Month: August 2019

News

Ghana’s Amb. To US Signs $10m STEM Agreement With Missouri Uni.  
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The Republic of Ghana and Missouri University of Science and Technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding that grants access to over $10 million worth of scholarships, to Ghanaian students and professionals.

The agreement was signed during an official visit by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, H.E. Dr. Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, to the university located in Rolla, Missouri.

Continue reading “Ghana’s Amb. To US Signs $10m STEM Agreement With Missouri Uni.  “ →
Uncategorized

It takes a village, family, church and community
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Meet Phillip Oji, the Nigerian who was supported through college by the good will of a family, church and community in North Carolina and has graduated summa cum laude at Campbell University with a 3.9 grade point average.

By Beacham McDougald

Continue reading “It takes a village, family, church and community” →
Uncategorized

This Organization Sparked the ‘Year of Return’ buzz that has got everyone heading to Ghana
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The founder of Adinkra Cultural Arts Studio (ACAS) in Mount Rainier, Sumbry is at the helm of the “Year of Return” movement that has many African Americans heading to Ghana for pilgrimage, immersion and enjoyment. Leading a handful of tours to Ghana over the last five years, Sumbry recognizes that immersion is apart of the reacclimation process. 

By Nyame-kye Kondo

Continue reading “This Organization Sparked the ‘Year of Return’ buzz that has got everyone heading to Ghana” →
Music

Afropop Queen Victoria Kimani Is Kenya’s Best Kept Secret
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The “Wash It” singer tells the Recording Academy about her multinational background, growing up in L.A., Tulsa, Nigeria and Kenya and breaking out of what can sometimes be an isolating music scene

By RACHEL BRODSKY

Everyone has an origin story, and R&B/Afropop singer Victoria Kimani‘s is especially memorable. Born in Los Angeles to Kenyan parents, the 34-year-old moved all over the globe—specifically to Tulsa, Okla., Nigeria and finally Kenya—during her teen years.

Continue reading “Afropop Queen Victoria Kimani Is Kenya’s Best Kept Secret” →
Communities

Nigerians in U.S establish diaspora cooperative society
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The Nigerian community in the U.S. has embarked on the registration of members for its proposed Nigerian Federal Credit United Union in the country.

Inaugurating the exercise at the Nigerian House in New York, the Consul General, Mr Benayaogha Okonye, said a credit union for the Nigerian community was long overdue.

Continue reading “Nigerians in U.S establish diaspora cooperative society” →
Ancestry

Reclaiming “Send Her Back”: A Call for Black Americans to Voyage to Africa
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By Johnaé Strong

When it comes to being Black, queer and immigrant in America, there is no safety. The countless violent attacks on people of color, the lack of action against guns after repeated mass shootings and the unrelenting excuses for assailants who are predominantly white and male point to a sinister truth about America: Violence and murder founded this nation and remain deeply entrenched in the state ideology. The president has reinforced this ideology by inciting anti-Black and anti-immigrant sentiment through the call for ICE raids and a border wall and shouts for American-born, non-white government officials to go back to their countries.

Continue reading “Reclaiming “Send Her Back”: A Call for Black Americans to Voyage to Africa” →
Policy

Ethiopia’s financial reforms hold promise for its diaspora business community
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By Haleluya Hadero

Ethiopia’s parliament this week passed a bill to allow members of the Ethiopian diaspora, who have taken up nationalities in other countries, to invest, buy shares, and set up lending businesses in the country’s state-dominated financial sector.

It’s the latest step in a general push to liberalize the country’s economy. The government has previously said it will privatize Ethio Telecom, the state-owned telecommunication monopoly.

Continue reading “Ethiopia’s financial reforms hold promise for its diaspora business community” →
Uncategorized

You’ll Soon Finally Be Able to Fly Directly From Philly to Africa
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By Fabiola Cineas

American Airlines, the world’s largest carrier, will finally fly to Africa. Its first-ever route to the continent will launch on June 4, 2020 and fly to Casablanca, Morocco from the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). The flight is PHL’s first scheduled service to Africa and makes American the only U.S. carrier with a direct flight to Casablanca.

