‘Trash is Gold’ As Benin Community Turns Waste Into Biogas
Benin — Garbage has never smelled so sweet for a small village in southern Benin since it opened a pilot waste treatment centre to turn household rubbish into gas – and cash. “Our trash has become gold. We no longer throw it into the bush. We use it to make money,” beams Alphonse Ago, who […]
Children sold to pay voodoo debts in Benin
Benin: Voodoo Children Unreported World went to the tiny country of Benin in West Africa, it’s the only country in the world that recognises voodoo as an official religion. Every year thousands of children are initiated into voodoo. But for many poor families the cost can be unbearably high as parents are forced to sell […]
‘We are the enemies of our leaders’- Meet the journalists behind West Africa Leaks
The 13 journalists who worked on the West Africa Leaks face everything from threats, law suits and intimidation. West Africa Leaks is a collaboration of 13 journalists from 11 countries, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and Cenozo. Many of these journalists face tough conditions, including legal threats, commercial pressure and technology constraints. But their […]
Isocel to Launch First Ftth Service in Benin, First in Capital Cotonou and Then More Widely
London — FTTH roll-outs have slowly been made in a range of African countries but the recent news that Isocel will roll-out an FTTH service in Benin is a clear sign that even in smaller markets users will not miss out. Russell Southwood spoke to Robert Aouad, Founder and CEO, Isocel Telecom about his plans. […]
The Scams Which Drain West Africa’s Resources
The international coalition of journalists which pioneered reporting on the “Panama Papers” has teamed up with West Africa’s Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism (Cenozo)* to expose the tax avoidance, financial crime and corruption which siphon money out of the region, hindering development. In what the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) calls West Africa’s […]
Wanted – Honorary Consuls For ‘Cash-Strapped’ African Nations
Honorary consuls occupy a little-known niche in the global elite. Many work to rigorous standards, but for others their avowed love for their adopted country is not always reflected in their tax filings. On an overcast afternoon in September 2009, Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi raised a pair of golden scissors above a ribbon at […]
West Africa is Losing Millions of Dollars
West Africa is losing millions of dollars that could be spent tackling poverty and inequality because governments are bending the rules to favour the rich and powerful, said Oxfam today in the wake of #WestAfricaLeaks. #WestAfricaLeaks shows an elaborate collusion between some of the region’s most powerful politicians and business leaders. From Senegal and Nigeria […]
Wafacash and WorldRemit expand partnership to offer instant money transfers across West and Central Africa
Morocco-based financial services company Wafacash is scaling up operations with leading digital money transfer service WorldRemit to offer instant money transfers across West and Central Africa. The companies already work together in Morocco and Senegal, but will expand into Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger and Cote D’Ivoire before the end of the year. The new […]
France still forcing 14 African countries to pay colonial tax
80% of the 10 countries with the lowest literacy rates in the WORLD among adults are in francophone Africa. Namely: Benin (40%), Burkina Faso (26%), Chad (34%), Côte d’Ivoire (49%), Guinea (29%), Mali (23%), Niger (29%), and Senegal (42%). This spectacular result is achieved after over 150 years of French colonization! During the almost 200 […]
AU Chairman President Alpha Conde Urges African Leaders to Cut Ties with France
Guinea’s president, who also serves as African Union (AU) chairman, has called on African countries to “cut the umbilical chord with France” so as to initiate the continent’s development. Speaking at the 12th International Salon of Agriculture, held in Morocco’s northern city of Meknes late Monday, Alpha Conde harshly criticized western countries — singling out […]
