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Omar Victor Diop History, inheritance and possibility are re-imagined through the lens of the Senegalese photographer, one of the most successful young artists on the continent. Through his bold images, Diop examines the interplay between African and diasporic experiences by knitting together the past and present. Douglass sat for over 160 portraits, including a daguerreotype circa 1855 (bottom), to challenge negative representations of African Americans. Cultural Archive/Alamy In a 2015 self-portrait (top), from Diop’s series “Project Diaspora,” the artist emulates Frederick Douglass, who was the most photographed man of his era. Douglass sat for over 160 portraits, including a daguerreotype circa 1855 (bottom), to challenge negative representations of African Americans.

Persons: Omar Victor Diop, Frederick Douglass, Diop, Selma, ”, ” Omar Victor Diop, Douglass, “, ” Diop, Mama Casset, Malick Sidibé, Samuel Fosso, Martin Luther King Jr Organizations: paisley, West Locations: Senegalese, American, United States, Soweto, South Africa, Africa, “, African American, Dakar, Paris, Nigeria, Senegal, France, Nairobi, Lagos, Mali, America, African

☆ Woman makes record-breaking wig longer than seven Olympic swimming pools
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A woman from Lagos, Nigeria, has entered the record books after weaving a handmade wig that measures 351.28 meters (1,152 feet, 5 inches) in length. Professional wigmaker Helen Williams spent more than two million naira (almost $2,500) and 11 days making the wig, which is longer than seven Olympic swimming pools. “Finding the materials to make the longest wig was not an easy task,” said Williams in the statement. “I have trained hundreds of students and have made thousands of wigs,” said Williams, although her record-breaking endeavor still proved difficult. The outcome is the longest handmade wig in the world.”Williams is a professional wigmaker in Lagos, Nigeria.

Persons: Helen Williams, Williams, ” Organizations: CNN, Guinness World Records Locations: Lagos, Nigeria

☆ Lagos positions itself as global financial center after historic appearance at London’s Lord Mayor’s Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Stephanie Busari | Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lagos, Nigeria CNN —Nigeria’s Lagos state marked a historic moment by making Africa’s inaugural appearance at the renowned Lord Mayor’s Show in London – an annual procession, steeped in 800 years of tradition, that celebrates the history and commerce of the city. Among the Lagos contingent were the traditional Eyo masquerades who take part in the famed Yoruba Eyo festival in the state. However, many backers believe that Lagos has the potential to evolve into a global financial hub capable of drawing substantial foreign investments into Nigeria. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, co-chair of the newly inaugurated Lagos International Financial Centre Council (LIFC) told CNN Lagos was now ready to position itself with global players. “A low stable inflation rate automatically signals a stable currency … and that’s the job half done,” he told CNN.

Persons: Mayor’s, Lord Mayor’s Show, Lagos, ”, Babajide Sanwo, ” “ Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, CNN, Lagos State, ” “ Lagos isn’t, Aig, Lagos International Financial Centre Council, CNN Lagos, ”, of, US Department of Commerce, United Arab, Dubai’s Emirates, GSK, Imoukhuede, Nigerian Central Bank Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, London, ” Lagos, ” “ Lagos, West, ” Nigeria, of London, United Arab Emirates, British

☆ Canada investigates fatal embassy explosion in Nigeria, issues travel alert
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We can confirm there was an explosion at our High Commission in Nigeria. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson said that there were deaths and injuries in a fire on Monday at the High Commission of Canada but did not give any figures. Canada's High Commission in Nigeria, without commenting on the explosion, said on social media that it had "temporarily suspended operations until further notice." The embassy issued a travel advisory, warning against non-essential travel to Nigeria, including capital Abuja, "due to the unpredictable security situation throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorism, crime, inter-communal clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings." Western countries routinely issue warning about travelling to Nigeria, which the Abuja government often dismisses as lacking merit.