Continue reading “You’ll Soon Finally Be Able to Fly Directly From Philly to Africa” →
Communities

The Asanteman Council of North America Celebrates 2019 Asante Day in North Carolina
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By Osei Tutu

The Asanteman Council of North America (ACONA) is holding the 2019 annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday, August 31st through Sunday, September 1st. It is being hosted by the Asanteman Association of the Carolinas, North Carolina. The Asante Day is an annual event organized by ACONA, which is the umbrella organization that coordinates the activities of the various Asanteman associations in North America which comprises the United States and Canada.

Continue reading “The Asanteman Council of North America Celebrates 2019 Asante Day in North Carolina” →
Business

South African Airways Cuts Washington To Dakar Flights
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South African Airways has two destinations in the US — New York JFK and Washington Dulles. They fly nonstop between New York and Johannesburg and fly between Washington and Johannesburg with an intermediate stop in Accra, Ghana, and Dakar, Senegal

As of next month, South African Airways will fly daily to Washington via Accra. This is coming at the expense of the Dakar to Washington route, which will operate for the last time on September 1, 2019.

Continue reading “South African Airways Cuts Washington To Dakar Flights” →
Uncategorized

Tennessee woman could become first Muslim voted to Nashville city government
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By Sinclair Broadcast Group

A Nigerian-born woman running for office in Nashville, Tennessee could become the first Muslim elected to the Metro Nashville Council.

Zulfat Suara won a run-off amid a crowded field for an at-large seat on the city government. With just five vacant at-large seats, there were 15 candidates. Incumbent Bob Mendes won one of the seats outright, leaving Suara and seven others to fight for the other four seats in a run-off election.

Continue reading “Tennessee woman could become first Muslim voted to Nashville city government” →
African Politics

Parliamentarian Proposes Diaspora MP Seat for Kenyans Living Abroad
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Saboti MP Caleb Hamisi has proposed the creation of a diaspora Member of Parliament position in the Kenyan Parliament.

In his memorandum to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force, which was formed after the handshake between President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, Hamisi says the role of the occupant of the diaspora MP seat would be to push for the interests of Kenyans living and working abroad.

Continue reading “Parliamentarian Proposes Diaspora MP Seat for Kenyans Living Abroad” →
Communities

Winnipeg’s Nigerian community makes noise for national basketball team
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By Erin Brohman

Winnipeg’s Nigerian community made some noise for their national basketball team when they landed in the city Thursday afternoon.

Team Nigeria’s arrival at Winnipeg’s airport was met with drums, song, dance, hugs, flags and even the presentation of flowers to the team captain. The team will face Canada on Friday in their second exhibition clash in the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup in China.

Continue reading “Winnipeg’s Nigerian community makes noise for national basketball team” →
Culture

Laolu Senbanjo: Broklyn based- Nigerian visual artist paints Serena Williams for the cover of Essence Magazine
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Laolu Senbanjo is a brooklyn-based Nigerian body artist who has done so many works that speak for themselves. He painted fBeyoncé for her album, Lemonade. His latest work is with the American tennis super star, Serena Williams, on the cover of the September issue of Essence.

In the magazine’s cover, the tennis player rocks the daring body art of the Nigerian visual artist in a way that gives her a daring look.

Continue reading “Laolu Senbanjo: Broklyn based- Nigerian visual artist paints Serena Williams for the cover of Essence Magazine” →
African Politics

African Governments Rush to Hire Trump-Linked Lobbyists
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Cameroon is only the latest to jump in, employing a firm that just brought on Donald Trump’s former acting attorney general.

By Robbie Gramer, Jefcoate O’Donnell

The lobbying firm that represents an African government accused of atrocities has hired U.S. President Donald Trump’s former acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker—the latest in a recent surge of contracts with African countries seeking to improve their image in Washington.

Whitaker, who is joining Clout Public Affairs as managing director, will not be working directly on the contract with the government of Cameroon and will not be filing as a lobbyist, a Clout Public Affairs spokesperson told Foreign Policy.

Read more from source

Music

How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J
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BY KEMET HIGH

Afrobeats has been steadily infiltrating the U.S. airwaves for the past few years. In fact, you may have heard Afro B’s “Drogba (Joanna)” thumping out of someone’s car speakers this summer, bringing the uplifting vibe you need when the sun is out.

