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…
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…
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…
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Burkina Faso’s Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) on Oct. 29, unanimously approved a bill dissolving the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), marking a significant shift in the country’s electoral framework. The decision transfers all electoral responsibilities to the Ministry of Territorial Administration. The move has sparked both support and criticism, reflecting deep…
Lagos, Nigeria U.S. President Donald Trump recently escalated tensions with Nigeria as he threatened military action against the country in a dramatic shift of U.S. policy. On November 1, Trump posted on social media, vowing to deploy U.S. forces “guns-a-blazing” to Nigeria if the government fails to halt what he describes as the “killing of…
In a major exclusive, a popular Nigerian news outlet has revealed the identities of 16 Nigerian military officers it claims are being held in detention on suspicion of orchestrating a coup plot against the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This report follows a backdrop of military reshuffles, and heightened security concerns, which has thrown the…
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau The Guinea-Bissau armed forces have announced that they successfully thwarted an attempt to subvert the country’s constitutional order, arresting several senior military officials in a dramatic move just days before campaigning for the upcoming general elections is set to begin. The announcement which was made during a press conference by General Mamadu Ture,…