Persons: Melanie Joly, " Joly, Bola Tinubu's, Tinubu, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Ismail Shakil, Cynthia Osterman, Sandra Maler Organizations: Ottawa, Washington, Commission, High Commission of, Thomson Locations: LAGOS, Canada, Nigeria, London, West African, High Commission of Canada, Canada's, Abuja, United States, Britain, Nigeria's, Lagos, Ottawa

☆ The World Is Becoming More African
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Declan Walsh | Hannah Reyes Morales | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +37 min

Old World Young Africa As the world grays, Africa blooms with youth. The World Is Becoming More African Part one of a series on how the youth boom is changing the continent, and beyond. But while a handful of African countries are poised to ride the demographic wave, others risk being swamped by it. In the West, racists and right-wing nationalists stoke fears of African population growth to justify hatred, or even violence. The age gap between geriatric leaders and restless youth is “a major source of tension” in many African countries, said Simon Mulongo, a former African Union diplomat from Uganda.

Persons: Lauren Leatherby, ”, Jean, Patrick Niambé, Hilton, Edward Paice, “, Keziah Keya, Keya, Paul R, Ehrlich, stoke, Lauren Leatherby “, Carlos Lopes, Burna, Weeks, “ It’s, Laolu Senbanjo, Tems, Toulaye Sy, Pritzker, Abdulrazak Gurnah, “ Africa’s, ” Long, exotica, Mulendema, Hannah O’Leary, “ We’re, Sipho Dlamini, Dlamini, Moawad, Optimists, Mo Ibrahim, Aubrey Hruby, birthrates, India’s, China’s, Akinwumi Adesina, States —, William Ruto, Paul Biya of, Biya, Wole Soyinka, Paul Kagame of, Nourdine, Nigeriens, Awade, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Simon Mulongo, Nuha Abdelgadir, Abdelgadir, gesturing, “ We’ve, ” Weeks, Abdelgadir’s, Modu Ali, Young, Saidu, Habiba Mohammed, Ms, Ha, Joon Chang, Nobody, Chang, Ibrahim, Touré Organizations: Young, United Nations, Southern, Northern, Western Asia Northern, United, Ivory Coast, African Union, Group, European Union ., Suisse, Africa Research Institute, Nigeria Mozambique Kenya “, Russia Canada Germany United, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Ethiopia Dem, Russia Germany, China Egypt India Nigeria D.R.C, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Dem, Bank, Nations, International, Bryn Mawr College, Angola, Angola Ivory Coast, Angola Ivory Coast Cameroon Dem, Africa Middle Africa Southern, Economic Commission, New, Citi, Spotify, Cannes Film, Burkina Faso, UNESCO, Disney, Amazon Prime, Netflix, “, Apple, Cape Town, Microsoft, Google, Infrastructure, McKinsey & Company, Pew Research Center, African Development Bank, Greek Coast Guard, Saudi, Africa Climate, Young Voters, Freedom House, University of Denver, United Arab, Japan Cuba Vatican City, Netherlands South Korea Belgium U.A.E, Islamic, Global, Center for Girls Education, School of Oriental, Studies Locations: grays, Africa, India, China, United States, Southern Asia, Asia, America, Caribbean, Northern America, Western Asia, Western Asia Northern America, Europe, London, New York, West Africa, Ivory, Abidjan, Russia, Turkey, Gulf, Nairobi, Nigeria Mozambique Kenya, Italy, Japan, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria Ethiopia Ethiopia, Congo Indonesia Brazil Australia South Africa Argentina, Russia Germany U.S, China Egypt India Nigeria, Brazil South Africa Australia, Russia Canada Germany United States Japan China Iran Egypt India Mexico Nigeria, Nigeria, Africa’s, Young, South Africa, Somalia, Mozambique, Mali, Gabon, Niger, Mozambique Nigeria Kenya, Kenya, Pennsylvania, Angola Ivory, Angola Ivory Coast Cameroon, Congo Algeria Egypt, Ghana Kenya Madagascar Mozambique Niger Nigeria, Tanzania Uganda South Africa, Northern Africa Eastern Africa, Africa Middle Africa, Africa Middle Africa Southern Africa, Guinea, Bissau, African, Qatar, Nigerian, Brooklyn, Target, French, Senegalese, Paris, Milan, Venice, Burkina, Tanzania, Saharan Africa, Nigeria Kenya Senegal In Lagos, Dakar, Zambia, South Korea, Sotheby’s, Lagos, Zimbabwe, Watford, Cape, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Cairo, Morocco, East Africa, Nigeria Mozambique Morocco, Sudanese, North Africa, East Asia, Thailand, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, States, Namibia, Kenyan, Paul Biya of Cameroon, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, United States France Turkey, Germany, Russia India, Brazil, Japan Cuba, Japan Cuba Vatican City Spain Italy Saudi Arabia Qatar, Netherlands South Korea Belgium, Iran Canada, Niger’s, Niamey, Senegal Kenya Kenya, X’s, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Senegal, Uganda, Khartoum, Sudan, Ethiopia, Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Chad, Burkina Faso, Nigeria Nigeria Morocco, hijabs, Zaria, American, Korea, South, England

