First Independent Mena Newspaper
African students pursuing education abroad are facing heightened scrutiny as the United States and United Kingdom ramp up enforcement of immigration compliance, raising concerns about travel equity and academic opportunity. In the U.K., the Home Office has launched a campaign warning tens of thousands of international students — many from Africa — about overstaying visas. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Russia has offered to build a nuclear power plant in Niger, signaling a bold move to displace France’s decades-long dominance in the uranium-rich West African nation. The proposal, announced in July, comes amid escalating tensions between Niger’s military government and Paris, and as Niamey seeks greater control over its natural resources. Despite producing 4% of […]
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) announced it has killed at least 35 militants in precision airstrikes near the country’s border with Cameroon, in a targeted operation responding to intelligence of an imminent assault on ground troops in Borno State’s Kumshe region. The strikes, carried out Saturday (23 August), are part of a broader military push […]
In a bold escalation of its counterterrorism campaign, Nigeria’s military has killed 592 insurgents and destroyed over 200 technical vehicles in Borno State over the past eight months, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) announced this week. The operations, part of Operation Hadin Kai, have targeted Boko Haram and ISWAP militants entrenched in the country’s volatile […]
Northern Nigeria is facing a spiraling food and security crisis, with aid agencies warning that drastic funding cuts and rising hunger could push desperate populations into the arms of jihadist groups like Boko Haram. The United Nations calls the situation “unprecedented,” with over 31 million Nigerians facing acute food insecurity and 5 million children suffering […]
African nations are racing against time to renegotiate trade terms with the United States, as sweeping tariffs — initially set to begin 1 August — now loom for 7 August following a last-minute executive order by President Donald Trump. Trump’s latest executive order slaps a uniform 15% tariff on most African exports — threatening industries […]
Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has raised the red flag following revelations of $2.1 billion in suspicious cryptocurrency transactions across West Africa in 2024, according to a study by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, speaking at the recent West Africa Compliance Summit in Cape […]
The ambitious Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline project has reached critical milestones following high-level meetings in Rabat, positioning the 6,000-kilometer infrastructure initiative for imminent implementation. In December 2024, West African leaders approved the Intergovernmental Agreement during the 66th CEDEAO Summit, spelling out each country’s rights and responsibilities for the project. Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition Leïla […]