OPINION
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Now that the Makoko floating school has fallen
The construction of the Makoko floating school in 2013 was some of the best news to emerge from the Lagos slum. Now that the school has collapsed, what is next for the community?
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In an analysis of gender based violence, Paula Akugizibwe shows how through actions or inactions, society is either reinforcing, or challenging social norms.
Following Mother's Day , today is the International Day of Families. The family is an integral part of the socialisation of an individual. In most African communities, a lot of importance is placed on the family unit. In most African countries a family consists of a mother and father and their biological children, given that the parents are together (nuclear family). In most rural areas we still have a big family setups, which include the extended family living with the nuclear family. We also have different family setups depending on the circumstances that individuals find themselves in. In celebrating families today we look at how they aid education and well-being as informed by this year's theme- "Families, education and well-being."
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Education to distribute copies of the second edition of his autobiography, ‘Sowing the Mustard Seed’ as a gift to government secondary schools to promote a proper understanding, appreciation and loyalty to Uganda’s national identity. The first edition of the book was based on series of interviews with British historian. In the second edition, Museveni accounts the history of the struggle to liberate Uganda from dictators.
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South Africa’s Police Minister Fikile Mbalula’s recent controversial comments that former Zimbabwean soldiers are illegally entering the country to rob and kill have caused a storm. Mbalula’s recent comments are against what we as Southern Africans and Africans in general, consider an organic and post liberation progressive Pan Africanism, writes Takura Zhangazha
The Paris Agreement presents rosy opportunities for Africa, but putting them into practice will demand deliberate action. However, given the agreement’s potential to maximise socio-economic development on the continent, it should be the song and melody of all Africans.
Traditional/Indigenous African religions are the traditional beliefs and practices of African people including the various traditional religions and customs. Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptural, include belief in a supreme creator, belief in spirits, veneration of the dead, use of magic, and traditional medicine.
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Why LGBT organizations should give “pre-marital classes” to couples wanting to be in lifelong partnerships on a continent that does not allow for gay relationships.
We live in a world of hook-up apps, kink and sex positivity, where everything from apps to social media allow us to have access to sexual knowledge and ideas. So why are women still being shamed for expressing their overt sexual desire?
The link between the masculine ego and male erection is well known. What is less known is that pursuing sexual performance at all costs might be damaging to one’s health. Dami Ajayi weighs in on the numerous local practices that Lagos men resort to ensure that they satisfy themselves and their partners within the four corners of their privacy.
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‘Like it or not, your dick will never compare to a good lick.’ This is the tag line that comes with a new app called Lickster, a cunnilingus training app available on Google Play.
Kunyaza is a traditional sexual technique used in central Africa. It’s said to be the secret for women to have incredible wet-sex orgasms.
“Is this one of your daughter’s friends?” I overheard a woman I did not know ask in a language I only vaguely understand. To the woman’s relief, her interlocutor, let’s call her Auntie Ama, responded “No.” “Good, because we do not want her kind here,” the woman said.
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Drought conditions may see the city of Cape Town in South Africa on water rations.
Government officials in Nigeria have been accused of diverting money, food and relief materials meant for internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the Islamist group Boko Haram. This means that all the donations – especially those made directly to the government – might still not solve the humanitarian crisis in the north-east of the country.
Kenyans go to the polls this August. Among the issues that are ‘do or die’ for the candidates is the cost of maize flour, which has been rising steadily for the last year. Several surveys have shown that Kenyans are angry, with respondents saying President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration has failed to bring down the cost of basic necessities like food and does not deserve a second chance.
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With the recent win of 39 year-old Emmanuel Macron as French President, there have been comparisons between Macron and Africa's aged leaders. Is age really the issue or is it more of other factors such as experience, political will, accountability, and ideology. The election cry along the continent has been, 'the younger the better.' A young leader might not be the only solution to the leadership crisis most countries on the continent are facing.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, showcased a Broadway musical based on the life of its most famous cultural icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Yet the state is in the process of illegally demolishing slum settlements to make way for luxury real estate developments, perpetuating exactly the kind of oppression that Fela stood against.
The severity of former Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua’s illness was the subject of great speculation and the cause of much uncertainty until he died in May 2010. President Buhari needs to learn from the past and avoid repeating the same mistake.
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The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) is a bit of a slouch at taking credit for its achievements. But those in the know appreciate that the world would be much poorer without ITM’s input, particularly in the fight against diseases like HIV and Ebola. Indeed, ITM has been making valuable contributions to global health for the last century. Veteran Kenyan journalist Wycliffe Muga recently interviewed Roeland Scholtalbers, the Head of Communications at ITM, on the research institution’s work in Africa.
Arguably one of the most high profile cases for freedom of creative expression to occur during 2016 involved the performance artist Jelili Atiku, a prominent member of the Lagos art community, a Prince Claus Award winner and a member of Arterial Network Nigeria. Atiku was arrested as a result of a public performance held in January 2016.
Professor Tomohiko Sugishita doesn't believe in drive-by kindness. Starting from when he was a newly-minted medical doctor taking care of the medical needs of 2 million Malawians at the height of the HIV epidemic in 1995, Professor Sugishita has always believed in sinking deep roots into a community and helping it help itself. He recently sat down for an interview with veteran Kenyan journalist Wycliffe Muga and opened up about what lit his fire for medicine, his long years of medical practice in Africa and why he has come to believe in the "unlearning process".
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The AU Commission chairperson candidates talk about their vision and priorities for the continent.
How has the relationship between civil society and the government developed? Nuba Reports weighs in on the relationship and argues that the honeymoon is definitely over.
An interview with Eze Onyekpere the director of the Centre for Social exploring the shrinking spaces for Nigerian civil society?
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Pope Francis will on June 28 elevate five Roman Catholic prelates from outside Italy and the Vatican to the rank of Cardinal. Among those to be elevated to Cardinal is Archbishop Jean Zerbo, 73, of Bamako, Mali a significant move. Africa represents about 12.6% of global Catholic population. 90% of Malians are Muslim, and about 5% are Christian of which about two-thirds are Roman Catholic.
The Etisalat Prize for Literature has grown to be one of the major prizes on the continent within just four years of its existence. The prize which is sponsored by Etisalat Nigeria had never had a Nigerian winner till two days ago when Johwor Ile won the award for his book And After Many Days.- In an analysis of gender based violence, Paula Akugizibwe shows how through actions or inactions, society is either reinforcing, or challenging social norms.
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On the 29th of April Sandile Mantsoe is alleged to have killed his 22-year-old girlfriend Karabo Mokoena, before setting alight and dumping her body in a veld in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg, South Africa. Karabo’s death has sparked a social media outcry with the hashtag #MenAreTrash. The online conversation has given a platform for women to share personal and secondary accounts of emotional, physical and sexual abuse at the hands of men.
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari (74) recently returned to the U.K. for medical treatment, his fourth visit to the U.K. for treatment since his election in 2015. In the same week Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (93), flew to Singapore for a “routine medical check-up”. Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos (74) has reportedly also been undergoing medical treatment in Spain. These cases have stirred debate around medical tourism. Health care systems in many African countries are inadequately funded. There are arguments that our African presidents need to lead by example, and ensure that healthcare systems in their countries improve to match or surpass the foreign countries they so much love to visit.
The embattled South African President Jacob Zuma who has been implicated in a series of corruption scandals, has endorsed ex-wife and former African Union Commission (AU) Chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as the next leader of the ruling party the African National Congress (ANC). The endorsement has been sharply criticized and the battle lines over Zuma’s successor have been clearly drawn.
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