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.

Adejuwon Soyinka

Regional Editor West Africa

Dangote launches Africa’s biggest oil refinery - 4 ways it will affect Nigeria

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.

Khartoum: the creation and the destruction of a modern African city

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.

Somaliland crisis: delayed elections and armed conflict threaten dream of statehood

Mohamed Haji Ingiriis, King's College London

Whichever way the ongoing armed conflict ends, the loser will be Somaliland president Muse Bihi Abdi.

Butterfly behaviour shows ways to protect natural habitats in a rapidly changing world

Charl Deacon, Stellenbosch University

Butterflies are sentinel species – their interactions with landscapes help scientists understand other insects better.

South Africa’s 10 year-olds are struggling to read – it can be fixed

Karen Roux, University of Pretoria

Political will is key to tackling pupils’ literacy struggles.

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