Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest oil producers – yet it’s also the largest importer of refined petroleum products on the continent. That’s about to change with the launch of the Dangote petroleum refinery, which will be Africa’s biggest. Owned by Africa’s richest man, Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote, the refinery will produce 650,000 barrels per day. Nnaemeka Vincent Emodi outlines the changes it could bring to the west African nation.
Khartoum, once known as the “Arab capital of culture”, is now a war zone. Sudan’s capital is ground zero in a civil war between rival military factions. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and tens of thousands have lost homes and community. Amira Osman, a scholar of Sudanese architecture, paints a picture of the city’s unique architectural identity before the outbreak of violence - a reminder of what is being lost.
In the news, a cholera outbreak has killed at least 10 people in South Africa. Here’s an article from our archive which explains what cholera is and why it's so hard to control on the continent.
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Nnaemeka Vincent Emodi, The University of Queensland
Dangote refinery will reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products and create jobs. But it may not be the best for the environment.
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Amira Osman, Tshwane University of Technology
Both residents and Sudanese in the diaspora invested in homes to secure the future. Now the conflict is destroying hope.
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Mohamed Haji Ingiriis, King's College London
Whichever way the ongoing armed conflict ends, the loser will be Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdi.
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Charl Deacon, Stellenbosch University
Butterflies are sentinel species – their interactions with landscapes help scientists understand other insects better.
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Karen Roux, University of Pretoria
Political will is key to tackling pupils’ literacy struggles.
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From our archive
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Samuel Kariuki, Kenya Medical Research Institute
Cholera has persisted longer in Africa largely due to worsening hygiene and sanitation situations in urban areas.
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From our international editions
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Emily Zobel Marshall, Leeds Beckett University
Beatrix Potter’s silence concerning her sources means the Brer Rabbit folktales that helped create her stories are passed over without acknowledgement or celebration.
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Maria Olczak, Queen Mary University of London; Andris Piebalgs, European University Institute; Paul Balcombe, Queen Mary University of London
Major sources, like oil and gas ‘super-emitters’, are almost entirely neglected by regulations.
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Clayton Magill, Heriot-Watt University
Signs of controlled fire use from Spain are at least 50,000 years older than previous evidence.
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Tara Sonenshine, Tufts University
As the drone market continues to expand, a set of rules or standards that can help determine how they are used in warfare is needed, writes a former US diplomat.
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