Caroline Imlau Jean Jules Petoh carries people and goods to remote villages in western Cameroon. The journeys are dangerous, but so-called “monster bikes” provide a vital lifeline. In rural Cameroon, so-called “monster bikes” provide a vital transport link for remote communities around Bafoussam. The modified motorcycles carry passengers, crops and heavy loads along poor roads and tracks that are often barely passable. For riders like Jean Jules Petoh, every journey means balancing the risks of dangerous roads with the need to earn a living. Potholes, steep climbs and hazardous stretches make journeys difficult, while the rainy season can leave many…
Author: Montage Africa
by Paul-Simon Handy and Joseph Sany Since the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United States (US) government signed off on the Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group (SIWG) in January, the platform has begun to take shape. Projects are being identified and institutional mechanisms built, as both sides test each other’s ability to deliver on their promises. The SIWG is a promising new initiative aimed at securing investment inflows and developing trade in Africa, notably from the US private sector. Signs of progress include an agreement between AUC Chairperson Mahmood Youssouf and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau that…
By Rukayat Moisemhe Mr Hisham Ezz El Arab, Business Unit President, Sub-Saharan Africa at Mondelez International, says people remain the most critical element for successful business transformation across Africa. Ezz El Arab made the assertion at the Lagos Business School (LBS) Leadership Dialogue, with the theme, “The 5Ps Business of Transformation”, on Tuesday in Lagos. He said the “5Ps” — Purpose, People, Process, Plan and Progress — provided a roadmap for organisations seeking to transform and achieve sustainable growth. According to him, while each of the five elements is important, investing in people remains central to unlocking Africa’s enormous economic…
Africa contributes less than one per cent of dementia research despite projections that cases of the disease in West Africa could rise by about 348 per cent over the next 25 years, Professor Mahmoud Bukar Maina has said. Maina, a Professor of Neuroscience and Director of the Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre at Yobe State University, disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the 23rd Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Neuroscience Society of Nigeria in Abuja. He warned that the continent was poorly prepared to confront the projected increase because of the limited research being…
Africa is losing an estimated $74.5 billion in additional debt-service costs due to exaggerated risk perceptions and biased credit ratings. This is according to the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which also noted that only 16 per cent of the continent’s exports are traded within Africa. The two developments, disclosed at the 2026 Invest Nigeria Conference and Expo in Lagos, have renewed calls for lower borrowing costs, stronger regional integration and measures to unlock greater investment and intra-African trade. Director, Regional Operations, Afreximbank, Kudawashe Matereke, said Africa was paying significantly more for credit despite having lower infrastructure loan default rates than several other…
by Olufunke Baruwa For centuries, the world has looked at Africa through a distorted geographical lens. The familiar world map has made Greenland appear almost as large as Africa, while the continent that can contain the United States, China, India and much of Europe has often been visually reduced. On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly took a small but symbolically important step towards correcting that picture. By a vote of 164 in favour, one against and six abstentions, the Assembly adopted a resolution encouraging governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to use maps that represent continental…
By Rédaction Africanews World Food Programme Country Director David Stevenson said the response to Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo must go beyond health care alone. He said the region is already struggling with conflict, displacement and severe food insecurity, and that hunger makes it harder for families to follow health protocols and support the wider response. Stevenson further said more than 500,000 people in Ituri are facing IPC Phase 4 hunger, just one step away from starvation, and warns the outbreak is moving faster than the response. The WFP is already helping with logistics, humanitarian flights, supply…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies The International Monetary Fund took centre stage on Tuesday during debates in the Senegalese National Assembly. Laying out the government’s general policy statement, Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo defended the government’s recent agreement with the IMF on a three-year aid programme worth $2.2 billion. “If you cannot do without the IMF, set up a programme with the IMF, because it is the only institution authorised to give an opinion on a country’s macroeconomic trajectory and the sustainability of its debt.” Lawmakers opposed to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s Kiiray party and his new deal with the IMF…
By AP The Kenyan government on Tuesday gave foreigners running businesses in the country 90 days to obtain or update required documents, including work permits and business licenses. The move followed remarks by the president about foreign-owned businesses that sparked panic in immigrant communities. Presidential spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said government agencies would carry out the process with foreign embassies. He warned against threats, harassment and intimidation of foreign businesspeople. Hundreds of Burundian nationals went to their embassy in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Monday to obtain documents. Some planned to return home because they fear for their lives. Some Kenyans…
Africa has only ever had one Ballon d’Or winner, and the wait for someone to emulate George Weah is likely to be extended further after this year’s nominations were revealed. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi and Senegal forward Sadio Mane are the continent’s two names on the 30-strong list. Both players have previously recorded top-six Ballon d’Or finishes but, after a year in which Spain lifted the Fifa World Cup and Kylian Mbappe netted 10 goals to become the tournament’s all-time top scorer, the chances of the Paris St-Germain right-back or the Al-Nassr winger lifting the coveted trophy appear slim. And…