4. Blog list – centered

A training course targeting young African researchers with PhDsDate: 28 Jan – 1 Feb 2019Where: Nairobi, KenyaThe Agriculture for Food Security 2030 (AgriFoSe2030) programme, a Swedish initiative, will conduct a training course for young African researchers on effective research-to-policy interaction for agricultural development. The course is a collaboration between AgriFoSe2030 and The Gothenburg Center for…

The entire staff of PDA received your sudden demise with shock, and dismay. No one for once, ever thought this could happen at this prime time, but as the saying goes in our local parlance “owuo kuta adeɛ a nkwa ntumi nnye”.Until her death, Deborah worked with PDA as a logistic assistant. She joined the…

As part of PDA’s objective to advocate for the protection of children in Ghana, the organization has developed an online platform that tracks cases of child abuse published in the newspapers and prominent online portals. The platform monitors progress on abuse cases and advocates for further intervention where necessary. Launched in November 2017, the platform currently…

Aspirations play a vital role in shaping young people’s life choices, particularly when it comes to making decisions about education and jobs. However, youth employment programmes – which seek to provide young people with the skills and opportunities needed to secure employment and achieve higher living standards – rarely take young people’s aspirations into account. This…

Somalia will prosecute a female genital mutilation (FGM) case for the first time in the country after a 10-year-old girl died from the procedure last week. Deeqa Dahir Nuur suffered complications two days after her mother took her to a local cutter in a remote village on July 17, according to media reports.Her case drew widespread…

For more than a decade, one 48-year-old entrepreneur in Ghana has been quietly building up a multimillion-dollar oil and gas outfit called UBI Group. Salma Okonkwo is a rare woman to head up an energy company in Africa. “I don’t stop when the door is being shut. I find a way to make it work,” Okonkwo…

The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) in the Volta region have begun engagements with residents in flood prone communities ahead of the rainy season. The engagements were to promote preventive and safety measures to reduce casualties when the rains set in. Mr Divine Bosson, Regional NADMO Coordinator, said the Organization…

Government has imposed a one month ban on all fishing activities in the country. The ban takes effect from August 7 to September 4, this year.  Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development announced this at a press conference in Accra, on Friday.  The Minister explained that the closed season is meant for all fleets…

Health authorities in Mozambique have expressed concern at the prevalence of HIV among the country’s militarily. They say 11.5% of the force is HIV-positive. The head of military health, Agueda Duarte, said the force also had a lower level of adherence to anti-viral treatment compared with the civilian population. The agency has introduced a rapid testing and treatment…

NAIROBI — Tens of thousands of survivors of Kenya’s worst floods in recent years are living on the brink with barely enough food to eat two months after the disaster, aid workers warned on Wednesday, calling on authorities to provide increased funding and support. Incessant heavy rainfall in March and April caused dams and rivers in parts…

Conflict in Ethiopia’s vast Oromia region has disrupted formal education for tens of thousands of youngsters, authorities there say. Violent attacks on mostly ethnic Oromo communities have forced 159 schools in five regions to close at least temporarily in the past two years, said the Oromia Educational Bureau’s head, Tola Bariso. He said about 65,000 students —…

In their quest to outwit the anti-galamsey task force (Operation Vanguard) in their operations, illegal miners also called galamsey operators have adopted a dangerous method of acquiring gold illegally. It has emerged that the Chinese galamseyers and their Ghanaian counterparts now bring the black soil (the gold bearing ore) from the galamsey sites into the communities…

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Tuesday that nearly 6 million people are struggling to get food in West Africa’s Sahel region and severe malnutrition is threatening the lives of 1.6 million children. Mark Lowcock said in a statement that these levels haven’t been seen since a crisis in 2012 “and the most critical…

Prices of cocoa on the international market have begun to tumble due to investors expectations of an imminent increase in production from top growing countries, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.Côte d’Ivoire, which is the world’s largest producer, is projecting a production of about 1.9 million tonnes, while Ghana is hopeful of meeting its 850,000 tonnes target…

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday cautioned against declaring victory too early in Congo’s Ebola epidemic, despite encouraging signs that it may be brought under control.“The outbreak is stabilising, but still the outbreak is not over,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists on a visit to Democratic Republic of Congo’s…

A whale has died in southern Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags, with rescuers failing to nurse the mammal back to health.The small male pilot whale was found barely alive in a canal near the border with Malaysia, the country’s department of marine and coastal resources said. A veterinary team tried “to help…

The UN children’s fund warned the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo threatens the health and well-being of children, and special care must be taken to help them survive.Ebola is highly contagious, killing between 20 and 90 percent of its victims, and the UN children’s fund is engaging communities in the fight against Ebola.…

 Another year in education and an extra kilometer of road for every 1,000 people could dramatically improve communities’ ability to withstand food crises, the United Nations has said.Last year, 124 million people in 51 countries faced crisis levels of hunger, mainly due to conflicts and climate disasters, and experts say the situation is getting worse.Emergency…

Africa’s pride is projected at YAWC.Africa’s pride is projected at YAWC.Register at www.yawcafrica.org to attend Young African Women Congress (YAWC) 2018 in Accra-Ghana.YAWC2018: Empowering Women for Continental Development

Feeling good about your body isn’t always easy when you are overweight. While some people are “reclaiming” the word “fat” as a positive thing -three of them are featured in the video, below – Mellisa says she recognises that the word applies to her, and wishes it didn’t. When I stand up to do a…

More than 3,000 Nigerian migrants who failed to reach Europe, have been flown home by the International Organization for Migration. Many sold everything to make the trip and aren’t sure how to face their families, writes Colin Freeman.Evans William tells me he sold everything but the kitchen sink to fund his dream of getting to…

KIVOO, KENYA —  Perched on a dirt tower on the edge of a bog in Kivoo village, eastern Kenya, Erastus Njiru applies finishing layers of mud to a pile of bricks. “I can sell up to 3,000 of these per week,” said the 34-year-old, inspecting his work as he dried his muddy hands with a…

VIP Transport Ltd officials making the presentation to the Kumasi Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) will soon launch a dustbin project as part of efforts to manage waste effectively and beautify Kumasi. The Kumasi Mayor, Osei Assibey Antwi, who made the announcement, said thousands of dustbins would be placed at strategic…

Chances are you’ve seen the photos of dead seabirds, their stomachs filled with scraps of plastic foraged from beaches and oceans around the world. You’ve probably also heard of the microplastics polluting our seas: pieces of plastic that have been worn down by the elements into tiny fragments, smaller than 5 millimeters, that can harm…

CTA has launched ‘Pitch AgriHack 2018’ a competition to support young agricultural entrepreneurs (agripreneurs) build viable businesses and boost innovation for a more sustainable agricultural sector. Winning innovations will be awarded up to €15,000, as well as mentoring and networking opportunities. The theme for this year’s competition is “Women entrepreneurs innovate for agricultural transformation in…

A Nigerian university lecturer has been suspended for allegedly demanding sex in return for improved grades. An investigation was launched by Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Osun state after a lecturer in a leaked audio recording seemed to offer a student who had failed a course an opportunity to pass if she agreed to have…

Christiane Amanpour traveled the world to look at sex and love from the perspective of women who have not always been heard on these issues. When we started filming the CNN Original Series “Sex & Love Around The World,” I was both curious and nervous about what we might find. It turned out that all…

Each year, thousands of African migrants depart Libya in rickety boats and risk their lives seeking better opportunities in Europe. Many other migrants remain in the North African country, drawn by opportunities but also subjected to mistreatment at the hands of smugglers and traffickers. Libya has long-attracted migrants in search of better lives. But unresolved…

For the first time in 10 years, global malaria cases are no longer falling, sparking concerns about a resurgence of the too often deadly disease. Experts, and philanthropist Bill Gates, are urging country leaders gathering at the Commonwealth summit in London to pledge more money to fight the illness. In 2016, nearly half of the…

Doug Fabbioli is concerned about the future of the rural economy, as urban sprawl expands from metropolitan areas into farm fields and pastureland. The Virginia winery owner decided to be part of the solution and founded The New AG School, the school’s mission is raising the next generation of farmers. Farming, the hardship and joy…

Four years ago, Nigerian activists issued a simple demand: Bring Back Our Girls. They demanded the Nigerian government rescue 276 school girls taken in the night by Boko Haram from their dormitories in the northeastern town of Chibok. As another anniversary of the mass kidnapping looms, activists say Nigeria’s government must do better. Since their…

Google is releasing an app in Africa that will help internet users overcome obstacles such as the lack of high-speed connectivity and the cost of data on the continent. The release of Google Go is the U.S. technology giant’s latest attempt to extend its reach into emerging markets such as sub-Saharan Africa, where Facebook Inc.…

