The governor of the state of Borno, in the north-east of Nigeria, visited the refugee camp of Muna on Monday and announced its closure in the next few weeks.
Muna was the biggest camp for displaced people in the region, with more than 10,000 families listed in early 2024.
Over the past 15 years, official refugee camps welcomed more than 80% of the 2 million people displaced by the conflict between the Nigerian army and jihadist group Boko Haram.
Authorities give refugees between €20 and €50 for them to return to their hometowns, or to relocate to so-called safe zones.
But human rights groups say the government has provided insufficient support to help families live with dignity.
“The Borno State government is harming hundreds of thousands of displaced people already living in precarious conditions to advance a dubious government development agenda to wean people off humanitarian aid”, said Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch in a 2022 press release.
“By forcing people from camps without creating viable alternatives for support, the government is worsening their suffering and deepening their vulnerability.”
This Week: U.S. Influence in Africa, EU-Zimbabwe Trade, and Uganda’s Tea Crisis
This week, our guest, historian Amzat Boukari-Yabara, revisits the intensifying American influence in Africa, spanning energy and mining projects. Meanwhile, the European Union seeks to strengthen its trade ties with Zimbabwe, and in Uganda, the tea industry is reeling from a pricing crisis.
Africa and the U.S.’s Multidimensional Strategy
As major powers vie for access to Africa’s strategic resources, the United States is deploying a complex strategy that blends economic investments, security cooperation, and diplomatic mediation. This approach aims not only to secure energy and mineral supplies but also to counter the growing influence of China and Russia on the continent.
Nigeria-Morocco Pipeline: An Energy and Geopolitical Keystone
The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project (5,660 km, $25 billion) perfectly illustrates this strategy. Actively supported by Washington, this mega-project serves several strategic goals: reducing Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, countering Chinese advances—with the Jingye Group already supplying construction materials—and bolstering American influence. “There has been a reshaping of energy stakes since the war in Ukraine,” explains historian Amzat Boukari-Yabara, noting how the U.S. is exploiting Europe’s new vulnerabilities.
DR Congo: Mining Wealth and Instrumentalized Instability
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, U.S. strategy reveals its contradictions. On one hand, companies like KoBold Metals (backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos) are making major investments in cobalt and copper extraction. On the other, Washington offers conditional military support in the east of the country while positioning itself as a mediator in the conflict with Rwanda. “We are witnessing the monetization of instability,” Boukari-Yabara warns, highlighting “a U.S. ability to exert diplomatic, commercial, and security blackmail.” This approach peaks with opaque negotiations involving Rwanda over Congolese resources, which “tend to perpetuate the crisis in eastern Congo.”
Kenya and Rare Earths: A Strategic Partnership
In Kenya, the U.S. is strengthening partnerships around rare earths, which are essential for the energy transition. This push is part of a global race for critical minerals, where Washington seeks to close the gap with Beijing. It also comes alongside a military repositioning in the region, particularly in the Sahel after France’s withdrawal.
Questionable Tactics
Recent American initiatives raise concerns about respect for African sovereignty. The most striking example is Trump’s proposal to recognize Somaliland in exchange for accepting Palestinian refugees. For Boukari-Yabara, these “deal-making negotiations” reflect a purely transactional view of relations with Africa.
In the face of this aggressive policy, the historian calls for an urgent, unified continental response: “We need to create transnational industries and resolve the CFA franc issue.” His call for unity resonates, as “all these resources directly concern the U.S. in its global vision.” The key question remains whether African countries can turn this new geopolitical rivalry into a genuine opportunity for sovereign development.
Zimbabwe: Toward Strengthened Trade Ties with the EU?
As the United States reduces its aid to many African countries, the European Union is revising its strategy on the continent—particularly in Zimbabwe. Brussels is moving from the role of donor to co-investor, offering duty- and tax-free access to its market. France is supporting local agricultural SMEs, and the Netherlands already imports Zimbabwean fruits and steel.
This renewed European trade push comes amid a tense political climate. The recent NGO law (PVO Bill), deemed repressive by civil organizations, has sparked concern. Nevertheless, the EU hopes Zimbabwean businesses will seize the opportunity.
A report by Keith Baptist.
Uganda: Tea Industry in Peril Amid Price Collapse
Uganda’s tea industry is undergoing an unprecedented crisis. Tea prices have dropped significantly, averaging just $0.79 per kilo—far below the more than $2 fetched by Kenyan and Rwandan teas. This sharp price drop has led many farmers to abandon tea in favor of more profitable crops such as maize and bananas.
Victoria Ashabahebwa, director of Swazi Tea Co. LTD, notes that more than a million Ugandans depend on tea for their livelihood. Declining tea quality, high production costs, and a lack of government support are all contributing factors. Farmers and processors have called on the government to invest in the sector and rescue an industry that was once thriving—but so far, no official response has been given.
Improvised explosive devices detonated on a road in northeastern Nigeria killing at least 26 people in several vehicles, including women and children, police said Tuesday. An Islamic State group affiliate in the West African country claimed responsibility for the Monday attack.
The blasts happened on a busy road connecting the towns of Rann and Gamboru in Borno state, near the border with Cameroon, Nigerian police spokesperson Nahum Daso told The Associated Press. Multiple explosives planted along the route ripped into several civilian commercial vehicles coming from Rann, killing at least 26 people, he said.
