Author: Adelae Jones

As Italy assumes the rotating presidency of the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said this week that a focus on developing strategic partnerships with Africa, rather than providing aid, will be key during its one-year tenure. Developing local economies and raising living standards in Africa, she said, could dissuade prospective migrants from seeking refuge in Europe. Meloni told a news conference that the Mattei Plan — named after Enrico Mattei, founder of the state-controlled oil and gas giant Eni — includes specific projects beyond energy deals. Details will be unveiled later this month at a…

Angola says it is looking up to Nigeria to support its ongoing economic reforms. The Angolan Minister of External Relations, Téte Antonio who stated this at the first interactive Angola-Nigeria business forum held recently in Abuja also noted that Angola counts on the support of Nigeria during its economic reform. According to him, “The global economy is facing various challenges. Angola being part of the system is witnessing a special moment marked by structural reforms that aim to transform its macroeconomic situation. “To achieve this objective, the Angolan government counts on the support of friendly countries who are always on…

Despite its luxurious hotels, vibrant towns and bustling marketplaces, Morocco appears a polarising country for tourists to visit, with some claiming they’d never return. Even though it’s a bucket-list holiday destination for many, certain TikTok and YouTube users are taking to the platforms to steer their followers away from visiting Morocco. Expensive scams, intimidating interactions and ‘exhausting’ catcalling are among a host of reasons why some social media users claim they have no plans to return to the North African country. TikToker Sophie Milner went on holiday to Marrakesh earlier this year after having ‘amazing memories’ from two previous trips to the city. However,…

The National Assembly Speaker, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is leading a high-level delegation from the South African Parliament to attend the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Luanda, Angola. The event is scheduled to take place from 23 to 27 October 2023 at the National Assembly of Angola. The IPU is the oldest multilateral organisation made up of 178 parliaments. Representatives of 110 parliaments are expected to attend. Among the objectives of the Assembly is to consider how parliaments can strengthen trust between people and governance structures, to make public institutions more effective, accountable, and representative, and to better…

Nigeria is turning to a fleet of tiny river-going tankers to boost its oil production because one of its key oil pipelines has been broken for months. Africa’s top producer, racing to lift output before OPEC decides new oil-production quotas, has started using the tiny vessels to get a new grade of oil, Nembe Creek, up the Niger river delta and onto an ocean-going ship that’s stationed off the nation’s coast. The same oil previously went by the Nembe Creek trunk pipeline to the Bonny terminal, which is operated by Shell Plc. That conduit, operated by Aiteo Group and previously…

President Bola Tinubu on Friday told Southwest Muslim leaders that Nigeria needs leadership that would make tough decisions in the present for an enviable future. The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, captured the high points of the discussions in a statement he signed late Friday, titled, ‘President Tinubu to S/West Islamic leaders: Sacrifice is required to achieve Nigeria’s restoration.’ Addressing the delegation led by the president of the Ummah, Rasaki Oladejo, at the State House, Abuja, the president said the current challenges facing the nation are only temporary, assuring Nigerians that better days are in the…

Kenyan government’s interest in business is among factors choking competition and discouraging private sector investment in the country as well as slowing down economic progress as peers grow faster, warns the World Bank. In its latest Country Economic Memorandum report, the global lender has said the state’s footprint in the services sector, especially, is much bigger than necessary, stifling the industry that has been the primary driver of Kenya’s economic growth over the past decade. This interference, and other factors, slowed down Kenya’s economic growth between 2010 and 2019. The lender says although the growth rate was higher than Sub-Saharan…

The 2022 annual United Nations report showed that Nigeria has made some improvements in equitable quality basic services. The improvements were recorded in health, education, protection, water, sanitation, and hygiene. In health, the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys report for 2021 revealed improvement in Nigeria’s health indications. For instance, skilled birth attendance increased from 43 per cent in 2021 to 51 per cent in 2022; anaemia in women decreased from 58 per cent in 2021 to 55 per cent in 2022, and 62.4 per cent of women received a postnatal check-up within two days of giving birth. The Penta-3 vaccination for…

Frankfurt, Brussels (6/10 – 27) While Tajik authorities have not been able to lay their hands on their activist opponents living in Europe, they are able to turn the screws on their families and relatives, back in the old country. The recent case of arrest of family members took place shortly after President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Germany, to attend a summit of Central Asian leaders, at the end of last month. Throughout Rahmon’s visit, he was trailed by demonstrators holding up placards bearing pictures of political prisoners and calling him a dictator. When Rahmon headed to the Bundestag on…

The CEO of 360Kuts, a famous salon brand in the country and Europe, gave strangers in Pescara a treat, by dishing our free of charge his exquisite and trademark haircuts, as well as shopping spree. The 360Kuts founder arrived in Italy a few years ago as a migrant and first settled in Abruzzo and Sicily, where he was camped. He earned a living working as a home-service barber, and working as a disc jockey at parties, carnivals and festivals on certain days, until he relocated to Pescara, where he gained widespread fame as a phenomenal hairstylist. Greatness is not born;…