In 2009, Nigerian actress Omoni Oboli walked out of a movie deal that would have earned her 90 million naira then, because of three scenes in the script.

She was contacted by a Hollywood producer to play a lead role in a movie that centred on African women. There were three scenes where she was supposed to go completely 'n@k3d' and play a character that was having 'the do' with three men.

She turned down the offer and said she would only take the role if the three scenes were removed or modified by the American producer. But the producer was not ready.

"I made it known to him (the Producer) that in my culture, you are only subject to your husband. I truly love my husband and he does too," she said.

GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH 24-HOUR ECONOMY PROGRAMME ON WEDNESDAY 2ND JULY 2025.

The Presidential Advisor on the 24-hour economy, Mr. Augustus Goosie Obuodum Tandoh has disclosed that the 24-hour initiative would be launched on Wednesday 2nd July 2025.

He stated that the program is designed to transform production with agriculture as its main anchor to develop the nations value chain so that we are able to achieve greater productivity. He went on to say that the programme is made up of three angles that is Production transformation, Supply chain and market efficiency and human development.

Mr. Tandoh noted that to make this initiative work, the three angles will be supported by some subgroups “Grow 24 which is the agricultural component, Make 24 which is the manufacturing component, Connect 24 which is the Supply chain component, Aspire 24 which is the Mindset change, that’s resetting the Ghanaian.” As part of Aspire 24, the government will also include a strong digital technology training to the TVET curriculum to provide employment opportunities.

He said there’s also a component dubbed “Show Ghana” will be included to highlight Ghana’s vibrant culture to the diaspora, adding that the goal is to bring in more tourists and boost income through tourism.

The RT Hon Speaker in his remarks stated that there are lots of opportunities interms of employment. He emphasized that the 24-hour economy office needs to work hard to get Parliament to approve a Bill. This would ensure the policy continues to be implemented, even if there’s a change in government, he added.

Burkina Faso is making huge strides in onion production, officially becoming the third-largest producer in West Africa, surpassing Senegal. This season, the country is set to harvest over 400,000 tonnes of onions, marking a historic milestone in its agricultural sector.

This surge is credited to expanded irrigation systems, improved seed varieties, and better access to regional markets. With this momentum, Burkina Faso is on track to become the ninth-largest onion producer in Africa, boosting its economy and creating thousands of jobs.

A proud moment for Burkinabé farmers and a major win for West African agriculture!

PRESS RELEASE

FG Hosts Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming and GBV Success Stories Dissemination under TRIMING Project.

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, in collaboration with the World Bank and other critical stakeholders, convened a Gender Mainstreaming and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Success Stories Dissemination Workshop under the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) Project, with the theme: “From Tradition to Transformation, Led by Women”, today in Kano.

The Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, in his keynote address emphasized that the TRIMING Project was designed to enhance irrigation systems and promote integrated water resource management, with gender and social safeguards as core components.

According to Prof. Utsev, the project has transformed women, youth, and vulnerable groups from being marginalized to becoming vital contributors in agriculture and water governance.

He highlighted the achievements of the project, including the development of GBV Action Plans across all schemes for risk mitigation and survivor support, women’s leadership in Water Users Associations (WUAs), enhancing inclusive decision-making, and the economic empowerment of women through active roles in irrigation management.

Prof. Utsev added that the extensive capacity-building on gender sensitivity and GBV prevention, the strengthening of local capacitie, including youth champions and gender desk officers, cultural norm shifts through media, dialogues, and storytelling in local languages, as well as alignment with global best practices and World Bank environmental and social standards, are additional achievements of the project.

The Minister thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the World Bank, and the Project Monitoring Unit for their support in driving TRIMING’s success. He urged the replication of its gender and GBV initiatives in other projects and emphasized that achieving a gender-equitable, GBV-free society requires ongoing commitment and collaboration.

Engr. Hauwa Sadique Mohammed, Deputy Director Irrigation, delivering the welcome address on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, emphasized the workshop as a key milestone in advancing inclusivity, equity, and safety, particularly for women, girls, and vulnerable groups in the TRIMING Project. The Permanent Secretary highlighted that from inception, the project prioritized gender equality, GBV prevention, and social inclusion, with gender mainstreaming embedded across all stages to ensure equal opportunities and safe spaces.

Delivering a comprehensive overview of the project, the Project Coordinator, Engr. Ipinlaye Olaiya, emphasized the central role of gender mainstreaming across all components of the TRIMING Project, noting that the deliberate integration of gender perspectives was not only strategic but essential to the long-term sustainability and impact of the interventions.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Managing Director of Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, Engr. Rabiu Suleiman Yusuf, representative of the academia,Prof. Restituta Igube from the University of Abuja, and Commissioners from the Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs, Asmau Mohammed Iganus as well as the representative of Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children, and the Disabled. They all emphasized the significance of inclusivity, sustainability, and community ownership in gender-responsive water and agricultural development.

A key moment of the workshop was the presentation of badges to Women Leaders of Water Users Associations (WUAs) of Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, Jigawa, Kano, Gombe and Zamfara States.

Signed
Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan
Director Information and PR

25/06/2026

Ghana is now the 6th largest economy in Africa as of May 2025, thanks to the high price of gold on the international market and the implementation of the gold board policy.

