Henna is an expression of joy. And with a child on the way, Hajar, a young Moroccan woman, has much to be joyful about. She has had her hands and feet covered in a henna design, honouring her heritage through this age-old tradition. The dye has been used for body art since ancient Egypt, and in December last year, was added to UNESCO's Intang...
It was a first for Nigeria at the much-awaited 67th Grammy Awards ceremony in fire-ravaged Los Angeles on Sunday night. Singer Tems, became the second-ever winner of the African Music Performance Award for her Afrobeats hit, Love me JeJe, from her debut album, "Born in the Wild". The Nigerian recording artist said she felt "blessed". "As much...
The unveiling of DeepSeek's new AI model has generated significant excitement across Africa, offering a glimmer of hope for economic and social development throughout the continent. Unlike its American counterpart, the U.S.-based ChatGPT, DeepSeek's "R1" model is notably more affordable, having been developed with a training cost of just $6 m...
Two months after Chad severed its defence agreement with Paris, the French army has handed over its last military base in the country, the Kossei base, in N'Djamena. Though it was Chad who announced the end of the defence pact, the head of the French Armed Forces' Africa Command stated that the handover was partly France's decision. Pascal Ia...
After arriving in Cairo, President William Ruto signed twelve significant agreements with his Egyptian counterpart. These agreements are designed to enhance cooperation in various sectors, including trade, investment, education, and technology exchanges between the two nations. Discussing Regional ConcernsDuring their discussions, the two lea...
In a landmark initiative, African leaders and global financiers gathered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to pledge an impressive $35 billion towards electrification, marking the largest investment in Africa's electric power generation to date. This effort, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, aims to electrify 300 million...
West Africa's junta-led nations – Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali – have announced plans to deploy a 5,000-strong joint force aimed at addressing the escalating security challenges in the central Sahel region. This development marks a significant step towards regional cooperation in combating persistent threats posed by Islamist insurgencies. N...
Kashim Shettima, the Vice President of Nigeria, has issued a compelling invitation to global investors, urging them to explore Nigeria's vast and growing investment opportunities. Speaking at the prestigious "Roadmap to Co-create Investment Opportunities for Africa's Frontier Markets" forum during the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos,...
Africa's economic struggles persist despite efforts to attract foreign investment, largely due to weak corporate governance in the public sector. Unlike private businesses, where accountability drives performance, many African governments lack mechanisms for strategy, risk management, and transparency. Public offices are often seen as tools f...
Libya is set to launch its first oil and gas bidding round in 17 years, a strategic move aimed at revitalizing its energy sector and attracting crucial foreign investment. Khalifa Abdulsadek, the country's acting oil minister, announced during the Libya Energy and Economy Summit that substantial investments of $3 to $4 billion are required to...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed the second review of Ethiopia's $3.4 billion financing program, granting a $250 million disbursement. This four-year program, launched in July 2023, was established in response to Ethiopia's major economic reforms, most notably the floating of its birr currency as part of efforts to tackle debt re...
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is actively seeking investment from Saudi Arabia in its mining sector to reduce its heavy dependence on Chinese companies. Currently, Chinese firms dominate approximately 80% of the mining operations in Congo, presenting significant economic risks due to the reliance on a single international partner. Ma...
He is among the first major international leaders to visit Lebanon's new president. Emmanuel Macron's twelve-hour visit comes just eight days after the presidential election that saw Aoun fill a position left vacant for over two years as a result of political power struggles and divisions.The French presidency stated that it would support Aou...
A suspected outbreak of the Marburg virus in Tanzania has killed at least eight people, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. In a statement on Tuesday, the global health agency said a total of nine suspected cases of the high-fatality disease had been reported in two districts of the Kagera region in the country's northwest. "We would ex...
John Mahama, Ghana's newly elected president, has taken bold steps to address the country's ongoing economic crisis by dissolving seven government ministries. This decisive action is aimed at streamlining governance and adhering to fiscal discipline requirements tied to a $3 billion bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)...
Ethiopia and Somalia have restored full diplomatic relations following Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's visit to Addis Ababa, where he met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. After their meeting, the leaders emphasized the importance of mutual trust and cooperation for regional stability and committed to strengthening ties through fu...
The world has just experienced the first full year in which global temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial times, scientists have said. The milestone was confirmed by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) on Friday, which said the climate crisis is pushing the planet's temperature to levels never before experien...
The shares of Kenya Airways, the national carrier of the East African Republic, have resumed trading on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) after nearly a five-year suspension. NSE lifted the suspension following a significant improvement in the airline's financial situation and the government's decision to abandon plans for re-nationalizin...
Ethiopia inaugurated its securities exchange on Friday, marking a significant step in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's efforts to liberalize the nation's heavily regulated economy and attract private investment. Upto now, only Wegagen Bank was listed on the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), but Tilahun Kassahun, the exchange's CEO, anticipates ...
Driven by rapid urbanization, increasing infrastructure development projects, and rising construction activity, Africa's cement market is surging. The boom is also resetting the continent's cement production landscape with the entry of new players. Facing a stagnant property market which has affected prices, and stringent environmental regulations ...
