May 30, 2022
Africa: Cannabis Policy Changes in Africa Are Welcome. but Small Producers Are the Losers
Cannabis is a drug crop with a long history in Africa. Alongside coca and opium poppy, it has been subjected to international control for nearly a century. The International Opium… Read more »
Kenya: How 'Patriotic' Choral Music Has Been Used to Embed a Skewed Version of History
Choral music - patriotic choral music in particular - is a significant genre in Kenya's political history. Read more »
South Africa: What It Will Take for Ailing Power Utility to Keep Going
The chief operating officer of South Africa's electricity utility, Eskom, warned in May that the government should urgently start building new generating capacity. He was referring… Read more »
May 29, 2022
Congo-Kinshasa: What Coltan Mining in the DRC Costs People and the Environment
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is rich in natural resources - its untapped deposits of minerals are estimated to be worth US$24 trillion. Gold, diamonds, cobalt and zinc… Read more »
Somalia: U.S. Will Soon Redeploy Troops in Somalia - the Mission and Key Goals
The Biden administration in the US recently announced it would be providing a "persistent presence" in Somalia of up to "around 450" US soldiers, reversing a decision taken by US… Read more »
South Africa: Marine Life in a South African Bay Is Full of Chemical Pollutants
The adage "out of sight, out of mind" has long summed up humans' attitude to dumping personal and industrial waste. In a 1974 Scientific American article, the… Read more »
May 27, 2022
Somalia: Somalia's New President Hassan Sheikh - His Strengths and Weaknesses
Somalia has a new president. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud beat the incumbent Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo in a long-delayed election. It's not Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's first stint as leader,… Read more »
Africa: UN Peacekeeping in Africa Is Working Better Than You Might Think
Media headlines often make it seem as if peacekeeping is not going well; they tend to highlight violence, displacement and abuse. The quantitative data, however, tell a different… Read more »
Nigeria: Domestic Violence and Work Status - Which Nigerian Women Are Most At Risk
One in four women in Nigeria has experienced abuse from her intimate partner in her life. Globally, the figure is one in three women. Read more »
South Africa: Spirit of Ntu - South African Piano Maestro Nduduzo Makhathini On His 10th Album
Nduduzo Makhathini is a prolific South African pianist, improviser, healer, educator, scholar and storyteller. He possesses a gift that enables him to articulate a distinct and… Read more »
May 26, 2022
Kenya: Climate Change Isn't a Priority for Universities. It Should Be
Universities can play a vital role in shaping change in societies. They produce knowledge through research, train future decision makers, and contribute to public awareness of… Read more »
Nigeria: Super Afro Soul - the Music of Orlando Julius, Titan of Nigerian Music
Highlife crooner and Afrobeat singer Orlando Julius Aremu Olusanya Ekemode died, according to his wife Latoya Aduke, in his sleep on 15 April 2022. Read more »
Ghana: Ghanaian Women in Dance Reality Show Challenge Stereotypes About Obesity
Since the debut of Big Brother Africa in South Africa in 2003, reality television shows have become a common feature on television stations across the continent. They have helped… Read more »
May 25, 2022
Africa: Artificial Light May Become a New Weapon in the Fight to Control Malaria
The world has not yet won the war against malaria. While the total number of cases has declined from about 81.1 cases per 1,000 population to 59 per 1,000 since 2000, there were… Read more »
Nigeria: Monkeypox Is Endemic in Nigeria. but Surveillance Isn't What It Should Be
There has been an outbreak of monkeypox cases in a number of countries that are not endemic for the virus. Monkeypox is caused by an orthopoxvirus that is closely related to the… Read more »
South Africa: Foreign Companies Exiting Russia Echo Pressure Campaign Against South Africa's Racist Apartheid System
McDonald's provided many Russians with their first taste of capitalism three decades ago. Now, the global fast-food giant is exiting the country. Starbucks is also on its way out. Read more »
Africa: A 'Doorway' On Mars? How We See Things in Space That Aren't There
Enthusiasts lit up social media recently with images of what appeared to be a "doorway" into a hillside on Mars. Was it, some wondered, evidence that the red planet could be, or… Read more »
Africa: Quantum Physics Offers Insights About Leadership in the 21st Century
It may seem strange to look to the discipline of quantum physics for lessons that will help to create future-fit leaders. But science has a lot to offer us. Read more »
May 24, 2022
Africa: The African Union's Conflict Early Warning System Is No More. What Now?
Since 2017, the African Union (AU) has undergone institutional reforms to increase its efficiency and effectiveness. The gist of these reforms was proposed by the so-called Kagame… Read more »
Africa: Pan-African Integration Has Made Progress - But Needs a Change of Mindset #AfricaDay
This year's celebration of Africa Day provides another opportunity to assess how far continental integration has progressed. Read more »
Nigeria: Oil Hazards Aren't the Main Worry of Nigeria's Coastal Residents - Toilets Are
Nigeria's coastal areas are known to present environmental hazards and risks. Oil exploration and exploitation is one source of these hazards. Oil spillage, gas flaring, air and… Read more »
Rwanda: Commonwealth in Kigali - Another Chance for Rwanda's Kagame to Project Soft Power
Rwanda is getting its turn to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from 20 June to 25 June 2022. The grouping of former imperialist Britain power plus its dismantled… Read more »
Africa: Tech Firms Are Making Computer Chips With Human Cells - Is It Ethical?
The year is 2030 and we are at the world's largest tech conference, CES in Las Vegas. A crowd is gathered to watch a big tech company unveil its new smartphone. The CEO comes to… Read more »
Southern Africa: Urban Planners Face Huge Corruption Pressures - Some Answers
Corruption is commonly defined as the abuse of entrusted power for personal gain. Read more »
South Africa: We Tested Plants Used for Contraception. Here's What We Found
In sub-Saharan Africa, 91 per 1,000 pregnancies are unwanted. This is around three times the rates of unintended pregnancies recorded in Europe and North America. Read more »