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Africa’s fashion industry is growing rapidly to meet local and international demand but inadequate investment limits its potential, UNESCO said Thursday in a report released during Lagos Fashion Week. The demand for African fashion brands is also spurred by the growth in e-commerce, the UNESCO report noted. It’s really beautiful to see because it hasn’t always been like this,” said Omoyemi Akerele, who founded the Lagos Fashion Week in 2011 to encourage the patronage of Nigerian and African fashion. In Nigeria and other parts of Africa, young fashion designers are hungry for success and are taking over the global scene, said the UNESCO director-general. “So Africa is really the next frontier (for the fashion industry).”___Associated Press journalist Dan Ikpoyi in Lagos, Nigeria contributed.

Persons: Audrey Azoulay, ”, Omoyemi Akerele, “, Ejiro Amos, Tafiri, Dan Ikpoyi Organizations: UNESCO, Lagos Fashion, U.S . International Trade Administration, Associated Press Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos, Africa, Nigerian

☆ In Brooklyn, a Honduran-Inspired Backyard Dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Mahira Rivers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a warm evening, not long before her guests were set to arrive, Cathleen O’Neil, 30, was stocking the bar for a dinner party at her home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, while her co-host, the chef Feisal Lagos, 39, was hastily adding the finishing touches to his handwritten menu. During the pandemic, they missed the collaborative thrill of hosting and came up with the idea for the Regathering, a dinner series that would allow them to reunite with their circle. Their first meal, in July 2021, was a celebration of the end of social distancing, held in the backyard of O’Neil’s apartment building. “We needed to get out, to see our friends,” said O’Neil. “But we also both take what we do very seriously.” They served an ambitious menu of raw oysters with granita and grilled tilefish.

Persons: Cathleen O’Neil, Feisal, ”, “, O’Neil, Chan, Camille Becerra Organizations: CONeil Productions, New Locations: Williamsburg , Brooklyn, New York

☆ Analysis: Time for central bank digital currencies to prove their worth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - A milestone move by the European Central Bank toward launching a digital euro within a few years means the time has come for the newest incarnation of money to prove its worth. A few countries have introduced central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), China is trialling a prototype yuan with 200 million users, India is gearing up for a pilot and some 130 countries representing 98% of the global economy are exploring digital cash. Commercial bankers fret about the costs and possible deposit bleeds as customers could move money into central bank accounts, while developing countries worry that an easily accessible digital dollar, euro or yuan could cause havoc in their systems. DEFINING A GLOBAL STANDARDA key unknown is whether the U.S. Federal Reserve or Bank of Japan will launch retail CBDCs. "The current adoption level of eNaira has been reflective of the early stage of CBDC awareness," the country's central bank said in a written response to questions, adding it had been "consistent" with expectations.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Josh Lipsky, Fabio Panetta, couldn't, Lee Braine, Bo Li, Atlantic Council's Lipsky, Lipsky, Marc Jones, MacDonald Dzirutwe, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Facebook, ECB, Barclays, Bank of, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, International Monetary Fund, Atlantic, Thomson Locations: China, India, Western, Nigeria, U.S, Canada, Bahamas, London, Lagos

In a report published Monday, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency urged global investors in the three firms - Beijing Tong Ren Tang group (600085.SS), Tianjin Pharmaceutical group (600329.SS) and Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group (000623.SZ) - to divest their stakes. The group said it focused on the pharmaceutical companies because they are publicly listed, and display products that include leopard or pangolin parts on their websites. Beijing Tong Ren Tang and Tianjin Pharmaceutical group did not respond to several emails and calls from Reuters asking for comment. Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical Group could not be reached for comment. The environmental group said Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings, Citigroup and BlackRock did not respond to its queries.

