African Spotlight Spotlighting Africans at Home and Abroad

IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned Tuesday that the world economy is at a “very dangerous juncture,” speaking of the potential impact on poorer nations during her first visit to Africa as head of the fund. The International Monetary Fund managing director spoke of a crisis of confidence with high unemployment and slowing global growth. “Currently the world economy stands at ...

The Federal Government has earmarked a curious N16.64million as rent payable on the official residence of Vice President Namadi Sambo, although the president and his deputy are not known to pay rents for their official residences. Details of overhead expenditures under the VP’s office as contained in the 2012 fiscal appropriation presented to the National Assembly last week indicates that ...

Africa, the birthplace of the human species, has long been a magnet for archaeologists. Now South Africa wants to draw leading astrophysicists to the continent as well with the world’s most powerful radio telescope, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), an instrument that would be able to look back to the infancy of the universe. South Africa and Australia are the ...

Taxpayers will spend a fortune feeding the president and his deputy next year. The Federal Government plans to spend approximately N1 billion in feeding its first and second citizens next year if the National Assembly approves President Goodluck Jonathan’s spending proposal as submitted to it last week. The president and his deputy will together enjoy N992.57 million worth of food ...

Political conflict and unrest proved deadly for journalists in 2011, while governments failed to prosecute those who targeted reporters for their work, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists’ year-end survey of journalists killed in the line of duty. At least 43 journalists were killed worldwide in direct relation to their work this year. Seven deaths occurred in Pakistan, where ...