African Currents

Despite Africa's growing pool of young talent, African governments must overhaul education systems rooted in colonial practices and invest in developing the practical skills, research, and locally driven expertise needed to unlock the continent's potential and address future challenges.

Years of dependence on imported military equipment have left several African armed forces struggling with costly repairs, shortages of spare parts, and limited technical expertise, prompting governments to explore alternatives better suited to their operational needs.

As major powers compete for influence across Africa, the continent faces a choice of its own: continue navigating rival geopolitical interests or build a power center capable of shaping the global order on its own terms.

A recent economic study involving respondents from major business clusters in southeastern Nigeria found that entrepreneurs who participated in the Igbo entrepreneurship model achieved better business survival and growth outcomes than their counterparts outside the system.

Despite persistent challenges such as high fish import costs, overfishing, and limited access to affordable fish feed and fingerlings, West Africa can unlock its aquaculture potential by building stronger, more profitable fish production and supply networks that boost local output, strengthen food security, and create jobs, an expert has stressed.

With its annual food import bill exceeding $10 billion and agricultural export earnings falling below $400 million, Nigeria is turning to a reformed agro-industrial development framework to attract $4.4 billion in investment, strengthen domestic processing capacity, and narrow the trade gap.

A planned $16 billion, 700,000-barrel-a-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya, could sharply expand East Africa’s fuel-processing capacity, challenging the region’s long reliance on imported refined petroleum even as Africa exports crude oil.