Persons: pangolin, Seun, Beijing Tong Ren Tang, Avinash Basker, Wells, China's, Andrew Silver, Selena Li, Miyoung Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UBS, HSBC, Environmental Investigation Agency, Tianjin Pharmaceutical, Jilin Aodong Pharmaceutical, TCM, Deutsche Bank, HSBC Holdings, Citigroup, BlackRock, & Co, HSBC Global Asset Management Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Citigroup ， Deutsche Bank, Reuters, Medical Products Administration, Protection, Thomson Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, London, Beijing, Tianjin, Jilin, Shanghai, Hong Kong

It's a reminder of the power and potential of Nigeria's rapidly growing film industry. It is the world's second-largest film industry after India based on number of productions, with an average of 2,000 movies released annually. The movie also has been lauded as signifying the potential of the film industry in Nigeria as well as across Africa. In Nigeria, the movie industry is at “the point right now where the world needs to take notice,” Effiong said. He said that's because "The Black Book is a film by Black people, Black actors, Black producers, Black money 100%, and it’s gone ahead to become a global blockbuster."

Persons: —, ”, Editi Effiong, Afolayan's Aníkúlápó, Paul Edima —, Richard Mofe, Edima, ” Effiong, Effiong, “, John Wick, it’s Organizations: Netflix, Associated Press, Twitter, Digital TV Research Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Nigerian, Africa’s, India, West Africa, Lagos, Africa, Saharan Africa, “ Africa

☆ China's Xi Jinping commits to more investments in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It added that another $4 billion worth of letters of intent was received for new projects and investments in different sectors of the economy. Nigeria also signed contracts with China Harbour Engineering Company for the construction of the Lekki Blue Seaport in Lagos. Shettima met Xi, who asked for the protection of Chinese workers in Nigeria, according to the vice president's office. China had committed to rail projects in Nigeria in the past and to a seaport in Bonny Island in the Niger Delta. China had earlier agreed to provide 85% of the financing for the rail projects.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Edgar Su, Kashim Shettima's, Shettima, Xi, Felix Onuah, Chijioke Ohuocha, Jamie Freed Organizations: Initiative, of, People, REUTERS, Rights, Nigeria's National Agency for Science, Engineering Infrastructure, China Harbour Engineering Company, China Exim Bank, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa's, Lagos, China, Bonny Island, Niger, Nigeria's

☆ Teju Cole Knows His New Novel Resembles Autofiction. Please Don’t Be Tempted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Anderson Tepper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I don’t think there is any way of discussing Teju Cole’s aesthetic without putting front and center this idea of his relentless inventiveness,” the writer Amitava Kumar wrote by email. Cole calls his new novel “a reiteration of my faith in fiction.” But it didn’t come easily or quickly. After “Open City,” Cole began to conceive of a big work of nonfiction on Lagos, his hometown, in the vein of Suketu Mehta’s book “Maximum City,” about Mumbai. (Cole, who often borrows from his own biography in his books, was born in Kalamazoo, Mich. and raised in Nigeria. I think I had to realize that what I have to offer is something else, closer to the bone and more personal.”

Persons: Amitava Kumar, “, Thelonious Monk, Kumar, Cole, ”, ” Cole, that’s Locations: Lagos, ”, Mumbai, Kalamazoo, Mich, Nigeria, United States

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The United Nations said it will repatriate nine peacekeepers from a South African contingent in eastern Congo who were accused of sexual assault and other abuse. The U.N. decided to immediately repatriate the peacekeepers and a senior officer of the South African army “due to the seriousness of the allegations against them,” the organization said in a statement on Friday. Such accusations of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers are not new in various parts of the world, from Congo to Haiti where peacekeepers are deployed. The abuses are particularly rampant in Congo, which accounted for one-third of the nearly 2,000 sexual abuse and exploitation complaints made against the U.N. worldwide in 2017. Last year, Secretary-General António Guterres said the organization has "not succeeded in all respects, but neither have we stood still” in handling the sexual abuse crisis.

