West Africa News Agency
Featured
Latest news
Latest headlines
Climate & Environment
View all Climate & Environment
West African Politics
View all West African PoliticsEntertainment
View all Entertainment
Entertainment
eLDee Returns With ‘I Wish You Well,’ Comic Rebuke of Nigeria Billing Culture
Nigerian rapper eLDee the Don has released I Wish You Well, a comic track about a woman who asks a near-stranger for a loan and then for travel and designer goods. The song arrives as billing, the expectation that a suitor should fund a woman's lifestyle, remains central to Nigerian debates about dating, money and gender.
Entertainment
King Sunny Adé at 80: How ‘King of Jùjú’ Took Yoruba Music to World
King Sunny Adé turns 80 this year, closing in on six decades of shaping Nigerian jùjú music and carrying it to international audiences. Born in Òṣogbo in 1946, he built his own bands, label and a Grammy-nominated run with Island Records, while keeping Yoruba rhythms, talking drums and oral traditions at the centre of his sound.
Entertainment
Diamond Platnumz Returns with Playful New Single “Mtoto Kasimama”
Diamond Platnumz’s new single, "Mtoto Kasimama," is a high-energy Bongo Flava track that fuses traditional East African rhythms with modern pop, creating an instantly danceable, festive atmosphere. The song’s core value lies in its clever lyrical metaphor—translating to "The Child Stands"—which frames female allure and confidence as a magnetic, commanding presence, delivered through Platnumz’s signature smooth yet confident vocals. By blending playful romance with vibrant percussion and synth melodies, the track is engineered for broad commercial appeal, bridging cultural authenticity with global pop accessibility. The key takeaway is that this release is not just a song but a strategic celebration of attraction and charisma, designed to reinforce Platnumz’s dominance in the genre while inviting listeners into an uplifting, irresistible groove.
Defense and Security
View all Defense and Security
Markets & Economy
View all Markets & Economy
Social Justice & Human Rights
View all Social Justice & Human Rights
Social Justice & Human Rights
ECOWAS Reviews Child Policy as Officials Cite Poverty, Displacement
ECOWAS officials met in Abuja with member state directors responsible for children's rights to assess progress on the bloc's Child Policy and its 2019–2030 Strategic Action Plan. Speakers pointed to poverty, conflict and displacement as obstacles to children's rights, and called for stronger accountability and child participation.
More news
Health Care Programmes
ECOWAS Marks World Rabies Day, Urges Coordinated Action on Dog-Transmitted Disease
ECOWAS has used World Rabies Day to urge member states, health services and communities to intensify joint efforts against rabies. The bloc's Regional Animal Health Centre in Bissau cited regional surveillance data showing dog-transmitted rabies accounted for 38.8 per cent of reported priority zoonoses outbreaks in the first quarter of 2026.
Social Impact & Development
ECOWAS Donates Supplies and 500,000 CFA to Ouidah Children’s Shelter in Benin
ECOWAS Resident Representative in Benin, Ambassador Amadou Diongue, presented a donation to the 'House of Joy' Child Care and Protection Centre in Ouidah on September 21, 2026. The contribution included food, school supplies, vocational equipment, and 500,000 CFA for tuition fees. The ceremony was attended by local officials and the children at the centre.
Health Care Programmes
Africa CDC’s New Immunisation Strategy Targets Falling Vaccination Rates Across the Continent
Africa CDC has launched a Continental Immunisation Strategy for 2026–2030 after about 7.1 million African children under one received no routine vaccine dose in 2025. The strategy covers six areas, and its authors identify five priorities including domestic financing, digital systems and vaccine sovereignty.
Sports
Senegal’s Youth Olympic Games Venues Raise a Post-Games Financing Question
Senegal has built and rehabilitated sports facilities in Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly for the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for 31 October to 13 November 2026. Two researchers argue the Games could reshape how the country finances, manages and maintains sports infrastructure once the competition ends.
Women & Youths Empowerment
ECOWAS, Ivorian Ministry Train Officers on Gender-Based Violence in Abidjan
The ECOWAS Center for Gender Development, Côte d'Ivoire's Ministry of Women, Family, and Children, and the Akwaba Mousso Association held a two-day capacity building workshop in Abidjan on September 16–17, 2026, for Judicial Police Officers, GBV focal points in the justice sector, and other frontline actors. The workshop aimed to strengthen practical skills in preventing gender-based violence, identifying victims, and providing holistic care to survivors. Speakers including ECOWAS representative Ms. Fathmah Mahan and CCDG Director Ms. Sandra Oulaté Fattoh called for a coordinated, multisectoral response and a zero-tolerance approach to violence against women and girls.