The 2018 Mo Ibrahim Forum Report paints a very poor picture of the state of Africa’s public services. The reports covers a variety of sectors -- from safety and security, health, education, climate change to justice -- and illustrates these issues with facts and figures. Nearly all African governments fail to deliver essential public services to their citizens; the demand for quality services is quickly rising, particularly in urban settings. A majority of African citizens are in favour of paying for public services. Read on

On 30 August, the CILSS Agrhymet Regional Centre celebrated the fourth edition of its master’s programme in food and nutrition security. Twenty-five students, including four women, graduated in Niamey, Niger. The majority of students benefitted from a scholarship within the ECOWAS-sponsored Support Program for Food and Nutrition Security in West Africa (PASANAO). Read on

Of the millions of children who do not complete elementary school in West Africa each year, one third suffer from a disability. Their condition means they are confronted with many barriers to education. As part of its inclusive education programme, Handicap International seeks to remove the many barriers to the education of 170 000 children with disabilities in nine West African countries. Read on

The World Bank has published the results of a learning outcomes assessment that was carried out in 2014 in ten Francophone African countries, including seven in West Africa. It reveals that, in general, there are still significant gender and social disparities when it comes to access to education in the region. Read on