West Africa

Ghana has signed an agreement with Russian aluminium producer Rusal to establish joint ventures for bauxite mining and alumina production, marking a new step in the country’s efforts to develop its aluminium industry. The agreement was signed on Thursday, October 29, during the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in Moscow. According to a Reuters report,

Professor Kamene Okonjo, renowned sociologist, women’s rights advocate, and mother of World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has died at the age of 96. The respected academic died on Friday, October 23, and her death was announced by the royal family of the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Delta State on Sunday, October 25. In a report published

Constitutional threshold reached Nigeria’s proposed state police system has moved closer to becoming a constitutional reality after 24 State Houses of Assembly approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced the development on October 23, confirming that the approvals met the constitutional requirement of at least

Ghana has strengthened airport screening, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness following reports of Ebola cases in Nigeria and Kenya linked to an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The measures are intended to help authorities detect and respond to suspected infections early. Ghana’s Ministry of Health has said the country has not recorded

Burkina Faso has reinstated the death penalty for several offences, including terrorism, high treason, espionage, parricide and the importation of expired or prohibited products, marking a major reversal in the country’s criminal justice policy. The country’s legislature unanimously adopted a new penal code on Tuesday, October 20, with all 71 members voting in favour, according

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has said countries committed to fighting terrorism should be welcome to support security efforts in West Africa, including Russia, as governments across the region continue to confront militant violence. Speaking at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London on Wednesday, October 21, Mahama said he was not concerned about Russian

The Gambian authorities have received approximately $2.5 million recovered from the sale of a mansion in the United States linked to former president Yahya Jammeh, with the funds designated to compensate victims of abuses committed during his 22-year rule. The Gambia Reparations Commission announced on October 20 that it had received the proceeds from the

Mali’s armed forces and their Russian allies are facing renewed allegations of serious violations of international humanitarian law after a Human Rights Watch investigation documented attacks on civilians during counterinsurgency operations. The report, published on Monday, 19 October 2026, described apparent indiscriminate drone strikes on a cattle market and a health facility, alongside other alleged

Healthcare professionals in Katsina State have begun a seven-day warning strike over unresolved salary adjustments and allowances, following the expiration of a notice issued to the state government. The chairman of the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals, Ibrahim Balange, announced the industrial action on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, saying it would begin at midnight. According to Premium