Benin City, Nigeria In Benin City, the proposed Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) is described as a world-class centre for contemporary African creativity; a place to display and discuss Benin and West African history and Arts. Instead, it has become a battleground between the Oba (King) of Benin, the former state governor, Godwin Obaseki,…
A recent clash between Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a military officer exposed a major flaw in the way constituted authority functions in the country. The incident, which occurred on November 11, in Abuja, the country’s capital, stemmed from the minister’s aggressive enforcement of development controls on a plot…
Dakar, Senegal Senegal appears to be grappling with a deepening political crisis within its ruling coalition, pitting President Bassirou Diomaye Faye against Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The rift, which began as subtle policy disagreements, has escalated into a public power struggle, threatening the stability of the “Diomaye President” coalition that propelled Faye to victory in…
It was a track from another time until it was not. Oumou Sangaré’s voice, a blend of earth and rhythm, re-emerged on Nigerian digital shores. “Kun Fe Ko,” a gem from the nineties, quietly amassed five million views, proof that a true melody knows no end. Melody connects what geography finds impossible to do. The…
Lagos, Nigeria Nigeria raised $2.35 billion through a dual-tranche Eurobond issuance on Wednesday, attracting more than $12 billion in orders, the largest order book in the country’s history. The sale, which included 10-year and 20-year bonds, saw a 400% oversubscription, reflecting strong global investor interest regardless of recent geopolitical friction with the United States. Nigeria…
Bamako, Mali Mali’s transitional president, Assimi Goïta, officially opened the country’s second major lithium mine in the Bougouni region in the south of the country, a $65 million project operated by a joint venture between the Malian government and the British company, Kodal Minerals, with additional Chinese investment. The inauguration has been described as a…
Accra, Ghana Ghanaian president, John Dramani Mahama, recently hosted German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who arrived the country on November 5, on a three-day official visit, at the Jubilee House in Accra, where he proposed a new security framework to counter violent extremism in the Sahel region. The leaders discussed a unified approach involving West African…
Former Nigerian minister, Kayode Fayemi Abuja, Nigeria Former governor of Nigeria’s south-western state of Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi, a prominent Nigerian politician and former solid minerals minister, delivered a nuanced address on governance challenges in West Africa during a recent event hosted by the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement in Abuja. Speaking at the…
Abuja, Nigeria Nigeria’s state-owned railway management body, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious National Railway Development Roadmap, signalling a transformative push to connect all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy push in the sector. Announced during a press briefing on Nov. 5, the…
It had been predicted by regional and local political analysts that Guinea’s transitional leader, Gen. Mamady Doumbouya, might seek to extend his grip on power beyond the military junta’s rule. Those predictions appear to have materialised as Doumbouya is reported to have officially submitted his candidacy for the presidency to the Supreme Court, as the…
