Revenue Extraction Disguised as Reforms – Nigerians As of September 1, 2025, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially doubled domestic passport fees, setting a new threshold that now makes the Nigerian passport among the most expensive in Africa. Applicants within Nigeria will now pay ₦100,000 for a 32-page, 5-year validity passport and ₦200,000 for …
By Esther Ososanya As the U.S. and China engage in a growing trade war, Africa is taking advantage of the situation to strengthen its economy and reduce dependency on foreign powers. Experts believe that these tensions could offer Africa a rare opportunity to increase its influence in global trade and investment. China has granted duty-free …
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 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 Africa’s most popular reality show, Big Brother Naija, returns for its 10th edition on Sunday, July 27, 2025, with an all-time high prize of ₦150 million for the winner. The organisers, Multichoice Nigeria Ltd, announced on Wednesday that this landmark season will begin with two opening nights — Saturday, July 26, and …
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 …
By Esther Ososanya Afreximbank’s shareholders have appointed Dr George Elombi as the Bank’s next President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective September 2025. The announcement was made during the Bank’s 32nd Annual Meetings held in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 28, 2025. A Cameroonian national and seasoned executive, Dr Elombi has been with the …
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. …
By Esther Ososanya Vice President Kashim Shettima has described the ongoing economic reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as some of the boldest in Nigeria’s history, noting that they are already delivering tangible results. Speaking on Tuesday through his Special Adviser on Economic Matters, Dr Tope Fasua, at the opening of the 32nd Annual Meetings …
By Esther Ososanya The Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Wamkele Mene, has called for urgent action to unlock the power of digital trade across the continent. Speaking at a side event during the 32nd Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja, Mene described digital trade as one of the most promising tools …
