Analyst examining the trends and insider data shaping investment, enterprise, and development across Africa.
Over the past eleven months, I have written inspirational stories about entrepreneurs and other leaders pushing the development agenda forward through their ventures or social enterprises. Each and every one of these leaders dared to dream and put action into their dreams. The results were successful businesses and social enterprises.
A few weeks ago, I found myself in Uganda to attend a week-long theater festival. Over time, I have learned to accustom myself with the surroundings, and people of the land of bananas. A few things, however, remain peculiar for me as a traveler and tourist. Thankfully, due to my
Morocco is truly a land of striking contrasts and perplexing contradictions, this might sound like a common cliché found in travel books, but it is not. It is a caption that is intriguing and inviting for the lay tourist or traveler in search of exotic passions and fulfilling experiences; however,
African history remembers that one Frederick Hodgson, a British colonial governor, called a meeting of Ashantehene local rulers in 1900 to announce the fate of King Prempeh I who had been exiled. Prempeh I was an Ashantehene King of the Ashanteman federation and he, along with Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpese
Nigeria is a country blessed with virtually ‘everything’ needed for the upkeep of a fine and sane society – both human and natural resources. Equally, Nigeria is blessed with good laws too. We have multifarious of statutes which cater for needs in human endeavors. But, even with all the laws that
Over the years, Islam has gained ground in the southern African country of Zimbabwe; a nation that is regarded as Christian dominated. The spread of the religion has begun to take the notice of more and more Zimbabweans. Alarm and acceptance are being slowly propagated with equal measure among the
Malawi President back after month long disappearance and “as fit as a 30 year old” President Peter Mutharika who had disappeared from the radar for at least a month returned to Malawi last Sunday amid speculation of ill health. To further ferment the rumours, he greeted people using his left
An investigating judge in Burkina Faso has asked France to declassify military documents about the killing of the iconic Burkinabe former leader, Thomas Sankara. It has emerged that the judge made the request after attempts to get the documents through “political channels” failed. The country issued an arrest warrant for
On the 14th of April in 2014, extremist terrorist group, Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from a school in Chibok, Nigeria. Around 57 of those escaped but scores more were left in the hands of the militants. In 2016, 2 days after the International Day of the Girl Child, 21
In July 2000, a young frail South African took to the stage of the 13th International Aids Conference in Durban and changed the narrative surrounding HIV/AIDS in his country and in the greater world. “Hi, my name is Nkosi Johnson,” he began. “I am 11 years old and I
The influx of new Chinese migrants in Africa is no longer news. The Economist cites that by 2013, more than a million Chinese nationals are residing in Africa, taking advantage of increased business opportunities that emerged due to Africa’s closer trade ties to the Far East. One immediate result
Africans are at a stage of enlightenment. Never before has there been such a wave of pan-Africanism expressed right in the face of the oppressor or in this case, the oppressor’s statues. These are artifacts of past suppression of Africans and there is something inherently wrong about celebrating racists
As recent talks of Congo President, Joseph Kabila, hanging on beyond the expiry of his second term on December 20 continue to whip up tension in the country and opposition parties drumming war songs, FESTUS IYORAH reports the country could yet be on the brink of another civil war unless
Recently, the South African wheat import tariff increased by 30% to a record high of R1 591.40 per ton. As discussions around this subject start to gain momentum, it is important to keep in mind that trade policy should seek a balance on producer and consumer welfare, in equal
The government of Burkina Faso has banned an annual beauty contest for women with the biggest buttocks, saying such events are sexist. Adverts for this weekend's third edition of 'Miss Bim-Bim', carrying an image of two fully clothed women with exaggeratedly large behinds, provoked an outcry
Resist Not Evil Why is the forbidden fruit, the most desirable? Right from the Pentateuchal garden of Eden (believing it existed) to our modern day times, we have a considerable instinctual preference to yearn for what is prohibited. Have you ever sternly instructed a child not to watch a certain
