In the past decade, Africa has seen an unprecedented boom in oil and gas investment. - Monday 18 February 2008

The Countdown to the Zimbabwe elections, marked for March 29, 2008, is on. Zimbabweans are getting prepared to hit the polls to elect a president out of four candidates, namely, Simba Makoni who stands as an independent, Morgan Tsvangirai standing for the main opposition MDC, veteran Robert Mugabe for ZANU-PF and last (but least?), Langton Toungana, also running as an independent candidate. International observers say, the polls, held against a backdrop of unprecedented economic hardships, would be a three-horse race between Mugabe, Makoni and Tsvangirai. - Monday 18 February 2008

The first International Business Conference (IBC), organised by the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) Business Group of Cote d’Ivoire, in collaboration with their Nigerian counterparts and the Private Enterprise Foundation of Ghana, will be held 3-5 March 2008. - Monday 18 February 2008

Preamble

Motion picture industry in Northern Nigeria popularly known as Kannywood was founded in 1990 when the first Hausa home video titled "Turmin Danya" was produced. The industry was brought into being and nurtured to the present level by the practitioners themselves. Today, the industry employs the services of more than fifty thousand people and supplies 35% of Nollywood movies. It generates over N20 million to the Federal Government annually through National Film and Video Censorship Board (NFVCB). In Nigeria it’s been argued that our film industry alone generates over N30 billion worth of economic activities. This implies that Hausa Film industry generates about N9 billion (about 35% of 30 billion) worth of economic activities.

- Monday 18 February 2008

Visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sent the strongest warning yet that Washington would only do business with a legitimately constituted government in Kenya, dealing a major blow to President Mwai Kibaki, who is resisting UN and AU-backed proposals for "a grand coalition interim government." - Monday 18 February 2008

The Gabonese Football Club 105 thrashed Ghana’s Hearts of Oak 3-0 in an African Champions League qualifying match here on Sunday. The goals were scored by Du Buisson, Mve Mintsa and Juste Otomo. The return leg will be played in two weeks in Accra, the Ghanaian capital. - Monday 18 February 2008

Djoliba has continued to maintain its lead in the Malian national football league, despite the posponement of its match against Stade de Bamako at the weekend. - Monday 18 February 2008

The Namibian government Monday announced plans to construct a nuclear power station within a decade, as it seeks an independent power supply status amid a regional power crunch. - Monday 18 February 2008

Several days after Sudanese government-backed militia attacked villages in West Darfur, hundreds of children remain unaccounted for, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said. - Sunday 17 February 2008

Kenyan government has thrown new obstacles to a power-sh aring accord expected to be reached on Tuesday, saying US proposals for a coalition government were "counter-productive." The government also insisted the Kenyan constitution does not have provisions for a coalition government and warned that it was not ready for "dictatorial" terms on a new government. - Sunday 17 February 2008