The World Bank and IMF should step in to finance a recovery of children’s learning chances devastated by the pandemic“Education,” wrote Nelson Mandela, “is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” One wonders what he would have made o…
‘Collective strength’: the LRA captive restoring dignity to survivors in Uganda
Kidnapped by Lord’s Resistance Army rebels as a girl, Victoria Nyanjura has pushed through major reforms for victims of abduction and rapeWhen Victoria Nyanjura was abducted from her Catholic boarding school in northern Uganda by members of the Lord’s …
Kuda, the African challenger bank, raises $55M at a $500M valuation
Kuda Bank, the London-based, Nigerian-operating startup that is taking on incumbents in the country with a mobile-first, personalised and often cheaper set of banking services built on newer, API-based infrastructure, has been on a growth tear in the last several months, and to fuel its expansion, it has now raised another round of funding. TechCrunch […]
The Guardian view on Fortress Europe: a continent losing its moral compass
The increasingly draconian approach to irregular migration betrays the spirit of the 1951 refugee conventionSeventy years ago, the 1951 UN refugee convention established the rights of refugees to seek sanctuary, and the obligations of states to protect…
Out of control and rising: why bitcoin has Nigeria’s government in a panic
As leaders around the world grapple with cryptocurrencies, what happened when the African country tried to ban them?When the Nigerian government suddenly banned access to foreign exchange for textile import companies in March 2019, Moses Awa* felt stuc…
Extra Crunch roundup: Livestream e-commerce, growth marketing interviews, CEO for a day
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Airtel Africa gets an extra $200M for its mobile money business from QIA
Three months ago, Mastercard invested $100 million in Airtel Mobile Commerce BV (AMC BV) — the mobile money business of telecom Airtel Africa. This was two weeks after it also received $200 million from TPG’s Rise Fund. Today, the African telecoms operator has announced that it has secured another investment for its mobile money arm. […]
Egyptian ride-sharing company Swvl plans to go public in a $1.5B SPAC merger
Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital, the women-led SPAC in charge of the deal, called Swvl ‘a disruptive platform that solves complex challenges and empowers underserved populations.’
Genetic engineering test with mosquitoes ‘may be game changer’ in eliminating malaria
UK scientist says gene-drive study rendering female insects infertile may lead to ‘self destruct mosquito’ field tests within 10 yearsScientists have successfully wiped out a population of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes by using a radical form of gene…
Tunisia in turmoil as president purges officials and seizes judicial power
Days after PM’s overthrow fears grow that Kais Saied will undo democratic gains achieved by Arab springTunisia’s president has launched a purge of senior officials, including prosecutors and judges, and taken on judicial powers, days after overthrowing…