The term afrobeats has been used to describe a collective campaign of different musical styles stemming from Africa, not to get mixed up with Afrobeat, which is a West African music genre blending fuji and highlife music with American jazz and funk, pioneered by Fela Kuti. Afrobeats is a word that’s used to bring awareness to African-influenced music from collectives like the Flight Club, artists like Davido, Burna Boy, and Wizkid, and producers like P2J.

Continue reading “How Afrobeats Is Influencing American Pop Music, According to Producer P2J” →
Health

Student and teacher reunite decades after meeting in Nigeria
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By Karen Garloch

Because of his name and accent, it’s not unusual for Dr. Yele Aluko’s patients to ask where he’s from.But in the early 1990s, when he got the question from this new patient – a retired Charlotte principal and Johnson C. Smith University professor – Aluko asked one of his own: Where do you think?

Spencer Durante guessed correctly that his new heart specialist was from Nigeria, in west Africa. This rarely happened. In fact, when Aluko first came to Charlotte in 1989, one area hospital administrator suggested he change his name from Yele – pronounced yeh-lay – to Yale, so it would be easier to say.

Continue reading “Student and teacher reunite decades after meeting in Nigeria” →
Appointments

Nigerian-Born Dr. Oluyinka O. Olutoye, Appointed Surgeon-In-Chief at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
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Oluyinka O. Olutoye, MD, PhD, has been appointed Surgeon-In-Chief at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, effective August 1.

In his role, Dr. Olutoye will lead one of the largest children’s hospital surgery departments in the world. Through his leadership of 11 surgical departments, Dr. Olutoye will work to advance Nationwide Children’s common mission, philosophy and approach to excellence in patient care, dedication to outstanding clinical outcomes, commitment to academic excellence and education of the next generation of leaders in children’s surgery. 

Continue reading “Nigerian-Born Dr. Oluyinka O. Olutoye, Appointed Surgeon-In-Chief at Nationwide Children’s Hospital” →
African Trade

African Chamber of Commerce and Tourism to Host Nevada/Africa Business Trade Summit & Cultural Exchange
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LAS VEGAS, NV) African Chamber of Commerce and Tourism today announced the dates for its prestigious annual business trade summit and awards gala. The event will take place at the Conference Center of Las Vegas (CCLV) September 26-28, 2019. 6590 Bermuda Road, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

The three-day event aims to advance trade, investment, and commercial partnership between Nevada and Africa.

Continue reading “African Chamber of Commerce and Tourism to Host Nevada/Africa Business Trade Summit & Cultural Exchange” →
Music

African gospel music producers aim to break into Edmonton’s music scene
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‘Sometimes in a world where maybe the favour is not in your lane, you create your own favour’

By Thandiwe Konguavi · CBC News

A number of renowned African gospel music producers, who now call Edmonton home, are working non-stop to break African musicians into mainstream Christian radio stations. 

Continue reading “African gospel music producers aim to break into Edmonton’s music scene” →
The Americas

Business Day of Trinidad and Tobago Editorial: The road to Africa
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By Melanie Waithe

Given Trinidad and Tobago country’s rich and diverse relationship with the African continent, it’s surprising that there’s not more investment taking place between us.

For too long, Africa has been considered the Dark Continent, a colonial backwater plagued by disease, famine, war and economic strife. But now, it is emerging as one of the biggest opportunities for trade and investment in the world.

Continue reading “Business Day of Trinidad and Tobago Editorial: The road to Africa” →
Communities

5 Canadians honored at Igbo Day 2019 in Saskatchewan
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On August 3, Nigerian-Canadians living in the prairie regions of Canada celebrated Igbo Day of Arts and Culture in style. Sponsored by the Igbo Cultural Association of Saskatchewan (ICAS), with support from the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan (MCoS) and SaskTel, Igbo Day offered a blend of cultural and artistic displays, beautiful costumes and Nigerian cuisine.

