Maximising Nigeria’s non-mineral exports

Under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, every person is entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons. On 20 October 2021, some Nigerians will be doing exactly that in commemoration of the anniversary of the violent crackdown on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate.

Africa's glaciers could all be gone by 2040. The UN forecasts a grim toll for Africa from climate change. It has also warned that massive displacement, hunger and extreme heat are in store for over 100 million of the continent's poorest. And October 19 marks Breast Cancer Awareness day, In Tunisia campaigners are ramping up efforts to get more people in for screenings on time.

One year later, Eti-Inyene Godwin Akpan, a photojournalist who went out to document the #ENDSARS protest of 20 October 2020, shares his story and encounter with Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services.⁣⁣

One year after security forces violently suppressed mass protests against police brutality and bad governance, Nigeria's continued to demand better policing and governance for its leaders. Under heavy police watch, dozens of protesters rallied in a procession of cars waving green and white national flags from windows at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, the site of the crackdown on last year’s #EndSARS demonstrations while the big question persists, what has changed?

Sendbox, a Nigeria-based e-commerce platform, has secured $1.8 million from a seed round led by 4Dx Ventures, Enza Capital, FJLabs, and Golden Palm Investments, bringing its total investment to $2 million.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. ⁣

Experts question whether Google's planned $1 billion investment in Africa stands to benefit the continent in the long term. Instead, some see it as another avenue for big tech companies to acquire budding start-ups.

It has been five years since the German government enacted the prostitution protection act. Lawmakers say it protects vulnerable people; many sex workers say it is discriminatory, stigmatizing and has increased risks.

“We came out here to honour our fallen brothers and sisters and they are telling us not to do so. Who does that,” asked a protester on as Nigerians, in their hundreds, gathered in Lagos and other Nigerian cities on Wednesday observed a memorial of last year’s long-drawn #EndSARS protests, which turned on its head on 20 October 2020.⁣⁣

Ghana's smock garment used to be reserved for royal use. These days, a flood of imported yarn has opened the market to near universal use, and the smock has become a Ghanaian clothing icon. Yet the country's collapsed cotton industry has left the financial fortunes of weavers and smock makers hanging by a thread.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a comprehensive in-principle free trade agreement with the UK, arrived at after 16 months of talks. London said the deal ends tariffs on British exports such as clothing, footwear, ships and bulldozers. It estimated that trade between the two countries last year was worth £2.3 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.7 billion euros).

A year ago, Akinwunmi hoisted a pole bearing the Nigerian and ENDSARS flags above his head to draw attention to the protest movement against police brutality in Lagos. Now known by thousands as Flagboii, Akinwunmi keeps waving his flag to "fight for a good country."