ECOWAS Chief Tasks IITA On Opportunities in West Africa

The Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of ECOWAS, Alain Traore, has challenged the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as a centre of knowledge, to take advantage of the many opportunities that abound in West Africa. Traore and other members of staff visited the Abuja station of IITA to familiarise themselves with the activities of the Institute in the Nigerian capital. The […]

Nigeria’s electricity, fuel prices the cheapest in West Africa – Federal Govt

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government said the price of electricity and fuel in Nigeria are the lowest in West Africa. Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement on Monday. He noted that with the price of crude inching up, the price of petrol locally was also bound to increase, hence the latest price […]

What Is Mali Telling Africa?

The headlines, especially in the Western press, suggest that Africa is back again in the news for the wrong reasons.  Misery has really never been too far away, but in the last few years foreign journalists looking for stories of deaths, diseases and destruction on the continent have had to find another hobby, the trendiest […]

Halting COVID-19 Spread In West Africa Quite Challenging, Health Workers Say

Health workers in many West African countries say it has been challenging to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while providing life-saving sexual and reproductive health services. This is even as the pandemic continues to spread. A midwife in Guinea, Eyamou Kadiatou, says “as midwives, we are constantly struggling to ensure that we protect ourselves and […]

In West Africa, Two Million Children Are In Child Labour, Fairtrade Says 

In West Africa where many cocoa farmers are still earning less than $1.50 a day, Fairtrade International says two million children are in child labour. Child labour, according to the group, is driven by complex inter-related factors of poverty, exploitation and discrimination.  Fairtrade believes the best way to eliminate extreme poverty is to pay farmers […]

In West Africa, Climate Change is Displacing Farming Communities

Climate change is seriously threatening the agricultural sector of West Africa. It is forcing many to migrate in the search for complementary income or better opportunities as the livelihood of communities is under heat. In West Africa, agriculture represents 35 per cent of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is one of the main […]

IITA Deepens Yam Project In West Africa, Sets Eyes On Improved Productivity, Quality

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is deepening its yam product advancement and refinement in West Africa. The Institute has already has concluded its meeting on the yam project in Abuja.  AfricaYam is a project with the main objective of enhancing yam breeding for increased productivity and improved quality in West Africa.  The five-day […]

Why France Kidnapped West Africa’s Eco Currency

Last Saturday, France, through the instrumentality of their most faithful poodle in West Africa, Alasane Ouattara kidnapped the West African currency that was to be launched next year for the 15 countries in the region. In a press conference in Abidjan, Presidents Macron and Ouattara announced that the 8 West African countries using the CFA […]

UN Agency Storms West Africa With Mobile Cinema On Irregular Migration Risks

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), an agency of the United Nations has launched its mobile cinema caravan CinemArena which will tour across West Africa for five months highlighting the risks of irregular migration. The caravan has started its regional tour in Tambacounda, Southern Senegal, one of the main source regions for irregular migration. It aims […]

West Africa boot camp seeks artificial intelligence fix for climate-hit farmers

Data analyst Fabrice Sonzahi enrolled in a course on artificial intelligence (AI) in Dakar, hoping to help struggling farmers improve crop yields in his home country of Ivory Coast. He is part of an inaugural batch of students at a new AI programming school in Senegal, one of the first in West Africa. Its mission […]