Africa: Appolonia – the Story of an African Kingdom That Resisted the Atlantic Slave Trade

Africa: Appolonia – the Story of an African Kingdom That Resisted the Atlantic Slave Trade

The transatlantic slave trade was a multilayered, highly commercialised global enterprise that lasted from the early 1500s to the mid 1800s. The events over this period are far too complex to fit into a straightforward perpetrator-victim narrative. While the trade catastrophically dehumanised and commodified over 12.5 million Africans, it was not just an external conquest….

Read More
Africa: Appolonia – the Story of an African Kingdom That Resisted the Atlantic Slave Trade

Africa: When Global Trade Becomes a Weapon, How Can African Economies Protect Themselves?

“Today, everyone recognises that trade is as much a security issue as an economic one.” European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde made this comment in February 2026, while addressing the Munich Security Conference. Although she was speaking about Europe, her words matter profoundly for Africa. The continent’s 54 economies face a three-way tension that has…

Read More
Africa: Appolonia – the Story of an African Kingdom That Resisted the Atlantic Slave Trade

Africa: 131 Nigerian Companies Earn Africa Quality Mark in Major Trade Boost

ABUJA – The Federal Government has presented the Africa Quality Mark (AQM) certification to 131 companies for 220 made-in-Nigeria products, reiterating its commitment to supporting industrial expansion and export growth. This forms part of efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of Nigerian goods in regional and continental markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)…

Read More
Africa: Appolonia – the Story of an African Kingdom That Resisted the Atlantic Slave Trade

Africa: Ruto Urges African Businesses to Prioritise Intra-Africa Trade At Kenya-South Africa Business Forum

Midrand, South Africa — President William Ruto has challenged African businesses and entrepreneurs to stop looking overseas for markets and begin trading more aggressively in Africa. The President noted that Africa’s market is increasingly becoming the next biggest frontier for trade and investment, and innovation in the world. Addressing a joint Kenya-South Africa Business Forum…

Read More
Africa: Appolonia – the Story of an African Kingdom That Resisted the Atlantic Slave Trade

African Integration Beyond Trade – When Africans Become Foreigners in Africa

In my earlier piece in February, Beyond Preferences and Rhetoric: What Africa’s 2025 Integration Moment Really Demanded I argued that Africa’s long-term competitiveness would not be secured by waiting on external trade preferences, but by taking integration seriously as an economic project. I called for political will, industrial strategy, and a human-centred approach to the continental…

Read More