Author: kajarbi54

The Burkinabe government is shifting toward the actual implementation of economic policies and development initiatives for women’s empowerment, rather than the traditional festive commemoration of International Women’s Day. Minister of Family and Solidarity, Pélagie Kaboré, declared this on Monday during a formal flag-raising ceremony in Ouagadougou. Outlining a major reorientation of the March 8 commemoration, the minister stressed that the government is prioritizing the strengthening of women’s economic autonomy to advance measurable and sustainable outcomes, marked by structured initiatives across the country’s 17 regions. She noted that the objective is to shift from the celebratory events of previous years toward…

Africa’s coastlines are emerging as a safer alternative for global shipping companies as vessels reroute following the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Several major shipping companies have suspended transit through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors, which handles roughly 30 percent of global oil shipments. Tehran, which controls the strait’s northern coastline, had in recent days signalled its intention to restrict international shipping in the area. The disruption could have serious economic implications, particularly for major regional business hubs such as Dubai, which relies heavily on trade, tourism, transport, and financial services. Tensions…

The chairman of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) and outgoing Lord Mayor of Kampala, Erias Lukwago, has threatened legal action against city authorities after the party’s head offices were sealed off over an alleged ground rent arrears dispute. Officials from the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) on Friday closed the PFF offices located along Katonga Road, citing failure to pay 20 million Ugandan shillings( over $5,000USD) in outstanding ground rent. Our correspondent reports that the party chairman described the enforcement action as erroneous and accused KCCA officials of misinterpreting the legal framework governing property rate taxation. He argued that…

Kampala City authorities and motorcycle leaders, locally known as boda-boda, have unveiled an ambitious plan to deploy 50,000 electric motorcycles across Greater Kampala by June 2026, marking one of Uganda’s most aggressive moves yet toward phasing out petrol-powered bikes. The initiative, launched under the “Zuukuka – Make the Smart Move” campaign, brings together the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), the Uganda Boda-Boda Riders Co-operative Union, and electric mobility firm Spiro. State Minister for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, said the transition is urgent, citing mounting emissions from the more than 200,000 petrol-powered boda-bodas operating in the capital. “With over 200,000…

Mali’s Prime Minister, Major General Abdoulaye Maïga, has officially unveiled the “House of Traditional Authorities”, a building designed to symbolically represent the nation’s dignity, wisdom, and ancestral heritage. At the unveiling ceremony on Monday, the Prime Minister handed over the keys to the heritage site, a gesture reflecting the government’s commitment to upholding and celebrating national identity. The project, initiated by the President of the Transition, General Assimi Goïta, came to fruition a little over a year after the laying of its first stone on January 15, 2025. Since November 2022, the establishment of a national day dedicated to traditional…

African nations have begun the evacuation of their nationals from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries following escalating security tensions in the region. Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda have issued emergency preparedness plans for nationals caught in the crossfire and urged citizens to take precautionary measures as the crisis has disrupted several flights to the region. The move follows a massive joint U.S.-Israel military airstrike on Iran on Saturday, which sparked a wave of retaliatory missile attacks across the Gulf. Early morning air strikes in Iran on Saturday by the U.S. and Israel reportedly caused the death of Supreme…

Africa could face a fresh surge in fuel prices following attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor that carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply. The incidents come amid escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel, raising fears of supply disruptions and renewed volatility in global energy markets. International shipping has almost come to a standstill at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, with analysts warning that a prolonged conflict could push energy prices even higher. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), at least…

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed grave concern that the intensification of military actions in the Middle East has the potential to risk international peace and security. The regional bloc raised the alarm in a statement following recent developments in the Gulf region, in Abuja. According to the bloc, the intensification of military action risks widening instability in the Middle East, with serious consequences for international peace and security in general, and for global energy markets, trade, and food supply chains, especially for Africa and other vulnerable regions. ECOWAS therefore calls on all parties to exercise…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has lauded Nigeria’s efforts in the fight against malaria, citing a steady decline in infection rates and expanded access to prevention and treatment services nationwide. The global health body attributed the gains to strengthened surveillance systems, wider distribution of insecticide-treated nets, expanded seasonal malaria chemoprevention programmes, and improved case management. Speaking at a dissemination meeting organised by the Malaria Consortium, WHO Malaria Programme Manager Lynda Ozor said the latest Malaria Indicator Survey confirmed a sustained drop in prevalence from 42 percent in 2010 to 22 percent in 2021, with further declines recorded in more recent…

The Nigerian Government has dismissed circulating social media reports alleging that kitchen staff at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa were arrested over an alleged plot to poison President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, addressed the claims on Sunday via his official X account, where he shared a video of the report and described it as baseless. The video, which purportedly shows activity within the Presidential Villa, is accompanied by a voiceover alleging that security operatives arrested members of the kitchen staff following intelligence alerts of suspicious cooking activities in restricted areas. According…