Grassroots activism has arisen in many big cities to counter a lack of housing and increasingly high rents. In Berlin, a proposal to nationalise housing is considerably more mainstream – 54.9% of its citizens support the idea. Campaigners now hope to push for a referendum that could ultimately see 200,000 former council houses returned from corporate ownership. Joanna Kusiak writes on a bold move to use a clause in the constitution to take back control from private interests – and why campaigners in other cities such as London will be watching very closely as events unfold.

Nigerians have given Muhammadu Buhari a second chance to repair a dismal economic record in his first term that included a two-fold rise in unemployment and poor economic growth. Stephen Onyeiwu argues Buhari should be planning a massive stimulus package to jumpstart the economy. He should also surround himself with a more talented team of economists.