As donors prepare to gather Friday in Geneva for a major aid conference to raise $1.7 billion for humanitarian needs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the government of the central African nation is standing firm on its refusal to attend or cooperate. The United Nations says more than 13 million people are in need…

If the early bird catches the worm, what is the night owl more likely to catch? According to a new study, it’s diabetes, psychological problems and an increased risk of dying. The study, published Thursday in the journal Chronobiology International, tracked almost half a million adults in the United Kingdom over an average of 6½…

More than 600,000 girls in Tanzania have started receiving vaccines to prevent cervical cancer. Girls aged between nine and 14 are being targeted to protect them from developing the illness at an early age. “Prevention is better than cure, elongating lives and and reducing treatment costs,” said Dr Daphrosa Lyimo, heading the government rollout. Cervical…

A court in Guinea has sentenced a traditional healer to five years in prison for conning women into thinking they were pregnant. The court found N’na Fanta Camara guilty of fraud and impersonating a doctor by giving the women harmful substances and endangering their lives. Her victims and rights groups said they were disappointed with…

Taiwan says it regrets that the “one China” policy insisted on by Beijing prevents it from providing much needed development aid to most countries in Africa. Taiwan was in a relatively good diplomatic position in Africa several years ago. Taiwan’s Deputy Secretary-General for International Cooperation and Development, Pai-po Lee, says this made it possible for…

The African Development Bank (AfDB), together with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, is organizing the 2nd edition of African Youth Agripreneur Forum (AYAF) and Agri-Pitch Competition to serve as a platform for bringing together agripreneurs from across Africa and scaling up the scope and impact of their activities. The Forum is expected to attract over…

Russia has accused the UK of inventing a “fake story” and “playing with fire” over the Salisbury spy poisoning. At a UN Security Council meeting, Moscow’s UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said Britain’s main goal had been “to discredit and even delegitimise” Russia with “unsubstantiated accusations”. The UK says Russia is behind the attack but Moscow…

Launched in 2009 by Qatar Foundation, WISE is a global, collaborative platform for debate and action to build the future of education. What makes WISE unique is its multi-sectoral approach to education that brings together those who believe that education is the best way to empower individuals and build a prosperous and sustainable future for…

SABONGARI, CAMEROON  As a campfire burns in a remote village on Cameroon’s northwestern border with Nigeria, seven men and five boys roast cocoa yam for supper. The eldest among them, 45-year-old Bruno Nfor, says the group has spent at least a week in the bush after violence broke out in the town of Tadu. Armed…

  NAIROBI, KENYAA Kenyan charity launched a range of educational materials Tuesday to teach children about the dangers of trafficking, in a bid to combat child slavery and exploitation. Most information on human trafficking, including images, is focused on Southeast Asia, said Sophie Otiende of Awareness Against Human Trafficking, also known as HAART Kenya, and…

A senior corporate manager from Malawi, has publicly revealed intimate details about the paternity of four of children he assumed were his. The man’s revelations come after a DNA test proved that four of the six children he had with his wife, Miriam, were not his. He broke the news to his relatives on a…

NYATIKE, KENYA  Scorching sun beats down on half a dozen women as they carry large sacks of crushed ore on their backs at the Osiri-Matanda gold mine near Kenya’s border with Tanzania. On wooden tables, they sieve the powdered ore into metal pans, add mercury, and heat the mixture over a charcoal fire. The air…

AUSTIN, TEXAS  While working for a big consulting firm in Lagos, Nigeria, Afua Osei repeatedly encountered women who wanted to advance professionally but didn’t know how. They needed guidance and mentoring. So, Osei and her colleague Yasmin Belo-Osagie started She Leads Africa, a digital media company offering advice, information, training and networking opportunities to help…

Dutch Company Delft Imaging Systems has completed the largest African e-health and tuberculosis project in Ghana known as 51 X-ray systems. The systems were installed this March across the country to accelerate Tuberculosis (TB) case detection in Ghana. This installation came ahead of World Tuberculosis Day that fell last Saturday, March 24. TB is curable…

Lagos, Nigeria — Brenda Uphopho was walking up the stairs in her office when she suddenly felt someone’s hand reach underneath her skirt. It was her boss.“I screamed, and he was shocked at my scream,” Uphopho, a festival producer from Lagos, told CNN. “And I was shocked that he was shocked.”Speaking out about sexual assault…

KYANGWALI, UGANDA  In 2005, four young Congolese refugees in western Uganda opened a school for kids like themselves, separated from their families when they fled conflict in neighboring countries. Today, the school boasts about 500 students and continues to provide free education to unaccompanied refugee children or those whose families cannot afford to pay. The…

They often fled their homelands to escape sexual abuse – but for many asylum seekers, it continues in the UK. Fear of deportation typically means they don’t tell police, but one effect of the Harvey Weinstein revelations is that they have now begun to talk about their experiences among themselves. At the age of 37,…

A video of a wild elephant in India blowing out ash from a fire has baffled wildlife experts around the world. Vinay Kumar, a scientist belonging to the Wildlife Conservation Society (India), filmed the 48-second video during a work trip to Nagarhole forest in Karnataka state in April 2016. He told the BBC that he…

KADUNA, NIGERIA — In a village in northern Nigeria, teen wives gather on mats spread out in the dirt just outside the chief imam’s home. They talk about their initial reactions to getting married. “I had no interest in it at the time. I was just doing my own thing. Marriage was not on my…

Voltic Ghana Limited has organised a programme on water sustainability for Anoff Primary and Junior High School and its host community in the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipality. Officials of the company organised the programme to coincide with World Water Day celebrated globally last Thursday, and so they were in the school to roll out their water…

Nigeria’s government is in talks with Islamist militant group Boko Haram about a possible cease-fire and the talks have been going on for some time, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said on Sunday. It is the first time in years the government has said it was talking to Boko Haram about a cease-fire. President Muhammadu Buhari’s…

The Organizing Committee is glad to announce call for papers and posters for the 7th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture (AACAA) to be held at the Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana, 15th – 19th October, 2018. The conference is being organised by the All Africa Society for Animal Production (AASAP) in association with the…

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has been in power for 35 years. But while his longevity in office is a talking point at home, the time he spends out of the country has stirred international comment – as Paul Melly, an associate fellow of Chatham House, explains. Criticised by some for a supposedly “hands-off” style of…

At least 53 people have died in a fire that tore through a shopping and entertainment complex in the Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo. As many as 41 children may be among the victims, officials say, and more than 10 are listed as missing. The blaze started on an upper floor of the Winter Cherry…

At least 53 people have died in a fire that tore through a shopping and entertainment complex in the Siberian coal-mining city of Kemerovo. As many as 41 children may be among the victims, officials say, and more than 10 are listed as missing. The blaze started on an upper floor of the Winter Cherry…

US President Donald Trump’s lead lawyer for the special counsel investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 election has resigned, US media report. John Dowd, 77, is reported to have concluded that Mr Trump was increasingly ignoring his advice. Other reports say Mr Trump had lost confidence in Mr Dowd’s ability to handle special counsel…

President of Namibia, Hage Geingob, despite his presidential schedules made time to visit his farm earlier this week. He shared photos on social media of how he spent time inspecting his maize harvest as he put it, ‘after the good rains at Farm Hadaloha. Incidentally he was fine-tuning his speech for the southern African nation’s…

African states have been called upon to be more proactive in the quest for effective intra-African trade. Prof DeValera Botchway, an associate professor of history at the University of Cape Coast made the call when delivering the keynote address at the 3rd National Rastafari Conference in Ghana.According to Prof Botchway, intra African trade is not…

Scores of customers of uniBank became angry, frustrated and worried when their attempts to withdraw money from the bank’s automated teller machines (ATMs) Wednesday morning failed, after the Bank of Ghana (BoG) had handed over the management of the bank to KPMG, an accounting and auditing firm. The ATMs could not dispense money in the…

The father of one of the kidnapped Dapchi schoolgirls has told Focus on Africa that the kidnappers said they released the girls because they were Muslim. Adamu Gashwama added that the abductors told him that his daughter could be taken again if she returns to the school. He says without an improvement in the security…

Dodging hippos along the Niger river, photographer Aisha Augie-Kuta reached the remote village of Norandé. It is here that she connected with a community that, despite its proximity to the river, faces a daily struggle for clean water. Despite the countries’ shared border, what Augie-Kuta saw was a far cry from that back home in…

