🔅 Nigeria's Bureaucracy Declutter & "Io Capitano" Navigates Oscar Seas
Plus, Benin's Bold Haiti Mission & South Africa's Rhino Crisis Deepens
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Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
Nigeria's Bureaucracy Makeover: Less Is More?
Imagine if Marie Kondo decided to declutter not closets but the Nigerian government. And so you have it—Nigeria's Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, just announced a Marie Kondo-style tidying up of its governmental closet. The plan is to merge, scrap, and relocate more than 20 government agencies.
This bureaucratic spring cleaning follows recommendations from a 2012 report, suggesting it was high time to reduce the government's footprint. With over 500 agencies making the government's organizational chart, critics have long pointed out the redundancies, and President Bola Tinubu has decided it's time to take action.
Amidst efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs, Nigeria is grappling with significant economic challenges. Tinubu's government, aiming for the most ambitious economic reform program in decades, finds itself walking a tightrope between cutting costs and not inflating the already sky-high cost of living for Nigerians.
Thus, the government has also offered to toss a financial lifeline to 12 million vulnerable households, hoping to cushion the blow with direct cash transfers.
"Io Capitano" Sails to the Oscars: A Journey of Hope and Humanity
In a cinematic odyssey that has critics raving, "Io Capitano," Italy's gem and Oscar contender, embarks on a Homeric fairy tale of two young boys, Seydou and Moussa, as they navigate from Dakar to dreams of Europe. Directed by Matteo Garrone, this masterpiece has sailed straight into the hearts of audiences and critics alike.
Critics hail it as a voyage toward hope, a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dare to dream beyond horizons. Take a look.
Benin to Haiti: "We'll Send Troops!"
Benin has decided to offer 2,000 troops to fight gang violence in Haiti. During a press briefing that had everyone's ears perked (held in Guyana, of all places), the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, spilt the beans. She's been chatting with Haiti's Prime Minister and other who's-who about getting this multinational security force rolling, led by none other than Kenya.
Yet, a Kenyan court last blocked the move last month, asking for appropriate paperwork allowing the state to send police officers abroad. Kenya's President William Ruto has promised to dot the i's and cross the t's to get those officers on their way.
Haitian gangs killed 8,400 people last year, an increase of 122% from the year before.
South Africa's Rhinos: Now Featuring in the "More Endangered Than Ever" Series
In the latest season of "When Humans Attack Nature," South Africa's rhinos are hitting record-breaking numbers, and not the kind you'd celebrate with champagne. In 2023, 499 rhinos found themselves on the wrong end of a poacher's agenda, marking an increase from the previous year. South Africa is the home to nearly half of Africa's critically endangered black rhinos and most of the near-threatened white rhinos.
These majestic creatures are being targeted for their horns, and 406 rhinos lost their lives on state properties while 93 had their final curtain call on privately owned lands.
Despite 49 arrests and 13 firearms being confiscated, efforts to curb this trend do not seem to be working. And in a move that sounds like it's straight out of a wellness retreat brochure, South Africa's environment ministry is offering healthcare, training, and counselling to rangers in hopes they'll think twice before turning to the dark side.
Guinea's Not-so-Silent Strike
In Guinea, the streets have taken on the eerie quiet of a city on pause, but don't be fooled—this silence screams volumes. The nation, usually buzzing with life, has hit the pause button, with main thoroughfares deserted, banks dozing off, and markets with their shutters down, all thanks to a national strike that's got the city in a tight grip.
The cause of this sudden societal standstill? A strike that's spread its tentacles through public, private, and informal sectors, with demands for the government to lower food prices, lift pesky internet restrictions, and generally improve the standard of living.
Amidst this, the strike's ripple effects have not been kind, with two individuals losing their lives in clashes. As a result, the air is tense in Conakry and its suburbs, with frustration simmering into the streets.
Food for Thought
“The child you sired hasn’t sired you."
— Somali Proverb
Always a pleasure to read, but today’s article was extremely informative.
I am anxious to see this film and had no idea Benin was sending troops to Haiti. What does the Nigerian gov’t have up their sleeve? Is it only for headlines or is it for the best interest of the people? Their president is failing them.
Thanks for always keeping those informed about what is happening abroad !!