Attainment advances among younger generations but reflects persistent disadvantages for women, the poor, and rural residents. Key findings On average across 38 African countries, almost six in 10 adults have secondary (39%) or post-secondary (18%) education, while 26% have primary schooling and 16% have no formal education. Educational attainment varies widely across countries. Almost half…
Over 80% of people in Africa South of the Sahara live in countries with “Repressed” or “Closed” civic space. Detention of journalists is the top tactic used by African governments to silence dissent. Burundi, Sudan, Madagascar, and Liberia downgraded; Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania upgraded. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines The CIVICUS…
Kampala, Uganda — The efforts aim to stifle dissent across the region, despite various treaty protections of freedom of movement. Agather Atuhaire, a journalist and human rights activist, traveled to Tanzania in May to observe the trial of Tundu Lissu, a Tanzanian opposition leader charged by the government with treason. But a day after she…
Maxwell Gomera, resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa Africa’s young innovators are not waiting for handouts, they are already creating solutions to the continent’s most pressing challenges. However, without systems that allow these innovations to grow, their potential will remain untapped. Speaking at the fourth annual Future of Work Dialogue,…
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he sits next to a “Trump Gold Card” sign, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Sept. 19, 2025. Ken Cedeno | Reuters Major technology companies and foreign governments are rushing to respond after President Donald Trump late Friday announced plans to impose a…
The Brazilian Presidency’s flagship conservation finance initiative for COP30 – the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) – must be supported by sponsor governments also introducing stronger rules to close loopholes that allow the financing of deforestation, Global Witness has warned. The Government of Brazil today released its latest plans for the $125 billion initiative, which…
“We are rushing to prepare regulations atop a foundation of scientific uncertainty, in direct contradiction of our obligation under Article 145 of UNCLOS to protect the marine environment. This is not urgency born of science, but acceleration shaped by external pressure. We must be guided by principle, and not by artificial deadlines.” President Surangel Whipps…
Media capture happens when media outlets lose their independence and fall under the influence of political or financial interests. This often leads to news content that favours power instead of public accountability. Media Capture in Africa and Latin America: Power and Resistance is a new book edited by news media scholars Hayes Mawindi Mabweazara and…
Kaunas, Lithuania — Nearly ten years after the Paris Agreement — a legally binding commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — the gap between climate goals and government actions remains stubborn. The consequences are real: 2024 saw 150 extreme weather events, leading to the highest number of new population displacements recorded in the past 16…
ISWAP’s hunt for resources is eroding the ability of communities in northern Cameroon to withstand economic hardship. Since 2021, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has intensified its footprint in Cameroon’s Far North Region through increased extortion of communities and a spate of brutal attacks on military barracks in Logone-et-Chari and Borno (Nigeria). These twin…
