New career development fellowship launched to help empower women professionals to advance climate-resilient agriculture across North and West Africa Women working in agricultural research and development across North and West Africa have the chance to benefit from expert mentoring, leadership training and collaboration support thanks to a new fellowship. The fellowship was launched by African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) and is implemented under the Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture, the Australian Government’s regional initiative to support agriculture-led development in Africa. It will support women agricultural researchers from Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone to…
Author: Montage Africa
Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the national body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages. In a statement, the commission said the measure was necessary to prioritise the “safety and comfort” of Nigerian pilgrims. The conflict has spread across the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied…
A federal judge has cleared the way for thousands of businesses to receive refunds for tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down last month. The US Court of International Trade on Wednesday ordered Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds for levies US President Donald Trump introduced last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). “All importers of record whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties are entitled to the benefit” from the high court’s ruling, Judge Richard Eaton wrote. The payment process remains murky. But the trade court decision marks a setback for Trump, who has moved…
Healthcare organisations need to undertake digital transformation if they are to deliver the kind of 21st century care that modern patients expect. Digital transformation is fundamentally reshaping healthcare, shifting it to a more proactive, patient-centric and data-driven ecosystem. Driven by a range of leading-edge technologies, this shift aims to enhance patient outcomes, improve operational efficiency and make care more accessible. It is vital for healthcare businesses to undertake digitisation, says Quantin van Rensburg, CIO at Platinum Health Medical Scheme, particularly as healthcare evolves towards digitisation. “Patient information, care and treatment paths are not coordinated with a clear objective in mind. Digital transformation in healthcare…
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $9.57 million grant to support countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in strengthening regional health security and emergency preparedness. Approved on 3 March 2026, the financing from the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, will fund the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness Project. The initiative aims to strengthen the resilience and capacity of health systems across the SADC region to respond more effectively to public health and nutrition emergencies. The project includes the training of 449 laboratory technicians, community health workers and…
the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire is hosting a regional consultation on the Future of Trade, Economic Integration and Sustainable Development in West Africa. Organized by the ECOWAS Commission, this meeting forms part of the preparatory process for the forthcoming Special Summit of Heads of State and Government on the future of the Community. Since its establishment in 1975, ECOWAS has emerged as a cornerstone of African regional integration, notably through the promotion of the free movement of persons and goods, coordinated peace and security interventions, and the progressive harmonization of economic and sectoral policies. These achievements have significantly strengthened cooperation…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies Benin’s former president Thomas Boni Yayi is stepping down as leader of the opposition Les Démocrates party, citing health reasons. The 72-year-old said he wanted to “fully dedicate this new phase of his life to rest.” He says he’ll hand over interim leadership of the party to its vice presidents and governing bodies. But his departure comes at a crucial moment for the party. Despite being Benin’s main opposition, Les Démocrates don’t have a single seat in parliament, after losing to President Patrice Talon’s bloc in January’s parliamentary elections. The party’s candidate for April’s presidential…
By Africanews with AFP The death toll from a landslide at a mining site in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 200, the government said Wednesday. A shaft collapsed at the country’s largest coltan mine in the rebel-controlled east on Tuesday, witnesses told AFP, with an initial toll of six dead. The Rubaya mining site lies about 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of Goma, capital of North Kivu province, which is under the control of the Rwanda-backed armed group M23. “The provisional toll counts more than 200 compatriots who lost their lives, including 70 children and numerous wounded,” said…
By Africanews with AP More than two dozen Doctors Without Borders workers remain unaccounted for a month after attacks in South Sudan, the medical charity said. Two facilities operated by the group, known by French acronym MSF, were attacked on Feb. 3 in Jonglei State, northeast of the capital, Juba, where violence has displaced an estimated 280,000 people since December. A hospital in the town of Lankien was bombed by government forces, MSF said, while another medical facility in the town of Pieri was raided by “unknown assailants.” Both were located in opposition-held areas. Staff working at the two facilities…
By Agencies with AP British recording artist Ghetts has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after admitting to causing the death of a student while driving under the influence and at high speed. The rapper, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. At London’s Old Bailey, Judge Mark Lucraft KC handed down the 12-year sentence and banned him from driving for 17 years. The victim was 20-year-old Nepalese student Yubin Tamang, who died two days after being struck while crossing the road. Prosecutor Philip McGhee told the court that Clarke-Samuel was driving…