The flick chick

Africa’s vanishing Lake Chad puts 30 million lives at risk

Ahmad Salkida ,Maiduguri, Nigeria As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in northeastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling. The air is dusty, the wind is fierce and unrelenting, the plants are wilting and the earth is turning into sand dunes. The lives of herders, fisherfolks and farmers are teetering on the [...]

For girls, ‘it is possible to dream big’:Interview with Juliana Rotich, a leading African voice on tech

Growing up in her native Kenya, Juliana Rotich was the lonely, young “geek” with oversized glasses at school. Today she is a highly successful tech entrepreneur who is a co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi, a homegrown non-profit tech company that has taken the world by storm. The web-based reporting system is used as a tool [...]

Chief Umeh vs. Sylvester Nwobu-Alor: What is Gov. Peter Obi Saying?

By Nwaorgu Faustinus I read with sadness the present wrangling between Chief Umeh victor and the uncle to the governor of Anambra State, Chief Sylvester Nwobu-Alor who have been in the news recently on accusation and counter accusation of incompetence, among other issues raised by the duo. My state of mind is informed by the [...]

Thoughts on the Charles Taylor Verdict

By Lansana Gberie I have been asked by many people about my views on the conviction, on 26 April, of Charles Taylor, Liberia’s former president, for aiding and abetting Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF). He is the first head of state – after Admiral Doenitz, who very briefly led Germany after Hitler committed suicide, [...]

Helping the ‘collateral victims’ of AIDS

By Andualem Sisay, Rakai, Uganda Sitting on an old mattress in front of a small house in Kimukunda village in the Rakai District of southern Uganda, Teddy Nakawoeisi, 60, is waiting for her grandchildren to bring home something for supper. Between the ages of 4 and 8 years, they are at a nearby farm — [...]

Malian women create beauty and profit through local fabrics

By Kingsley Ighobor and Aissata Haidara Hand-dyed polished cotton — called bazin — is the mainstay of Malian fashion. The blind singers Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia extolled the fabric in a song released in 2005, “Beaux dimanches” (“Beautiful Sundays”). The song’s scintillating lyrics include the lines: “Sunday in Bamako is the wedding day / [...]

Ghanaians’ Dangerous Tribalism, Resolving The Misunderstandings

By Kofi Akosah-Sarpong The pronouncement by the Assin North Member of Parliament, from the opposition National Patriotic Party, the hot-headed Kennedy Agyapong, on the Accra-based Oman FM station, which he owns, that people from the Ewe and Ga ethnic groups should be killed in the Ashanti Region, once again opens the unresolved issues of tribalism [...]

Systemic corruption, Criminal James Ibori and Nigeria’s Justice System

By Nwaorgu Faustinus  That corruption has become endemic, hydra-headed and even emasculated the political, religious, social and economic landscape of the sub-Saharan clime (Nigeria not exception) and has eaten so deep into its sustaining bone marrow cannot be overstressed. This is expressed in the many corruption cases being investigated by the EFCC and ICPC on [...]

East Africa’s Business Sector Shows Positive Improvement and Forecasting Promise

The East Africa Outsourcing Summit will be held in Nairobi from 5 to 6 June 2012. The event is hosted by international business-to-business conferencing company, Kinetic Events in proud partnership with the Kenyan ICT Board. In a recent report conducted and released by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, East Africa’s business sector has shown [...]

Africa takes a proactive and reactive stance towards improving IT infrastructure

The IT Infrastructure Africa Summit will take place from 12 to 13 July 2012 at the Westin Hotel, Cape Town. The summit is hosted by Kinetic Events, an international business-to-business conferencing company.   The development of IT infrastructure in Africa is largely influenced by the economic benefits of IT, IT policy, and its impact on [...]

Kenya Shows Promise in Global Competitive Rankings

PRESS RELEASE For immediate release – May 2012   The East Africa Outsourcing Summit will be held in Nairobi from 5 to 6 June 2012. The event is hosted by international business-to-business conferencing company, Kinetic Events in proud partnership with the Kenyan ICT Board. Over the past decade the Information and Communications Technology sector has [...]

FA Chairman Mourn Yekini

  “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing on Friday of Rashidi Yekini, a former player of the Super Eagles who contributed greatly to the national team,” the chairmen said in a statement signed by Effiong Johnson who is the Chairman of Chairmen in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board.   Yekini, who [...]

Kogi State’s Godswill orphanage smiles to the bank with NI0 Million

As the first ever musical reality show for orphanages organised by Melody Shelters, a collaboration of Adonis Productions and Prince Tonye Princewill came to a climax this 5th of May, 2012, the Kogi State’s Godswill Orphanage has emerged as the 2012 champions. The PDP Chieftain and the Leader of Princewill Political Associates (PPA) was on [...]

LAGOS STATE MUST STOP EXPLOITING AND REPRESSING TAXI OPERATORS POOR TAXI OPERATORS HAVE A RIGHT TO EXIST!

PRESS STATEMENT Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) condemns the exploitative and repressive policy of the Lagos State Government who has continued to attack poor taxi operators. Fashola-led government claims as part of its ongoing ‘mega city project’ all used/Tokunbo taxi vehicles must stop operation in Lagos. Hence, Lagos State Government is currently imposing [...]

EDO PDP REACTS TO ACTION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA (ACN) WICKED AND CRIMINAL ACCUSATIONS

PRESS STATEMENT EDO PDP REACTS TO ACTION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA (ACN) WICKED AND CRIMINAL ACCUSATIONS Gentlemen of the Press: We have decided to address you today following the reckless, wicked and criminal allegations of Governor Oshiomhole and the ACN against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo State. First, it was the issue of the [...]

African Union to press Sudan and South Sudan on peace talks

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki flew to Khartoum on Thursday after Sudan and South Sudan missed a U.N. Security Council deadline to resume peace talks. Mbeki, the former South African president, is expected to spend two days in Sudan before visiting South Sudan, to press both sides to return to talks [...]

South Africa accepts no chance of six teams

GERALD IMRAY Beauden Barrett – trying to kick the habit South Africa accepts no chance of six teams Matt Todd will worry about what he can control Versatile King keen to lock horns with Bulls Scott Higginbotham set to sign with Rebels Pat Lam slams media late-night door knock McCaw-Braid lock horns at unfamiliar No [...]

Africa: AGOA Boosts Trade, Supports Shared Growth With Africa

Washington — The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has boosted exponentially the United States’ trade with sub-Saharan Africa and remains the “centerpiece” of U.S. economic engagement with the region, according to Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson. Speaking ahead of the annual AGOA forum, scheduled to take place in Washington June [...]

African Jihadist Group Threatens To Kill Spanish Hostage

DAKAR – An extremist group in West Africa is reportedly threatening to kill a Spanish hostage seized in western Algeria last October.  The group is believed to have split from al-Qaida’s North Africa branch last year with the aim of spreading jihad further south beyond the Sahara.   The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in [...]

NY FBI agent killed in WWII secret mission honored

BUFFALO, N.Y. –  FBI Special Agent Harold Haberfeld’s ill-fated mission to North Africa during World War II was so secret that even now, 69 years after the plane crash that kept him from completing it, his home bureau in Buffalo isn’t entirely sure what it was. As Buffalo agents dedicated a memorial in Haberfeld’s honor [...]