West Africa Archives - Now In Africa

Nigeria Approves Major Military Expansion Amid Pressure to Tackle Armed Groups

Nigeria’s president has approved the country’s largest military expansion in recent times, a move that reflects growing concern over the proliferation of armed groups targeting civilians across several regions. The decision underscores the scale of the security challenges confronting Africa’s most populous nation, where multiple insurgencies and criminal networks have stretched security forces thin. A […]

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ECOWAS Summit in Freetown Spotlights Calls for Regional Reform

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West African heads of state gathered in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 19 July for the 69th summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a meeting dominated by discussions over the future direction of the regional bloc and the handover of its rotating presidency. Calls for institutional reform The outgoing chair of the

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West African Nations Back $25bn Trans-Regional Gas Pipeline Project

Economy & Business / Leave a Comment

Fourteen West African countries have given formal backing to an ambitious cross-border natural gas pipeline project valued at $25 billion. Stretching roughly 6,000 kilometres along the Atlantic coastline, the network is expected to become one of the largest regional energy infrastructure undertakings on the continent, with construction scheduled to begin in 2028. A continental-scale energy

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Senegal’s President Faye Takes Over ECOWAS Chairmanship at Regional Summit

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Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking the helm of the 15-member regional bloc during a period marked by political turbulence and security challenges across West Africa. The handover places Senegal at the center of efforts to steer the organisation through a

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Ghana Tightens ID Rules With Mandatory Digital Verification

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Ghana has introduced stricter rules on identity verification, requiring companies to confirm individuals’ identities electronically and prohibiting the use of photocopied identification documents. The move is part of a broader push by authorities to curb identity theft, forgery and related financial crimes that have increasingly accompanied the country’s rapid digital expansion. Under the new framework,

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Inside Project ‘Afrika’: How Russia Has Been Targeting French-Speaking African Media

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A trove of leaked confidential documents has exposed what appears to be a coordinated Russian effort to seed hundreds of articles across French-language media outlets in West and Central Africa, raising fresh concerns about the reach of foreign influence operations on the continent. FRANCE 24’s investigative team travelled to Dakar, Senegal, to trace the contours

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BRVM Posts Sharp Weekly Gains as Ecobank Transnational Tops the Leaderboard

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The Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM), the regional stock exchange serving the West African Economic and Monetary Union, recorded significant upward momentum over the past week, with four key stocks delivering standout performances. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated emerged as the top gainer, climbing 36.17 percent over the seven-day period. A Week of Notable Movements Weekly

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Senegal’s President Faye Moves to Launch New Party, Deepening Split with Sonko

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Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is preparing to establish his own political party, a move that signals a decisive break with former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and reshapes the dynamics of the country’s ruling coalition ahead of upcoming local elections and constitutional reforms. A fractured political alliance Faye and Sonko rose to prominence together as

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Sierra Leonean fishermen blame Chinese trawlers for depleting coastal stocks

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Along the Atlantic coastline of Sierra Leone, small-scale fishermen say their daily catch has dwindled to a fraction of what it once was. Many in the artisanal fleet blame the presence of large foreign trawlers, particularly Chinese vessels, accusing them of operating illegally in territorial waters and stripping the seabed of fish. The complaints echo

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In Guinea, Parents of Autistic Children Navigate Stigma and a Lack of Resources

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In Guinea, parents raising children with autism say they are confronting a double burden: enduring social stigma in their communities while searching in vain for adequate medical and educational support. The disorder, widely misunderstood across the country, is often attributed to spiritual causes rather than recognised as a neurodevelopmental condition, leaving many families to cope

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U.S. Africa Command Announces Partial Withdrawal of Troops From Nigeria

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The head of the United States Africa Command (Africom) has announced a partial withdrawal of American troops from Nigeria, indicating that the bulk of forces deployed to the country for a specific mission have already been pulled out. Speaking in recent remarks reported by Nigerian newspaper Premium Times, the commander confirmed the drawdown without elaborating

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Heavy Rainy Season Floods Kill 59 in Ivory Coast, Government Says

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Floods caused by an exceptionally wet rainy season have killed at least 59 people in Ivory Coast since mid-May, the government said on Wednesday. The announcement from authorities in Abidjan highlights the scale of the seasonal crisis confronting the West African nation as heavy rains continue to inundate homes, roads, and farmland. Government Statement A

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