Nigeria is in the news now because of the bizarre Boko Haram kidnapping of schoolgirls. It is a nation of 177 million people, half of whom are Muslim, and 43% of whom are under that age of 14. It has Africa’s largest economy in terms of total GDP, at $478.5 billion. That translates to $2,800… [Read More]
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Category: Africa
Benin: Spirit Rising and Eve
In my secret double life as a pop culture writer for Popdose.com, I had the opportunity to review Angelique Kidjo’s new book and latest CD.In the process, I got an interesting perspective on life in West Africa in general and Benin in particular, from a major star who makes frequent return trips to see family… [Read More]
Togo: The Village of Waiting
George Packer is an accomplished writer covering national and international politics. This is his first book, published in 1988. It’s about his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo from 1982-1984. It’s a nation of seven million very poor people. When Packer was there, the country was transitioning from a republic with temporary military… [Read More]
Burkina Faso: Dreams of Dust
Burkina Faso, formerly known a Upper Volta, is poor and land-locked. It has gold, though, and if you live in a poorer country, that creates attractive employment opportunities. Dreams of Dust is a French-Canadian movie about someone from Niger who comes to Burkina Faso in search of work. Mocktar, our hero, arrives about 20 years… [Read More]
Ghana: Ghana Must Go
Ghana is a democracy, mostly stable, with a GDP of $3500 per capita. You could do a lot worse than living in Ghana, and too many people are. I found this book on Amazon and was intrigued by the title. I’ve seen references to “Ghana Must Go” bags elsewhere. These are woven plastic plaid bags:… [Read More]
