News, Commentary & Social Media from African Perspective

‘Tea Bag’ Filter Provides Safe Drinking Water

dirty water
Though it may look like a tea bag, is no ordinary tea bag: A sophisticated yet inexpensive water filter that quickly purifies drinking water by made South African scientists.

‘Welcome to My Taxi – Let’s Do Business with My Cell Phone’

In cities across Africa, being an entrepreneur requires no office, business card or investors. All it takes is a cell phone!

Lagos to Host 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards

MAMA, MTV NA’s jubilant celebration of contemporary African music and creativity will be held at the Eko Expo Hall, Lagos on 11 December, 2010, focusing the spotlight on Africa’s most outstanding musicians, from the heart of one of the continent’s most vibrant cities.
The 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards (2010 MAMA) with Airtel will take the [...]

Nigeria at Risk for Demographic Disaster

A newly released report says Nigeria could face a demographic disaster if it fails to create economic opportunities for its growing youth population.

Overpriced Branded Drugs could Push Millions into Poverty

Researchers warned on Tuesday that common medicines sold as expensive branded drugs could push tens of millions of people in low and middle income countries below the poverty line. The study analysed the number of people who would fall below daily income levels of 1.25 and 2 US dollars if they had to pay for [...]

Maker Faire Africa: Indigenous Ingenuity on Display

An ensemble of local inventors and craftsmen show their creative wares and problem-solving skills in Nairobi. Find out why this kind of event is important to the continent

Group Condemns African Biofuels “Land Grab”

An environmental charity has urged European Union countries to drop biofuel targets claiming that they are driving damaging “land grabs” in Africa. UK newspaper The Guardian said on Monday that a new report published by Friends of the Earth (FoE) claims that more than five million hectares of land across Africa has been sold to [...]

Nigerian Airlines to Operate Direct Flights to US

Nigerian airlines have gained the right to fly their own planes to the United States after an improvement in the West African nation’s aviation safety standards, Nigerian and U.S. officials said.
Airline security in Africa’s most populous country had come under heightened scrutiny last December following a failed Christmas Day bombing attempt on a U.S. airliner [...]

Director Spike Lee Lashes out at BP in Latest Documentary

In the four-hour, two-part documentary, Lee is not only outraged about the oil giant’s drilling, but upset that President Barack Obama “showed little emotion,” calling the president’s actions “too laid back.”

Police Corruption on Nigeria: “Everyone’s in on the Game”

A new report from Human Rights Watch calls on the Nigerian government to address the dynamics that have given rise to and sustain endemic police corruption and its related abuses. Read report summary