Smallholder farmers in Nigeria remain underprivileged, lacking access to critical information required for their agricultural activities. We are often not able to produce sufficiently for our communities and often see limited incentives to produce more than what is needed for our own livelihood. This is primarily caused by the limited access to the inputs, support services, markets and credit, which would enable us to increase our production and sales volumes.

* Henry Ekwuruke, a smallholder farmer, writes from Umuahia, Abia State.

The arrest and trial of the women once again highlights unacceptable state repression. The seven have been denied release pending hearing of their case, which resumes in September

Who actually rules Somalia? The simple answer is, foreigners with vested interests. And as long as these external actors continue their meddling, regardless of the rhetoric, the Somali state-building project will stagnate

The people of Iraq are once again on the receiving end of a ‘humanitarian’ war to save them from a situation that the U.S. created with the invasion in 2003 and the ill-fated attempt to dislodge al-Assad from power in Syria.

Dan Glazebrook’s volume demonstrates that the infamous imperialism of the past has not disappeared but has instead adopted new strategies to obscure its intentions, such as proxy wars and media-based indoctrination. These tactics must be exposed and imperialist resisted

Malawi marks 50 years of independence next Monday. But the country is hardly independent in any meaningful sense. It heavily relies on donor support and international NGOs. It is these foreigners, not the citizens, who are in charge of the country’s governance

Margaret Mitchell Armand is a Haitian scholar, poet, artist and trained psycholo-gist. Born in Haiti and raised between Haiti and the US, Margaret's' life and work are framed by her faith in the African religious traditions and a celebration of Haitian Vodou.

Babu’s ideas and organising skills were behind the Zanzibar revolution of 50 years ago. A great pan-Africanist and socialist, his life is an inspiration to all people who dare to resist oppression and imperialism.

Few are aware that the rainbow nation of South Africa continues to imprison freedom fighters who fought against apartheid. Many have languished in South Africa’s jails for years and have been sacrificed on an altar of reconciliation in a so-called “new South Africa.” They should be immediately released

The experiences of African-Canadian youth are dissimilar from those of their parents who migrated to Canada. Such youth possess multiple ethnic and racial labels to identify themselves whilst facing discrimination in Canada

European powers imposed the nation-state on Africa through colonialism. But even after African independencies, mainstream discourses and government policies have amplified the idea that sedentariness and the state are the only acceptable mode of modernity. Migration is portrayed as a menace to the societies where the migrants wish to settle

Thousands of migrants every year attempt to flee conflict, misrule and poverty in African countries to seek a better life in Europe. European nations, this writer argues, should tighten enforcement of immigration laws and work closely with African governments to stop this exodus

The huge refugee camps of Dadaab in northern Kenya, the largest in the world, are a living testimonial to the failure of the international system in dealing with the victims of forced migration.

Europe has transformed itself into a fortress, with anti-immigration legislation a centrepiece of foreign and domestic policy. Stringent visa regimes, among other restrictions, simply disqualify many aspiring migrants, forcing them to take ever more desperate measures.

Migration from Africa has historically been a male-dominated phenomenon, but the pattern has changed significantly in recent decades. African women are leaving their countries of birth to create new lives elsewhere. Economic opportunities are primarily available in childcare, domestic and sex work. These trends should be of special interest to those in the policy-making spaces who are concerned about the wellbeing of female migrants

Africa has long endured the elitist rule of the ‘president for life’, under whose leadership governments have grown grossly unaccountable and corrupt. For the continent to realise effective democracies, presidential term limits must be imposed to ensure the political class is accountable to the citizens.

South Sudan could have a transitional phase following the current crisis. Elections are set for next year, but they could be postponed for three years of transition. Various proposals on the leadership structure during the interim period have been made and are presented here

The South African City of Tshwane has neglected the interests of its small traders, who are being subjected to police brutality and theft of their wares by the officers

Ebiem’s discourse on the catastrophe that is Nigeria is an urgent reminder to the world of the responsibilities of the state in society and the dire consequences that could occur if there were any doubts or erosions on the salient features of these roles

In Nigeria, as in other parts of Africa, politicians seem to think that public office is an opportunity to pamper themselves, their families and cronies at public expense. The people must rise up against these predators.