Persons: António Guterres Organizations: United Nations Locations: LAGOS, Nigeria, Congo, Haiti

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, a teenager in a small Michigan town killed himself after an online chat turned to demands that he pay money to keep intimate photos secret. He was one of dozens of people targeted online by two men extradited from Nigeria to face charges, FBI director Christopher Wray said Saturday. The arrests came after the FBI joined with police in Michigan to investigate the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, one thousands of American teenagers targeted in a sharp rise in online “sextortion” cases in recent years. He was preparing to go a trip to Florida with his father the night before his death, she said. HIs family has since spoken out about his death, urging other parents to talk with their kids about “sextortion” schemes.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Jordan DeMay, “, ” Wray, Wray, DeMay, Samuel Ogoshi, Samson Ogoshi, Samuel Ogoshi's, Samson Ogoshi's, Jennifer Buta Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, FBI, Associated Press, International Association of Chiefs, Police, U.S Locations: Michigan, Nigeria, U.S, Jordan, Upper, Marquette County, Lagos, Ivory Coast, Florida

☆ The Afrobeats star on a mission to raise the profile of African art
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Natty Kasambala | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —It was a painting in the lobby of a Benin hotel last year that changed the way Afrobeats star Mr Eazi thought about art. The works will also be exhibited in galleries internationally — in Accra, Lagos, London (where they will be displayed as part of a “listening experience” the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair between October 12—15) and in New York. “One of the most exciting things for me is that art represents an opportunity to discover people without a pre-bias… it’s exerting soft power,” said Mr Eazi. “It’s an ecosystem,” Mr Eazi summarises. “African music should be in African film and African art with African music… That’s culture, that’s the flood.

Persons: Eazi, “, …, Oluwole, ”, Patricorel, Eazi —, —, Eazi’s, Tammy Sinclair's, OLÚWA, Tammy Sinclair, I’m, ” Eazi, don’t, Sinclair, “ Mandela, Foli, Mr Eazi, Mr Eazi’s, ” Tesprit, undiluted Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Fair, Banku, US, Alpha Locations: Benin, Accra, Lagos, London, New York, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Togo, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, Ghanaian, Kenyan, Togolese, Togo’s, Lomé, Cape Town , South Africa, ”

"It's very disturbing," study co-author Matthew Huber of Purdue University in the U.S. state of Indiana told Reuters. It found that around 750 million people could experience one week per year of potentially deadly humid heat if temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. At 4C of warming, Hodeidah, Yemen, would see around 300 days per year of potentially unsurvivable humid heat. WET-BULB THRESHOLDTo track such moist heat, scientists use a measurement known as "wet-bulb" temperature. Beyond this, people were likely to succumb to heat stress if they could not find a way to cool down.

Persons: Nico, Adrees Latif, Matthew Huber, Huber, George Mason, George Mason University climatologist Daniel Vecellio, Vecellio, Jane Baldwin of, Gloria Dickie, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Emergency Aid Coalition, REUTERS, U.S . Midwest, Purdue University, Reuters, George, George Mason University, National Academy of Sciences, Jane Baldwin of University of California Irvine, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Delhi, Shanghai, U.S ., Indiana, India, Pakistan, Lagos, Nigeria, Chicago , Illinois, South America, Australia, Hodeidah, Yemen, London

More than half of Chileans, 54% of respondents surveyed before the draft text was completed this week, plan on voting against the new constitution, according to pollster Cadem. The current proposal makes a grammatical change to a constitutional clause which abortion advocates already view as restrictive. But Lagos says this change, combined with another proposal that would define a child as any human being under the age of 18, could clear the way for more restrictive abortion laws. With abortion rights expanding across much of Latin America, the latest being Mexico and Argentina, supporters are worried that a right-wing resurgence in the region, could halt progress or see rights backslide. At a rally commemorating the global day of action for access to safe and legal abortion last week in Santiago, 26-year-old student Isadora Calderón told Reuters she felt abortion rights were being threatened by the current proposals.

