Yusuf Ishaya, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker did not set out to make a film about FESTAC. He was at a workshop with archivists, filmmakers, and creators in Lagos, discussing the possibilities of archival materials, when the conversation shifted towards FESTAC. “Up until that moment, I had not known that there had been an event like that,” Ishaya admits. “I knew about Festac Town, and I knew that it was in Lagos, but I didn’t know why it was built or what it was built for.” This curiosity led Ishaya towards digging into the vast history of FESTAC (Festival of Arts and Culture). In…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Protesters in Nigeria have disrupted this week’s opening of a major museum of West African art, where local disputes over the world-renowned Benin Bronzes have already kept them from being put on display. Videos circulating online show more than a dozen young people on Sunday evening rushing the grounds of the multi-million-dollar Museum of West African Art in Benin City, the seat of a famous pre-colonial empire. The demonstrators asserted that the museum’s opening is a violation of Benin City’s cultural heritage, which falls under the authority of its traditional ruler. They chanted in support…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP More than 130 gold and bronze artefacts taken between the 1870s and early 20th century were returned to Ghana on Sunday. They were delivered by Britain and South Africa to King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi. The artefacts included royal regalia, drums, and ceremonial gold weights. Dating between 45 and 160 years old, they depict governance systems, spiritual beliefs, and the role of gold in Asante society. The king thanked South African mining company, AngloGold Ashanti, for returning several items purchased on the open market. Other artefacts came from…
Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has publicly rejected the idea of restructuring the nation’s debt, emphasizing the government’s commitment to financial sovereignty and market credibility. Sonko argued that while such a measure might offer temporary relief, it would severely damage Senegal’s financial reputation and access to international markets. This stance follows difficult negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which recently concluded a mission without reaching an agreement on a new facility. The Senegalese government is grappling with a significant budget deficit and a high public debt burden, partly due to billions in previously undisclosed borrowing from the prior administration. Instead…
Nigeria’s new army chief, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has vowed to intensify military operations against Islamist insurgents in the country’s northeast. During his first operational visit to Borno State, the epicenter of a prolonged insurgency, he promised a campaign with “renewed energy” to crush the insurgency. This commitment comes just days after US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern for religious freedom, citing violence against Christians. President Trump indicated that he has asked the Pentagon to prepare for potential military action if the Nigerian government fails to adequately address the situation. During the visit, General Shaibu promised to…
The 2026 Infrastructure Africa Business Forum to spotlight opportunities driving investment and development across Southern Africa. The pace of infrastructure development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is gaining momentum, with governments, investors, and development finance institutions prioritising projects that can accelerate regional trade, energy access, transport connectivity, and industrialisation. These themes will take centre stage at the Infrastructure Africa Business Forum, taking place from 2 – 3 March 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa’s infrastructure investment gap stands at US$130–170 billion annually, with Southern Africa accounting for nearly 30% of that need. Despite this, SADC countries…
Doing Good Work in Africa (DOWA), a U.S.-based non-profit driving talent exchange between the African Diaspora and the continent’s innovation ecosystem, has reached a major milestone—empowering 100 Diaspora youths through its transformative virtual internship program over the last five years. Building on this momentum, DOWA proudly announces its next evolution: the launch of in-person internships across Africa beginning Summer 2026. Rooted in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9 — Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, DOWA’s mission redefines traditional aid by creating circulation networks that turn “brain drain” into brain gain. The organization connects globally trained students of African descent and Friends of Africa with emerging African startups and…
By Rédaction Africanews Somaliland has declared that visas and travel authorisations issued by neighbouring Somalia are not valid to enter its territory. In an official directive released on Sunday, Somaliland’s Immigration and Border Control Agency said individuals holding these documents would be denied entry. Instead, foreign national should seek to obtain a visa on arrival at one of Somaliland’s two international airports, or in an embassy, mission or consulate. Somaliland has established diplomatic representations in a handful of countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia and the United States. The directive came a day after president Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, known as Irro, declared…
By Dominic Wabwireh with AP United Nations climate negotiations opened Monday on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon, with host leaders invoking Indigenous concepts of collective action to push for accelerated progress, even as the absence of high-level U.S. negotiators underscored deep geopolitical divisions. André Corrêa do Lago, president of the COP30 conference, set the tone by calling for a “mutirão”—a Brazilian term derived from an Indigenous word meaning a community uniting for a shared task. This theme of cooperation was echoed by outgoing COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, who insisted that financial donors must “deliver in full” and warned that…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies Kenya said on Monday that United States Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit to the country later this month has been called off. This follows President Donald Trump’s announcement that Vance’s expected attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa had been cancelled. The vice president was due to travel to Kenya after taking part in the intergovernmental forum in Johannesburg from 22 to 23 November. Trump on Friday that no US government officials would be attending the G20, alleging human rights abuses by South Africa against its white Afrikaner minority. Pretoria and numerous Afrikaner…