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that the social network “made mistakes” that led to millions of Facebook users having their data exploited by a political consultancy. Cambridge Analytica is accused of improperly using the data on behalf of political clients. In a statement, Mr Zuckerberg said a “breach of trust” had occurred. In a…

A gunman who shot and injured two teenage students at a high school in the US state of Maryland was shot dead after a gunfight with a security guard. Austin Wyatt Rollins, 17, shot a 16-year-old girl, who is in a critical condition, and a 14-year-old boy. The attack happened on Tuesday morning before lessons…

Norwegian oil company, Aker Energy, has disclosed to Citi Business News it is hoping to start its oil exploration activities in Ghana by the end of 2021. The company explains that it is working to complete the necessary processes to get clearance from the government to start operations. The CEO of Aker, Jan Arve Haugan…

Boko Haram Islamists who kidnapped more than 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria, just over a month ago have returned the students to the town, two parents told AFP on Wednesday. A senior government source in Abuja and police in Yobe state also confirmed the girls’ return although it was not immediately clear how many…

GOVERNMENT AND African Development Fund (ADF) have signed a loan agreement to support the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ)’ programme. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance, last Thursday signed the agreement on behalf of the government whilst Dr Yero H. J. Baldeh, the Ghana Country Manager of the Bank, signed on its behalf. According…

The Minority caucus in Parliament is demanding the immediate withdrawal from the house, an agreement by Cabinet it says will permit the United States of America to site a military base in Ghana.A statement signed by the group said the agreement should be withdrawn “pending the holding of broad consultations and a thorough national discussion…

The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has taken over the management of uniBank Ghana Limited, an indigenous lender after it declared it insolvent Tuesday afternoon.The Bank of Ghana will now be in control of the day to day running of the local bank and has accordingly appointed KPMG as the official administrator to oversee the process,…

The Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, has advised women to grow up and stop taking naked photos of themselves to avoid becoming victims of blackmail in future. She said some wicked people always taken advantage of women who are naïve and therefore request their naked pictures when they get familiar…

The Ever-Increasing rate of teenage pregnancy has provoked the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for North Dayi, Joycelyn Tetteh, to advocate a national policy aimed at putting an end to the menace. She expressed the belief that it is only a national policy on teenage pregnancy which would address the factors that lead…

Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a fervently nationalistic closing speech to parliament, painting China as the rising global power. Mr Xi said “achieving total unity” was the “collective hope of all Chinese people” and any attempts to divide it were “doomed to fail”. The speech was a strong warning against any attempt at separatism…

International donors will meet next month in Geneva to address the growing humanitarian disaster in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the lack of funding for 13 million people in dire need. “Humanitarian needs, caused by internal conflict, have doubled over the last year,” U.N. Humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told Security Council members on Monday.…

President Nana Akufo-Addo has hit back at critics who say the creation of new districts and municipalities is unnecessary. The President said the creation of new districts will bring development to the doorstep of many and deepen Ghana’s democratic processes.The government has received some criticism over the creation of 38 new districts and municipalities across…

Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, has assured that the National Identification Authority (NIA) will begin the rollout of processes for the issuance of the new National Identification Card in April, 2018. In the latest assurance on this project, Dr. Bawumia said enough measures have been put in place to ensure a successful roll-out of the…

The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged all Ghanaians to support the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy of the government. The President at the 65th Speech and Prize-giving Day of Seventh Day Adventist Senior High School, in Bekwai, in the Ashanti Region on Sunday, March 18 said: “If the Free SHS policy is…

ABUJA, NIGERIA —  Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will not attend the African Union summit in Rwanda this week, an official statement said Sunday, in a blow to plans to launch a major free trade treaty across 54 countries. The meeting in Kigali is intended to formally launch the African Continental Free Trade Area Treaty, which…

BUNIA, CONGO The assailants attacked under cover of darkness, slaughtering Nguli Nzafi ‘s wife and three children with machetes and arrows. The 71-year-old, who also lost all 40 of his cattle in the violence, was forced to flee on foot some 90 kilometers (56 miles) to safety in the town of Bunia. “I have lost…

World leaders are congratulating Vladimir Putin on his election for a new six-year term as Russian president, but so far no Western leaders have responded to his victory. Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country’s partnership with Russia was at its “best level in history”. Mr Putin got more than 76% of the vote, official…

A total of five hundred and seventy (570) dams are to be constructed in the three northern regions this year as part of the NPP Government’s manifesto pledge to facilitate community-owned and managed small-scale irrigation facilities across the country, popularly known as “One Village One Dam.” Feasibility studies and consultative fora have been take place,…

Kwaku Asare grabbed his machete and trekked through the bush to his cocoa farm—through winding pathways and hills, past ominous pits of muddy water, and underneath the low-hanging canopy of dried cocoa leaves. But the trees were bare. A few rotting cocoa pods littered the ground, while other stunted pods refused to ripen on the…

Government has been urged to give a clear timeline towards the passage of the Consumer Protection Bill, which will protect Ghanaians from inferior goods, products and services. Mr Kofi Kapito, the Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), who made the call at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, challenged the present…

It was, for the most part, an exercise in bitter retrospection. Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe spent much of his first press conference since being ousted reflecting on the illegality of last November’s “coup d’etat,” and on the personal sense of betrayal that clearly still preoccupies the 94-year-old. But while some Zimbabweans, and historians, may…

The outgoing president of Botswana has attacked his US counterpart Donald Trump for “encouraging poaching” by overturning a ban on importing hunting trophies. Speaking at an anti-poaching summit in Botswana, two weeks before he steps down, President Ian Khama told the BBC it wasn’t just Mr Trump’s attitude towards wildlife he was concerned about, but…

South Africa’s former President, Jacob Zuma, is to face prosecution for 16 charges of corruption, Chief Prosecutor Shaun Abrahams has confirmed. Mr Abrahams said he believed there were “reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution”. The charges – which Mr Zuma denies – include counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering. Mr Zuma, 75, was forced…

The dense mountainous wilderness that spans the Colombia-Panama border has always resisted human authority. That makes it ideal for the movements of shy wildlife, clandestine paramilitary groups, and a steady stream of international migrants. For a majority of migrants headed for the United States and North America, the remote Darien Gap is a required trek.…

The White House says it “stands in solidarity” with “its closest ally” the UK and supports its decision to expel 23 Russian diplomats. PM Theresa May said the diplomats would be expelled after Moscow refused to explain how a Russian-made nerve agent was used on a former spy in the UK. Moscow continues to deny…

South Africa has criticised an Australian government minister for suggesting that white South African farmers should get special visas so they can flee “horrific circumstances” in the country. Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, who oversees immigration and has drawn international criticism for heading a tough crackdown on asylum-seekers from Asia and the Middle East,…

Libya has issued 205 arrest warrants for Libyans and foreigners suspected of being involved in a smuggling network for migrants heading to Europe. They include accusations of human trafficking, torture, murder and rape. The Libyan attorney general’s office said the network included members of the security services, migrant detention camp leaders, and officials from African…

“As a start, we have to do things differently to realise this goal of a Ghana beyond aid. Business, as usual, will not do it. It cannot happen by waving a magic wand. And it cannot be achieved overnight. Indeed, the most rapid cases of economic and social transformation in history, those in South East…

In his 61st Independence Day address to the nation on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo shared his goal of Ghana beyond aid in more detail than ever before. He insisted that, “Ghana beyond aid is meant to be more than a slogan. It is meant to propel us into the frame…

Sierra Leonean voters will be called upon again to cast ballots to elect a new president. The March 27 runoff date was announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Tuesday evening after declaring final results from the March 7 vote. According to the results, the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) led the…

Last Wednesday, Palestinians in Jerusalem were hit with yet another travesty. The Israeli parliament ratified a bill that allows the minister of interior to revoke the residency rights of any Palestinian who poses a threat to Israel, or, more specifically, is suspected of a “breach of loyalty” to Israel. Palestinians in Jerusalem do not possess…

Sixteen-year-old Dea Kurti is juggling school and a social life while trying to bridge the tech gender gap and empower refugees. Encouraging more girls to study STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – is a key educational cause across the world. But based on statistics, there’s still much work to be done. According to…

Almost every smallholder farmer receiving agricultural payments in Ghana is paid in cash. While cash may seemingly provide instant gratification for crop sales, cash-based transactions ultimately prove to be costly and dangerous. Cash can easily be misplaced or stolen, leaving the carrier with no recourse. When cash changes hands there is little record of the…

If it commits to reversing Brexit, British Labour Party could play an important role in making Europe fairer. For over 40 years, Britain has pushed extreme, free-market policies in the European Union (EU). While the EU has delivered, for Britain, better workers’ rights, cleaner air and water, and more enforceable human rights, Britain has consistently…

