reasonable_doubter
Banned
Biggest stadium constructed by china in africa,
Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About
- Thread starter TommyHilltrigga
- Start date
The Odum of Ala Igbo
Hail Biafra!
reasonable_doubter
Banned
Robert Johnsons hotel in Liberia
Light rail line in Nigeria's capital opens to passengers
Abraham Achirga | JULY 18, 2018 / 12:01 PM
A train driver of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train waves as the train he is driving pulls away from the station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria has opened a new Chinese-built light railway network in the capital Abuja after 11 years of construction, a rare transport project in a nation where economic growth has been stymied for generations by a lack of infrastructure development.
Passengers were permitted this week to ride the first phase of the Abuja light railway system, which connects the international airport with other parts of the city.
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and one of its biggest economies, but growth has for decades been stunted by its poor transport infrastructure.
A ticket collector checks the tickets of a family as they pass through ticket check point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
President Muhammadu Buhari, who officially opened the light rail system last week, took office in 2015 and hopes to secure a second term in an election next year. Improving infrastructure is a theme of his campaign.
Many people who work in Nigeria’s capital live on the outskirts of Abuja or satellite towns, due to the high cost of living in inner city areas. Traffic can be heavy at peak hours with many roads in disrepair.
“If you want to go by the road it’s usually a very long distance and it’s quite expensive but with this train now it makes life easier,” said passenger Tamara Ibiwe of the journey from central Abuja to the airport.
Daniel Ajone, a retired civil servant, welcomed the train service’s adherence to a timetable, in contrast to the taxis and vans typically used as public transit in cities across Nigeria.
A passenger smiles as he looks out of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train at the station In Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
An Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers queue at the ticket checking point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers board the carriage to take their seats inside one of the coaches of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A train driver poses for a picture in the driver's cab of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A woman walks past passengers queuing at the ticket checking point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail network in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A general view of the Abuja light rail network station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers make enquires at the information desk of the Abuja light rail network at the train station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
“I think this will impact positively on the economy, you know, on the economy of this country. When this is replicated all over the place there will be less pressure on our roads,” he added.
The first phase, built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation at a cost of $823 million, comprises of 45.25 kilometers (28.12 miles) of track on two lines. When completed, there will be six lines and 292 kilometers of track.
It was announced last year that the Chinese state-run company would also construct the second phase of the network.
Buhari’s government has been looking for partners to overhaul its aging railway system. Nigeria’s rail lines were mainly built by British colonial rulers before independence in 1960.
The government plans to revamp about 3,500 km (2,200 miles) of existing narrow-gauge lines from the southwestern commercial capital Lagos to Kano in the north and from southeastern oil hub Port Harcourt to Maiduguri in the northeast.
Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Peter Graff
Light rail line in Nigeria's capital opens to passengers
Abraham Achirga | JULY 18, 2018 / 12:01 PM
A train driver of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train waves as the train he is driving pulls away from the station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria has opened a new Chinese-built light railway network in the capital Abuja after 11 years of construction, a rare transport project in a nation where economic growth has been stymied for generations by a lack of infrastructure development.
Passengers were permitted this week to ride the first phase of the Abuja light railway system, which connects the international airport with other parts of the city.
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and one of its biggest economies, but growth has for decades been stunted by its poor transport infrastructure.
A ticket collector checks the tickets of a family as they pass through ticket check point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
President Muhammadu Buhari, who officially opened the light rail system last week, took office in 2015 and hopes to secure a second term in an election next year. Improving infrastructure is a theme of his campaign.
Many people who work in Nigeria’s capital live on the outskirts of Abuja or satellite towns, due to the high cost of living in inner city areas. Traffic can be heavy at peak hours with many roads in disrepair.
“If you want to go by the road it’s usually a very long distance and it’s quite expensive but with this train now it makes life easier,” said passenger Tamara Ibiwe of the journey from central Abuja to the airport.
Daniel Ajone, a retired civil servant, welcomed the train service’s adherence to a timetable, in contrast to the taxis and vans typically used as public transit in cities across Nigeria.
