This grab-you-by-the-throat speech by Ghanaian economist George Ayittey unleashes an almost breathtaking torrent of controlled anger toward Africa’s corrupt leaders and the complacent populace that allows them to thrive. Why, then, does he remain optimistic? Because of the new, fast-moving “Cheetah Generation,” a “new breed of Africans” taking their futures into their own hands, mobilizing [...]

The Girl Whisperer as published by the (Nigeria) Sunday Guardian. July 22, 2007
Beware of Dog
Every time we approach the main gates of a strange house and we see that sign warning us of the presence of a carnivorous and probably savage animal, we reduce our pace, peer very carefully over the gates and shout out [...]

I remember hearing the song, “Chikende”, on an African radio station two years ago. I instantly fell in love with that song and the cd, “Pachedu”. Of course, I had to find out who the artist was. I met the artist several times in NY but I never got a chance to [...]

Almost anywhere you go these days, you will encounter mixed-race couples: at the grocery store, the mall, the theater, at a company function, at a concert, even at church. And while for years the Black man-White woman couple was more prevalent, today many social observers say that the pairing of Black women and White men [...]

Amsterdam, 3 May 2007 — On the day that oil giant Shell’s quarterly earnings report is made public, Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) will light a 15-metre high flare in front of the headquarters of Shell in The Hague, the Netherlands. With this action, Milieudefensie is protesting the gas flaring in Nigeria. Milieudefensie calls [...]

Mirror Mirror still on the wall
There’s no need for a mystic ball
For African Loft is here to stay
Waxing stronger day by day.
Members growing by the hour
The Community bus is on the tour
Reaching out to all far and near
Sharing news so easy without a tear.
Engaging in topics from all works of life
We talk of all, even [...]

The Alt-Nigeria blog asks the question:
When we talk about business in Africa, the conversation always default towards, mega corporation, and big business. Are planners in Africa aware that a huge chunk of of the western economies are made up of small businesses?
Small businesses are indeed the work-horse of any economy and should be nurtured, in [...]

James Shikwati editor of African Executive opines on the relevance of local entrepreneurship in national building and unity. Using the burgeoning success of mobile telephony business in Kenya, he muses:
The recent announcement about Safaricom’s historic profit of Ksh 17 billion left me wondering whether those who paid for this service were simply communicating with their [...]

Femi Kuti, son of Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti interviewed by LA Weekly, excerpts:

What’s your take on Bono and concerts like Live 8 that campaign on behalf of Africa?
Bono doesn’t need to tell us that we are poor. We know we are poor. All these concerts come and go and nothing changes in Africa.
[...]

“The four friends arrived at Tayo’s welcome home party. They waited anxiously at Tayo’s gate, while the security guard announced their presence. Tayo had left to study Pharmacy abroad almost immediately after their secondary school. The friends fell into silence lost in their own private thought, they didn’t hear the guard’s clearance to enter [...]