Mory Kanté, called the “electric griot” for his fusion of contemporary styles with traditional West African influences, passed away this month at the age of 70 of untreated health problems. Mr. Kante’s manager, Juan Yriat, said he died in his sleep after experiencing chest pains earlier in the day. “He suffered from chronic illnesses and…

Africa Day will go virtual this year with a star-studded benefit concert hosted by English actor Idris Alba, an online how-to video for jollof rice, and a U.N. call for a global ceasefire issued by the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres. African countries have “demonstrated commendable leadership” battling the COVID-19 pandemic, he said in a Monday…

An immense blanket of dead fish stretching across three states has sparked anger and frustration among communities along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in Nigeria. The area is known for oil spills that have polluted the waters and left fish and other wildlife inedible. The massive die-off was first reported in February when community people in…

Africa’s infection rates are still relatively low to the wonderment of some in the western world who predicted infection rates in the billions. In fact, African governments in many cases took preventative steps – from closing borders, social distancing, shutting educational institutions and banning mass gatherings. By April 19, the Africa CDC reported that 34…

The crashing economies in Asia have been a blessing – if temporary – to the endangered forests of Sierra Leone – particularly the tall stands of redwood trees, prized for their beauty, their rich mahogany color and their high quality for furniture. The illegal trade in the wood is one of the world’s most lucrative…

Speaking at a Sunday night national address, President Nana Akufo-Addo revealed that a single worker at a fish factory here has infected 533 co-workers, bringing the total number of infections to 4,700 – the highest number in West Africa. A superspreader event is a large COVID-19 infection cluster. The latest infection is part of a…

Depending on the source, “fake news” can be a smear on reputable news outlets just trying to do their job. But in other hands, it can be a source of misleading rumors read by thousands that do damage and are hard to correct. Such was the story titled “Scandal in Senegal” that circled West Africa…

On April 26, 2020, Florence Nwando Onwusi Didigu, 73, defended her dissertation to earn her Ph.D. in Communication, Culture and Media Studies. Her dissertation and future book titled, “Igbo Collective Memory of the Nigeria – Biafra War (1967-1970): Reclaiming Forgotten Women’s Voices and Building Peace through a Gendered Lens,” is a reflection of the Igbo women…

Kenya’s first PhD marine scientist, Prof Mohamed Hyder, died at his home in Kizingo, Mombasa, after a long illness. The 88-year-old leaves behind a wife and three children. After completing his undergraduate work at Makerere University, Professor Hyder moved to Scotland where he took up biology, which was his passion. While teaching at Makerere, he…

One time ANC military Denis Goldberg was one of Nelson Mandela’s two co-defendants from the 1963-64 Rivonia trial at which 10 men were on trial for their lives for conspiring to overthrow the apartheid regime by force. Goldberg was sentenced to life imprisonment alongside Mandela for the crime of sabotage, serving 22 years at Pretoria…