Author: damazah@gmail.com

A clear message emerged from the World Trade Center in New York City on Friday, September 25, 2026, where global business figures gathered for the fourth edition of the Africa Breakfast Conversations (ABC) on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81).  Addressing a critical panel on where Africa’s next decade of opportunity lies, Director of Global Marketing, Communications and External Affairs at The King’s Trust International, Yasamin Alttahir, delivered a reality check regarding Africa’s demographic trajectory.  Challenging the popular assumption that a swelling youth population naturally guarantees economic prosperity, Alttahir cautioned delegates against relying on passive optimism. “One…

Funmi Ogundare  Development Governance International (DGI) Consult, recently inaugurated a 12-month Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) Leadership Fellowship to equip health professionals with practical leadership and problem-solving skills to address health governance and management challenges in Adamawa, Kwara and Sokoto States. The fellowship, which forms part of the mentoring phase of the Enhancing Leadership, Governance and Management Capacities (ELGMC) Project, is a component of the four-year Strengthening Access to Reproductive and Adolescent Health in Nigeria (SARAH) project, funded by the European Union (EU) and jointly implemented by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Speaking…

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) says a 30 per cent cut in malaria financing could lead to 146 million additional malaria cases in Africa by 2030. It could also cause nearly 400,000 deaths and $37 billion in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP). ALMA said this on Friday at a high-level side event on sustainable malaria financing, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) via webinar on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81). NAN reports that the event was titled, “Africa’s Leadership for Sustainable Malaria Financing: A Multisectoral Path to Elimination”. It was hosted by…

Like banana bread, a rather less ancient North American creation, cornbread isn’t a loaf in the conventional sense. Though it’s perfect for soaking up chilli, brothy bean soups and the like, it’s actually substantial enough to be the main event, rather than something you might reach for to mop the plate after it. (It’s also gluten-free, should that be a consideration.)Prep 10 minSoak 2 hrCook 25 minServes 6200g coarse cornmeal, or polenta, preferably stoneground240ml buttermilk (see step 3)2 tbsp bacon grease, or butter or oil½ tsp salt2 eggs, beaten1 tsp baking powder¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda2 tsp soft light brown…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted 2.55 million tablets of opioids worth more than N3 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. According to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the drugs, weighing 1,640.55kg, were seized on Tuesday, 22 September, during a joint examination of three consignments at the airport’s import shed. The consignments contained Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg. They were imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines. The seizure adds to a series of major opioid interceptions reported at…

Miranda, 30 double quotation markWhen you spend time talking about repressed memories, it brings up a lot of shame and complicated feelings Ishan exudes a sense of safety. His presence makes you feel as though you can just take a big, deep breath. I have a history of sexual abuse, which has made our sex life complicated at times. Before Ishan, I was in a strange auto-pilot self-protection mode, because once I fell in love with someone, I would find it hard to have sex with them. I would become scared and physically freeze up, and so I relied on…

There was a time when the chemistry between Governor Seyi Makinde and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, appeared almost picture-perfect. The governor had played a prominent role in the process that produced the new monarch, and, after the controversies surrounding the Alaafin stool, the two men appeared to have found common ground. Palace visits, warm exchanges and public courtesies suggested that the royal-political relationship had settled nicely. Today, the warmth appears considerably more measured, while questions about the relationship between Government House and the palace continue to attract attention. The dispute, as gathered by Society Watch, gathered momentum…

As artworks become part of the way spaces are lived in, Vanessa Obioha writes that BoConcept and the Nomadic Art Gallery work with artists to give African art a home. Since introducing the Art Meets Design concept over a decade ago, BoConcept, a Scandinavian furniture house in Victoria Island, Lagos, has noticed a shift in how Nigerians live with art. More and more people are not just collecting artworks for decoration; they are considering them as part of the character and identity of a space. “We’re seeing people being more intentional about the art they’re collecting because art has shifted from what…

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, have rescued six kidnapped persons around Gbise community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State. Ahmad Zubairu, the JTF Acting Media Information Officer, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the troops rescued the victims on 25 September after receiving information about their release. According to Mr Zubairu, the troops were conducting a patrol in the area when they received credible information about the six victims. They immediately mobilised to evacuate them to a secure location. The victims were identified as Gabriel Enujuba, 50; Samson Magbo, 43; Alkasim Modu,…

For generations of Nigerians and global music fans as well as critics, watching King Sunny Ade transform the stage to his playground is a memory to cherish and preserve. Panning from famous music clubs to  cultural festivals, Vanessa Obioha captures some of the iconic places where the King of Juju  made  memories, built his legend and kept the dance floor moving. There are many who still swear to this day that the party is not complete until King Sunny Ade has performed. There is no second-guessing about it. He is the life of the party. The way he plays the guitar, his soothing,…