Most of those killed were local farmers and traders crowded in a Toyota pick up van that drove over a land mine, Daso said. He said the mine was buried by suspected militants from the Islamic State affiliate known as IS West Africa Province. Besides the dead, at least three people were injured and were taken to nearby medical facilities for treatment. Security forces have since secured the area and begun clearance operations.
Abba Modu, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a vigilante group that supports the military in the fight against Islamic militants, said the explosives may have been intended for security operatives who regularly patrol the highway. “Terrorists often plant IEDs in craters or under sand on severely damaged sections of roads, typically targeting soldiers,” Modu said.
The Islamic State West Africa Province, also known as ISWAP, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Telegram on Tuesday. The IS-linked group is an offshoot of Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown jihadis who took up arms in 2009 to fight Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law. In 2016, ISWAP broke away from Boko Haram following a dispute over leadership and the strategy of attacking civilian targets such as mosques and marketplaces. The conflict between Nigeria and Islamic extremists is Africa’s longest struggle with militancy.
It has spilled into Nigeria’s northern neighbours Chad, Niger and Cameroon, and has left some 35,000 civilians dead and more than 2 million displaced, according to the U.N. Nigeria’s northeastern region has been particularly hard hit by Islamic militant violence. Earlier this month, a roadside bomb suspected to have been planted by Islamic extremists in northeastern Nigeria struck a passenger bus and killed eight people. On Tuesday, the Nigerian military appointed a new commander, Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, in the fight against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province insurgencies in the northeast, the spokesperson for the operation said in a statement.
NAIROBI, Kenya, 28 April 2025-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- TGP International, a global 360° hospitality agency, has announced a strategic partnership with renowned celebrity chef and entrepreneur Kiran Jethwa, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Africa’s fast-growing hospitality sector.
The collaboration positions Kiran as a key ambassador for TGP International’s initiatives in Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda and across the broader African continent, bringing together deep local insight and international expertise to support a new wave of culinary innovation and F&B-driven placemaking across the region.
“As the hospitality landscape across Africa evolves, we’re seeing a real appetite for tailored, experience-led F&B solutions,” says Simon Wright, Founder and Chairman of TGP International. “Kiran’s expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and cultural connection will be instrumental in shaping how we serve this exciting and diverse market.”
TGP International is globally recognised for its award-winning F&B solutions with a growing portfolio of projects that demonstrate the power of F&B to drive community development and placemaking. By collaborating with stakeholders across the hospitality industry, property sector, and commercial real estate, TGP helps create environments where dining becomes a catalyst for community, culture and economic growth.
Seven Seafood & Grill at Alkebulan
Kiran Jethwa is well known for his entrepreneurial ventures such as Seven Seafood & Grill, Rahisi Foods, and The Kenyan Good Food Company, as well as for his acclaimed appearances on shows like Chef vs Wild (Disney+), The Great Kenyan Bake Off (BBC Lifestyle), and The Fearless Chef (National Geographic). His longstanding collaboration with TGP includes the launch of Seven Seafood & Grill at Alkebulan, the world’s first African dining hall, conceptualised in partnership with Chef Alexander Smalls and debuted at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Speaking on the partnership, Jethwa said: “Africa has some of the most exciting food stories to tell. Working with TGP gives me a platform to help shape the next generation of African hospitality experiences, while bringing greater visibility to the continent’s cuisine and culinary talent.”
This announcement further builds on TGP International’s active presence in the region, including its work with Q Coffee in partnership between Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sustainable Growers to provide benefit to women farmers in Rwanda.
Founded in 2002, TGP International delivers 360° hospitality services across food & beverage advisory, concept development, interior design, franchising, asset management, operations and marketing. With more than 700 successful projects across 25 countries, its portfolio includes work with major hospitality and real estate players such as Marriott, Accor, Hilton, IHG, St. Regis, W Hotels, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria and Expo City Dubai.
TGP International is a global 360° hospitality agency specialising in the creation of world-class consumer experiences, innovative food retail destinations, and distinguished F&B brands. The company offers comprehensive services across F&B masterplanning, market research, concept development, interior design, operations and asset management, franchising and licensing, and strategic marketing.
With an award-winning team of designers, brand strategists, and industry experts, TGP International has delivered some of the region’s most transformative food hall projects. The company is dedicated to harnessing the power of clustered F&B to shape vibrant, socially connected, and commercially sustainable urban communities.
Founded in London in 2002, TGP International brings over 22 years of experience at the forefront of the hospitality sector. With a portfolio spanning more than 700 projects across 25 countries and a team boasting over 300 years of collective expertise, the company has collaborated with leading names in hospitality, real estate, and development worldwide.
House Republicans passed a sweeping new budget plan but disagree on spending cuts. A group of civil servants on Elon Musk’s DOGE team resigned, and egg farmers on the front lines of the latest bird flu outbreaks say they are losing the battle with the disease.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Jason Breslow, Padmananda Rama, Carrie Feibel, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
The U.S. weighs a response to a drone strike that killed American soldiers, Texas bars federal agents from entering a park used by migrants illegally entering the U.S. and a farmers’ blockade reaches Paris.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Gerry Holmes, Eric Westervelt, Mark Katkov and Olivia Hampton. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Ana Perez. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Zac Coleman.
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