A passenger smiles as he looks out of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train at the station In Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
An Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers queue at the ticket checking point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers board the carriage to take their seats inside one of the coaches of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A train driver poses for a picture in the driver's cab of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A woman walks past passengers queuing at the ticket checking point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail network in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A general view of the Abuja light rail network station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers make enquires at the information desk of the Abuja light rail network at the train station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
“I think this will impact positively on the economy, you know, on the economy of this country. When this is replicated all over the place there will be less pressure on our roads,” he added.
The first phase, built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation at a cost of $823 million, comprises of 45.25 kilometers (28.12 miles) of track on two lines. When completed, there will be six lines and 292 kilometers of track.
It was announced last year that the Chinese state-run company would also construct the second phase of the network.
Buhari’s government has been looking for partners to overhaul its aging railway system. Nigeria’s rail lines were mainly built by British colonial rulers before independence in 1960.
The government plans to revamp about 3,500 km (2,200 miles) of existing narrow-gauge lines from the southwestern commercial capital Lagos to Kano in the north and from southeastern oil hub Port Harcourt to Maiduguri in the northeast.
Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Peter Graff
Light rail line in Nigeria's capital opens to passengers
reasonable_doubter
Banned
No More Mehendi? Henna Losing its Allure as Tunisia's 'Red Gold'
Over the centuries, henna leaves have been dried and reduced to a fine powder before being mixed with water, to create the paste coveted by people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
AFP Relaxnews | Updated:July 30, 2018, 12:14 PM IST
In and around the Tunisian coastal city of Gabes, henna has long been a key driver of the economy -- so much so that the plant is known as "red gold". But a water crisis and changing consumer habits are making farmers think twice about planting henna shrubs, despite their coveted leaves that have for centuries been ground down to paint nails, tint hair and ink temporary tattoos, especially for weddings.
"Gabes is dying because of the lack of water," says farmer Houcine Akrout, as he digs intricate channels around his green plants to maximise water flow in the early morning sunlight. Akrout is hard at work, because the local water supply will today run from a canal onto his land -- a rare thing nowadays, due to government rationing.
Urbanisation and rapidly rising demand for water from industry and agriculture have put immense pressure on Tunisia's water reserves, according to the World Bank. And a 2016 study of Tunisia's water services funded by Sweden's government found that losses from the irrigation network reach 40 to 50 percent.
For farmers like Akrout, that means waiting 15 to 20 days for access to the water supply. "It's very long for the henna plant which needs lots of water," he tells AFP. The situation is so bad he has uprooted most of his henna shrubs and replaced them with pomegranate trees -- a much less thirsty species. "Henna does not make me any money," he says noting, "It isn't profitable any more and I need to live and support my family."
When it comes, the water supply costs 2.8 dinars ($1.10, 0.93 euros) per hour. In mid-summer, the wait can reach up to 40 days, admits Amel Ghiloufi, head of the region's plants department at the agriculture ministry. And pollution of the water supply from a chemical plant has seen farmers abandon land in the oasis on the Mediterranean coast in recent decades.
The water crisis is having a dramatic impact on henna output.
Only 645 tonnes of the plant were harvested in the Gabes region in 2016/17 - down 20 percent from the previous season, Ghiloufi says. But other factors, including a labour shortage, are also driving the long-term decline. And it's not only supply side pressures that undermine the market -- demand for local henna is also falling, as people opt for foreign alternatives.
Over the centuries, henna leaves have been dried and reduced to a fine powder before being mixed with water, to create the paste coveted by people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The paste is used to colour hair, palms of hands, arms and feet with simple patterns that last for a month or so. But the process can be messy and people don't always want to keep the art work for that long.
So imports of a treated version of henna from Sudan, Yemen and India are increasingly popular, with added chemicals limiting penetration of the skin and making it easy to wash from hands.
Ahead of weddings, the ready-to-use dye is handed out in decorated boxes to guests at bachelorette parties. The processed imported versions are taking over from the local product. And while once popular as a grandmother's remedy for anything from migraines to skin problems, younger people are more sceptical of henna's healing powers.
But for Ghiloufi the only way "to revive the sector is to break new ground", by promoting henna's natural benefits and diversifying into new markets. In the capital Tunis, shampoos based on the plant have begun to find their way into health stores. Only a few entrepreneurs sell Tunisian henna abroad -- and they do so without state support -- so exports are minimal, despite the "good quality" produced by Gabe's farmers, says Ghiloufi.
