West African countries are pushing for the construction of a major highway network that would connect five countries —from Ivory Coast to Nigeria. According to the African Development Bank, every participating country will benefit economically from the project.
Analysts observing political developments in Niger report that economic sanctions imposed on the West African nation by the ECOWAS bloc and Western nations have driven up food prices nationwide and could eventually lead to food insecurity.
As the U.N. urges greater participation of women in international peace and security efforts, West African women are playing a more significant role in the region’s military campaign to combat extremism. In order win hearts and minds in terrorist hot spots, order to win over people in terrorist hotspots, U.S.-led training is helping in putting more women on the front lines.
According to a recent report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, coastal communities will experience more frequent “once in a hundred years” floods as a result of increasing sea levels caused by climate change.
Watch VOA’s top stories from Africa this week, including the reasons why Islamist insurgents from the Sahel region of West Africa pose a threat to the entire region and how African teams are vying for a chance to win the World Cup of football
A key European diplomat believes there is still a chance to defuse the growing political crisis in Mali that has seen the country’s interim military government clash repeatedly in recent days with both its neighbors and members of the international community
Western diplomats fear the spread of extremist groups and persistent economic and social problems in Western Africa and the Sahel are nearing a tipping point that could have disastrous consequences for the region and beyond
Ride-hailing application Uber, after successful launches in Ghana and Nigeria, is looking to expand in West Africa to Senegal’s capital, Dakar. But in a city full of taxis, and drivers without smartphones, the Silicon Valley company will have to overcome a lot of challenges to make a profit