Togo completes swift extradition of Burkina Faso’s ex-ruler, Damiba, to face corruption, coup plot charges
Togo has extradited Burkina Faso’s former military ruler, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, to face charges in his home country. Analysts say the move, confirmed by Togolese authorities on 20 January 2026, demonstrates emerging cooperation among West African states to address threats posed by exiled opponents seeking to disrupt sovereign governments. Damiba was arrested in Lomé on…
Healing the wounds of war: decoding the politics and rhetoric of Bio’s national reconciliation address
Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, delivered a moving national address on the commencement of Sierra Leone’s inaugural National Day of Remembrance on 18 January, the speech invoked the scars of the country’s 1991-2002 civil war and urged unity and forgiveness, just as it called for vigilance against division. Delivered 24 years after the conflict’s…
When nationalism turned sectarian: the enduring lesson of remembering Nigeria’s first coup d’etat
In the pre-dawn hours of January 15, 1966, a group of young army majors set in motion a violent plot that would shatter Nigeria’s fragile First Republic. Their targets were the country’s highest political and military leaders. By morning, the prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a man of Northern extraction, the powerful Northern Region…
ECOWAS leaders pressure Guinea-Bissau’s junta to stand down, demand swift return to civilian rule
A high-level delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged Guinea-Bissau’s military authorities to expedite a return to civilian governance following the coup that removed Umaro Sissoco Embaló as president in late November 2025. Led by Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio, the bloc’s current chair, the mission arrived in Bissau…
Uranium, oil, and sovereignty: the three pillars of Niger’s new alliance with China
Niamey, Niger Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, recently held talks with China’s ambassador to the country, signalling Beijing’s continued support for the West African state’s reconstruction efforts following the 2023 coup. The meeting took place on 15 January at the presidential palace in Niamey, where Ambassador Lyu Guijun conveyed greetings from Chinese President Xi…
Inside Nigeria’s high-stakes PR war in Washington over Christian persecution claims
Nigeria’s government has signed a $9 million contract with a Washington-based lobbying firm to promote its efforts in protecting Christian communities, amid growing international scrutiny over alleged religious violence in the country. The deal, revealed in US Department of Justice filings, comes as U.S. president, Donald Trump’s administration intensifies pressure on Abuja following recent US…
Guinea’s Simandou: the mega-mine that could reshape global iron ore, and a country’s fate
The forested mountains of south-eastern Guinea houses what has been described as Africa’s largest mining venture, the Simandou ore mine. The site possesses the world’s richest, high-grade iron ore deposits, with an investment over $20 billion to build mines, a 600km railway, and a deep-water port to export up to 120 million tons annually. The…
The “FeedSalone” push: how Sierra Leone is investing in its agricultural future
Freetown, Sierra Leone The Sierra Leonean government unveiled a $5.8m investment in 62 small and medium-sized agribusinesses, aimed at enhancing food production and security in the country. The funding, supported by the World Bank through its Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), will be matched by $1.25m from the businesses themselves. Half the amount is set…
After a decade of strikes, Nigeria reaches a deal with its university lecturers
Nigeria’s minister of education, Tunji Alausa (R) Nigeria’s federal government is scheduled to formally sign a renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on 14 January, potentially drawing a line under more than a decade of industrial action that has plagued the country’s higher education system. The deal, finalised on 23…
From hunters to guardians: Nigeria bets on armed Forest guards to combat terror
The latest effort by the Nigerian government to confront the country’s persistent security crises has seen the establishment of Presidential Forest Guards Initiative. The government recently graduated over 7,000 forest guards, deploying them immediately to patrol vast, ungoverned woodlands across the country’s northern regions. Launched in May 2025 by the president, Bola Tinubu, the Presidential…