In Jara, the main tourist market in the centre of Gabes, huge stalls overflow with henna and incense -- but the streets are empty. Traders complain that the trickle of tourists is not enough to compensate for locals' disinterest. "Henna is sold all the year round. Our market was always full of clients who come from all over Tunisia!" says 85-year-old Hassen Mrabet, who has been growing and selling henna for half a century. "Now sales are limited to the wedding season in July and August," he adds. Another trader bemoans the rising popularity of other beauty products and treatments, as lifestyles change. New forms of "dye and manicures have replaced henna today", according to 49-year-old Ismail. "Tunisians have changed their habits and turned their backs on their traditions; henna is out of fashion."
No More Mehendi? Henna Losing its Allure as Tunisia's 'Red Gold'
Over the centuries, henna leaves have been dried and reduced to a fine powder before being mixed with water, to create the paste coveted by people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
AFP Relaxnews | Updated:July 30, 2018, 12:14 PM IST
In and around the Tunisian coastal city of Gabes, henna has long been a key driver of the economy -- so much so that the plant is known as "red gold". But a water crisis and changing consumer habits are making farmers think twice about planting henna shrubs, despite their coveted leaves that have for centuries been ground down to paint nails, tint hair and ink temporary tattoos, especially for weddings.
"Gabes is dying because of the lack of water," says farmer Houcine Akrout, as he digs intricate channels around his green plants to maximise water flow in the early morning sunlight. Akrout is hard at work, because the local water supply will today run from a canal onto his land -- a rare thing nowadays, due to government rationing.
Urbanisation and rapidly rising demand for water from industry and agriculture have put immense pressure on Tunisia's water reserves, according to the World Bank. And a 2016 study of Tunisia's water services funded by Sweden's government found that losses from the irrigation network reach 40 to 50 percent.
For farmers like Akrout, that means waiting 15 to 20 days for access to the water supply. "It's very long for the henna plant which needs lots of water," he tells AFP. The situation is so bad he has uprooted most of his henna shrubs and replaced them with pomegranate trees -- a much less thirsty species. "Henna does not make me any money," he says noting, "It isn't profitable any more and I need to live and support my family."
When it comes, the water supply costs 2.8 dinars ($1.10, 0.93 euros) per hour. In mid-summer, the wait can reach up to 40 days, admits Amel Ghiloufi, head of the region's plants department at the agriculture ministry. And pollution of the water supply from a chemical plant has seen farmers abandon land in the oasis on the Mediterranean coast in recent decades.
The water crisis is having a dramatic impact on henna output.
Only 645 tonnes of the plant were harvested in the Gabes region in 2016/17 - down 20 percent from the previous season, Ghiloufi says. But other factors, including a labour shortage, are also driving the long-term decline. And it's not only supply side pressures that undermine the market -- demand for local henna is also falling, as people opt for foreign alternatives.
Over the centuries, henna leaves have been dried and reduced to a fine powder before being mixed with water, to create the paste coveted by people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The paste is used to colour hair, palms of hands, arms and feet with simple patterns that last for a month or so. But the process can be messy and people don't always want to keep the art work for that long.
So imports of a treated version of henna from Sudan, Yemen and India are increasingly popular, with added chemicals limiting penetration of the skin and making it easy to wash from hands.
Ahead of weddings, the ready-to-use dye is handed out in decorated boxes to guests at bachelorette parties. The processed imported versions are taking over from the local product. And while once popular as a grandmother's remedy for anything from migraines to skin problems, younger people are more sceptical of henna's healing powers.
But for Ghiloufi the only way "to revive the sector is to break new ground", by promoting henna's natural benefits and diversifying into new markets. In the capital Tunis, shampoos based on the plant have begun to find their way into health stores. Only a few entrepreneurs sell Tunisian henna abroad -- and they do so without state support -- so exports are minimal, despite the "good quality" produced by Gabe's farmers, says Ghiloufi.
In Jara, the main tourist market in the centre of Gabes, huge stalls overflow with henna and incense -- but the streets are empty. Traders complain that the trickle of tourists is not enough to compensate for locals' disinterest. "Henna is sold all the year round. Our market was always full of clients who come from all over Tunisia!" says 85-year-old Hassen Mrabet, who has been growing and selling henna for half a century. "Now sales are limited to the wedding season in July and August," he adds. Another trader bemoans the rising popularity of other beauty products and treatments, as lifestyles change. New forms of "dye and manicures have replaced henna today", according to 49-year-old Ismail. "Tunisians have changed their habits and turned their backs on their traditions; henna is out of fashion."
