“Keeping power in check: Media, justice and the rule of law” was the global theme of the 25th edition of World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated every year on May 3. The international conference, co-organised by UNESCO, was hosted this year by the government of Ghana in Accra from 2-3 May in recognition of that country’s independent and pluralistic media landscape. Read on

Laurent Bossard, director of the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat, talks about the region's key challenges and the issue of youth employment. The interview was conducted on the sidelines of the Sahel and West Africa Week 2017 in Cotonou, Benin. Read on

Conflict, drought and food price inflation are the main causes of food insecurity in Nigeria. The Boko Haram conflict has displaced massive numbers of people and has put more pressure on food resources in the northeastern part of the country, where violence is leading to a decline in agricultural production and is depriving farmers of stable incomes. Nutrition interventions need to be extended across the country, and involve related issues, such as maternal nutrition. Read on

At the initiative of the UEMOA Commission and several West African research institutes, researchers from the eight UEMOA member countries gathered from 25-28 September in Dakar. They brainstormed together on how to better integrate West African expertise into policy making. The three-day workshop covered several themes. A special focus was placed on food security and how to improve smallholder farmers’ access to seeds and inputs, how to improve intra-community agricultural trade, and how to generate jobs for the youth. Read on