Progress of West African nations must be forged through cooperative economics
Last month Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja, called on member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to remove what he described as “outdated physical and psychological boundaries and other colonially-inspired differences” for the region to progress economically. Buhari, who because of the two-term limit cannot run again for a third-term in the upcoming February...
U.S. ‘democracy’: Backing kings, dictators and military regimes
Western powers, mainly the U.S., spout democracy while putting aid in the hands of monarchs, dictatorships and military regimes. And while it characterizes aid as meant to support democracy, according to the Brookings Institute, it wasn’t “necessarily meant to promote democracy.” Democracy suggests “alteration of power,” but most Western assistance avoids anything that can be “construed” as supporting much needed...
University of Cape Town students cited for innovated business
(GIN)—Three female students at the University of Cape Town won intervarsity recognition as top student entrepreneurs after a two-day national final in Johannesburg recently. Among the winners was Zimbabwe-born Chido Dzinotyiwei, founder of Vambo Academy, an educational technology platform that uses digital resources to offer language learning, translation and knowledge services. “We want to democratize access to indigenous language learning and...
Kenya marks 60 years of independence, and the president defends painful economic measures
NAIROBI, Kenya—Kenya’s president on December 12 defended the high taxes the government recently imposed, calling them a “necessary sacrifice” in helping the country deal with ballooning foreign debt which now stands at $70 billion. Speaking at celebrations marking 60 years since Kenya’s independence from Britain, President William Ruto said East Africa’s largest economy was no longer at risk of defaulting on...
The legacy of violence by the British Empire in Africa and beyond
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam, once said, “You can’t fathom the depths of Satan.” Caroline Elkins in her 2022 book, “The Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire,” gives much substance to Mr. Muhammad’s weighty words. But if not for Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck, who as a child spent much time...
Ghana foresees end to neocolonial trading relationships starting with cocoa
(GIN)—At a state visit to Switzerland last year, Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo put his cards on the table. The second largest cocoa producer would no longer ship the raw material to Switzerland if by doing so, it would trap the country in poverty for the next century. Ghana and the Ivory Coast supply 70 percent of the cocoa beans, but...
Deported Black asylum seekers at risk in Cameroon
(GIN)—As the U.S. prepares to welcome tens of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war, scores of African and Caribbean refugees are being sent back to unstable and violent homelands where they face rape, torture, arbitrary arrest and other abuses. Racial bias? An African refugee thinks so. “They do not care about a Black man,” said Wilfred Tebah, a leading member of the...
AU plans investment bank to bolster industrialization in Africa
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (PANA)–The African Union (AU) recently announced plans to create an investment bank to finance private sector developments within the continent, as part of efforts to put the continent on a sound growth path towards its industrialization. AU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Maxwell Mkwezalamba said talks on the formation of the continental development bank were underway to...
U.S. cuts African trade benefits, hurting poor
A trade preference program that lets African countries export products to the U.S. tariff-free has been suspended for Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea. President Joe Biden ended the benefit over alleged violations of human rights violations. “The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change in governments in both Guinea and Mali, and by the gross violations of internationally recognized...
Africa Watch – Self-Sufficiency is Africa’s future
‘Ghana Beyond Aid:' Self-Sufficiency is Africa's future The Oxford Africa Conference and the Oxford Business Network for Africa, earlier this year, was hosted by the Said Business School and featured Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo. During an address, held in the Nelson Mandela Lecture Theater, the African leader took the opportunity to elaborate on his “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda. During his...