No More Mehendi? Henna Losing its Allure as Tunisia's 'Red Gold'
Premeditated
MANDE KANG
I'm sorry, but those are some low quality light rail in terms of aesthetics. With the amount of money for the project, they could've built a light rail system that are street friendly and blend in on the ground like the ones they have in North Africa. The one in Addis Abbaba don't look any better either. You might as well call them commuter rails. Hell, the train network being built from Dakar to Diamniadio looks much more modern and looks more light railish(sp) than these two and those are just commuter trains going from city to city. a start I guess. I hope they can atleast maintainLight rail line in Nigeria's capital opens to passengers
Abraham Achirga | JULY 18, 2018 / 12:01 PM
A train driver of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train waves as the train he is driving pulls away from the station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria has opened a new Chinese-built light railway network in the capital Abuja after 11 years of construction, a rare transport project in a nation where economic growth has been stymied for generations by a lack of infrastructure development.
Passengers were permitted this week to ride the first phase of the Abuja light railway system, which connects the international airport with other parts of the city.
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and one of its biggest economies, but growth has for decades been stunted by its poor transport infrastructure.
A ticket collector checks the tickets of a family as they pass through ticket check point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
President Muhammadu Buhari, who officially opened the light rail system last week, took office in 2015 and hopes to secure a second term in an election next year. Improving infrastructure is a theme of his campaign.
Many people who work in Nigeria’s capital live on the outskirts of Abuja or satellite towns, due to the high cost of living in inner city areas. Traffic can be heavy at peak hours with many roads in disrepair.
“If you want to go by the road it’s usually a very long distance and it’s quite expensive but with this train now it makes life easier,” said passenger Tamara Ibiwe of the journey from central Abuja to the airport.
Daniel Ajone, a retired civil servant, welcomed the train service’s adherence to a timetable, in contrast to the taxis and vans typically used as public transit in cities across Nigeria.
A passenger smiles as he looks out of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train at the station In Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
An Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers queue at the ticket checking point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers board the carriage to take their seats inside one of the coaches of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail train in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A train driver poses for a picture in the driver's cab of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A woman walks past passengers queuing at the ticket checking point of the newly commissioned Abuja light rail network in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
A general view of the Abuja light rail network station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
Passengers make enquires at the information desk of the Abuja light rail network at the train station in Abuja, Nigeria July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde
“I think this will impact positively on the economy, you know, on the economy of this country. When this is replicated all over the place there will be less pressure on our roads,” he added.
The first phase, built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation at a cost of $823 million, comprises of 45.25 kilometers (28.12 miles) of track on two lines. When completed, there will be six lines and 292 kilometers of track.
It was announced last year that the Chinese state-run company would also construct the second phase of the network.
Buhari’s government has been looking for partners to overhaul its aging railway system. Nigeria’s rail lines were mainly built by British colonial rulers before independence in 1960.
The government plans to revamp about 3,500 km (2,200 miles) of existing narrow-gauge lines from the southwestern commercial capital Lagos to Kano in the north and from southeastern oil hub Port Harcourt to Maiduguri in the northeast.
Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Peter Graff
Light rail line in Nigeria's capital opens to passengers
Premeditated
MANDE KANG
something is brewing in the southern Africa region (except Namibia). Eventually they have to become prosperous as their potential. EFF have to be salty right about now though. ANC and Ramaphosa straight highjack their shyt.
I don't think Malema will win next year. It will be close. But if ANC doesn't follow through with this land reform, he's definitely a shoe in to win the next one because he will keep his foot on their necks.
are there any Zimbabweans on here? what ya feel about the election yesterday?
reasonable_doubter
Banned
reasonable_doubter
Banned
old news tbh......
.....and the u.s. isn't ignoring africa..... there is more us military personnel in africa than anywhere else
.....and the u.s. isn't ignoring africa..... there is more us military personnel in africa than anywhere else
Former slave runs for office in Mauritania to fight for freedom
JULY 30, 2018 / 1:29 PM
Nellie Peyton
DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Born into slavery and kept as a servant for 30 years, Haby Mint Rabah is now running for parliament in Mauritania to fight for freedom in a nation with one of the world’s worst slavery rates.