Ghana intends to mobilise nearly US$ 22.6 billion investment from both domestic and international public and private sources towards the implementation of her Nationally Determined Contributions (Gh-NDCs) commitments. US$ 6.3 billion domestically (28.3% of total investment) is to be mobilized nationally whereas the US$ 16 billion is expected from international support. However Ghana’s ability to…

Dr Michal Rutkowski, the Senior Director of SP&J, World Bank Group, has commended the Government for its policy on “Ghana Beyond Aid,” describing it as a laudable idea. He said although it was a very interesting idea, there was the need to set targets and dates towards achieving it. “This is not possible within a…

US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson has described President Akufo-Addo as a more ‘visionary’ leader compared to some others the country has had in recent times. Speaking to Host Kwabena Kyenkyenhene Boateng on the ’21 Minutes with KKB’ show, Mr. Jackson indicated that the President’s focus on revamping the private sector for economic growth…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has underscored the need for the feuding parties in the Togo political impasse to keep the door of dialogue open, saying: “It is extremely important.” Addressing a delegation from the government and opposition parties at the Flagstaff House last Wednesday, the President said: “I don’t believe that responsible people such…

It is not generally known that Dr J B Danquah, the flower of West African scholarship, lawyer, journalist, poet and philosopher, who died 53 years ago on February 4, 1965 at the Nsawam Maximum Security Prison, did not only struggle fearlessly for the independence and self-government of Ghana;he also believed in the concept of self-reliance…

International Women’s Day is March 8th. It is a day named by the United Nations. All over the world, organizations, governments, corporations and universities celebrate women with a variety of programs. Each year has a theme. This year’s theme is ‘Press for Progress’. The 2017 World Economic Forum Report declared it would take another 200…

The UN Women has called on the global community to deliberately create stronger support for women’s political activism and a broader space for women’s civil society voices. In a statement, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women, for International Women’s Day, said that was necessary to combine “our efforts to target those who…

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has outlined plans to sell bills and notes to fund a nationwide cocoa-replanting programme, in an effort to boost yields following an outbreak of disease. In late December, international media reported that COCOBOD – the industry regulator – was considering a plan to sell 182-day bills and one-year notes to…

Accra, March 8th, 2018: International Women’s Day is a celebration of the economic, political, social and cultural achievements of women across the globe and a call-to-action to progression towards gender parity all over the world. The theme for the celebration this year is #PressforProgress. The Women Peace and Security Institute wants to use this day…

Socio-economic growth and evolution in Africa cannot be overemphasized as the continent moves into the future. Africa has over the last decade become one of the fastest growing and attractive regions in the world, with a $1.96 trillion economy growing at about 6 percent. Yet there are also undeniably daunting challenges facing the continent. These…

Today is International Women’s Day which has been celebrated for more than 100 years and was adopted by the UN in 1975.Still being born a girl into this world seems to be a curse in too many places. Women have, and continue to suffer various degrees of injustice and inequalities spanning from cultural, social, economic,…

Today, Sierra Leoneans have flocked to the polls to choose not only their new president, but new MPs and local councillors. The BBC’s Umaru Fofana is in Freetown, keeping an eye on developments. “I’m excited, it’s very good to have done my rights as a citizen,” one voter tells the BBC. “We expect good things…

The recent rising determination for change in women’s rights, equality and justice as demonstrated by global women movement and campaigns such as the #MeToo and #TimesUp reveals that there is more work to be done. Findings from the World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report shows that gender parity is over 200 years away,…

On the morning of any wedding there’s a lot of preparation. On 4 November, Monika’s hair needed doing and her make-up had to be artfully applied. The bride needed her maroon wedding sari put on, as tradition dictated. The jewellery set aside for this special day had to be placed on her ears and nose…

Voting is under way in Sierra Leone, where more than three million people are eligible to choose a new president, parliament and local councillors. In the capital, Freetown, long queues could be seen at polling stations even before dawn. President Ernest Bai Koroma is stepping down after serving two five-year terms. His chosen successor, Samura…

Do not get me wrong. I have no qualms against foreign participation in any sector of the economy. But one logic I agree with wholeheartedly is no country has seen sustained growth and development with foreigners at the helm or in charge of any sector – be it banking, mining, agriculture, oil and gas, education,…

It is easy to pinpoint Ghana’s peers when it attained independence in 1957 – South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and the like – and use that to judge Ghana as a spectacular failure in delivering much-desired economic goods for its people. Sixty-one years is a long time in a country’s development journey. Indeed, for all the…

As a young journalist, one of the most intriguing, important,yet unpleasant subjects I covered was crime. During this period, I have met suspects who have confessed to various degrees of crime ranging from murder to stealing. The hardened suspects were always lucky to return alive. Those who dared to challenge the police in a gun…

Prez Akufo-Addo has indicated that the Right to Information Bill, described as a key ingredient for the successful fight against corruption in public office, should be passed before the present parliament rises. Describing the RTI as “one piece of the anti-corruption framework that is yet to be put in place”, he said the passage of…

As Ghana celebrates its 61st independence anniversary today, the Brong Ahafo Region stands on the threshold of being divided into three administrative regions following two petitions submitted to the President by the Coalition of Bono East Chiefs and its counterparts in the Ahafo section of the region. Should their petitions be granted and the subsequent…

The Leader and National Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Prof. Edmund Delle, has underscored the need for all Nkrumaists to bury their ego and join the mother party – the CPP – to wrest political power from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 election. “This is the time for all…

The Chairman of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah thinks that the “Ghana beyond aid” mantra was a great call which is only a “rhetoric.” Ghana beyond aid is an agenda that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been championing since he assumed office in 2017 and has pledged to ensure that Ghana…

In my secondary school days, I had the privilege of spending one long vacation with my maternal grandmother in a village called Agogo in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Something happened during that period which ignited my interest for business. I accompanied my cousin to the market one day to help him sell some baskets…

Globally, the rights of persons with disabilities have been the subject of much attention at the United Nations (UN), at the regional and national levels over a long period of time. This awakening is informed by the open truth that there is a close connection between the limitation experienced by individuals with disabilities, the design…

The President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Abubakar Saraki, has urged African countries to devise their own model of development if they want to be competitive on the global stage. He said such a model should see Africans focus on manufacturing goods that could be marketed to their people, stressing…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the realisation of his vision of Ghana Beyond Aid “requires a deliberate, qualitative change in all aspects of our lives; especially, in the structure of our economy, the nature of our infrastructure, the education of our young people and acquisition of skills, and, above all, in our attitudes and…

“Is sanitation management not another euphemism for corruption in Ghana?” That’s a question a man who works with one of the big donor countries quietly asked me after I moderated an EU sponsored event last year. It became apparent at the event that local assemblies blamed sanitation for much of their spending but had very…

When I sat in a darkened theatre in 2008(ish) watching Al Gore deliver his now famous slide show on climate change, the enormity of the challenge we were facing hit me. And then I got hungry. Very hungry. Because if I am honest, the thing that most hit home to me was the way in…

Teachers. Every day thousands and thousands of teachers in Ghana walk into classrooms where they hold young minds in their hands to nurture, develop and build. Some teachers in Ghana have turned playgrounds into pedophile hunting grounds, They use their position, authority, power to sexually harass, extort sex for grades or school fes and sexually…

Two weeks ago, when I read a report in this paper, that some pregnant women “are now taking skin bleaching pills in their quest to have light-skinned babies”, my immediate reaction was: ‘Unbelievable! What kind of madness is this?!’ I was even tempted to dismiss the news item as an instance of a fad practised…

The Togolese political crisis takes its roots in the soil of political confusion that followed the death of President Gnassingbe Eyadema who had ruled the country from 1967. President Eyadema became President of Togo after the death of President Sylvanus Olympio in a military takeover. The problem started when President Eyadema passed away by natural…

Africa’s rainforests are classified as part of the most important biodiversity areas in the world But these forests are under severe threats from increasing population through logging, forest fragmentation, forest conversion into plantations, and mining activities. Africa’s forest cover loss has been estimated at about 53 million hectares, accounting for about 56% of the global…

In Sub-saharan Africa, cassava serves as a major staple for most people; in fact, it is the third largest carbohydrate source after rice and maize. Some of the more than 500 million cassava consumers in the region eat is as often as three times a day. It’s a dependable crop because cassava grows well in…

Over 69 per of Ghanaians supports the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), the 2017 edition of the Afrobarometer report has revealed. The report, launched on Tuesday in Accra, revealed that support for elected rather than appointed MMDCEs was strong across the demographic groups, major political parties and regions. However, regional analysis…