More than a million African soldiers were engaged in this war, some as volunteers while most of them were forcibly conscripted. They fought in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the Far East. But there contribution remains unacknowledged

Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria has a long legacy of supporting the studies of economically disadvantaged students. As the university increases its tuition fees, an alumnus implores management to reconsider the additional fees and to maintain the legacy of OAU.

Afrika today stands plagued by Western imperialism and neo-colonialism, with her wealth routinely plundered and her countries politically and socially divided. Black people globally must unite and resist this, putting aside their petty cultural, political and ideological differences.

There are real worries about the state of Kenya's governance. President Kenyatta is reversing all the progress that has been made. But keen watchers are not surprised. His rise to power was the triumph of colonial-minded conservatives over progressive forces.

Angelou’s contributions to literature and social movements will remain as an inspiration to today’s youth as well as future generations.

Patrick Bond addresses questions raised by Yash Tandon in regards to the role of the BRICS in Africa and in the current configuration of the neoliberal international capitalist order. The challenge is for critics of BRICS to strategise with the world’s progressive forces to build a genuine anti-imperialist movement

The novel goes beyond the prevailing narratives of terrorist behaviour and delves into the thought processes of a terrorist, giving us unique insights into the ‘mind’ of a terrorist.

Meriam Ibrahim Yahya is incarcerated and shackled in Sudan'sOmdurman Women’s Prison. Her twenty-month old child is with her, and she recently gave birth in prison to her second child. Charged with apostasy last month month, she faces flogging and then death by hanging.

As Boko Haram adopts new strategies for shaking up Nigeria, the government must understand that they cannot respond effectively with force. The government must provide effective social services, thereby instilling trust in the state and discouraging discontent and radical action.

The neoliberal policy stance of the African National Congress and the socioeconomic consequences of these policies mark the death of the conservative Black Nationalist movement. The working class and the revolutionary Left must now move away from ‘black consciousness’ to ‘mass consciousness’ to challenge social injustice.

The danger of America’s military assistance to Africa – whether it is in fighting Boko Haram or Al-Shabaab - lies in the fact that the US has a lethal history of training death squads around the world. These death squads are now coming to Africa via the blessing of Boko Haram

Rev. Jesse Jackson urges the Bank to address the issue of rampant racism against Black people.

A well-respected Mozambican academic is facing trial for a comment he made on Facebook critical of President Guebuza. This is flagrant violation of the professor’s freedom of opinion and of expression. Such repression may close down public debate and lead to self-censorship.

The Africa we shall all celebrate in another 50 years is one where the dreams of the liberation struggle are all realised

Today’s young African adults—‘digital natives’— have begun looking to Africa’s own existing potential to solve problems and propel the continent forward. The new knowledge systems they are creating will make the Africa of 2065 independent of foreign burdens and confident in its own momentum.

The immediate emergency that threatens the very survival of African peoples is the ‘Berlin-state’. After decades of failure, Africa must now build inclusive states where women and men live as co-operators and co-creators in fundamentally transforming their society.

Africa’s current development models tend to echo the priorities of colonialism, perpetuating structural inequalities that hinder development and exacerbate existing contradictions. To remedy this, development reciprocity and African-centred governance the promotes franchise, representation and responsiveness to basic needs should be adopted

After 50 years of independence, Africa is rippled with conflicts and it is foremost Africa’s leaders who are to blame. African leadership has to care about the African people and invest in them in the sense of Ubuntu.

The future of Africa and the world will be defined by our response to the ongoing climate crisis. In order to effectively confront this era-defining challenge, we need to rethink our development paradigm and move beyond the narrow industrial focus towards a future where the environment and social benefit are seen as intrinsically inseparable.

Africa's people should be unchained by their own rulers and the imperialists with whom these despots happily collaborate, so that we can fly; we can invent; we can invest; we can develop our own continent.

Africa must increase her capacity to be self-reliant. In the next 50 years Africa’s people must be willing to pay even a higher price for their economic power to control the riches of Africa for their people

Successive presidents of Malawi have undertaken zealous campaigns to rehabilitate the country’s first president, Kamuzu Banda. However, unquestioningly accepting positive depictions of his presidency increase the risk of forgetting past atrocities and make the country vulnerable to future governmental abuses of power