First Independent Mena Newspaper
Kenya has become the latest African country that has hired lawyers or lobbying firms with ties to President Donald Trump’s associates to advocate for their interests in Washington, D.C. Kenya has signed a $175,000-a-month lobbying contract with Continental Strategy LLC, a U.S. firm led by ex-Trump official Carlos Trujillo, aiming to boost its influence in […]
Africa is emerging as a key manufacturing hub for Indian companies, as record-high U.S. tariffs — now up to 50% — threaten India’s export competitiveness, particularly in textiles, pharmaceuticals, and gems. The penalties, imposed largely in response to India’s continued oil trade with Russia, have forced Indian firms to pivot strategically toward Africa to maintain […]
The 2025 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) has once again exposed Africa’s widening governance gap, with Mauritius maintaining its lead as the continent’s best-governed country, ranking 51st globally. The CGGI evaluates 120 countries across 35 indicators, including institutional strength, policy implementation, and public accountability. Rwanda (59th) was named the world’s best-performing low-income country, while Botswana […]
Millions of children across Africa are facing a life-threatening nutrition crisis as international aid cuts and armed conflict severely disrupt food supplies, several humanitarian organizations have warned. Humanitarian organizations, including Save the Children and UNICEF, are sounding urgent alarms about the growing number of malnourished children in Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan — and besieged […]
Africa is rapidly emerging as China’s most dynamic export market, fueled by a combination of shifting global trade dynamics, aggressive Chinese investment, and growing demand for infrastructure. As Bloomberg calculations based on China Customs data have revealed, in the first seven months of 2025 alone, Chinese exports to Africa soared 25% year-on-year to $122 billion […]
By shifting its Africa policy from humanitarian aid to commercial diplomacy, the Trump administration has signaled a dramatic reorientation of US engagement in the Sahel. Centered on trade, security cooperation, and access to strategic minerals, this pivot marks a departure from decades of aid-focused partnerships and reflects broader geopolitical recalibrations in a region increasingly courted […]
Africa’s digital content creation market has reached $5.1 billion in valuation as of March 2025, with projections indicating expansion to nearly $30 billion by 2032, representing a 28.7% annual growth rate that positions the continent as a major player in the global creator economy. The continent now represents over 17% of global internet users, with […]
Luxury tourism in Africa is often promoted as a high-value, low-impact development model, while its actual benefits to local communities are minimal, a new study from the University of Manchester found. The study, published in the African Studies Review, raises serious concerns about the long-term sustainability and equity of luxury tourism strategies across Africa. In […]
Africa’s digital sovereignty hangs in the balance as AfriNIC, the continent’s sole internet registry, faces potential collapse under mounting legal pressure and governance failure, raising fears of cybercrime and loss of digital sovereignty. The crisis — escalating since 2022 — has reached a critical stage with Cloud Innovation Ltd. filing for judicial liquidation on 9 […]
A renewed wave of pan-Africanism is sweeping the Caribbean, manifesting through increased tourism, cultural exchanges, and ambitious economic partnerships as island nations seek to reconnect with their ancestral continent, centuries after the transatlantic slave trade. The movement extends beyond symbolic gestures, with Caribbean governments pursuing concrete initiatives including proposed shared currencies and enhanced trade links […]