Author: Faith Daniel

South Africa’s electricity landscape is undergoing a major shift. After years of rolling blackouts that eased in 2024, state-owned power utility Eskom is being broken into smaller entities, while the sector is opening up to private investment. At the same time, households, businesses and municipalities are increasingly finding ways to reduce their reliance on the national grid and turn to renewable energy — a process widely described as off-gridding. The country has also secured about US$13.7 billion to support its transition away from coal-fired power, with the funds expected to drive renewable energy projects. But amid these changes, large numbers…

A Nigerian graduate, Deborah Boms, has shared her difficult experience of trying to secure a visa-sponsored job in the United Kingdom after completing her studies, a journey that ultimately led her to return home. Deborah revealed that despite applying for thousands of roles and attending numerous interviews, none resulted in employment that would allow her to remain in the UK legally. Her experience has resonated widely online, especially with international students facing similar visa and job-search challenges abroad. In a video posted on her social media, Deborah documented her shift from a hopeful international student to a graduate forced to…

South African private equity firm Harith General Partners has agreed to acquire budget carrier FlySafair, as the investor with about $3 billion in assets expands its transport portfolio across the continent. The deal for the country’s largest airline is at an advanced stage and is subject to regulatory approvals, including from antitrust authorities and two licensing bodies, Harith chairman Tshepo Mahloele said. The airline will be purchased through Harith Aviation, with the transaction expected to be concluded by the fourth quarter. “Harith and its affiliates have entered into a sale and purchase agreement to acquire FlySafair, one of South Africa’s…

All 166 people abducted during last month’s attack on Kurmin Wali village and its churches in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, have been released, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), though the federal government has yet to formally confirm the development. CAN’s northern chairman, Reverend John Hayab, said on Thursday that every worshipper taken during the attack had returned home. He did not disclose how their release was secured or whether any ransom was paid, Reuters reported. The CAN leader in Kaduna State, Reverend Caleb Maaji, also confirmed the release, saying he had just returned from the Kaduna Government…

Africa’s economy has grown significantly over the past 36 years, but that expansion has not been enough to meaningfully shift the continent’s position in the global economic order. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) data, Africa’s nominal GDP increased from about $631.2 billion in 1990 to an estimated $2.81–$2.83 trillion in 2026. Over the same period, global GDP rose from roughly $23 trillion to about $123.58 trillion. Despite decades of reforms and rapid population growth, Africa’s share of global output has remained just over 2%. Where Africa stood in 1990 In 1990, Africa’s largest economies were largely defined by natural…

A sharp sea breeze cuts through the smell of jet fuel and hot steel on the deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford. Sailors jog past rows of parked F/A-18 fighter jets, helmets tucked under their arms, casting quick glances at the horizon — and increasingly, at their phones. Back home, families are doing the same, scrolling through news alerts filled with words that sound more like a screenplay than reality: Iran, strikes, ships moving, tensions rising. Somewhere between Virginia and an increasingly unsettled world, America’s most advanced aircraft carrier is moving steadily across the Atlantic, bound for Europe. Officially,…

Prominent constitutional lawyer and former Nigerian Bar Association president, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the Electoral Act to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory, warning that failure to do so could lead Nigeria into another round of disputed elections and prolonged court battles ahead of the 2027 general polls. In a statement issued on Monday titled “Ending the Cycle – Why Electronic Transmission Should Be Enshrined in the Electoral Act Before 2027,” Agbakoba said Nigeria’s electoral system remains stuck in legal uncertainty due to the lack of clear statutory backing for…

Algeria has initiated formal procedures to terminate its air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates, a deal originally signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013, according to state media reports on Saturday. The agreement, ratified by presidential decree in December 2014, governs bilateral aviation rights between the two countries. Under Article 22 of the pact, Algeria is required to notify the UAE through diplomatic channels and inform the Secretary-General of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to complete the termination process. While no official reason was provided for the decision, it comes amid rising diplomatic tensions between Algiers and…

An unknown number of aid workers are missing after airstrikes hit a hospital in South Sudan near the Ethiopian border, according to the medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). The hospital, located in Jonglei state and run by MSF, was struck overnight on Tuesday in what the organisation said was an aerial attack carried out by South Sudanese government forces. The government has not yet commented on the incident. On the same day, MSF said another of its health facilities in Pieri, also in Jonglei state, was looted by unidentified attackers, leaving the centre unusable. “Our colleagues had to flee…

A 52-year-old fisherman has died after being attacked by a crocodile while trying to escape a herd of elephants in eastern Zambia, police have confirmed. Dean Nyirenda had been returning from a fishing trip with two friends on Wednesday when they unexpectedly encountered the elephants. The group fled in different directions, with Nyirenda jumping into a nearby stream close to the Luangwa River. “That is when he was attacked by a crocodile, which bit him on his right thigh,” local police chief Robertson Mweemba told journalists. Police said Nyirenda managed to fight off the crocodile by hitting it with a…