Chef Sherifah Yunus has established herself as a successful broadcaster and social media food influencer in Nigeria through her weekly online cooking show on Instagram. Wearing a niqab face veil while she cooks, she is also challenging stereotypes about Muslim women. Sara Gasmi, bird story agency Sherifa Yunus Olokodana developed a love for cooking during her pre-teen years in the 1980s when she and her mother would watch a popular Nigerian cooking show, ‘Maggi Kitchen’, hosted by Aunty Funmi (Princess Deborah Funmilayo Namabiri). “It was Aunty Funmi that made me really love to cook. It is only funny that I’m…
Author: NLM writer
South Africa’s state-owned mining company – African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC) – announced that it is actively seeking partnerships with South Sudanese mining companies during the “Africa Energy and Mining Business Forum” at South Sudan Oil & Power 2023 on Friday. “Our approach is public-private partnerships – that is the level of cooperation we are looking to pursue,” said Moroasereme Ntsoane, General Manager of Corporate Strategy & Planning for AEMFC. “Any entity outside of that collaboration can also approach AEMFC, or any company in the mining space in South Africa, and pursue a partnership. We believe in partnerships…
A new report highlights the untapped potential of “second cities” in African countries, suggesting that secondary urban centres catalyse economic growth and alleviate population pressures in primary cities. bird story agency When Tanzania all but completed its decades-long shift of the country’s capital to Dodoma in late May with the inauguration of new presidential offices, the event pointed to a remarkable transformation that is taking place across Africa’s urban landscape. According to a groundbreaking McKinsey report, Africa has traditionally relied heavily on its primary cities. However, with well-articulated interventions, “second cities” are proving they can unlock immense economic growth opportunities.…
Giant tech firms, game studios and other gaming investors have launched an aggressive hunt for young Africans with the talent, skills, passion – and jobs – to sustain long-term investments in the gaming sector. By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency In early June, Maliyo, a game studio in Nigeria began training its pioneer class of 27 participants, drawn from the West African country as well as Kenya, Cameroon and South Africa, while this July, Microsoft is scheduled to run a 2-day virtual gaming camp that will take place across four African cities: Cairo, Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. Also lining up…
By Mxolisi Msutwana All around the world, governments are trying to encourage cashless payments. Their reasons for doing so are multiple, including expanded financial inclusion and transparency, wanting to formalise the informal economy and drive economic growth and innovation. Nigeria is no exception. By the end of 2022, the move towards a cashless policy to eradicate cash was high on the government’s agenda in Nigeria. In early 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bid to introduce new banknotes and lower cash withdrawal amounts led to a severe cash shortage. Unfortunately, there were not enough new notes in circulation to…
An appraisal of the Equalization Fund By Abdiqani Ismail and Mohamed Billow Kenya’s history of regional marginalisation and extremely unbalanced growth is widely documented. The Kenyan government’s direct and indirect systematic policies influenced the discrimination of particular regions. According to the Kenya Integrated Household Budget survey report on the health of the Kenyan economy, the share of the population living below the absolute poverty line was lowest in Central Kenya, followed by Rift Valley, Nyanza, Eastern, Western, and Coast regions. Due to distance and inaccessibility, residents in marginalised communities are often disconnected from the national development axis. To rectify this…
As Egypt announces a 10-gigawatt wind farm, the continent is witnessing a considerable rise in wind power installations in both established and newer markets By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency In 2019, Kenya unveiled what was then Africa’s largest wind power project, the Lake Turkana Wind Power Farm, with a capacity to dispense 310 megawatts (310 MW) of clean and sustainable energy. Barely five years later, that project is dwarfed by a new project on the continent, while wind installations are seeing a surge in established and nascent markets. Egypt is set to host the continent’s next largest wind project…
A groundbreaking study conducted by Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC), a leading iGaming brand, has shed light on the detrimental effects of excessive screen time and online gambling on individuals’ well-being. The survey, carried out over the course of a month, aimed to raise awareness and enhance interventions for responsible online gambling practices. The results unveiled a troubling connection between health conditions and prolonged screen/device use among online gamblers, with 41% of respondents reporting experiences of anxiety or depression. The May 2023 research focused on the health repercussions stemming from excessive screen use, including stress, anxiety, headaches, depression, neck and back…
Africa’s passenger transport and logistics sector is attracting investors looking to boost eco-friendly alternatives for commercial fleets – and is riding a growing wave of investment, as a result. Seth Onyango, bird story agency Africa’s transport and logistics sector is becoming a magnet for investors, pulling in US$1.4 billion in funding in the last four years, making it the third largest by deal value behind fintech and energy. According to the startup funding database ‘Africa: The Big Deal,’ passenger transport ventures, such as ride-hailing and mobility and financing platforms, have received 48% of the sector funding, with Moove, Swvl, and…
Conservation farming Kenyan farmers are turning to regenerative farming to counteract the harmful effects of climate change, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss by planting endangered native tree seedlings on farms for a stabler climate Okwi Okoh, bird story agency At Joan Wandegi Nthiga’s family farm in Embu, a county in eastern Kenya, she and a small group of friends have gathered to discuss the weather, a common topic of conversation these days, and its impact on their area. “The geography has changed dramatically since we started cultivating here over 40 years ago,” Nthiga said. Like many other parts of the…
