Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

ESWATINI, THAT TINY COUNTRY in the Southern African region was the only country not represented in Beijing last week during the ninth triennial summit on China-Africa relations. The summit, which is generally referred to as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), has turned Beijing visits by African heads of state to some sort of pilgrimage. […]

Africa’s democracy and some leaders’ whims

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

Majority of adult Cameroonians below 50 years of age right now know little or nothing about any other president of their country. Paul Biya, the second president, will be 92 in 2025. Born February 13, 1933, he is undoubtedly the oldest person currently in power in Africa. He was a prime minister of Cameroon from […]

When Mpox virus finds home in Africa

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

MONKEY POX EPIDEMIC in Africa is on the rise. The recent disclosures about potential public health risks are a bit belated, though unsettling. They betrayed the lackadaisical attitude of those who should be in charge of surveillance and preventive measures in a manner reminiscent of the way COVID-19 pandemic was initially treated at the onset, […]

UK’s migrant crisis and Africa’s population prospects 

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

A GLOBAL RESET IN the world’s population is underway. Painfully, it seems inevitable, especially when considered in the context of events that are reshaping the world of our time. Much of the changes associated with the current trends in migration will be irreversible. Expect many Asians to become American or Canadian citizens, many Africans to […]

Malabo Protocol and African parliamentarians’ unresolved crisis

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

GEOPOLITICS WAS TEARING APART the African continental lawmaking body a few years ago on the premise that the Southern African region wanted to win the leadership position by any means, fair or foul. The bone of contention then was an accusation of skewed leadership towards some regions and against another; that other regions have been […]

Africa’s fortune shrinks as global economy expands

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

EIGHTY-NINE VEHICLES were counted in the presidential convoy of the President of Tanzania in a recent video, posted on social media, of the convoy passing by. Assuming, while not immediately conceding, that all of the 89 vehicles may not be only for the president and her aides, the sheer number was mind-boggling as it raises […]

Africa and future of tech-driven world

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

CONVERGENCE, A KEY WORD in the age of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), may very well mean more of the unforeseen in its implications as the entire world tries to navigate an uncharted tech-driven terrain. Last Friday’s tech outage was reminiscent of the opening chapter of Thomas L. Friedman’s book, “The Lexus and the Olive Tree.” […]

Kenya’s Ruto as Africa’s showcase in spat of town and crown

Kenya’s Ruto as Africa’s showcase in spat of town and crown

KENYA BOILED OVER recently. It was a test of resolve and strength between the common men and those in the corridors of power in a democracy. It was also a platform for Africa to determine where power truly lies in a system of government popularly described as democracy. The first salvo was the enactment of […]

Curiosity, caution and criticisms: Lessons for Africa on GMOs

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

CONTROVERSIES TRAILING FOOD and agriculture research involving genetically modified foods (GMOs) have remained unrelenting since the turn of the last century and the beginning of the new millennium. These controversies do not show any sign of abating or going away soon as many people continue to react with fears, suspicion, cynicism or doubt about safety […]

Africa’s Gen-Z population adrift while leadership falters

Is Africa back from FOCAC with new focus?

PROJECTIONS ABOUT AFRICA’S projected population in 2030 and 2050 are commonly cited among those doing things or writing on Africa’s statistics. It is sometimes tempting to take those projections on the face value and simply run with them. Such projections have some advantages such as providing some ideas – no matter how vague – about […]