Rabah’s candidacy is a first for the West African country, where more than two in every 100 people - 90,000 in total - live as slaves, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index.
Slavery is a historical practice in Mauritania, which became the last country to abolish it in 1981. Black descendents of ethnic groups in the south are typically enslaved by lighter-skinned Mauritanians - often as cattle herders and servants.
Rabah, 44, was born into bondage and forced to work from age 5 as a maid and a field hand. She hopes to be a role model and show that freedom - and a life after slavery - are possible.
“I submitted my candidacy because I was a slave, like my parents and my parents’ parents before me,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the capital, Nouakchott.
“And I never saw a slave candidate in elections.”
Mauritania criminalized slavery in 2007, but few slave-owners have been penalized. Some members of the political elite deny that slavery still exists, and several activists who spoke out against it have been arrested and even jailed.
Mauritania’s government has repeatedly denied restricting the activities of rights groups or making arbitrary arrests.
“The day that I’m in parliament I will defend the slaves... because I know that they exist and that they have many needs,” Rabah said. “I’ll be there for them.”
Rabah will stand in the September 1 elections as a member of the Mauritanian Rally for Global Action, the political wing of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), in coalition with the more established Sawab party.
Rabah was freed in 2008 with the help of the IRA after one of her brothers escaped and alerted the anti-slavery group.
As a slave, her chores included carrying water and herding animals. Her master repeatedly raped and beat her, Rabah said.
“I suffered every kind of mistreatment,” she added.
Slaves in Mauritania do not tend to escape because they are unaware of their rights and cannot envisage a life beyond slavery, said Boubacar Messaoud of rights group SOS Esclaves.
“(Rabah’s candidacy) is something that should encourage slaves to lift their heads ... to see that when you are free, you have the possibility to access everything the others always had,” said Messaoud, the president of SOS Esclaves.
Former slave runs for office in Mauritania to fight for freedom
JULY 30, 2018 / 1:29 PM
Nellie Peyton
DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Born into slavery and kept as a servant for 30 years, Haby Mint Rabah is now running for parliament in Mauritania to fight for freedom in a nation with one of the world’s worst slavery rates.
Rabah’s candidacy is a first for the West African country, where more than two in every 100 people - 90,000 in total - live as slaves, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index.
Slavery is a historical practice in Mauritania, which became the last country to abolish it in 1981. Black descendents of ethnic groups in the south are typically enslaved by lighter-skinned Mauritanians - often as cattle herders and servants.
Rabah, 44, was born into bondage and forced to work from age 5 as a maid and a field hand. She hopes to be a role model and show that freedom - and a life after slavery - are possible.
“I submitted my candidacy because I was a slave, like my parents and my parents’ parents before me,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from the capital, Nouakchott.
“And I never saw a slave candidate in elections.”
Mauritania criminalized slavery in 2007, but few slave-owners have been penalized. Some members of the political elite deny that slavery still exists, and several activists who spoke out against it have been arrested and even jailed.
Mauritania’s government has repeatedly denied restricting the activities of rights groups or making arbitrary arrests.
“The day that I’m in parliament I will defend the slaves... because I know that they exist and that they have many needs,” Rabah said. “I’ll be there for them.”
Rabah will stand in the September 1 elections as a member of the Mauritanian Rally for Global Action, the political wing of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), in coalition with the more established Sawab party.
Rabah was freed in 2008 with the help of the IRA after one of her brothers escaped and alerted the anti-slavery group.
As a slave, her chores included carrying water and herding animals. Her master repeatedly raped and beat her, Rabah said.
“I suffered every kind of mistreatment,” she added.
Slaves in Mauritania do not tend to escape because they are unaware of their rights and cannot envisage a life beyond slavery, said Boubacar Messaoud of rights group SOS Esclaves.
“(Rabah’s candidacy) is something that should encourage slaves to lift their heads ... to see that when you are free, you have the possibility to access everything the others always had,” said Messaoud, the president of SOS Esclaves.
Former slave runs for office in Mauritania to fight for freedom