The African man is in an impossible situation. He is neither the man before colonialism nor a true Westerner. He is lost in a chasm between two worlds. Hawkers sell patriotic merchandise ahead of Ghana’s 50th anniversary of independence, 2 March 2007. Ghana was the...
The EU is partnering with African countries like Niger to stop migration flows. One unintended consequence? Wiping out local livelihoods. Migrants sit on top of a truck about to leave Agadez, Niger, 27 April 2015 (Ali Abdou/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images) Every...
By Simon Meretab Ethiopia and its neighbor Eritrea share an ancient history and a very young population. The median age is 18 years old in each country, compared with 36 in the United States and 42 in the European Union. The youthful faces are the first things that...
By Adnan Shafi Last October, I had the privilege of interviewing Nigerian entrepreneur Sim Shagaya, who according to Forbes magazine is one of the most influential men in Africa. Shagaya is the founder and former chief executive officer of one of West Africa’s...
My family’s helper told me “being single” is her greatest challenge. She showed me an incredible Kenyan welfare group that supports single women. When I asked Dorine, the helper who lives with my family, about her greatest challenges, she quickly...
When former colonizers claim their due, they get repaid. But when Africans do the same, they’re told to forget about the past and look to the future. Supporters of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari celebrate his election win, 27 February 2019 (AP Photo/Sunday...
Africa has entered a new era of relations with China. Our cultural and economic landscape is shifting. Do Africans benefit from these changes? Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing, 3 September 2018 (AP...
Eating local seems a great way to fight climate change. So why have politicians stopped pushing the issue? And why have corporations taken it up? A banana worker on a plantation near Parrita, Costa Rica, 6 July 2005 (AP Photo/Kent Gilbert, file) Food miles — the...
Instead of having too many babies, China is now having too few. A declining population is increasingly referred to in apocalyptic terms. Indians commuting in Bangalore, 11 July 2018 (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) The year 2018 saw a “historic turning point” in China’s...
There’s no shortage of good will to help Africans cope with the effects of global warming. But climate aid is often misdirected — or never reaches target. An irrigation project in Karamoja, Uganda (Photo by Nick Trombola) After an intense drought in early...