African Currents

When Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit Earth in 1961, circling the planet in just 108 minutes, he didn’t just claim a victory for the Soviet Union, he fired the starting gun for a global space adventure. His courage sparked imaginations and inspired many worldwide, including in Africa, where a Zambian science teacher named Edward Makuka Nkoloso dreamed of sending an Af

The majestic African Goliath beetle, one of the largest insects on our planet, is turning into an unexpected symbol of Africa’s disappearing rainforests. Stretching across West and Central Africa, these beetles do far more than impress with their size — they quietly keep the forest alive, helping to recycle nutrients and acting as living signals of how healthy the forests truly

UNESCO has added Ghana’s iconic Kente cloth, along with Zimbabwe’s revered Mbira/Sansi and Mbende Jerusarema dance, to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity—highlighting Africa’s vibrant living traditions on the global stage. Kente, with its bold patterns and vivid colors, serves as a visual language of the Akan people, conveying history, p

By nurturing a sense of shared heritage, African countries can encourage the diaspora to contribute to the continent's future. Ghana is leading the way for Africa’s reconnection with its diaspora, transforming history into a powerful source of strength and opportunity. In 2019, the country launched the landmark "Year of Return", commemorating 400 years since enslaved Africans wer

Skin tone remains a social currency in many African societies, often shaping how individuals are valued and how they value themselves. While governments attempt to regulate the sale of skin-lightening products, entrenched beauty ideals rooted in colonial histories continue to drive demand. In Nigeria, an estimated 77 percent of women reportedly use these products - a trend echoed i

Recent studies show an uptick in digital engagement among African youth, with internet usage rates varying significantly across the continent. In Eastern and Southern Africa, over half (65 percent) of children aged 12-17 have accessed the internet in the past three months, though this figure ranges from just 25 percent in Ethiopia to a staggering 81 percent in Namibia, according to

The National Bureau of Statistics has rebased Nigeria’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 2009 to 2024, dropping the reported inflation rate from 34.80% to 24.48%. The move aims to reflect current economic realities, improve credit rating and investor decision-making, and help policymakers tackle the cost-of-living crisis more effectively.

While oil has long underpinned Gabon's economy, mining is fast emerging as a backbone of its diversification agenda. The manganese mining industry, in particular, is experiencing a surge in revenue. Between January and September 2024, production rose by 10.7 percent, reaching 7.5 million tonnes, up from 6.7 million tonnes the year before—driven by improved infrastructure and mini

"A bird that relies on another for food will never fly far," says an African proverb that captures the quiet danger of dependency. This wisdom finds relevance in The Self-Deception Trap: Exploring the Economic Dimension of Charity Dependency with Africa-Europe Relations, where Professor Carlos Lopes, a Bissau-Guinean scholar at the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, Univer

Large Language Models keep transforming multiple sectors around the world, yet African languages generally get less attention in AI development. While numerous African start-ups, including South Africa's Lelapa AI and Nigeria's Pamoja AI, are working to reduce this gap, Orange Telecommunications' recent collaboration with global AI tech behemoths raises worries about real inclusivi