Revisited Top 10 Africa's Largest Economies (2025) based on nominal GDP :

1. South Africa - $410.34 billion
2. Egypt - $347.34 billion
3. Algeria - $268.89B
4. Nigeria - $188.27B
5. Morocco - $165.84B
6. Ghana - $135.7 B
7. Kenya - $131.67B
8. Ethiopia - $117.46B
9. Angola - $113.34B
10. Côte d’Ivoire - $94.48B

Note : This ranking won't be available on the Web or from the IMF or World Bank because their last update date back to April 2025, and the Bank of Ghana realised its updated date in May 2025.

The government of Ghana
must listen to Prophet Telvin Adjei Sowah by diversifying the economy by massively investing in agriculture and other areas in order to keep this gains because the high price of gold will not be high forever.

The deal, signed on June 16, 2025, during the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) in Changsha, China, includes a large-scale titanium extraction project in Salima and the creation of a state-of-the-art mineral processing facility in the country.

Following the signing, the country’s Minister of Mining, Dr. Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, hailed the deal as a strategic breakthrough, emphasizing its alignment with President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s long-term vision of transforming mining into a key driver of the national economy.

“This MoU signals a new era; anchored on sustainability, innovation, and inclusive growth. It aligns squarely with President Chakwera’s agenda to turn mining into a driver of national development,” Ng’oma said.

Notably, Hunan Sunwalk CEO and Founder Hou Xingwang described the agreement as a strategic milestone for both nations, stating that it will, “facilitate the flow of capital, technology, and skilled human resources between China and Malawi”

He also expressed interest in exploring investments in agriculture and other sectors to contribute to Malawi’s broader economic development.

Ng’oma emphasized that the partnership goes beyond raw material extraction, delivering technological transfer, strict environmental compliance, and human resource development.

He highlighted Hunan Sunwalk’s successful performance in Zimbabwe as a testament to the company’s capabilities.

Reassuring the public, the Minister said, “This is the first time Malawi has entered into such a comprehensive MoU with a multinational mining corporation.”

“We ensured that due diligence was conducted thoroughly, and we are confident that the interests of Malawians are well protected.” He added.

Officials from both parties described the agreement as a “win-win” venture, with potential to create thousands of new jobs, infrastructure development, and enhance economic growth.

The Chinese company has reportedly commenced exploration and feasibility studies in the Salima District.

Two years of Ibrahim Traoré's presidency
1. Burkina Faso's GDP increased from approximately $18.8 billion to $22.1 billion.

2. He reduced the salaries of ministers and parliamentarians by 30% and increased those of civil servants by 50%.

3. He paid off Burkina Faso's local debts.

4. He created two tomato processing plants, the first in the country.

5. In 2023, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art gold mine to strengthen local processing capacity.

6. He ended the export of Burkinabe raw gold to Europe.

7. He built Burkina Faso's second cotton processing plant. The country previously had only one.

8. He opened the first-ever National Support Center for Small-Scale Cotton Processing to support local cotton producers.

9. He banned the wearing of British wigs and robes in local courts and introduced traditional Burkinabé dress.

10. He prioritized agriculture by distributing more than 400 tractors, 239 power tillers, 710 motor pumps, and 714 motorcycles to boost production and support rural stakeholders.

11. He facilitated access to improved seeds and other agricultural inputs to maximize agricultural production.

12. Tomato production in Burkina Faso increased from 315,000 tons in 2022 to 360,000 tons in 2024.

13. Millet production increased from 907,000 tons in 2022 to 1.1 million tons in 2024.

14. Rice production increased from 280,000 tons in 2022 to 326,000 tons in 2024.

15. He banned French military operations in Burkina Faso.

16. He banned French media in Burkina Faso.

17. He expelled French troops from Burkina Faso.

18. His government is building new roads, widening existing ones, and converting gravel roads to paved ones.

19. He is currently building a new airport, Ouagadougou-Donsin Airport, scheduled for completion in 2025 and capable of handling one million passengers per year.

Many has attempted nearly 20 unsuccessful assassinations on his life and regime.
what do you think Africa should do to protect him?

Italy is working with the European Union on a debt-relief plan for African countries, as part of its broader push to foster development on the continent and address the root causes of irregular migration.

“The entire 10-year operation will allow us to convert some 235 million euros ($270.67 million) of debt into development projects to be implemented locally,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, said.
In addition to the EU-led efforts, Italy is advancing its strategic framework, the Mattei Plan for Africa, which aims to accelerate growth in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure across African nations, according to Reuters.

The European Union’s involvement complements these efforts through its Global Gateway strategy, launched in 2021 to foster sustainable, high-standard investment as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

One of the flagship projects under this collaboration is funding for a new transport corridor connecting Angola’s Lobito port with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a crucial mineral export route.

“Investing in infrastructure is not just building railways, bridges and dams. It is also investing in training for local workers because that builds capacity and that is how transfer of expertise happens. And this results in positive spillovers all across the local economies of Africa. There is no better example than our work on the Lobito corridor,” President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said.

Debt concern
Meloni also stressed the urgency of addressing Africa’s growing debt burden, warning it could “undermine all other efforts” toward inclusive and sustainable development if left unaddressed.

She revealed that a new initiative is being developed to reduce the debt load of low- and middle-income African countries by up to 50%.

While she did not provide specific details, she emphasized that addressing debt was central to Italy’s broader strategy for fostering long-term growth and stability in Africa.

At the summit, Italy and the EU unveiled a total commitment of €1.2 billion to support development initiatives under both the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa.