February 06, 2019
Ghana: My Reflections from a Field Trip to Paga and Communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana
We arrived in Tamale Northern Ghana around 8:00 am. The fifty-minute flight from Accra was smooth despite the foggy weather due to the early morning showers. We had a… Read more »
Sierra Leone: CrimeSync Wins the Innovating Justice Awards 2019
The annual Innovating Justice Awards 2019 competition has been won by CrimeSync from Sierra Leone. The competition was organized by HiiL to promote justice innovation and… Read more »
January 18, 2019
Nigeria: Religious Leaders Warn Against Impending Revolt
…Call for Greater Citizen Action to Check Drift Read more »
January 17, 2019
Nigeria: Elections - NGO Engages 7,400 Religious Leaders As Educators On Proper Electoral Conduct
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), ReclaimNaija Grassroots Movement is to engage 7,400 religious leaders from all the states of the Federation to teach on civic and voter… Read more »
December 10, 2018
Africa: Corruption Can Kill – GACC
Madam Beauty Narteh, Executive Secretary of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) said corruption could “kill” because it exacerbated poverty and thwarted development. Read more »
November 29, 2018
West Africa: Promoting Social Accountability in West Africa
– In West Africa, there are numerous examples of how citizens and civil society groups hold their government, private sector actors and development partners… Read more »
November 05, 2018
West Africa: Why the One-Term Limit Does Not Improve Governance
During the 2016 presidential elections in Benin, then candidate and current president Patrice Talon promised that, if elected, he would only serve one term and would also amend the… Read more »
October 24, 2018
Sierra Leone: Report launch - Challenges Faced by Persons With Albinism in Sierra Leone
Today marks the official launch of the report titled "Harassed, Misunderstood and Forgotten: Challenges faced by Persons with Albinism in Sierra Leone", the first of its kind in… Read more »
August 28, 2018
West Africa: OSIWA Announces Appointment of New Executive Director
The Open Society Initiative for West Africa is happy to announce the appointment of Ayisha Osori as the new Executive Director of the Foundation. Read more »
August 20, 2018
Africa: Money in Politics - A Threat to African Democracies
“If you political analysts, do not help us, political actors, to find a solution to the problem posed by the need for more and more enormous financial resources to make… Read more »
August 15, 2018
West Africa: Building Community Support for Drug Users using Mobile Cinemas
Waves of dialogue in West Africa on drug policy reform with the ultimate goal of decriminalizing drug use and possession for personal use have been making headway. Progress is… Read more »
West Africa: Overcoming Stigma to Promote Inclusiveness of Drug Users in Senegal
Throughout several working class neighborhoods in Dakar you find large semi-finished houses that are occasionally equipped with running water and electricity. The rooms in these… Read more »
West Africa: Democracy in West Africa - Between fragile progress, hopes, and fears
“…I would like to tell my fellow presidents from other countries that power alternation are inevitable in Africa and in West Africa…”. This statement by… Read more »
Sierra Leone: Why Natural Resource Governance should take centre stage in Sierra Leone's 2018 Elections
In a country with less than 5% original forest cover remaining, it should be scandalous that logging still happens on a grand scale. But government has been decidedly indecisive. Read more »
Mali: 2018 Presidential Elections - A Step Towards the Consolidation of Peace in Mali?
A turning point that marked Mali’s return to a democracy following the 2012 crisis was the presidential elections held in July 28th, 2013. Five years later, the main… Read more »
August 03, 2018
West Africa: Money in Politics - a Threat to African Democracies
"If you political analysts, do not help us, political actors, to find a solution to the problem posed by the need for more and more enormous financial resources to make politics,… Read more »
July 30, 2018
Liberia: "Jaadeh Is Integrity" Song by Takun J Released Ahead of Anti-Corruption Children's Sequel
Today marks the official release of “Jaadeh Is Integrity”, a song written and produced by Liberia’s premier Hip-Co musician Takun J and featuring vocalist Ella… Read more »
July 24, 2018
Mali: 2018 Presidential elections: A step towards the consolidation of peace in Mali?
A turning point that marked Mali’s return to a democracy following the 2012 crisis was the presidential elections held in July 28th, 2013. Five years later, the main… Read more »
June 02, 2018
Africa: Open Society Foundations Announce Summer 2018 New Executives Fund Recipients
NEW YORK—Eight newly appointed leaders of nonprofit organizations, in countries ranging from the United States to Senegal, have been awarded New Executives Fund grants to… Read more »
March 01, 2018
Sierra Leone: Land, the Environment, and Elections - Why Natural Resource Governance Should Take Centre Stage in Sierra Leone's 2018 Elections
The ancient ford truck belched black smoke on the highway as it laboured with its heavy load towards Freetown. Chunks of rough-hewn tree trunks overflowed its wagon. A dirty, red… Read more »
February 21, 2018
Liberia: 2017 Liberia Elections in Retrospect
In his inaugural address on 22 of January, 2018, the new President of Liberia, Mr. George M. Weah, said that "today, Liberians have reached an important stage on the road to… Read more »
January 25, 2018
Sierra Leone: Women's Political Advancement As the Engine for Sierra Leone's Development
Keynote address delivered by the OSIWA Board Chair, Ayisha Osori, at the official opening of 50/50's Gender and Women's Leadership Training Institute (January 25, 2018) Read more »
December 08, 2017
West Africa: The Impact of Unemployment and Pollution On Bauxite Producing Communities in Guinea
Mining communities across Guinea have been plagued by social unrest, especially in the Boke region where protests, often triggered by the lack of running water and electricity, has… Read more »
November 21, 2017
West Africa: Echoes From Across the River
The wave of institutionalization of democracy through regular elections in Sub-Saharan Africa has intensified over the last two decades.[1] Read more »
November 20, 2017
Liberia: 'No Real Winners in Corruption' - Children's Book Adapted for Stage
In a recently released video of Gbagba: The Stage Play, a diminutive, eight-year-old Liberian child actor proclaims, “In gbagba or corruption, there are never any real… Read more »