Typerighter

Goodluck getting Nigeria moving

Nicholas Norbrook — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:39:00 +0100

Nigeria's new president has made a good start out of the blocks since his election in April.

Though everyone wondered whether Goodluck Jonathan should really be spending a week out in a retreat with key personnel, his new administration seems to be hitting the ground running after victory in April's presidential elections. First of all, Jonathan invited all the cement manufacturers to Aso Rock, and demanded they crash the price of... Read Goodluck getting Nigeria moving

World Economic Forum highlights need for new, young African voices

Sue Cullinan — Thu, 12 May 2011 16:24:00 +0100

Cape Town meeting launches fellowship programme open to African youth leaders. Get involved and propose someone from your neighbourhood!

The youth of Africa don’t need to be told that their time is now. Events in North Africa and elsewhere have underscored the need for political representation and employment opportunities for the generation that will determine Africa’s future. Yet in forum after forum, the youth voice is still struggling to be heard. At the high-powered World... Read World Economic Forum highlights need for new, young African voices

Raining on Papa's parade in Kampala

Parselelo Kantai — Wed, 11 May 2011 18:41:00 +0100

As Uganda's President Museveni prepares to welcome 13 presidents for his inauguration on Thursday, opposition leader Kizza Besigye is trying to get back to Kampala in time to steal the show.

The governing rumour when Kampala woke up to walk to work this morning was that the Kenya Airways plane bringing in opposition leader Kizza Besigye had been forced to turn back at Entebbe. The rumour turned out to be true, but inaccurate. It was Besigye, rather than the aircraft that had been turned back – and at Jomo Kenyatta, not Entebbe.... Read Raining on Papa's parade in Kampala

"It's dangerous out there". The struggles of Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa

Khadija Sharife — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:23:00 +0100

For Zimbabweans who cross into South Africa in search of work, robbery, rape and extortion at the border is just the beginning of their problems. Khadija Sharife meets a ‘rightless’ underclass who are both exploited and scapegoated, simply for wanting to feed their children

In the April issue of The Africa Report, we investigated how Zimbabwean casual workers, excluded from applying for residency via the official channels, were resorting to ‘purchasing’ South African identities through ‘late registration’ birth certificates arranged through intermediaries. With the moratorium on deportations now over, many Zimbabweans... Read "It's dangerous out there". The struggles of Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa

Selling Iran in Sierra Leone

Gemma Ware — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:11:00 +0000

The Iranian Trade Fair that arrived in Freetown in February was not a great success, but that will not stop its organisers from promoting Iranian wares to Africa's underserved markets

A wall of hand-made carpets stretches across the entrance of the Miatta Conference Centre. Nearby stalls showcase pots, vases, trinkets and plastic kitchen equipment. Others are selling hi-fis and silver jewellery. Snack importers offer free chocolate. The upstairs plays home to a jumble of furniture. The Iranian Trade Fair has come to Freetown.... Read Selling Iran in Sierra Leone

Google's push to map Africa

Gemma Ware — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:00:00 +0000

In its search to organise all the world's information, the US tech-giant is turning to Africans to help put their cities on the map.

Google is building an army. When the US tech-giant started showing people in Nairobi versions of its maps of Kenya, they were indignant. Why aren’t we on it? Is this how the world sees us? We aren’t invisible! There’s a road there, and a hospital here and a school at that crossroads. Google’s MapMaker tool, which is available in 59 languages... Read Google's push to map Africa

Haiti's struggle to rebuild

Rosalia Githau — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:52:00 +0000

A year after the earthquake, the same people and rubble are stuck in the streets in Haiti. Meanwhile, the politicians fight dirty and the donor community stares on amidst the enormity of the task ahead writes Rosalia Gitahu in Port au Prince

One year after the 12 January earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people and collapsed sprawling cities across the country, the government of Haiti and the international community are struggling to rebuild the country. This is largely due to the magnitude of the problems - problems that pre-date, follow on from and were exacerbated by... Read Haiti's struggle to rebuild

What did you do under the dictatorship?

Nicholas Norbrook — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:25:00 +0000

Tunisians are waking up to what's next as many try to get in their excuses for compromises they made under the Ben Ali regime, writes Nicholas Norbrook from Tunis.

The fine rain falling on Tunis has not put out the revolutionary fervour. Though the new provisional government is pleading to be allowed to get on with organising elections - to be held six months from now - the street is still furious that old members of the previous regime are still in place. Opposite the interior ministry, currently guarded by... Read What did you do under the dictatorship?

US 'banking fraud' puts Nigeria in the shade

Nicholas Norbrook — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:43:00 +0000

The reported collusion by Ernst & Young and Lehman Brothers in off-balance sheet accounting reminds Nicholas Norbrook of Nigeria's banking woes.

It is not just Nigerian banks practicing sleight of hand to get around reporting deadlines – the accountancy firm Ernst & Young has been accused by the New York attorney’s office of helping Lehman Brothers perpetrate a “massive accounting fraud”. Though the details are complex, involving the US Repo 105 law, the idea is very simple – taking... Read US 'banking fraud' puts Nigeria in the shade

11 ideas for 2011 - have your say

Patrick Smith — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:23:00 +0000

We've suggested 11 simple ideas that could make a real change for the better in the new year. Now it's your turn.

