Special Reports

A specter is haunting Europe — the specter of aging. Many Western countries are facing what the World Bank calls a “profound demographic crisis”: The twin perils of an aging population and record-low fertility rates are predicted to send their populations plunging in the coming decades. The worst consequences of this demographic shift, per the World Bank, are economic. Soon, the shrinking working population in the U.S., Canada, or Germany won’t be able to meet their own constant demands for high-quality goods and services. These rich, elderly countries will have to make a hard choice for economic survival: force people…
A few African nations have been designated as hunger hotspots by international organizations and media sources in recent years. While identifying regions that are vulnerable to hunger is crucial for coordinating assistance and support, designating a region as a "hunger hotspot" has serious and frequently negative consequences for the affected nations. These countries can are considered hunger hotspots for key reasons, the most prominent of which is conflict. Conflicts typically exasperate hunger as the constant fighting deters the production of food. Additionally, food sent as relief aid is usually controlled by those at the forefront of the fighting, leaving the…
For weeks Kenya has been mired in unrest. Confronted with demonstrators denouncing the tax policies of William Ruto, Kenya’s president, the security forces responded ruthlessly. They have killed at least 39 people, most of them in Nairobi on June 25th, when protesters briefly overran Parliament and set a portion of it ablaze. Looting has also erupted in several towns and cities, though it is unclear whether this was by state-backed provocateurs, as the protesters allege, or by opportunist criminals, as Ruto claims. Yet far from provoking fear among Kenya’s better-off, the unrest has inspired wild optimism. Unlike most protests in…
In a video on social media, Amarachi makes a stew that replaces pricey tomatoes with more affordable watermelon chunks. “Today we say bye-bye to tomatoes,” she says. As Nigerians adjust to soaring food prices, the video has gone viral. Tomato prices that fluctuate with the seasons are normal in Nigeria, but the record annual pace of food inflation, which hit 41% in May, is not. Most pinched are the poor. Staples such as beans and maize cost 400% more than they did a year ago, while a 100kg bag of sorghum has more than tripled in price. Since wages have…
Taking a daily multivitamin does not help people to live any longer and may actually increase the risk of an early death, a major study has found. Researchers in the US analysed health records from nearly 400,000 adults with no major long-term diseases to see whether daily multivitamins reduced their risk of death over the next two decades. Rather than living longer, people who consumed daily multivitamins were marginally more likely than non-users to die in the study period, prompting the government researchers to comment that “multivitamin use to improve longevity is not supported”. Nearly half of UK adults take…
The United Nations on Wednesday flagged harmful new drug concoctions, named kush, Khadafi, and Monkey Tail, as posing particular health risks across Africa because of their varying and often unknown ingredients. The drugs are believed to contain dangerous mixtures of pharmaceuticals, alcohol and solvents, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its annual World Drug Report. Reports this week have documented the problems associated with drug abuse. Sierra Leone in April declared a national emergency over the rising use of kush, a synthetic mixture of marijuana, tentanyl and tramadol. Ivory Coast, in response to the high use…
Hassan Ya'u, a 42-year-old maize and sesame seed farmer in Nigeria's northern Katsina state, was tending to his crops early this month when dozens of armed men on motorcycles rode towards his plot and started shooting at close range. Ya'u and fellow farmer Musa Nasidi managed to escape, but at least 50 people - many of them farmers working their fields at the time - were killed in the attack in the latest in a series of deadly raids on farming areas. An unknown number of people were abducted in the assault, which was carried out in broad daylight. Ya'u…
The coastal Nigerian community of Ayetoro was founded decades ago and nicknamed “Happy City,” meant to be a Christian utopia that would be sinless and classless. But now its remaining residents can do little against the rising sea. Buildings have sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, an increasingly common image along the vulnerable West African coast. Old timber pokes from the waves like rotten teeth. Shattered foundations line the shore. Waves break against abandoned electrical poles. For years, low-lying nations have warned the world about the existential threat of rising seas. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, struggles to respond. Some plans…
For patients in Nigeria, the outrageous cost of life-saving drugs is a daily burden. Several people are now forced to take a risk with their health by extending or missing doses, settling for less potent substitutes, resorting to self-medication or traditional healers, or stopping medication entirely. For those battling chronic ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer, the affordability crisis has pushed essential medications and treatment out of reach for many Nigerians and strained the public healthcare system. Experts are worried that a significant number of patients who are not taking their medications as prescribed, stand to develop…
“I have slaughtered a ram every year starting from 1976 but this year I can't, I just can't.” Like many of the estimated 100 million Muslims in Nigeria, 78-year-old Kabiru Tudun Wada is not celebrating Eid al-Adha as he normally would because of the cost-of-living crisis. Muslims around the world traditionally slaughter a ram or another animal on Eid al-Adha, in memory of the prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his own son when God ordered him to. The meat is used to prepare a huge feast for the entire family, while friends and neighbours visit each other and eat the…
November 21, 2024

How small businesses can leverage dark social to drive word-of-mouth marketing

Key Takeaways Dark social refers to sharing online content through private communication channels like email,…
November 21, 2024

Northern leaders say won’t support Tinubu for re-election due to president’s incompetence, bad policies

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has announced its decision to support northerners running for the…
November 18, 2024

The magic and the minefield of confidence: Self doubt, hubris and everything in between - The Economist

Confidence is contagious. Someone declaring a position with ringing certainty is more likely to inspire…
November 16, 2024

Influencer eats pig feed in extreme attempt to save money

Popular Douyin streamer Kong Yufeng recently sparked controversy in China by eating pig feed on…
November 21, 2024

50 terrorists killed as Boko Haram insurgents ambush security personnel guarding national grid in Niger…

At least 50 Boko Haram fighters were killed on Tuesday and seven members of Nigeria's…
November 21, 2024

What to know after Day 1001 of Russia-Ukraine war

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE US reopens Kyiv embassy after Ukraine firing of ATACMS missiles into Russia prompted…
November 21, 2024

Nigeria comes top in instant payment system inclusivity index in Africa

Nigeria’s instant payment system is projected to advance to the maturity inclusion spectrum ahead of…
October 27, 2024

Nigeria awarded 3-0 win over Libya after airport fiasco

Nigeria have been awarded a 3-0 victory over Libya, and three vital points, from their…

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