By Esther Ososanya Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, has unveiled a bold national recovery plan; it's believed it could reshape the fiscal future of West Africa. Unveiled in Dakar before cabinet members, policy experts, and civil society groups, the plan introduces sweeping reforms. It targets corruption in the power sector and imposes fresh taxes on …
By Rafiyat Sadiq A new directive by the Tanzanian government prohibiting foreign nationals from owning and operating businesses in 15 small-scale sectors has triggered backlash in neighbouring Kenya and renewed concerns over regional trade relations. The sweeping ban affects activities such as mobile money transfers, tour guiding, small-scale mining, crop buying on farms, beauty salons, …
By Rafiyat Sadiq In a sharp diplomatic setback, the United States (US) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) imposed tough new visa restrictions on Nigerian travellers, sparking outrage and concern among citizens, government officials, business leaders, migration experts, and students abroad. The coordinated clampdown, announced within hours of each other on July 9, 2025, marks …
By Esther Ososanya Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has delivered a sobering warning to the continent’s leaders: Unless powerful fuel import interests are confronted head-on, no new refinery will ever be built again in sub-Saharan Africa. Speaking at the Global Commodity Insights Conference in Abuja, the billionaire industrialist declared that entrenched rent-seeking, offshore fuel cartels, …
By Esther Ososanya The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued an important clarification on visa rules, stating that the expiration date on a U.S. visa does not determine how long a visitor can remain in the country. In a public advisory posted Friday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the mission stressed that …
By Esther Ososanya Municipal elections in Togo opened Thursday, July 17, but by mid-morning, turnout in the capital, Lomé, remained strikingly low. Many polling stations sat nearly empty, sparking speculation of a silent boycott or voter apathy in a politically tense climate. “The centre is quiet. People are arriving slowly, but this is worrying,” said Dalmeida …
By Esther Ososanya In the vast, sun-drenched stretch of Southern Africa, bordered by Angola, Botswana, Zambia, and the Atlantic Ocean, lies Namibia, a country better known for its deserts, diamonds, and dramatic dunes than its political experiments. But in 2025, this nation of just 2.6 million people, one of the youngest democracies in Africa, having …
The federal government has issued over 3.5 million passports in less than two years while saving more than ₦1 billion annually through strategic reforms in the passport issuance system. Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Tuesday during the commissioning of a new passport front office in Abuja. He said the reforms align …
By Esther Ososanya In a decisive move toward building a truly unified African financial market, the Kingdom of Morocco has joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), becoming the 17th country to formally integrate into the pioneering platform. With Bank Al-Maghrib, the Moroccan central bank, officially signing the PAPSS membership agreement, the development marks …
By Esther Ososanya Africa’s path to industrialisation continues to be blocked by two stubborn barriers: poor electricity access and erratic government policies, according to the verdict from Africa’s leading industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who, alongside philanthropist Tony Elumelu and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, laid out a bold, solution-driven agenda to unlock the continent’s economic potential. …
