West Africa: Ecowas Summit - 6 Steps the Leaders Can Take to Restore Stability and Growth in West Africa

This year's summit of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) takes place against a challenging environment for the regional bloc. Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Migration Policy - Lots of Laws but No Coherence and Poor Implementation

Nigeria's migration policies are extensive on paper. Designed to address both emigration and immigration, they reflect the country's role as a migration hub in west Africa. Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Schools Don't Teach Enough About Geoscience - Why Kids Need to Know How the Planet Works

Over the last few decades Ghana has seen a rise in environmental degradation such as pollution, deforestation and land degradation. These have been driven by urbanisation,… Read more »

Nigeria: The Road to the Village - Novelist Chigozie Obioma On Nigeria's Brutal Civil War, Love and Redemption

Chigozie Obioma is the Nigerian author of the novels The Fishermen (2015) and An Orchestra of Minorities (2019), both shortlisted for the Booker Prize for their unique, folkloric… Read more »

Nigeria: Boko Haram and Western Education - the Surprising Views of Some Nigerians Who Left the Insurgency Group

The world has come to associate the insurgency in north-east Nigeria with the slogan "western education is forbidden". This is how "Boko Haram" - the name given to the insurgents -… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Cholera Outbreaks - Why They Happen and Are So Hard to Control

On 9 June 2024 the Lagos State government declared a cholera outbreak. Three days later, it announced that 324 suspected cases had been reported in the state, including 15 people… Read more »

Nigeria: Terror Attacks and Kidnappings Spread in Nigeria - Why Lagos Could Be a Target

Crimes that were previously associated with Nigeria's northern region - like kidnapping for ransom and terrorism - appear to be spreading to the south-west region, including Lagos.… Read more »

Nigeria: Your Wig Could Be Poisoning You - Study Finds Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals in Synthetic Hair in Nigeria

Well-groomed hair is a symbol of beauty for many black African women. Natural hair requires special care and attention, though, which can be time consuming. Wigs (human or… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's National Anthem Change Was a Tactic to Distract Attention From the Country's Real Problems - Political Analyst

A year into his administration, Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill into law, replacing an anthem adopted in 1978 with its predecessor. The… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Mountain Streams Are a Haven for Special Creatures - They Need Protection

Nigeria has many freshwater ecotourism attractions. Among them are the Ikogosi warm spring, the Osun-Osogbo river, and the Olumirin, Owu, Arinta and Ekor waterfalls. Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Economic Crisis Was Caused By Govt Borrowing - Economist

Ghana is going through its worst economic crisis in a generation. The past two years have seen record high inflation in the country. Ghana's central bank (the Bank of Ghana) has… Read more »

Senegal: Senegal Has a Rich History of Traditional Music - How It Lives On in Modern Music

Senegal has a rich history of traditional music - and this lives on as it influences the west African country's modern music today. Read more »

Nigeria: Mental Health Services Are Scarce in Nigeria but There's a Huge Need

Emergency hotlines have a crucial role to play in improving access to mental health services, particularly in countries where these services are in short supply. Read more »

Senegal: Senegal's Remote Bassari People Talk About Climate Change, and How Their Local Knowledge Is Key to Coping Strategies

The Bassari people, a farming community of about 20,000 people, live in an area between Senegal and Guinea. During French colonial rule, the Bassari lost part of their communal… Read more »

Africa: Bicycles Can Change Lives, Especially in Rural Africa

To many people around the world bicycles are a crucial means of transport, especially for carrying loads in rural areas. While their benefits are huge and many organisations are… Read more »

Malawi: Farming With a Mixture of Crops, Animals and Trees Is Better for the Environment and for People - Evidence From Ghana and Malawi

Farming just one kind of crop in a field at a time, and using a lot of chemicals, poses a risk to both people and nature. This simplified intensive agriculture often goes hand in… Read more »

Nigeria: Naira Is in Crisis but Cryptocurrency Isn't to Blame - Nigeria Needs Consistent Policy

Nigeria's Securities and Exchange Commission is considering tighter controls to combat illegal trading in digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. The Conversation Africa asked… Read more »

Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone's Bushmeat Markets Pose Serious Health Hazards - We Studied Two for Six Months to Find Solutions

You are walking through the bustling centre of Bo, Sierra Leone's third largest city. Read more »

Ghana: Stevie Wonder's Ghanaian Citizenship Reflects Long-Standing Links Between African Americans and the Continent

There's a long history of African Americans settling in Ghana or keeping in close contact with the first African country to gain independence. This relationship has most recently… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Anti-Lgbtiq+ Bill Is Being Challenged in the Supreme Court. Why the Decision to Broadcast It Live Matters

Ghana's Supreme Court is live televising its proceedings on the country's controversial anti-LGBTQI+ bill. This was on the request of Ghana's attorney general, who cited public… Read more »

Senegal: The Mother of African Dance At 80. Why Senegal's Germaine Acogny Is So Influential

Africa's most celebrated dancer and choreographer, Germaine Acogny, turns 80 on 28 May. I have had the privilege of meeting the Senegalese artist, learning from her, and… Read more »

Ghana: Ghana's Forests Are Being Wiped Out - What's Behind This and Why Attempts to Stop It Aren't Working

Ghana has around 7.9 million hectares of forested land (35% of the total land area), according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Around 7.6 million hectares are primary or… Read more »

Africa: Female Genital Mutilation Is On the Rise in Africa - Disturbing New Trends Are Driving Up the Numbers

Thirteen-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in… Read more »

Ghana: Walking in African Cities Can Be a Miserable Experience - Accra Study Shows Planners Ignore Needs of Pedestrians

African cities aren't welcoming places for pedestrians. Yet walking is free and, given the shortage of decent public transport, it's often the only way for people to move around.… Read more »

Nigeria: Nigeria's Minimum Wage Has Never Protected Workers From Poverty - Here's Why

Wages have become the top issue for Nigeria's organised labour movements in the past year. Reacting to recent increases in the cost of living, the labour movement has been calling… Read more »