Africa is brimming with good ideas. In our 'Africa in 2011' edition, we published 11 of our suggestions for 2011. Some could take years and a great deal of coordination to implement, while others could be enacted with the flick of the pen. Now we want to hear your ideas. Post your thoughts below. The best will be published in the next edition of... Read 11 ideas for 2011 - have your say

The tale of ArcelorMittal in South Africa

Khadija Sharife — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:31:00 +0000

Khadija Sharife examines the twists and turns in the battle over who will mine a rich iron ore deposit in the Northern Cape

Players in South African Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) often use a complex and opaque web of directorships and shareholdings to access lucrative provincial and national tenders. Since the recession, when BEE deals with firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange plummeted from R105bn in 2007 to R20bn in 2009, BEE players have been searching... Read The tale of ArcelorMittal in South Africa

Know your rights, so politicians don't abuse them

Tayo Fagbule — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 10:34:00 +0000

The Africa Report's Tayo Fagbule joined Nigeria's Know Your Constitution initiative volunteers as they handed out free copies of the constitution in Lagos

The law is used and abused on a daily basis in Nigeria. Members of Nigeria's National Assembly, infamously derided as nasty NASS, want to legislate their way into the national executive committees of their respective parties. Their proposed clause to the Electoral Act would put them on a par with governors and other party executives who normally... Read Know your rights, so politicians don't abuse them

Unpacking the hot air industry

Khadija Sharife — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:30:00 +0000

The first priority for developing countries when it comes to climate change mitigation should be reducing poverty, but the market-based approach of carbon trading is doing little to alleviate imbalances in the system

By 2009, more than 17 years after the non-binding UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted at the Rio Earth Summit, developed countries had channeled just $3bn in climate funding to developing countries. In contrast, developed governments – chiefly the US – invest over $700bn each year in global fossil-fuel subsidies,... Read Unpacking the hot air industry

Building African tax havens

Khadija Sharife — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:53:00 +0000

From the Seychelles to Liberia, African countries are creating financial centres that demand little or no taxation. Here is a run-down of the places to secret away money from the taxman

Not all tax havens are equal - nor are their services homogenous. Certain regions can be classified as 'secrecy jurisdictions', providing banking secrecy and an environment that does not call for disclosure concerning beneficial owners, shareholders, directors and company accounts. The term Offshore Financial Centres (OFCs) conventionally... Read Building African tax havens

What would a sub-$100 smartphone mean for Africa?

Gemma Ware — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:37:00 +0000

Cheaper smartphones means web access for Africa's half a billion mobile users.

The iphone vs Blackberry debate is so 2009. Cheap, simple to use smartphones, many running on Google's open-source Android software, are hitting the market thick and fast. They could soon drop below the $100 mark. In the US, Dell launched a $99 Areo smartphone on contract with AT&T in August. In July, Chinese manufacturers ZTE released their... Read What would a sub-$100 smartphone mean for Africa?

Africa's election Super Sunday

Gemma Ware — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:20:00 +0100

An estimated 32 million people will head to the polls on 31 October in Tanzania, Côte d'Ivoire and Niger. But in Guinea, voters will have to hang on for another week.

An estimated 32m people will be heading to the polls across Africa on Sunday 31 October in an election Super Sunday set to host two Presidential elections and a constitutional referendum. A total of 5.7m registered voters in Cote d'Ivoire, 19.6m in Tanzania and 6.6m in Niger will be exercising their democratic rights the polls, all of which have... Read Africa's election Super Sunday

Incensed by India

Nicholas Norbrook — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:50:00 +0100

Indian dominance of Tanzania's agrobusiness sector is causing consternation.

A recently concluded Agribusiness Forum hosted by the EMRC in Kampala in early October brought together government officials, business people and various brands of consultants and theoreticians in one place. The networking sessions were set upon with gusto – it's no surprise with food prices on the way back up, and burgeoning middle classes from... Read Incensed by India

Hope and frustration in Ibadan

Tayo Fagbule — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:47:00 +0100

The government plans big celebrations for Abuja, but in Ibadan, Tayo Fagbule says people are more subdued and pensive about the challenges that the future holds.

Celebration of Nigeria’s 50th anniversary in Ibadan is muted. There are no signs that either the state or local governments have any plans. Much like the monthly sharing of revenue, the state is looking to the federal government. Abuja is pulling all the stops for a grand celebration come 1 October. That said, the countdown to Nigeria’s... Read Hope and frustration in Ibadan

Nigeria at 50: what is there to celebrate?

Adeola Aderounmu — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 13:58:00 +0100

Nigerian blogger Adeola Aderounmu says the country’s democracy is in a shambles and the N17bn for the independence celebrations is money ill-spent.

Nigeria is 50 years old on 1 October 2010. This time in our history does not call for any celebrations. Nigeria used to be the giant and pride of Africa, but that was back in the day. Today, Nigeria’s economy and politics portray sad pictures. The educational system is so bad that Nigerian students are now trooping to Ghana for tutorship. Those... Read Nigeria at 50: what is there to celebrate?

World Bank’s racial diversity under scrutiny

Taimour Lay — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:31:00 +0100

Our probe into the World Bank’s record on racial diversity made the Bank change its website.

The World Bank is used to fielding criticism and has developed a slick public relations operation to combat civil society advocates, journalists and protesters. It is not all window dressing: there is a greater culture of openness, at least compared to the worst excesses of the 1980s. Those who once shouted from the streets are now often included,... Read World Bank’s racial diversity under scrutiny