Author: wittyadmin

When Niger formally declared Hausa its official language, the announcement may have gone unnoticed by many Western policy analysts who focus more on coups and sanctions. But make no mistake—this decision is not just a footnote in Niger’s politics. It represents a tectonic shift in the postcolonial African order. What is Hausa? More Than Just Words Hausa is a Chadic language. Part of the language group spoken across parts of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon that belongs to the broader Afro-Asiatic family (the same ancient language family that includes Arabic, Hebrew, and Amharic). It’s the most widely spoken language within the Chadic branch. Primarily…

Remember when Trump taxed the world, and Africa paid the receipts? Well, family, he’s back with the remix—and this time, the bass is heavier. On April 2, 2025, Trump released his Tariff Tantrum 2.0. This time, he announced a baseline tax of 10% on ALL U.S. imports, with China facing a special surcharge of 34% and the EU tagged with a 20% tariff. The news hit global markets harder than a politician’s approval rating after a bad debate. But while the stock markets dive, there’s one continent that stands to gain—Africa. A Quick Refresher: Tariffs for the People in the…

Once upon a time—not in a fairy tale—Britain stood atop every mountain, hill, and coconut tree it conquered, declaring, “The sun never sets on the British Empire!” Fast-forward to 2025, and guess what? The sun hasn’t set; it’s just rising… from the Global South. The Empire’s orphans are now arriving on British soil with suitcases, spices, and surnames like Patel, Oluwatoyin, and Osei. However, former colonisers ask, “Wait, who invited you?” Should we tell them? Let’s ask Nigel Farage, who invited Britain to the Gold Coast. They didn’t need permission, so we don’t need permission today. When you, Britain, engage…

Our wise elders say, “When the wealthy dictate the rules, the POOR pays with blood.” The Proposal That Made a Nation Proud Ghana’s Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, believes MPs deserve their hospital. That’s right—a plush, taxpayer-funded VIP health palace exclusively for the hard-working, long-suffering, and utterly underappreciated members of Parliament. Why? Because “the demands of parliamentary work require specialised healthcare.” Of course! Nothing strains the human body quite like… debating sitting allowances. And who can blame them? After all, Ghanaian politicians were ranked 7th most educated globally—above Japan, France, and even Canada. Indeed, with such world-class minds, their bodies must…

A few months ago, my good friend Nana Yaa, a linguistics scholar, used an AI tool to translate a sentence into Twi, a language spoken in Ghana. What she received in return was hardly recognisable. Upon further investigation, she discovered that many indigenous Africans had not participated in the development of AI, despite the system being trained on data from African languages. The companies had collected data from YouTube videos, social media, and radio broadcasts without sufficiently engaging with the communities that created this content. This concerning practice was highlighted in UNESCO’s 2023 report, “Digital Colonialism: AI Development and African…

Africa, you are not a child. Stop waiting for crumbs that fall from someone else’s table. I tried hard to avoid this topic, but my friend Adobea informed me last week that USAID had placed her on administrative leave. During our 33-minute conversation, she vehemently denied the allegations against her organisation. I scarcely uttered a word. Think of it like this: America’s favourite charitable organisation, USAID, has been unwittingly acting as a sugar daddy to Boko Haram. Yeah, you heard that right. This explosive allegation didn’t emerge in a vacuum. It came through an unexpected channel that deserves a thorough…

Imagine this absurdity: a continent of 1.4 billion people boasting $6.5 trillion in untapped resources trembles at the threats posed by an orange-hued wannabe dictator wielding a meagre $8.5 billion aid package. If this isn’t the perfect joke for our times, I don’t know what is. “I shall be a dictator from day one,” declares Trump. However, we should goggle palm wine in a calabash beneath African shade trees. Why? Because sometimes, liberation dons peculiar attire – and this time, it arrives sporting an unusual hairstyle. Let me be clear: this is not an article about Donald Trump. It is…

Did you know that in the mid-1800s, Britain—yes, that so-called “mighty” British Empire—labelled us as “primitive”? What they don’t teach us in schools is that: While the British were parading about in their fancy coats, lecturing on civilisation: But wait! In 1874, during the third instalment of the Anglo-Ashanti War, the British burnt down the city of Kumasi out of envy for its magnificence. The Ashanti capital possessed what the British streets yearned for in every home: The term “primitive” originates from the Latin “primitīvus,” meaning “first” or “original.” They have taken a term that denotes “original blueprint” and turned…

In Africa’s boardrooms and universities, women are breaking records and reshaping power. Yet this success carries an unexpected challenge: many men are falling behind. For every female CEO climbing the corporate ladder, numerous brilliant women struggle to find partners who match their growth. This isn’t just about gender—it’s about Africa’s future. This article calls upon African women, men, and leaders to celebrate daughters’ progress while nurturing sons’ potential. As the African proverb says, “A woman is a flower in a garden; her man is the fence around it.” When the drumbeat changes, so must the dance—this shift requires mutual support…

Imagine you’re a king. One late afternoon, your 14-year-old daughter of royal lineage rushes to the river to revel in her intriguingly blooming feminine features and long locks of black shea butter-shining hair. After many hours, she still hasn’t returned home. You send a search team to look for her, but to no avail. Hours turn into days, days become weeks, weeks turn into months, months linger on into years, years stretch into decades, and decades fade into centuries. Ultimately, you discover she has been tied to a large Honey Locust tree, naked, its sharp thorns piercing her flesh and…