In The News

Fueling a Crisis in Nigeria

Olly Owen October 25, 2004
Under a package of International Monetary Fund-endorsed reforms, the Nigerian government hopes to eliminate domestic fuel subsidies. Yet low gas prices are currently the only economic benefit for cash-strapped Nigerians, who see price increases as another kickback to local elites and foreign oil companies. The proposed reforms have caused domestic turbulence; unions launched a series of...

French NGOs Push to Save African Chicken Farmers from Europe

October 18, 2004
According to a French non-governmental organization, the developed European poultry industry sells cheap produce to African countries, undercutting domestic markets. Industry leaders within Europe claim that African nations have the option of creating import taxes, and that cheap produce is a boon to countries with weak purchasing power. The French group, however, says that imposing tariffs is...

Globalization and the Political Future of Nigeria

Sam Ejike Okoye October 15, 2004
Although some may doubt the impact of globalization on the African continent, the recent surge of world oil prices to their highest recorded levels, triggered by the threat of strike in Nigeria may dispel the myth. If levels remain above US$50 per barrel through the coming winter, a worldwide recession is not out of the question, the article says. Today's economic, scientific, environmental...

Strike Threatens Nigeria's Oil Production

Rory Carroll October 14, 2004
Oil production is at the center of current political controversy in Nigeria: The government has become rich from oil sales, while the majority of the population remains destitute. Trade unions imposed an oil workers' strike over the past three days, demanding that the government maintain domestic oil subsidies. Though oil production has continued during the strike, the major oil workers...

Africa Must Be Heard in the Councils of the Rich

Kevin Watkins October 1, 2004
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have come under intense scrutiny, as the two international financial institutions prepare to meet in Washington this October. Though the agencies greatly influence the shape of the global economy, critics note that their decision-making mechanisms are profoundly undemocratic and favor the interests of rich nations. Wealthy countries maintain...

Countdown in Khartoum

Gamal Nkrumah August 27, 2004
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan, has rendered 1.5 million people homeless and claimed 50,000 lives. Tensions between the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) threaten to destabilize the region, with costly consequences for Sudan’s neighbors, and the world at large. Efforts to secure peace have involved diplomats from neighboring Egypt and...

Reaching South

Dina Ezzat August 20, 2004
Embarking on a 10-day tour of Africa, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit has some serious diplomatic work to accomplish. The country’s failure in July to secure a bid to host the African Parliament was the most recent reminder of the tenuous state of Egypt’s continental ties. Throughout several upcoming diplomatic tours, Abul-Gheit plans to emphasize one key message: Africa is a top...