The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) supports the idea of electing Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Ghana. Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle, CPP National Chairman said the election of MMDCEs would go a long way to promote transparency and accountability at the grassroots level. He said the idea of making the MMDCEs office electable…

Exceptionally detailed maps of child growth and education across Africa suggest that no single country is set to end childhood malnutrition by 2030. That target was set by the UN as a Sustainable Development Goal. However, the new maps, which give detail to the level of an individual village, show that almost every nation has…

Some of the reasons why the boarding component in our state-assisted senior high schools must be removed. And Now can we begin to have a calm national conversation? Ghana has never been able to afford boarding as a major component of its state-owned education system, we cannot afford it, and not wanting to admit this…

The interaction between artisanal (small-scale) mining and agriculture in Africa still needs to be carefully considered by policymakers to ensure that people’s livelihoods and the country’s export revenues aren’t threatened. It’s also important that the relationship between the two sectors is optimised to mutual benefit.Mining occurs in the same geographic areas as agriculture. It competes…

Recently, a young single parent lady recounted her experience when she took her child to school on a Monday morning. As can be expected of an elite Ghanaian Basic School, an assortment of luxurious cars trooped in each morning to bring the children of their rich owners to school. However, what struck Jay that Monday…

US President Donald Trump’s announcement on December 6 last year of his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was a real shock not only for Palestinians but also for the international community as a whole. For many people, this decision was the final nail in the coffin for the two-state solution. But…

The Auditor General (AudG), Daniel Yaw Domelevo must begin to practice his small talk. He announced earlier this month in Accra, that his Office had investigated and subsequently issued Disallow and Surcharge certificates for Ghc5.4 billion cedis worth of public goods and services. Some were found to have already been paid and had unilaterally chosen…

  The global humanitarian community is again in confusion. The Oxfam sexual misconduct scandal has made headlines. Policymakers and humanitarian leaders everywhere talk about the need for change. Over the last 30 years or so, there have been many scandals, and much demand for reform. However, business just continues as usual. According to Reuters, during…

It seems obvious that Libya is not in a fit state to hold an election, but the international community seems determined to organise one anyway, writes the BBC North Africa Correspondent Rana Jawad. Libya’s politicians, the UN, and EU member states have been talking about it for months. Presidential and legislative elections are expected in…

Women in Syria have been sexually exploited by men delivering aid on behalf of the UN and international charities, the BBC has learned. Aid workers said the men would trade food and lifts for sexual favours. Despite warnings about the abuse three years ago, a new report shows it is continuing in the south of…

In a January 19 article about the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof describes a coastal island on the verge of disappearance and farmers forced to “marry off” their underage daughters as a result of losses linked to sea level rise. This dystopic imaginary of Bangladesh in the time…

Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War II. What is new this time around is that many of the displaced are being driven from their homes by the destructive effects of climate change. And this is just the beginning. As sea levels rise, swallowing island nations and swamping large parts of Bangladesh,…

Fred Witteveen is a co-author of this article. He is the national director of World Vision Bangladesh. Do you remember being a child, wide awake at night, breath drawn, every creak and whisper of breeze a monster under the bed, an intruder down the hall? Then as day breaks, childish fear evaporates and the night’s…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Friday succeeded in getting the incumbent government and the opposition parties in Togo to put an end to all forms of actions that disturb the peace of that country and rather resort to dialogue to iron out any differences. The parties in the Togolese political impasse, who were all…

In academic circles, all research is scientifically obtained – not because they are the outcome of work done in a physics, chemistry or biology science lab. They are scientific because they are the result of empiricism, governed by strict rules of conduct. The rules are such that any other researcher using the same hypotheses, sampling…

Two NGO workers explain why, despite free tuition, some Ghanaian children still struggle to get an education. Since gaining independence in 1957, Ghana has focused on improving access to education and achieving universal enrolment. Primary education became free in 1961 and the 1980s saw major reforms swept through the education system, including restructuring primary and…

24th of February 2018   Fifty-two years ago the government of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), under the leadership of the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, was overthrown and proscribed. The CPP consolidated its rule by winning, on the trot, three successive democratic elections between 1951 and 1956 organised under the watch of Her Majesty’s Government of…

An information security expert has told Citi Business News that Ghanaian businesses stand to lose 100 million dollars from cyber-crime in 2018, if pragmatic measures are not put in place to minimize it. According to a Managing Partner at cyber security firm, Delta 3 International, Del Aden, the incident of cyber crime in Ghana will…

I have just settled down after a hectic morning running-around and just gotten the news that Abuga Pele and Philip Akpeena Assibit have been jailed six and 12 years, respectively, over the GYEEDA rot. Now, here is my prediction of what is going to happen: within just a few days of their incarceration, these two…

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has hinted of a resurgence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Upper East Region with an alarming 27% rise in the prevalence in recent times. According to the Ministry, the practice is widespread in the region especially the border town of Pusiga which is near Ghana’s…

A new project focused on the use of bamboo as charcoal is bringing economic empowerment to women in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region. Bamboo charcoal is common in areas where bamboo plants are abundant. The bamboo is harvested after at least five years and burned in ovens to turn them into charcoal. The…

Children in South Sudan have been forced to watch their mothers being raped and killed, the UN says. A report by UN human rights investigators says that 40 officials may be individually responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It says civilians have been tortured and mutilated, and villages destroyed on an industrial scale.…

The benefits of higher education to the individual, the family, the community and the State are well documented. For the individual, higher education bestows social status, access to employment and higher earnings. Many studies have established the link between higher education and better quality of life, with university graduates recording greater life expectancy than their…

The newly-created 38 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) throughout the country will be inaugurated in the second week of next month. The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) in charge of rural economic development, Mr Collins Augustine Ntim, who made this known in an interview, said he was impressed by the preparedness…

I have no doubt in my mind that history will ultimately judge Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka, Brigadier Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa, and the others who spearheaded the removal of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Nkrumah as Ghanaian patriots. Much as their action opened the floodgates of further military interventions, which most of us today condemn, it cannot…

The Constitution Review Commission, a Presidential Commission of Enquiry, was set up in January 2010, to consult with the people of Ghana on the operation of the 1992 Constitution and on any changes that need to be made to the constitution. The Commission was tasked to look at the Constitution from the viewpoint of a…

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said Ghana’s poor ranking on the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) was “largely” influenced by corruption claims in the past regime. He said the Transparency International’s 2017 CPI, which shows a sharp drop in the performance from 2016, is an indication of the “enormity of the task ahead.” Ghana has been…

The Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, has reiterated his commitment to discharge his duties without fear or favour. In his acceptance speech following his swearing in as the country’s first Special Prosecutor by President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House on Friday, Mr Amidu noted that he would discharge his duties with integrity and honour.…

President Akufo-Addo has admonished the country’s first Special Prosecutor (SP), Mr Martin A.B.K. Amidu not to use his office as an avenue for vengeance against his adversaries but to use it to deal ruthlessly with the soaring state of corruption in public life. According to him, the overwhelming support Ghanaians have given to Mr Amidu…

Women entrepreneurs. They are a crucial part of Ghana’s economic backbone. They are job creators. Their blood, sweat and tears turn initiative into employment. That initiative is not always born of vision or passion. Sometimes it is born of necessity, hunger, lack of opportunity and a need to support families. Starting that business is often…

The use of e-bills pay in public institutions can reduce the human interface and help bring down corruption. E-bills pay is an electronic payment system that enables large corporate institutions to receive payment via the internet or mobile applications. It is one of the latest initiatives by Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), the…

The right to criticize a fellow citizen, however vigorous, cannot be defamatory of that citizen or even in contempt of court when it is kept within the limits of reasonable courtesy and good faith. As Lord Justice Salmon said in R v Metropolitan Police Commissioner; Ex Parte Blackburn at pages 155-156: “…The criticism here complained…

Ghana receives its lowest corruption perception score in four years, making President Akufo-Addo’s one year in office the worst since 2012, according to the latest Global Corruption Perception Index. The latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released Wednesday evening by the local chapter of Transparency International, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), scored Ghana 40 out of…

Feminism is defined by the online Oxford dictionary as a social theory or political movement which argues that legal and social restrictions on women must be removed in order to bring about equality of both sexes in all aspects of public and private life. Who is a feminist? Wikipedia explains feminism as a range of…

Article 39, Clause 3 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana enjoins the state to “foster the development of Ghanaian languages and pride in Ghanaian culture”. By this constitutional provision, the state is obliged to formulate and implement policies and programmes towards the development of Ghanaian languages and cultures. It is also incumbent…

