On February 7, 2019, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone declared rape and sexual violence a national emergency. The reason is because of the alarming rise of sexual violence in the country. In 2018, there were over 8,500 cases of sexual and gender-based violence. Seventy percent of this staggering number involved minors under the age of fifteen. Bio pronounced possible life imprisonment for those found guilty of raping minors. “As a nation, we must address this scourge. Sexual penetration of minors is punishable by life imprisonment. My government will ensure that men who rape have no place in society…
Author: aveditor
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo presented the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday morning, on 21 February 2019. The SONA is a constitutional mandate that gives a sitting president a platform to state the condition of the country. The president delivered the address in parliament. Expectations before SONA The expectations on any SONA address is the President’s highlights on the achievements and challenges in the previous year. Key areas of interest are services, industry, healthcare, education, economy, agriculture, security, and sanitation. Ghanaians wanted the president to address employment in the country, especially on the unemployed status of nurses…
The government of Liberia has gained a strategic partner in its efforts to achieve pro-poor growth plans. The World Bank, Liberia Office, has introduced a five-year strategic plan for Liberia. Through the plan, there will be more emphasis on infrastructural development in the country. Good infrastructure will steer the country towards the right trajectory of development. ALSO READ: Liberian Founder Acquires Essence Magazine from Time Inc Liberia’s Pro-Poor Economic Growth President George Weah introduced Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) in 2018 with the aim to stimulate economic growth in a way that will benefit the poor. PAPD has a five-year…
On 24 February 2019, Senegalese citizens will vote for their president. This will be the 11th elections since the country gained its independence from France in 1960. Senegal joins Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa, Mauritania, Tunisia, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, and Malawi among the African countries to hold their presidential elections in 2019. The Candidates Macky Sall, the current president, is considered by many as a front runner in the elections. The president will be running for a second term, seeking to continue with his agenda of economic growth. In 2016, Senegal held a referendum on reducing presidential term limits to five…
Hadhara Charles Mjeje has a viral video that is a rave on the Internet. Mjeje displays her amazing soccer ball juggling skills in an 84-second video to the admiration of onlookers. Mjeje doesn’t need a fancy sports kit to execute 154 moves, rather, a skirt and flip-flops are enough. The 29-years old attributes her skills to over six years of practice rather than black magic as some speculate. In a video with Ruptly (a German news agency) the mother of two sons said, “Some people think that I use black magic but I don’t. There is nothing in this ball.…
On Saturday, February 23, 2019, Nigerians will file out en masse for the presidential elections. The election was earlier scheduled to hold on the February 16 but was shifted for logistic reasons. The election will mark another milestone in the country’s democracy. Previous elections have witnessed pockets of violence that are often fatal. However, popular musicians want this time around to be different. One of the musicians that have consistently led the campaign for violence-free election is Innocent Idibia, popularly called 2Baba. 2Baba started the “Vote Not Fight” campaign and in the past and has enjoyed the support of fellow…
Smart Africa gets a new boss, taking over at a time when the continent is having high expectations for Information Communication Technology (ICT) and development. The secretariat must grow ICT investments and accelerate taking up of technology across Africa. Additionally, Africans have high expectations that the Smart Africa Alliance organization will also seek to increase its membership from the current 24 African countries to include even more. This is in order that the organization can have greater impact in Africa. Smart Africa is an alliance and a commitment by heads of states and governments in Africa. The aim is to accelerate…
Rwanda’s Economy is emerging as a powerhouse in East Africa, just 2.5 decades after a very dark and devastating genocide. So good is the economic progress that the country has reduced its reliance on foreign donations. Currently, Rwanda domestically funds 84 percent of its budget. Two decades ago, the country could afford to fund only 36 percent of its budget. Indicators In addition to the reduced reliance on foreign aid, several indicators demonstrate Rwanda’s rapid growth. Major indicators are the rate of growth, decline in inequality, diversification, and decline in rates of poverty. ALSO READ: Rwanda Officially Joins Africa50 to Boost…
The process of selecting 10 most promising startups in Africa 2019 is soon starting. A Pan African, mentor-driven and corporate-backed accelerator, aimed at empowering innovators is looking for the best startups in Africa to support so they can grow and realize their potential. Have you heard of Startupbootcamp Afritech 2019 Fasttrack Tour? This is a tour that will involve pitching events, mentoring and networking as well as hackathons in select cities in Africa. These tour activities are lined up in order to ensure that the selected startups in Africa 2019 taste the goodies that the corporate giants can provide. Startupbootcamp AfriTech…
Valentine’s Day in many countries has become synonymous with the day of Love. We are often curious about how some of our favorite celebrities showcase their love. TAKE OUR POLL Share your opinion in the comment box below. David Adeleke aka Davido seized the opportunity to show off his romantic side. The music star shared a video of himself surprising his long-time girlfriend, Chioma Rowland, on Instagram. In the short video, there were cakes, saxophone, boxes of chocolate, a bottle of wine, and cameras to the delight of his girlfriend. Short of words, the surprised lover hugged the superstar as…