist and Voice of National Unity

The news of the death of Nigerian musician Onyeka Onwenu on 30 July 2024 hit me, as a musician and popular music scholar, like a thunderbolt. I have listened to and appreciated… Read more »

Nigeria: Russian Flags Waved During Nigeria Protests - Why It's a Cause for Concern

The #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria from 1 August to 10 August took a rather unexpected dimension when some protesters in Kano and Kaduna states, both in the country's… Read more »

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's Women Farmers Use a Custom Called Bora to Access Land - but It's Making Them More Vulnerable

Bora - a type of thank you gift - is a Sierra Leonean custom of respect that is often used in relation to land. For instance, informal farmers pay bora to landowners to be able to… Read more »

Nigeria: Sex and Alcohol in Nigeria - Marketing Tactics Send Dangerous Messages to Young Drinkers

Nigeria has a high rate of heavy drinking among young people. One study found that 55.8% of teenagers between 15 and 19 years old had engaged in binge drinking in the past month. Read more »

West Africa: Russia-Ukraine War Spills Into West Africa - Mali Attacks Signal Dangerous Times Ahead

Russia suffered significant blows to its reputation in mid-2024. An attack on its territory by Ukraine came as a surprise. In west Africa, the Wagner mercenary group, supported by… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Niger Delta Biohazards - High Radioactive Levels Detected in New Study

The Niger Delta, in southern Nigeria, is one of the most significant oil-producing regions in the world. It spans over 70,000 square kilometres and is also an area of great… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Highest Court Says Local Governments Can Spend Their Funds Without Interference - Why This Matters

Nigeria's Supreme Court has affirmed the financial autonomy of the country's 774 local government areas. It upheld the suit brought by the federal government to strengthen the… Read more »

Cameroon: Cameroon Spends 90% of Chinese Development Loans On Its French Region

In Cameroon, violent clashes between government forces and separatists from the English-speaking parts of the country started in 2017. Since then, at least 598,000 people have had… Read more »

Mali: Wagner Group Setback in Mali Challenges Moscow's Strategy in Africa and the Region's Faith in Russian Mercenaries

While Russia's army is bogged down in Ukraine, its mercenaries are faring no better in Africa. Read more »

Mali: Mali Is Still Unsafe Under the Military - Why It Hasn't Made Progress Against Rebels and Terrorists

The scale of casualties suffered by the Wagner group and Malian forces during a recent assault in the Tinzaouaten region reveal vulnerability in Mali's counterinsurgency posture. Read more »

Nigeria: Young Nigerians' Push for Change Must Go Beyond Street Protests - Historian

Nigerians began a 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest on 1 August 2024 and are expected to continue until 10 August. They took to the streets to demand economic and political reforms,… Read more »

Mali: Mali's Kora Star Toumani Diabaté - a Personal Reflection By His Music Producer

The untimely death of Mali's Toumani Diabaté at the age of 58 has shocked the music world. The sheer number of tributes, including those from superstar African musicians… Read more »