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Africa United Educating Us Are you thinking of relocating? Start-ups for Africa Afro Train
 
Africa United

Africa United

I can think of four times in the fifty year or so history of post-colonial Africa in which the continent had one voice, and the same couple of countries – Ghana and South Africa – were the instigators. First with Ghana being the first country to gain independence in Africa in the late fifties. Then [...]

Educating Us

Educating Us

Often we get young entrepreneurs with charitable hearts eager to help Africa. Unfortunately, they often forget the basics. Such as a school without quality teachers is simply a building; a classroom without adequate textbooks is merely a room full of children. These charities erecting buildings make it easy to forget the essential problem – unequal access [...]

Are you thinking of relocating?

Are you thinking of relocating?

Young African Professionals networking evenings are held every month in Washington DC area and the event attracts over 50-100 professionals interested in Africa. The theme for the April 30th event was "Home Sweet Home: How to successfully relocate to Africa". The evening was meant to address the many concerns of young Africans in Diaspora.

Start-ups for Africa

Start-ups for Africa

Robert Litan, director of research at Kauffman Foundation – a firm that specializes in promoting innovation in America said, “Between 1980 and 2005, virtually all net new jobs created in the U.S. were created by firms that were 5 years old or less”. “That is about 40 million jobs. That means the established firms created [...]

Afro Train

Afro Train

Pan-Africanism has been whispered and then shouted the world over as a solution to Africa’s ills and a refuge for blacks the world over. However, I am hesitant to join this bandwagon especially when Ghaddafi, who just called for Nigeria to be split into two, is its current champion. There is no doubt we need a [...]

Kenya: Part 6

30 June 2010

I owe you stories about Fostina Mani, Sammy Gitau, Leah Komen, Wairimu Gitau – all Kenyans whose pet projects are examples of that originality we were discussing last week. I also need to tell you about my last interview at USIU and about Salsa night in Nairobi and about Ugali and Sukumawiki but I’m yet [...]

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Kenya: Part 5

21 June 2010

Guys, this (bit by bit on the blackberry) method is actually working! So far, I’ve written about 1500 words. A typical chapter would fall between 3000 and 5000 words. Your comments help more than you realize so don’t be stingy. Whoever reads this should say something. And to those of you regular comment leavers: muchos [...]

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The African Market

The African Market

16 June 2010

Two of the more standout features of the African marketplace have the distinct dual pleasure of being its greatest attractions and possible hindrances. I am referring to taxes – or lack thereof, and bargaining – or license to boycott goods control. I was in the Masai market in Nairobi the other day and the price of [...]

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Kenya: Part 4

14 June 2010

So back to this U. S. Of Africa business… Allan was not the only one who thought it was a bad idea. Some argued that smaller countries would be perpetual casualties of this idea. There were also concerns that if power were to be rotated, leaders would play favorites, giving more attention to their region at [...]

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Kenya: Part 3

08 June 2010

Seeing as none of you saw fit to comment on the previous post about a United States of Africa, I’m putting that on hold to write this instead: Kenya would have been a lot less fun without Nyambura, a precocious eight-year-old who taught me almost every word of Swahili I now flaunt. Her invaluable commentary [...]

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Kenya: Part 2

01 June 2010

This is continued from my landing at the Jomo Kenyatta Int’l Airport. So tell me, will a United States of Africa solve any problems or create bigger ones? Enjoy… Minutes after clearing customs, I bought a Safaricom SIM card, negotiated a ride for (about 1300KSH) to the school where I’d be interviewing students and was discussing [...]

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Kenya: Part 1

01 June 2010

This is under 200 words on my first moments in Kenya, the third country on the Solving Africa itinerary. You can expect short anecdotes like this from now on until I’ve exhausted all my stories from Kenya. Kenya started off with a bang. After the ordeal of getting a Kenyan visa, I thought I’d have [...]

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Help! This book must be finished.

12 May 2010

I was supposed to write a great book. Everyone was counting on it. I’d raised the money to travel to seven African countries and I’d told everyone I would write a book about it. All I had to do was sit my ass down and write the book. So after traveling, I started writing. I [...]

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When Acting President Goodluck Jonathan visited Washington D.C.

When Acting President Goodluck Jonathan visited Washington D.C.

22 April 2010

During the discussion forum hosted by Nancy Birdsall, President of Center for Global Development, Acting President of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan offered his perspective on several of the key issues affecting Nigeria, including electoral reform, consolidation of the gains of the Niger Delta Amnesty, the fight against corruption, and improvement to the power and energy sectors. Birdsall who said the US was interested in helping Nigeria manage her oil said the world wants to see a more active and engaged Nigeria. She expressed how disappointing it has been that Nigeria missed several opportunities to serve on the global stage. “Despite Nigeria’s great wealth, too many Nigerians are still in poverty” she mused. What will it take to move Nigeria from its introverted and stalling progress towards the level it deserves? Africa needs a strong Nigeria, one that is focused on improving lives.

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Visiting Nigeria and seeing no massive changes: Olanrewaju Sule

Visiting Nigeria and seeing no massive changes: Olanrewaju Sule

27 March 2010

Living abroad is not the answer to everything--- diaspora is over rated—but there are opportunities here. It is left for the youths to come here and grab those opportunities for good use.

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