Persons: SANTIAGO, pollster, Catalina, Teneo, Gabriel Boric, Antonio Barchiesi, Isadora Calderón, Calderón, Agustina Ramón Michel, Ramón Michel, Natalia Ramos Miranda, Lucinda Elliott, Alexander Villegas, Christian Plumb, Lincoln Organizations: Republican, Reuters, American, Thomson Locations: Catalina Lagos, Lagos, Latin America, Mexico, Argentina, Santiago, Argentine, Chile

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A nurse was identified on Friday as the “principal suspect” in the mysterious death of a Nigerian Afrobeat star, which triggered dayslong protests by thousands demanding justice. Investigations into the death of Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as MohBad, in the commercial hub of Lagos have pointed to the nurse who treated the late singer before his death, Lagos police chief Idowu Owohunwa told reporters on Friday. Questions about the cause of his death prompted protests, rallies and grief spilling onto the streets across the West African nation. The outrage over the singer's death was also directed at Naira Marley, his former boss and controversial musician currently on trial in Nigeria for alleged internet fraud. “She acknowledged that it was the injections that she administered on the deceased that triggered the reactions which eventually led to Mohbad’s death.”

Persons: ”, Ilerioluwa, Idowu Owohunwa, “, ” Owohunwa, Aloba, Naira Marley, Marley, maltreating, wasn't, Owohunwa Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Nigerian, Lagos, West African, Aloba

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian government workers on Tuesday continued working after last-minute efforts by authorities averted a nationwide strike to protest growing hardship that could have shut down government services in Africa's most populous country. The indefinite strike by Nigerian labor unions scheduled to start Tuesday is being suspended for 30 days, while meetings and talks with the government will be held over the coming days, said Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, or NLC, which is the umbrella body of the unions. Talks with the labor unions have stalled and a slow start to several intervention efforts resulted in last week’s announcement of the strike. One major source of concern has been intervention efforts, which the labor unions said have been slow. “But the adverse outcomes of the measures, the hardship, were much higher than what many of us expected.”

Persons: Joe Ajaero, Bola, ”, Muda Yusuf Organizations: Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Private Enterprise Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa's, Lagos

Ever pack workout clothes for a vacation — only to unpack them, unworn, upon returning home? Data from exercise apps, which track users' physical locations and search history, show travelers tend to be more active in some locations more than others. Fitness app Strava shows travelers tend to exercise when they visit smaller cities in Europe. Conversely, the company's data shows travelers are less active, compared to locals, in parts of the Caribbean and Central America, namely:Trinidad and TobagoDominican RepublicPhilippinesVenezuelaCosta RicaThose who struggle to exercise on vacation can take heart in knowing that even active travelers tend to ease up from their usual routines on holiday. Nearly four in 10 runners cut their running times by at least 30% during their summer vacations in 2022, according to Strava's data.

Organizations: Portugal Las Palmas, Spain Nord, Trinidad and Tobago Locations: Europe, Split, Croatia Dodecanese, Greece Lagos, Portugal, Spain, Aurdal, Norway, Nord, Norway's, Lillehammer, Caribbean, Central America, Trinidad and, Trinidad and Tobago Dominican Republic Philippines Venezuela Costa

☆ China has poured billions into Africa’s infrastructure. Is it now tightening the tap?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The impact of those funds is felt across Africa, where residents in major cities like Lagos, Nairobi and Addis Ababa now transit daily via railways, highways and airports built in recent years with Chinese loans and often by Chinese construction firms. But understanding how much money is flowing out of China into global development is notoriously tricky as Beijing doesn’t share this data openly and a wide range of financial entities play roles. How all this plays out could have a significant impact on developing countries’ access to much-needed infrastructure funding. China is also navigating the second decade of the Belt and Road amid stark economic challenges at home. China in 2017 released guidance on promoting a “green” Belt and Road, which called for sustainable development and strengthening environmental protection.

