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Brain gain: African migrants returning home

Africa may still be suffering from a chronic brain drain but some of the continent's elite are turning their backs on the West and taking their talents back home according to film-maker Andy Jones.
The story is as old as the hills. Man leaves village to seek riches in the big city.
In recent years, the village has been the continent of Africa, the city represented by the bright lights of Europe and America.
Any number of Africans seek to cross the ocean and make their fortunes, never to be seen again.
But when our team travelled around Africa recently to film a new TV documentary series, we found a different story. Many of the Africans I met had worked or been educated in the West and come back.
Across nine African countries and a journey of 7,000 miles from Mali to South Africa, from Ghana to Ethiopia, the story was often the same. Africans were returning from working or studying abroad either for patriotic reasons or because of the growing opportunities back home.
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Adjoa Andoh is the black Chekhov

 

Working with the best: “If Clint Eastwood has hired you, he trusts you. He’s also a lovely man who queues behind his extras for food,” says Adjoa Andoh of her time making Invictus

When I first became aware of Adjoa Andoh 20 years ago she was working with black or women's theatre groups. These days the austerely beautiful, commanding actress has become a familiar face at the National Theatre, on Casualty and Doctor Who (she was Martha's mum) and is about to head the cast of Joe Turner's Come and Gone at the Young Vic.

“There's been progress, definitely,” says the 47-year-old amiably. “It's good that a play that might have been done by Gay Sweatshop is now done at the National or the Almeida. But we need more black playwrights and television commissioning editors from different backgrounds. I'd love to do Ibsen or Chekhov. But these are never areas that are going to be available to me.”

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Archbishop of Benin resigns

Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Irish prelate and archbishop of the Nigerian diocese of Benin City Richard Anthony Burke

The resignation follows the prelate being accused of molesting a teenage girl.

Burke, in a statement to the weekly Irish Catholic, voiced “deepest sorrow for my inappropriate, irresponsible and repeatedly sinful conduct,” but denied having abused a minor

Pope Benedict XVI
Photograph by: ALESSIA PIERDOMENICO
Credit: REUTERS

NSE identifies factors responsible for fire outbreak in Kano markets

Latest News Jun 2, 2010

By AbdulSalam Muhammad

KANO — The Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, has identified safety consideration and security consciousness as factors responsible for incessant fire outbreak in major markets in Kano.

A position paper submitted by the Kano branch of the Society under the leadership of the branch chairman, Alhaji Rabiu Ali observed that absence of fire hydrant in the affected markets and water storage reservour impede fire fighting when ever the need arises.

Rabiu lamented non-compliance to building code in the markets during construction, stressing that most of the shops have no fire resistance that made it highly vulnerable and susceptible to fire outbreak.

“Although the shops were built to house highly combustible materials…

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Street fight: Kingmakers to sanction Deji of Akure

National News Jun 2, 2010

By Dayo Johnson
THE Kingmakers in Akureland, Ondo State yesterday expressed disgust over the street fight in which their paramount traditional ruler, Oba Oludare Adepoju engaged in last weekend, just as indication emerged that he would be sanctioned before the end of this week.

Meanwhile, investigation revealed that the office of public defender has approached Olori Bolanle in order to take up the matter and ensure that justice is done over the assault on her by the Oba.

The Police Commissioner, Mogaji Nasarawa said it was his officers that saved the Oba from the ugly scene last Sunday.

Vanguard gathered that the magnitude of the sanction may be grievous following condemnation that trailed the unholy action of the Oba who fought with one of his estranged Olori last Sunday on the street of Akure.

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