Continue reading “5 Canadians honored at Igbo Day 2019 in Saskatchewan” →
Opinion

Africa Doesn’t Need More Development Aid, It Needs More Capitalism
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By Rainer Zitelmann

In 1990, the UN made a commitment to reduce global poverty by 50% within 25 years. That this ambitious goal has been achieved is largely due to China’s success. Within the same period, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line decreased from 56.8% to 42.7% across the continent of Africa. However, with 20% of Africans living under the specter of starvation – a higher percentage than anywhere else in the world – there is still a long way to go.

Continue reading “Africa Doesn’t Need More Development Aid, It Needs More Capitalism” →
Communities

Brooklyn Naija: Business and Entrepreneurship
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Through education, entrepreneurship and a willingness to hustle, Nigerians find different creative avenues for earning

by Victoria Ifatusin

From retail to real estate; from architecture to acting, Nigerians seem to have a knack for turning their talents into money-earning ventures.

Continue reading “Brooklyn Naija: Business and Entrepreneurship” →
Communities

IgboFest holds in Minnesota
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Nigerians in Minnesota will this weekend have a fun-filled celebration as Umunne Cultural Association in Minnesota, holds its annual IgboFest Day anniversary with the theme, Rising above the challenges. Guests expected at the event include Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and his deputy Peggy Flanagan, City Brooklyn Park Mayor Jeffrey Lunde, Senator Dean Philips and former auditor-general Anambra state, Sir Christopher Akuanyionwu(rtd). 

Continue reading “IgboFest holds in Minnesota” →
Uncategorized

From Akufo-Addo in DC to Pelosi in Accra. The story of the year of the return
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Washington DC – May 1, 2017: The 115th Congress of the United States of America passes a Resolution (‘HR 1242’) establishing the “400 Years African American History Commission” to carry out activities to commemorate the anniversary.
Washington DC – Friday, Sept 28, 2018: President Akufo Addo launches ‘Year of Return’

Continue reading “From Akufo-Addo in DC to Pelosi in Accra. The story of the year of the return” →
Americas

Kenyatta, Jamaican PM mark International Decade for People of African Descent
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By PSCU, KINGSTON, Jamaica — President Uhuru Kenyatta and Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness launched celebrations to mark the International Decade of People of African Descent in Kingston Jamaica.

The launch of the celebrations to mark the United Nations designated  period were unveiled as Jamaica observed its 57th independence anniversary.

Continue reading “Kenyatta, Jamaican PM mark International Decade for People of African Descent” →
Entertainment

LUPITA NYONG’O TALKS BEING THE ‘VOICE OF GOD’ WHILE NARRATING THE MAJESTY OF ‘SERENGETI’ IN DISCOVERY CHANNEL NEW DOCUSERIES
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BY JANICE WILLIAMS 

Viewers will soon be transported to the vast and magical grasslands of Africa when Discovery Channel’s new series, Serengeti, premieres on Sunday. The docuseries follows the heartwarming and harrowing tales of wildlife living within Tanzania’s largest national park.

Kenya native Lupita Nyong’o narrates the six-part series, produced by Emmy-winning filmmakers Simon Fuller and John Downer, who also directed the show.

Continue reading “LUPITA NYONG’O TALKS BEING THE ‘VOICE OF GOD’ WHILE NARRATING THE MAJESTY OF ‘SERENGETI’ IN DISCOVERY CHANNEL NEW DOCUSERIES” →
Music

MAD OO!! Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ Album Debuts At No. 13 On Billboard World Album Charts
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Once again, the African Giant is standing tall amongst the rest.

After releasing back-to-back hit singles off the album, there was no doubt that the album was going to be phenomenal.

Nigerian Dancehall-Afrobeatz artiste, Burna Boy’s recently released album titled ‘African Giant’ has debuted No. 13 on Billboard World Charts just in the second week after its release.

Continue reading “MAD OO!! Burna Boy’s ‘African Giant’ Album Debuts At No. 13 On Billboard World Album Charts” →
Policy

More than Just Investment: Why America Was Once So Popular in Africa
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Nick J. Danby

After two nefarious scrambles for Africa during the colonialism of the nineteenth-century and the Cold War in the twentieth century, another surge in foreign activity—another scramble—has affected Africa. With its exponential population and economic potential, governments and corporations from outside Africa have strengthened their relationships on the continent.

Continue reading “More than Just Investment: Why America Was Once So Popular in Africa” →