Persons: laud, Xi, Roberto Matchissa, Oyintarelado Moses, ”, Moses, Ammar A, Malik, “, Austin Strange, Yasuyoshi Chiba, AidData’s Malik, HKU’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Initiative, Boston University Global Development, Center, Getty, CNN, Global China Initiative, Global Development Policy, William, Mary’s Global Research Institute, University of Hong, Global Development Locations: China, Hong Kong, Africa, Beijing, Lagos, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Ukraine, Maputo, Katembe, Mozambique, AFP, Kazakhstan, Zambia, Ghana, University of Hong Kong, Kenya, United States, China’s

☆ How Asake developed a boundary-pushing sound that’s changing Afrobeats as we know it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Lauren Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Nigerian singer and songwriter Asake is creating a new Afrobeats sound that is deeply African and completely global. But to me, I think I do a lot of things because, you know, I love to come with the vibe. It’s just like a bit of Amapiano, a bit of Afrobeat, a bit of Fuji, a bit of R&B, a bit of hip hop, just to make Asake. I think I’m going to be somebody who puts on a show’? I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but the most important thing for me is to keep going.

Persons: Asake, Mr, “ Mr, Larry Madowo, I’m, Fela, Kuti, ‘, Paras Griffin, I’m Ahmed Ololade, Olamide, what’s Organizations: CNN, YBNL, Vibe, Barclays Center, Fuji Locations: Nigerian, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, New York, Miami, Dubai, London, Africa, Atlanta , Georgia

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Thousands marched across Nigeria on Thursday over the mysterious death last week of an Afrobeat star whose body has been exhumed for an autopsy as authorities investigate the cause of his demise. Lagos police said the body of the late Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as MohBad, was exhumed Thursday afternoon in response to complaints about the unclear circumstances surrounding his death. The police in Lagos said it received complaints about the singer’s death, leading them to set up a criminal investigations team to “aggregate all allegations, suspicions and insinuations from various sources on the death of the singer." In one of his songs titled “Sorry”, the late star spoke about coming from a poor background and his struggles to earn a living through music. In another, “Peace”, he spoke of himself as a “survivor... money chaser — faster than a bullet.”

Persons: —, Aloba, Babajide, Olu, “, MohBad, ” “ Organizations: Lagos Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos

☆ Nigeria frees on bail 69 arrested over alleged gay wedding
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Tife Owolabi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Some of the men charged with public displays of affection with members of the same sex are seen gathered outside a court in Lagos, Nigeria October 27, 2020. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsYENAGOA, Nigeria, Sept 19 (Reuters) - A court in Nigeria has released on bail 69 people who were arrested last month in connection with an alleged gay wedding, which is illegal in the country, their lawyer said on Tuesday. So, the 69 suspects have been granted bail and I am processing their paperwork," Ohimor said. State prosecutors had opposed bail but the court ruled that the suspects should be released because they were not facing a capital offence, said Ohimor. The anti-gay law in Africa's most populous nation includes a prison term of up to 14 years for those convicted, and bans gay marriage, same-sex relationships, and membership of gay rights groups.

Persons: Temilade, Ochuko Ohimor, Ohimor, Tife Owolabi, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Jon Boyle, Hugh Lawson, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, Africa, Warri, Africa's

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu picks banker Cardoso as next central bank governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - President Bola Tinubu has nominated the former head of Citibank in Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, to serve as the country's new central bank governor, days before its next interest rate meeting, a presidential spokesperson said on Friday. The central bank did not respond to a request for comment on whether Emefiele and his deputy governors had resigned. The central bank raised rates by a smaller-than-expected 25 basis points in July, contrary to analysts' expectations, under acting Governor Folashondun Shonubi, one of Emefiele's deputies. The central bank pursued unorthodox policies under Emefiele who kept the currency artificially strong, a policy backed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, which supported government borrowings on the international markets. He was a former commissioner for economic planning and budget in Lagos state when Tinubu was governor between 1999-2007.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Olayemi Cardoso, Godwin Emefiele, Tinubu, Cardoso, Ajuri Ngelale, Ngelale, Folashondun Shonubi, Emefiele, Muhammadu Buhari, Camillus Eboh, Chijioke Ohuocha, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Richard Chang, Jane Merriman, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Citibank, Central Bank of Nigeria, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos

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