Africa's demand for cooling systems is expanding. But regulating the industry is a struggle

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — As the sun blazes down in Nigeria's capital Abuja, Ahmed Bukar turns on his home air conditioner to a blast of hot air. The charging valve on the outside unit is leaking out the cooling gas that the appliance runs on. A technician had recently helped him refill the air...

Lawmakers in Nigeria try to resolve rift between authorities and Africa's richest man

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian legislators on Monday began an investigation into the alleged importation of contaminated fuel into the country, part of efforts to resolve issues causing a rift between an oil refinery owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote and the industry regulator. ...

Nigeria more than doubles the minimum wage for government workers after strikes and negotiations

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Public sector workers in Nigeria on the minimum wage will see their salaries double after the government reached an agreement on Thursday with labor unions that have been threatening further strikes as the cost of living spirals. The new minimum monthly wage...

Police say 22 students were killed when a school collapsed during morning classes in Nigeria

Senegal’s leader wasn't born when ECOWAS was founded. He's asked to reunite the bloc split by coups

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Senegal’s President Basirou Diomaye Faye, Africa's youngest, is suddenly faced with a huge challenge of reuniting a weakened regional bloc that is older than him. The 44-year-old Faye was tasked on Sunday with getting the military junta-ruled Mali, Niger and...

A weakened West Africa bloc asks Senegalese leader to try to convince breakaway states to return

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — West Africa’s divided regional bloc Sunday asked Senegal’s President Basirou Diomaye Faye to have a dialogue with the three military junta-led member states to try to reunite the region whose stability has been under threat following their decision to leave the group in...

West African defense chiefs propose a $2.6 billion security plan that analysts say might not work

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Defense chiefs of West Africa on Thursday proposed an ambitious plan to deploy a 5,000-strong “standby force” to fight the region’s worsening security crises, a measure that analysts say might not work due to challenges of funding and division within the regional bloc....

More African nations focus on HPV vaccination against cervical cancer, but hesitancy remains

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Yunusa Bawa spends a lot of time talking about the vaccine for the human papillomavirus that is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer. But on most days, only two or three people allow their daughters to be vaccinated in the rural part of Nigeria where he works....

Nigeria is emerging as a critical mineral hub. The government is cracking down on illegal operations

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's government is cracking down on illegal mining, making dozens of arrests of unlicensed miners since April for allegedly stealing the country’s lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones and power systems. The...

Gunmen abduct 9 students in Nigeria's north in the latest attack targeting schools

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least nine students have been abducted by gunmen during a late-night raid on their school in northern Nigeria’s Kogi state, authorities said Friday, the third such abduction amid rampant kidnappings targeting schools in the conflict-hit region this year. ...