Regionalism is regarded as crucial to the development of Ghana’s economy. A small state like Ghana with potential for rapid development needs the cooperation and integration with her sub-regional West African countries within the framework of ECOWAS. As it would be difficult to establish viable enterprises to serve the Ghana market only, regionalism is readily…

In January 2013, I flew from Kumasi to Accra with Fly 540 on a return journey that cost an average of $36 (GH¢ 80) that time. Similarly, Starbow had an off peak fare on the same route for a little under GH¢ 40. The period between 2012 and 2014 saw a surge in the number…

Parliament has approved Mr Martin Amidu as the country’s first Special Prosecutor. The Deputy Minority Ranking Member on Constitutional Affairs, Dr. Dominic Ayine, however asked Parliament to put the approval on hold, as his suit against Mr. Amidu’s nomination is still pending at the Supreme Court. Drawing on Standing order 93(1), Dr. Ayine invited the…

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said that 500,000 farmers will be signed onto the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative of the government this year, following the first year successes it chalked. The President said not only did the programme sign on some 200,000 farmers in its first year of implementation, it also was successful “as…

In 2003, I got the opportunity to teach in a junior high school in the central region. I was given the opportunity to represent my head teacher in most of the Ghana Education Service workshops and training programmes. Most of these workshops gave me an understanding of how our school system is managed and run…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the African Union (AU) to urgently find a lasting solution to the perennial conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He said the depressing news of the continuing and deepening crisis in the DRC, leading to the massive displacement of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians,…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said Ghana needs transformational leaders who can translate words into action, as the country strives to join the developed economies. He said the Government could not make every citizen rich but with the political will it could create the environment for equal opportunities for all, hence the Free Senior High…

Ghana is hosting the 5th ECOWAS Presidential Task Force Meeting on the Single Currency Programme from the 17th – 21st February, 2018 at the Accra International Conference Centre. The four-day meeting is being chaired by Ghana’s President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H. E. Muhammadu Buhari; President of…

Private legal practitioner Chris Ackumey has described as unfortunate the judiciary’s reaction to the findings of a survey conducted by Professor Raymond Atuguba. The Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and other judges have rebuked the Legon law professor over his latest research which concluded that judges at the Supreme Court, in times when the law is…

The Togolese government and opposition finally decided to convene on Monday for a last resort at dialogue. Discussions are expected to resolve the political crisis that has been going on for six months. Since the advent of multiparty politics in the early 1990s, some 15 dialogues and talks have been held in Lomé, without ever…

  On Monday, February 19, 2018 when this column will be published, the Petroleum Commission (PC), the regulator of the upstream industry and Ghana’s lucrative petroleum resources will host a meeting in Accra themed ‘Local Content Procurement Conference.’ There are more than 500 companies including joint ventures registered with the PC, along with International Oil…

Introduction Ghana’s Agriculture has been subsistence since independence and basically depends on the weather.According to MOFA (2010), Agriculture is predominantly on a smallholder basis in Ghana and the main system of farming is traditional, with hoe and cutlass as the main farming tools. It further states that about 90% of farm holdings are less than…

President Akufo-Addo will Monday morning mediate the political impasse between the Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé and the opposition coalition. The dialogue is part of a six-month-long attempt to end the series of protests that have claimed at least sixteen lives. The meeting today is expected to chart a credible way forward on the political future…

A Law lecturer at the University of Ghana has not only ruffled feathers with his unconventional research on judges and their political affiliations but has suggested that members of the General Legal Council should have been in jail by now. According to Prof Raymond Atuguba, members of the GLC, the regulatory body of the law…

Many of the street children helped by James (in suit) come from displaced camps In our series of letters from African journalists, novelist and writer Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani looks at how a teenager is transforming the lives of a city’s street children. James Okina is quite open about his tearaway teenage days: Shoplifting; stealing from…

Former president Jacob Zuma has avoided a motion of no confidence in Parliament by resigning as head of state – although he still disagrees with the ANC’s decision to recall him. “I do not fear exiting political office. However, I have only asked my party to articulate my transgressions and the reason for its immediate…

Abuja — Intrigues ahead of next year’s general election took a fresh twist, yesterday, with the Senate’s approval of a new sequence for the polls. The schedule released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, February 16, 2019, while governorship and state Assembly elections come up…

Nominee for the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu believes the one of the surest ways to reduce corruption and become a self-reliant country is to block leakages and slippages at public institutions. According to him building a strong public institution coupled with curbing corrupt practices at these places will breed a credible institution.…

In November 2013, Ghana received a yellow card from the European Union (EU) for failing to fulfil its international obligations to combat illegal fishing. The warning prompted new policies and laws, a plan of action to eradicate illegal fishing and reforms addressing management failures in Ghana’s fisheries. The yellow card was lifted in October 2015…

Protecting our water bodies — Who cares?Water, they say, is life. This is a common saying but never taken seriously because we are fortunate today to access that valuable resource everywhere in the country. In December last year, I was in Sandton, South Africa, with a few colleagues from other parts of the continent at…

It has taken a while to establish the trend but in the silver jubilee year of the 4th Republic, many roads now lead, thankfully, to court.The Citizen Ghana Movement (CGM) secured a ruling from the Human Rights Court on Friday, February 9th 2018, compelling the Electoral Commission (EC) to insist on the constitutionally mandated requirement…

Ghana is now 60 and attained its own retirement age on March 6, 2017. She would have received a letter indicating she was to retire about six months ago and would have gone through Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) processes to begin the working out of Ghana’s Pension. We are by this assuming…

The Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye, has bemoaned the over-politicisation of every national issue in the country, including education. According to him, every issue was seen in the lenses of either the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and oftentimes, the real substance…

The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), in partnership with Uniterra World University Service of Canada (WUSC), is promoting gender parity in male dominated trade areas in Ghana. Uniterra (WUSC) is a leading Canadian International Cooperation Programme that improves the socio-economic conditions of people in 14 countries in Africa, Asia and the…

A regional court sitting in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday found that Jammeh-era media laws violated the right to freedom of expression in The Gambia. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Regional Court of Justice thus ruled in favour of petitioners who dragged The Gambia before the court over the particular set…

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has upped its effort to awakening the spirit of self-help – to get the people to do more themselves to better their living conditions. Ms. Margaret Konama, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director, said the communities could not continue to over rely on the government for their every single development…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday stressed the resolve of government to invest more in security and safety to ensure social cohesion for greater development. Government, he said, would make certain that the nation was not overrun by criminal elements with impunity, assuring that the Police Service would, in the coming months, witness a…

Vice President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Kofi Bentil, says although Mr Martin Amidu re-affirmed his firm anti-graft disposition during Tuesday’s vetting, his job as Special Prosecutor will not be a walk in the park. Although Mr Amidu is yet to be officially sworn-in as Special Prosecutor, Myjoyonline.com has gathered that legislators on…

The Special Prosecutor nominee has said he turned down an invitation to become a justice of the Supreme Court in 1999, stressing taking up the appointment is not about status. Rather, Martin Amidu in his opening statement at Parliament’s Appointment Committee Tuesday stressed that his decision to accept the appointment as the country’s first Special…

A measles and malnutrition crisis has killed at least 72 people, mostly children, in Indonesia’s remote province of Papua, home to the world’s biggest gold mine. As Rebecca Henschke and Hedyer Affan report, the crisis has put the spotlight on a region closed off to journalists for decades and revealed serious government failings. Just two…

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is fluent in 2 European languages; English and French. A useful skill, given that Ghana is surrounded by Francophone countries on 3 sides (La Cote d’Ivoire, Togo and Burkina Faso) and faced on its coastline, by the unforgiving Atlantic sea. We are also a nation, much divided by inherent and deliberate…

Farmers at Asuature in the Shai Osuduku District of the Greater Accra Region, and surrounding communities, risk losing their livelihoods because of a supposed toxic waste released by a toiletries and plastics manufacturing Chinese company in the area. The Osudoku Senior High Technical School has been shut down because of a harmful smoke emitted from…

Former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has become the first woman to win a coveted $5m prize for African leadership. Sirleaf won the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership on Monday in recognition for her efforts to rebuild her country following two civil wars. “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took the helm of Liberiawhen it…

International mediators are expected in Togo next week following months of protests against the government and the president. The Gnassingbe family has been in charge for 51 years, and many in Togo are demanding change. Pressure from the streets has brought a commitment by the president to enter constitutional reform talks.Few expect concrete results. Source:…

It was Genevan and British political theorist, Jean-Louis de Lolme (1740 – 1806), who in criticising what he observed as excessive powers of the British Parliament, wrote that “Parliament can do everything but make a woman a man and a man a woman”.Of course, in the present age when science has made sex change possible…

