(Source: African Development Bank Group) The African Development Bank (AfDB)'s latest report analyses the . The findings are clear: despite the progress that were made, significant disparities remain in the use and consumption of healthcare products. The report also highlights major differences in levels of well-being between regions: In 2009, the national average for life expectancy was of 74.5 years. It is of...

(Source: Confédération Africaine de Football) The race for places at the Orange CAF U-20 Championship Senegal 2015 gets keener with the first leg matches of the penultimate round taking place this weekend. Reigning African champions, Egypt and 12 others who drew a bye at the first round joins the survivors from the previous round for this stage which has 28 teams. The interesting trend for this weekend games is the fact that big guns such as Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Mali are involved in tricky away duels with trips to Khartoum, Freetown, Dar es Salaaam and Ouagadougou as guests of Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Burkina Faso respectively. The quartet is famed for their...

The grinning appearance of the Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in a video released early this week where he threatened to sell the 230 or more girls still in captivity into sex slavery arguably focused minds on the Islamist group in a way that previous atrocities had failed to do. As outrage grows around the world over the killings, the international community has stepped forward to offer support for the Nigerian government to find the girls, and furthermore to go after Boko Haram. It could yet prove to be the militant group?s undoing, with President Barack Obama suggesting the kidnappings ?may be the event that helps to mobilise the entire international community finally to do...

From the world#039;s largest bloc of Islamic countries came unequivocal condemnation on Thursday. Reacting to last month#039;s mass abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls by Islamist gunmen from Boko Haram, top Muslim scholars from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said this quot;crime and other crimes committed by the likes of these extremist organisations contradicts all humanitarian principles and moral values and violates the provisions of the Koran and Sunna#039;#039;- or teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. No surprises there, as this senseless kidnapping of children has been roundly condemned by almost the entire world. But how has it gone down with al-Qaeda, to which Boko...

[Focac]Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrived here Tuesday for a visit to Nigeria, the second leg of his first Africa visit since he took office in 2013....

8 May 2014 Last updated at 20:01 BST The abduction of more than 200 Nigerian girls by Boko Haram could be a turning point in the battle against Islamist militants, Nigeria's leader has said in an address to the World Economic Forum. In his speech, he also thanked China, the US, the UK and France for their offers of help to rescue the girls, whose abduction has caused outrage...

Sudan has deported 30 Eritreans, including at least six registered as refugees, back to their homeland where they risk detention and abuse, HRW says....

[Focac]Abuja -Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday called for strengthening traditional ties between China and Nigeria and exploring new space for cooperation including aviation and aerospace, in a bid to lift the bilateral strategic partnership to a higher level....

[WEF]Abuja -The African economic success story is by now a well-reported fact. More than half of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies are in Africa, and the continent's economy is projected to grow more than 5% this year. In sub-Saharan Africa overall, the annual economic growth rate for more than a decade has surpassed that of far wealthier countries that comprise the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development....

8 May 2014 Last updated at 22:12 BST Nigeria is hosting the World Economic Forum on Africa - a huge gathering of business leaders and heads of state. But while trade and investment are on the agenda - a recent spate of bomb attacks and kidnappings have overshadowed the event. Chris Ewokor has been examining what these...

US Secretary of State John Kerry says a specialist team is set to start work in Nigeria to help find more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by militants. He said the US team, working with the Nigerian government, would do everything possible to free the girls. Earlier, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he hoped quot;a turning pointquot; had been reached in the fight against Islamist insurgents Boko Haram. Nigeria has been criticised for its slow response to the kidnappings. The schoolgirls were seized from their boarding school on the night of 14 April in the town of Chibok in north-eastern Borno state. Continue reading the main story ldquo;Start Quote The Nigerian...

More than 100 Somali lawmakers have signed a letter demanding the president resign for failing to improve security and meet other promises....

Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - The EU Political and Security Committee (PSC), a body of Permanent Representatives of Member States of the organization, has named Philippe de Ceuninck, head of the European Union Capacity Building in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger).
Politics

Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The President of the Children's Parliament in Mali, Lala Wangara, on Wednesday called on the Malian authorities to help significantly reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortality in the country.
Gender

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Thursday said any continent or super nation undermining or ignoring Africa and its people is doing that at her own peril, declaring that and China will continue to prioritise investments, particularly infrastructural development, in its cooperation with Africa.
Economy

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon Thursday expressed deep concern and shared anguish over the abduction of over 200 girls in Nigeria more than three weeks ago.
Politics

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) ? The Nigerian Government Thursday said it is partnering with the United States Government to boost the export of Nigerian products to the US, under African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Economy

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) ? Seven African leaders has reaffirmed their commitment to transforming the agricultural sector across the continent, as part of the process of delivering prosperity to the citizens.
Agriculture

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) ? Seven candidates will contest the June presidential election in Mauritania, whose first round is set for Saturday, 21 June, according to the constitutional council which confirmed that the seven met Wednesday's dateline for the submission of forms.
Politics

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) ? Sixty Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Thursday in Abuja released a damming report, saying that the Nigerian Government is unserious in tackling the security challenges rocking the country, especially the ongoing abduction of over 200 school girls by the Boko Haram group.
Society

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) ? Africa?s richest man and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote Group, Nigeria, Aliko Dangote, Thursday said the African corporate environment is conducive to doing business,
Economy

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) ? Seven social entrepreneurs were Thursday named Africa Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2014, at the World Economic Forum on Africa taking place in Abuja, Nigeria.
Economy

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Following up on the US offer of assistance to help Nigeria to rescue the over 200 abducted girls, President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday met with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, to discuss modalities for the actualisation of the offer, made by President Barrack Obama.
Politics

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The abduction of over 200 girls in Nigeria is a direct attack on the right of women to education, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Donald Kaberuka said here Thursday.
Society

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - More than three weeks after the abduction of over 200 girls from the Government Secondary School in Nigeria's North-eastern town of Chibok, the country's top defence and security officials Thursday visited the school.
Society

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Global Agenda Councils on New Models for Travel & Tourism and Africa Thursday agreed to collaborate on promoting a regional integration strategy through the facilitation of travel and talent mobility in the region using, among others, a common visa for regional blocs across the African continent.
Politics

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Top Nigerian business leaders, led by Africa?s richest man Aliko Dangote, Thursday pledged a total of US$24 million to save one million lives under a multi-sectoral coalition aimed at collectively improving health outcomes.
Economy

New York, US (PANA) - The prosecutor of the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC), Ms. Fatou Bensouda, on Thursday said that the abduction of schoolgirls in Nigeria constitute crimes within the court's jurisdiction.
Society

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - US Congressman Gregory Meeks has said he ''stands strong'' with Nigerians over the abduction of over 200 girls in the northern part of the African nation.
Society

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) ? Three judicial police officers were killed and six others injured on Thursday in an attack in the city of Ouerchafana, in western Libya, by an armed gang, according to the chief of judicial police guards at the Justice ministry, Mr Abdallah Mohamed.