March 21, 2023
Ghana: Farmers in Ghana Can't Predict Rainfall Anymore, Changing How They Work #AfricaClimateCrisis
Climate change affects all spheres of life, particularly those aspects that depend on the environment. Farming communities are a case in point. Read more »
March 20, 2023
Africa: Air Pollution Can Increase the Risk of Covid Infection and Severe Disease #AfricaClimateCrisis
The early part of the COVID pandemic led to a significant reduction in air pollution in many parts of the world. With lockdowns, travel restrictions and decreased economic… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya's Police Are Violent, Unaccountable and Make Most Citizens Feel Less Safe - Should They Be Abolished?
A world without the police is inconceivable to many people. The police are viewed as part of modern society's foundation, ensuring democracy and keeping people safe. Read more »
Africa: U.S.-China Tensions - How Africa Can Avoid Being Caught in a New Cold War
China's foreign ministry published a 4,000-word analysis entitled US Hegemony and its Perils on 20 February. It's an indictment of alleged US foreign interference, intimidation and… Read more »
Nigeria: Beans Are a Favourite Food in Nigeria - 4 Safe Ways to Preserve Them
The beans known as oloyin in Yoruba, or as cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), are a favourite food among Nigerians, who eat them in a variety of dishes including soups and stews or as a… Read more »
Africa: LGBTQ+ Rights - African Union Watchdog Goes Back On Its Own Word
The primary human rights watchdog in Africa recently made a decision that departed from its existing practice. The African Commission of Human and Peoples' Rights, an independent… Read more »
March 19, 2023
Ethiopia: Wars in Cities - Three Rules for Protecting the Built Environment During Conflict
During the course of wars, the infrastructure of cities faces destruction. Fighting, regardless of its intentions, destroys roads, bridges, commercial and residential buildings, as… Read more »
Ghana: Ghana's Plan for a Grand New National Cathedral Sparks Debate
The building of Ghana's spectacular $400 million national cathedral designed by famed architect David Adjaye has stalled amid an economic crisis. The plan has drawn sharp public… Read more »
South Africa: Gloria Bosman Was More Than a South African Jazz Vocalist, She Was a Guiding Light
The immediate public reaction to the death of Gloria Bosman from a short respiratory illness on 14 March 2023 was shocked disbelief. The multiple award-winning South African jazz… Read more »
South Africa: Algorithms Are Moulding and Shaping Our Politics. Here's How to Avoid Being Gamed
In 2016, evidence began to mount that then-South African president Jacob Zuma and a family of Indian-born businessmen, the Guptas, were responsible for widespread "state capture".… Read more »
Africa: The Limits of Expert Judgment - Lessons From Social Science Forecasting During the Pandemic
Imagine being a policymaker at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. You have to decide which actions to recommend, how much risk to tolerate and what sacrifices to ask your… Read more »
March 16, 2023
South Africa: New Discovery - Fossilised Giant Zebra Tracks Found in South Africa
Tens of thousands of years ago, a huge horse species walked, trotted and galloped across the shifting sands of what is today South Africa's Cape south coast. Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Had 93 Million Registered Voters, but Only a Quarter Voted - 5 Reasons Why
Nigerians went to the polls in late February to vote for a new president, as well as representatives to two houses of the federal parliament. The turnout was abysmal. There were… Read more »
Nigeria: Nigeria Is On Major Migratory Bird Routes, New Strains of Bird Flu Keep Appearing
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of birds, commonly called "bird flu", which has been recurring in Nigeria since 2006. It has resulted in the loss of millions… Read more »
Kenya: Kenya Introduced Free Maternal Health Services a Decade Ago - It's Been a Success, Saving Lives
Maternal and newborn deaths are a major public health problem in Kenya. In 2020 the maternal mortality ratio was 530 deaths per 100,000 live births. This is much higher than the… Read more »
South Africa: Medicine Stockouts Are a Problem in South Africa's Clinics - How Pharmacist Assistants Can Help
Primary healthcare clinics are the main healthcare access point for millions of South Africans. Read more »
South Africa: Long Covid - What We Know About How the Condition Affects Mental Health
Many people have persistent symptoms after recovering from COVID, a condition termed "long COVID". The UK's Office for National Statistics estimates 1.8 million people in the UK… Read more »
Africa: As Bird Flu Continues to Spread in the US and Worldwide, What's the Risk That It Could Start a Human Pandemic? 4 Questions Answered
An outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that started in 2021 has become the largest bird flu outbreak in history, both in the U.S. and worldwide. In the U.S. the virus has led to the… Read more »
Tunisia: President's Offensive Statements Targeted Black Migrants, With Widespread Fallout
The statement by Tunisian President Kais Saied that "urgent measures" were needed "against illegal immigration of nationals from sub-Saharan Africa" which were causing "violence… Read more »
March 15, 2023
Africa: Looting and Decay - How The Pandemic Wrought Real Damage to African Heritage
The Covid-19 pandemic will long be remembered for the lockdowns it imposed and the millions of lives it stole, particularly among the elderly. A recent Unesco report shows that it… Read more »
West Africa: West African Footballers Battle to Fit in While Making It in Europe
Growing up, many young Africans nurse the ambition of playing football professionally in Europe and becoming superstars. The BBC reports that about 260 million people in Africa… Read more »
Africa: Curious Kids - How Are Planets Created?
Curious Kids is a series for children in which we ask experts to answer questions from kids. Read more »
South Africa: Power Cuts Are Hurting Small Businesses in South Africa
Worldwide, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are seen as the backbone of a thriving economy. They make up a substantial portion of the total number of companies and are estimated… Read more »
South Africa: South Africa's Corporate Whistleblowers Don't Get Enough Protection - What Needs to Change
Corporate misconduct is difficult to detect and prove. This is because it is often hidden by a complicated web of transactions, misleading corporate records and convoluted company… Read more »
Nigeria: 3 Recent Books That Explain the Work of Nigeria's Famous Decolonial Scholar Toyin Falola
Toyin Falola, distinguished professor of history, is one of Africa's most accomplished intellectuals. Born Oloruntoyin Falola in 1953 in the Nigerian city of Ibadan, he grew up in… Read more »