Yesterday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo delivered his second State of the Nation Address to Parliament as required by our Constitution. But the address came after this column had been written and another time may be found in future to dwell on the interesting aspects of that address. My interest today is, however, on events…

  Rural women farmers till the lands and plant seeds to feed nations. They ensure food security for their communities and build climate resilience. However when it comes to owning land, accessing agricultural inputs, financing and technologies for climate resilience, they are left far behind men. In Ghana, although a number of international conventions, protocols…

  The term special needs covers a wild spectrum of disabilities such as down syndrome, autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But all these have something in common. They all face physical, mental and emotional challenges that make it difficult for them to cope with everyday living. My focus is cerebral palsy because I identify with…

The critical conversation about “Enhancing the developmental capacity of Ghana’s political parties”, which is long overdue, was introduced at a roundtable discussion by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG). It is a matter that should have been part of the considerations in the transition from dictatorship to democracy ahead of the promulgation and operation of…

Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT), an NGO, has underscored the need for policies in the agriculture sector to be responsive to gender. To achieve gender equality in the agricultural sector, stakeholders needed to ensure that, agriculture policy interventions benefitted both women and men equally, it stated.According to the organisation, women who formed the…

Four Ugandan government officials have been suspended amid allegations of inflating refugee figures. Uganda’s Commissioner for Refugees Apollo Kazungu and three of his senior staff are being investigated. Investigations will also consider whether officials from UN aid agencies were involved. Uganda is said to host some 1.4 million refugees – welcoming more than any other…

Domelevo, Amidu and Despite. Three strong men navigating weak institutions. The first is an Auditor General seeking prosecutorial power to reinvigorate the state purse; the second is a Special Prosecutor with a reputation for integrity; and the third is a gender award winning businessman putting some of his fortune into better health with a children’s…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched the Online/Digital Marketing Entrepreneurship programme for 3,000 unemployed youth to undergo a 3 month all-expense paid training programme. The training is aimed at equipping the youth with skills to start-up their own businesses thereby reducing the unemployment canker amongst the youth in the country. Launching the programme on…

The West African country becomes the 53rd nation but fourth to rejoin. The Gambia referred to as “smiling coast of West Africa” joins the likes of South Africa, Fiji and Pakistan who all left at a point and gained readmission. In 2013, exiled President Yahya Jammeh pulled the country out of the Commonwealth. Jammeh at…

Mr Speaker, I am happy to be here again in this august House, a place where I have experienced some of the most memorable moments of my political career, and made some cherished friendships across the political divide. I am glad too that, in accordance with protocol and convention, First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Vice President…

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo today delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament. Below are highlights of his address. ECONOMY I am glad to be able to report that the Economic Management Team, under the stellar leadership of the strong, brilliant economist, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, has risen to the challenge,…

Pune, an industrial city in the west of India, home to many IT giants and also the first Trump-branded apartments in the country, is a cosmopolitan hub. But within this urbane city lies a deeply conservative hinterland. On January 21, three young men, Prashant Indrekar, Saurabh Machhle and Prashant Tamchikar, who were part of an…

Since the New Year, more than 80 people have been killed in clashes between nomadic herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria’s central Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states. Herders, mostly from the Fulani ethnic group, and farmers often clash over the use of fertile land. For a very long time, the Nigerian government did not offer a…

More than 300 child soldiers have been released from armed groups in South Sudan, the United Nations has announced. The 311 children, including 87 girls, will now begin reintegrating into their communities, the UN mission in the country (UNMISS) said in a statement on Wednesday. “Children should not be carrying guns and killing each other,”…

Kenya’s National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga has demanded fresh elections by August but ruled out any plans to lead a coup against President Uhuru Kenyatta. In a three minute BBC interview, Mr Odinga maintained that he did not recognise Mr Kenyatta as the President “since he does not have the legitimacy of the people”.…

The Forestry Commission has commenced an exercise to reclaim 50 hectares of land destroyed by illegal miners in the Apramprama Forest Reserve, near Jacobu in the Amansie Central District in the Ashanti Region. Under the project, large and deep trenches left by the activities of ‘galamseyers’ will be reclaimed and a tree-planting exercise carried out.…

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child as “a human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier”. Children at birth take on the social and economic status of their parents and are generally subject to abuse if special…

A Deputy Minister for Information, Ama Dokuaa Asiamah Agyei, has noted that the delay in passing the Right to Information Bill, is largely because other equally important Bills are also fighting for attention. She thus explained that, the delay does not mean the Bill is not a priority, and that other bills from different sectors…

At this year’s Paris edition of Nuit des idees (the Night of Ideas), Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie made two remarks that caused a stir. The more widely publicised one was her gentle rebuke of interviewer Caroline Broue’s question as to whether there are bookstores in Nigeria. Adichie replied, “I think it reflects very poorly…

The People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime in South Africa will open its first hearings this Saturday, 3 February, at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. People’s Tribunals have been led by citizens and civil society for over four decades to address human rights abuses and war crimes in many contexts, including Palestine and Indonesia. Importantly, the South…

Mark Ritchie, former Minnesota Secretary of State and former president of the Minneapolis-based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, sent Felix an email about a very interesting interview with Kevin Watkins, the CEO of Save the Children Fund (UK). The interview and commentary was by Russell Hargrave in devex: “Save the Children CEO on a…

When Jaha Dukureh was a week old, she survived female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia. When she was 15 years old, she was forced into marriage and sent to New York to be with her husband. On her wedding night, she was cut again to allow for the consummation of the marriage. The second…

A recent data from the Ghana Health Service has revealed that about 41 percent of Ghanaians have some psychological disorder. Further, the data said 32.4 percent lived with a mental disease while 13 percent of persons with mental disability-adjusted have life years. The Deputy Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) gave…

The meeting in the Botsio Auditorium at the Alisa Hotel started 12 minutes after the advertised time, with a prayer. I was captivated. Said invocation was mercifully short. Ghana is a secular country and I usually have no patience for public displays of virtuosity. Praying before public events is usually a signal for imminent mediocrity…

The definition of “National Security” is ever changing, as its framework is based on the study of human evolution and behaviour. There have been many factors serving as contributors to the threats to states and population, including armed conflict, xenophobia, gang violence, terrorism, religious extremism and sectarian violence, which are fervently featured in the media.…

Raila Odinga. The People’s President of Kenya? I watched a video where Mr. Odinga inaugurated himself as a President of a nation that had already elected President Uhuru Kenyatta. Confused? Aren’t we all! What a wow! This is an extraordinary series of events. Kenya ignited global headlines when post 8 August 2017 elections, Kenya’s Supreme…

The Minister for Gender, Children & Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba, has served notice to proponents of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) will be prosecuted since the practice is against the laws of Ghana. As the world marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, Ms Djaba is…

In recent years, there has been an outpouring of calls from chiefs and opinion leaders across Ghana for additional regions to be created. The incessant demand has forced the government to set up a commission of inquiry to examine the pros and cons of creating additional regions. Currently, Ghana is divided into ten regions, 275…

Dear Attorney General Gloria Akuffo: During your confirmation hearings, you spoke eloquently about the tyranny of the entrance tariffs imposed on qualified students by the GLC. At the launch of the 58th annual Law week, a few months ago, you called “for the restructuring of the current legal education system in the country in tandem…

I trust this finds you very well.  I have decided to use this medium to communicate with you because I read something attributed to you which I find very disturbing. Before I get to what I read, I don’t think we as a Coalition thanked you enough for the role you played in supporting the…

Last Monday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the 30th African Union (AU) Summit ended with a call for strengthening the continent’s resolve and capacity in the fight against corruption and poverty as part of actions towards the early attainment of the union’s long-term vision dubbed: Agenda 2063. Other highlights of the summit included the election of…

The objective of Africa’s development has been seriously undermined by tribalism, which provides one of the hunting grounds to prey on Africa’s development processes. People’s behaviour and attitude that stem from strong loyalty to one’s own tribe or social group above others is tribalism. Most often than not, they are brought about by cognizance of…

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has read with dismay comments attributed to the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, suggesting that Parliament does not consider the Right to Information (RTI) Bill as a priority. We are even more saddened and amazed by the Deputy Speaker’s view that an RTI Law will…

Ghana’s performance on budget transparency, has aptly been described as stagnant, following its very little progress made over the past two years, an Open Budget survey (OBS) report has said. In 2017, Ghana scored 50 out of 100 in the Open Budget Index (OBI), and this represents a fall in scores in comparison with a…

