Author: King Jaja

When we announced the dress code for this year’s BellaNaija Style Digital Summit as “Corporate Baddie”, our hands were itching to see how guests would interpret this theme, after all, we did say blending sophistication with a touch of rebellion. One guest who immediately caught our eye upon entering the Ecobank Pan African Centre was none other than Oluwaseye Oladejo. She sported a striking red power suit, complemented by a matching Lanvin bag adorned with a precious sculptural handle and stylish Versace pink pointed heels. Her play with colours was remarkable, accentuated by red-framed glasses with white accents. After admiring her…

Africa Confidential’s reporting and analysis is valued by a wide range of organisations and individuals: from corporate executives, country risk analysts, national politicians and members of the diplomatic corps, to intelligence operatives, academics, journalists and NGO personnel. Here’s what our readers say about us: “If you want the detail and you want the dirt, the little blue newsletter [Africa Confidential] that drops through your letter box is like having your own private spook who knows Africa inside out and who’s also one hell of a gossip.”Jonathan Miller, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Channel 4 News, London, UK “Since the demise of reporting…

The fish and animals that were commonly found around the Niger Delta before the advent of oil exploitation are suffering from depleted populations or complete extinction. Some varieties of bush meat have almost all disappeared because of oil spills and acid rain. Local women are significantly affected by the declining marine resources such that shellfish, crabs, and oysters that they used to gather from the streams and mangroves for consumption and sale. In the coastal communities, moon fish has become scarce, while scale fish that used to be plentiful in natural fishponds has disappeared. The populations of tilapia and catfish…

A United States senator who serves as chairman of the influential U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee stands accused of acting on behalf of the Egyptian government in a corruption case that alleges the exchange of cash, gold, a car, and other benefits totaling more than a half-million dollars. Authorities allege that Sen. Robert Menendez, D-NJ, and his wife connected with three businessman in his home state of New Jersey, accepting bribes to provide them with lucrative contracts and shield their associates from criminal charges. But the three, identified as Wael Hana, Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe, also facilitated deals involving…

Dambudzo Marechera was an ungovernable character. His friendships were fickle, and his relationship with family was non-existent. He cut ties with his mother. Her decision to let a family spirit torment him was unforgivable. “I have no time for that bitch,” he is alleged to have said when someone told him his mother was looking for him. Mother and son never reconciled. The most documented relationship for Marechera, according to Flora Veit-Wild, was with herself. Perhaps only for as long as their fling lasted. Before they had ever met, Marechera already had active friendships that sustained him, which are the…

Nine Nigerian table tennis players have secured tickets to participate in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games following their superlative performances at the ongoing ITTF African Para Championships taking place in Giza, Egypt. Host – Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Algeria are taking part in the three-day tournament which ends on Saturday 23 September. From the 14 tickets available to Paris at the continental showpiece, Nigeria claimed nine while Egypt picked five as the two nations continued their dominance in Africa. Top on the list of the Nigerian players that sealed their berths in Paris were…

Twice in recent weeks, Nigerian statesman Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed his unease about the state of democracy in the country and in Africa more broadly. Responding to a reporter’s question on the recent military putsches in West and Central Africa, the one-time military head of state and civilian president was strikingly pessimistic, suggesting a need for “an alternative” since “the liberal democracy we are copying from settled societies in the West won’t work for us.” Doubling down on the same theme over the weekend, Obasanjo called for the abandonment of a system that has only “nurtured unemployment and poverty,” having…

(Left to right) Senegal and Al-Nassr striker Sadio Mane, Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, Ivory Coast and Galatasaray forward Wilfried Zaha and Egypt and Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah all hope to star at Afcon 2023The teams heading to Ivory Coast for the finals have been confirmed, but do you know when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is and how it affects players and clubs in the Premier League and around the world?For almost a month in January and February, some of the biggest stars in football will be hoping to win the biennial tournament organised by…

Comment on this storyCommentPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Antonio Saint Louis lives in constant fear. A housekeeper in Haiti’s capital, he says bandits killed a friend’s brother weeks ago as they laid unrelenting siege to the sprawling Carrefour-Feuilles slum.Saint Louis, 34, fears an invasion of his own community is inevitable. He has little faith that Prime Minister Ariel Henry — unelected and unloved — or the Haitian police — outmatched and outnumbered by gangs — can restore order on their own.“A [foreign] intervention would not be the ideal course of action,” he told The Washington Post. “But to suppress the gangs and…

There are 2000 rhinos to be rewilded thanks to major conservation efforts. South Africa is home to the world’s largest private white rhino breeding program. This initiative was led by Platinum Rhino, a private captive rhino breeding program that has successfully bred and protected approximately 2000 white rhinos in South Africa. This program stands as the largest rhino breeding initiative globally. Unfortunately, due to financial distress, Platinum Rhino had to place their farm and rhinos up for auction. Regrettably, no bids were made, putting this operation at serious risk. Fortunately, a non-profit organisation called African Parks, with the support of…