First Independent Mena Newspaper
Volkswagen Group Africa (VWGA) is celebrating a significant achievement in 2024, setting a new export record with 131,485 vehicles shipped, marking a 21% increase over the previous record of 108,422 vehicles in 2019. This milestone highlights the company’s strengthened global presence, with its plant in Kariega, South Africa, being the sole exporter of Polo models […]
A wave of public outrage has erupted across Nigeria as leading telecom providers MTN and Airtel implement steep data price increases amid mounting economic challenges. MTN, the country’s largest network operator, has tripled its popular 15GB weekly bundle price from 2,000 to 6,000 naira, sparking fierce criticism from subscribers already grappling with soaring living costs. […]
A BBC investigation reveals troubling allegations that Shell overlooked repeated warnings about corruption and mismanagement in Nigeria’s billion-dollar Ogoniland oil clean-up project. The program, initiated eight years ago and funded by various oil firms including Shell’s $350 million contribution, faces accusations of widespread fraud and ineffectiveness. Internal documents suggest both Shell and Nigerian government officials […]
Nigeria is attracting increasing international attention for its vast lithium reserves, a critical mineral in the global push for clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels. As Africa is projected to supply 20% of the world’s lithium by 2030, Nigeria aims to position itself as a key player in this growing […]
The sudden halt in USAID funding by US president Donald Trump has sparked a growing crisis for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and healthcare workers across Africa, who are now scrambling to cope with the financial and logistical fallout. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) last week announced the suspension of its programs in several African […]
A sharp restriction in off-continental irregular migration combined with escalating push factors will continue to shape governance and security priorities in Africa in 2025, according to a new report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), which also highlights the urgent need for more regional cooperation to accommodate intra-continental population movements. The new analysis […]
A gruesome fire killed 17 pupils and injured others at an Islamic school in northern Nigeria. It is believed that the fire broke out in a nearby house on Tuesday night and spread to the school while the children, believed to be teenagers, were sleeping, the BBC reported. “Even if the firefighters had come on […]
The Kremlin has announced the expansion of the list of “friendly and neutral” African countries whose banks may now trade currencies and derivatives in Russia. By adding Nigeria, Tunisia and Ethiopia to the list, “the number of friendly and neutral countries whose credit institutions and brokers will be allowed to trade on the Russian foreign […]
At least 20 Nigerian soldiers, including a commanding officer, have been reportedly killed as suspected Islamist militants targeted an army base in the remote Malam-Fatori town in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state. The attack that is believed to have been carried out by fighters from the ISIL-affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP) occurred on Friday (24 […]
At least 67 journalists have been jailed across Africa for their work, reflecting the continent’s ongoing struggle for a free press, according to a recent report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). According to the CPJ’s report on jailed journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa, this record number of journalists languishing in jail highlights the growing […]