Fifty years ago this spring, the sewing machinists at Ford’s Dagenham plant famously downed tools and in doing so changed history. But contrary to popular belief, the strike that nudged Barbara Castle into creating the Equal Pay Act didn’t start over equal pay. It was originally a demand for recognition, for the women who stitched…

 The US Department of State and the European Union have slammed Nasa leader Raila Odinga’s January 30 ‘swearing-in’ and the shutdown of television stations. In separate press statements posted on their websites on Thursday, they emphasised that all leaders and the government should obey the Kenyan Constitution ad the rule of law. ELECTIONS The US…

The Kenyan authorities “violated the public’s right to information” by blocking broadcasts of TV channels that defied a ban on live coverage of the symbolic inauguration of Raila Odinga as “the people’s president”, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday. The human rights body released a statement that also highlighted the deteriorating human rights record of…

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed High Court Judge Priscilla Chigumba as the new chairperson of the national election agency, according to an appointment letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The Zimbabwe Election Commission has not had a permanent chairperson since Rita Makarau resigned in December, months before a vote whose credibility is crucial to…

Very often, we hear cases of child abuse which includes, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. It is worthy to note that most abused children have some sort of relationship with their abusers. The abusers are either, mothers, fathers, other members from nuclear and extended family and family friends including neighbours and caregivers. Sexual…

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has called on government to address delays to input distribution, the poor quality of inputs, as well as bureaucracies holding back smooth implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative. According to the PFAG, reports from its regional monitoring identified loopholes it believes could severely hamper…

There is the need to balance the debate around whether the country should rely more on local investment or foreign direct investment, especially as indigenous companies do not have the requisite financial muscle to drive socio-economic growth, CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Yofi Grant, has stated. “We cannot grow the economy on…

Corruption is a major contributor to Africa’s stunted development. By corroding and weakening governance institutions and the democratic values of human rights, gender equality, justice, and the rule of law, it has hindered the continent’s progress toward peace and prosperity. A 2002 AU study estimated that Africa loses about $150 billion annually to corruption. Illicit…

All too often girls in countries across sub-Saharan Africa can be married off an early age, trapping them in a cycle that is almost impossible to escape. They can be held by poverty, sexual and domestic violence, and social stigma. But a charity, Camfed, is working to keep girls in school, in the belief that…

Algerian professor Malik Maaza and South Africa’s Professor Robert Peter Miller have been honoured with 2017 Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards at the just concluded African Union (AU) Summit. The accolade is awarded annually to African researchers and scientists for their research in various fields of technology and the social sciences. Maaza was honoured by the…

The Kenyan government has declared the main opposition National Super Alliance’s offshoot, National Resistance Movement (NRM) as an illegal entity. According to a special gazette notice issued today under the Prevention of organized Crimes Act, the government declared as follows: “IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by section 22 of the organized Crimes Act of…

Liberia’s President George Weah has called for the removal of a “racist” clause in the constitution which restricts citizenship to black people. The clause was “unnecessary, racist and inappropriate”, the ex-football star said in his first State of Nation since being elected president. He also pledged to scrap the law which prohibits foreigners owning land.…

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament says Tuesday’s ceremony pronouncing Raila Odinga as President of Kenya is unacceptable. Frank Annoh Dompreh, who is also MP for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, says the action by Kenya’s opposition is out of place and should not be tolerated in the body politics of Africa. He has called on the…

Rwanda is often touted as an example of what African states could achieve if only they were better governed. Out of the ashes of a horrific genocide, President Paul Kagame has resuscitated the economy, curtailed corruption and maintained political stability. This is a record that many other leaders can only dream of, and has led…

There is no gainsaying that the initiative by the Akufo-Addo government to transform the country’s economy from predominantly, agro raw materials-based to a more industry–lead through the one-district, one-factory is a laudable one which needs commendation and the support of all Ghanaians. However, with the history of failed industrialisation efforts from the first republic and…

I’ll never forget my sister’s experience in undergrad with a Nigerian classmate that she says had an attitude with her since she stepped foot inside their medical ethics class. My sister would come home saying the classmate often threw labels at her and her friend like “ghetto” and “entitled” and my sister could never quite…

ANALYSIS In Tanzania, if you’re a schoolgirl and fall pregnant, it could mean the end of your education. Even though successive governments have made a push for girls education, those that fall pregnant are routinely expelled from school, and prevented from returning. Most recently this punitive approach was taken to the extreme when school girls…

It was 2008 in the Gaza Strip. When winter arrived, so did the Israeli warplanes. Reem Alfranji lived in a second-floor apartment with her husband, Mohammad, and two sons – five-year-old Aboud and Amro, a toddler. During glass-shattering uninterrupted bombardment, the family would stay at her uncle’s downstairs, where the vibrations were less aggressive. “The…

As 2017 drew to an end, becoming one of the three hottest years on record, my native United States conversely experienced dangerously frigid, Arctic weather, leading to intense debate about how climate change could also be the cause of extreme cold. Although the big freeze was predictably seized upon by climate sceptics to scorn the…

In September 2012, the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), organised a public lecture in the run-up to the election that year. The public lecture was on the theme, “Managing political and administrative transitions: The British Experience.” The speaker, Lord Gus O’Donnel, who had retired from a long career in the civil service after becoming its…

Governments around the world are increasingly shutting down internet access in an apparent attempt to silence discontent and dissent, activists say. In 2017, internet access was cut off more than 80 times around the world, up from 56 times the year before, drawing concerns from digital rights activists. “We do see this as evidence for…

In a country of 28 million multi-cultural and ethnic groupings, it is very ironic that without exception, almost to a man, we all complain daily about the negative effects of corruption and yet, we are non-committal when it comes to punishing those we know to be corrupt to root it out of society. Ordinarily, it…

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has warned that hunger is on the rise across the world with Africa registering the highest rates. He was speaking during an event organised on the margins of the African Union Summit under the theme: “Renewed Partnership to End Hunger in Africa by 2025 – Five Years Later: Taking Stock…

Kenya’s main opposition coalition the National Super Alliance (NASA) says it will press on with a planned inauguration banned by the authorities. There is tension in the capital Nairobi where the event is scheduled to take place. Police have declared the venue – Uhuru Park – as “out-of-bounds” but have asked citizens to go about…

Police officers have been killed while performing their duties since 1821 when professional policing was introduced by the British to the then Gold Coast, now the Republic of Ghana and formalized in 1894 with the passage of Police Ordinance which gave legal authority for the formation of a Civil Police Force now the Ghana Police…

The Centre for Democratic Development, CDD-Ghana, has appealed to Parliament to summon the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as well as the Information Minister over the delay in the passage of the Right to Information Bill. According to a senior research fellow at CDD-Ghana, Ambassador Francis Tsegah, Parliament must demand answers from Gloria Akuffo…

Peasant farmers have called on Parliament to undertake proper consultation before passing the Plant Breeders Bill in order to ensure that the interests of farmers are considered. According to the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), the bill in its current state is detrimental to farmers as it will not allow them to save their…

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched the 70th-anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with a call on all to ensure that the fight for the protection and respect for human rights remains a constant one. Speaking at an event to commemorate the anniversary of the Declaration, which took place on…

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged the 17 member states of the African Union, to ratify the 2003 Maputo Protocol, which is the “Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.” As co-Chair of the Eminent Group of Advocates on the 2030 United Nations…

  In the light of the continuous herdsmen crisis in Benue and its neighbouring states, the Senate Committee on Defence has proposed the use of the Nigerian Navy Special Forces to stem the tide. The committee led by the Chairman, Senator Isah Misau, made this proposal during an on-the-spot assessment of the units and bases…

If you follow debate on Africa anywhere in the world, everyone will tell you that the main problem with our countries is governance. Yet this claim is new, picked from the World Bank’s World Development Report of 1989. Now it has entered the lexicon of politics as a religion; the very reason we need to…

uided Bouchamaoui, the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Co-Laureate, has warned that Africa’s growing youth population could be a plus for Africa or a political time-bomb. This, according to her, depends on how leaders anticipate the future. In remarks she made at the African Development Bank’s Eminent Speaker Series seminar on Monday, January 22 in Abidjan,…

Contrary to fears that immigrants steal jobs and threaten security, a report released on Wednesday said newcomers boost developing economies and could be far more of an asset than a drain. “Most developing countries can benefit from immigrants,” said the joint report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and International Labour Organisation. Developing…

  Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Odinga has said he is ‘not afraid of sanctions’ ahead of his ‘swearing-in ceremony’ scheduled for Tuesday 30th January 2018. Odinga said he has received calls and threats from different ambassadors and ‘friends abroad’ asking him not to go ahead with the inauguration, but he will do it, even it…