Latest news with #Nigeria
CBC
an hour ago
- Lifestyle
- CBC
Make this sweet, crunchy Nigerian street food salad all summer long
While there are endless varieties of fruit salad to make this summer, this vibrant pineapple- and papaya-packed one deserves your attention. It's a street food-inspired salad from Ozoz Sokoh's cookbook, Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria. And like any fruit salad worthy of returning to again and again, it's super simple to throw together — and incredibly customizable. Thanks to the addition of cucumber, carrot and coconut, it also delivers an exquisite crunch. It's topped off with roasted peanuts for added texture and a little bit of salt that mingles so nicely with the rest of the ingredients. You'll find Sokoh's recipe for how to roast them at home below. But if you're short on time, pre-roasted, store-bought peanuts will work just fine. 'I'm a huge advocate of capturing the essence of a recipe and being flexible,' she said. That goes for serving ideas, too. If you're entertaining, Sokoh suggests deconstructing the recipe and setting up a fruit salad bar. 'It is a fun and delicious way to enjoy similar things, while everyone creates their own versions,' she said. You can also include fruit that's in season or that suits your family's palate; Sokoh often works in passion fruit seeds and kiwis, her son's favourite. So go ahead and play around with endless colourful combos this summer — and year-round. The following has been reprinted, with permission, from Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria. Street Food Salad By Ozoz Sokoh This street food take on fruit salad, sold in transparent packs accompanied by toothpicks and cutlery, combines sweet, fresh produce with toppings of condensed milk and skinned roasted groundnuts (peanuts). Sweetness comes by way of the pineapple and papaya, freshness from cucumber, and crunch from strips of carrot and fresh coconut. For this salad, the fruit is cut into slightly larger pieces (about an inch/2.5 cm) that are often eaten one at a time, rather than mixed together. Feel free to make an American-style fruit salad of it by cutting the fruit smaller and combining. Ingredients 1 cup chopped (165 g) ripe pineapple ½ cup (75 g) chopped firm but ripe papaya ½ cup (75 g) chopped watermelon 1 medium (orange) carrot, cut 1 small cucumber, chopped ¼ cup (35 g) fresh coconut chunks or shavings ½ cup (120 ml) sweetened condensed milk, for serving ½ cup (75 g) Roasted groundnuts (see below), skinned, for garnish Preparation In a large serving bowl, combine the pineapple, papaya, watermelon, carrot, cucumber, and coconut. Stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it. Uncover and let the fruit salad rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon the salad into individual bowls, drizzle condensed milk over the top of each portion, and sprinkle with the groundnuts. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. Serves 4 Roasted Groundnuts NOTE: To remove the skins, rub the groundnuts until most of the skins come off. Transfer the groundnuts to a colander set on a tray and shake it so the broken skins fall through the holes. Continue rubbing as needed. Discard the skins and store the groundnuts. Ingredients 4 cups (about 1 L) boiling water 1 cup (5½ ounces/160 g) raw groundnuts (peanuts), rinsed and drained 2 teaspoons fine sea salt Preparation In a heatproof bowl, combine the boiling water, groundnuts, and salt. Stir, cover, and let sit at room temperature (or, once cool, in the fridge if the weather's hot) for 4 to 8 hours. The soaking liquid will thicken and color. Drain the groundnuts in a colander, rinse, and gently pat them dry— leave the skins on, as they protect the groundnuts while they cook. Spread the groundnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside to air-dry for 1 to 2 hours. Microwave roasting: Cook the groundnuts in batches. Be careful during this process as the dish will get hot. Place a single layer of groundnuts in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave at full power, uncovered, in 1-minute bursts, stirring and resting for up to 1 minute after each burst. The groundnuts will go from oily-wet to translucent and opaque. You might hear popping and crackling. The groundnuts are ready when some skins turn papery and slip off with ease and the nuts take on golden hues. If you split one in half, you should see patches of light brown. This should take 6 to 8 minutes total. Remove the dish from the microwave and set on a rack. You will hear more popping and crackling as the groundnuts continue to cook, then cool, shrink, and turn crunchy, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining groundnuts. Oven roasting: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roast the peanuts on a rimmed baking sheet, checking them and stirring every 5 minutes until they're lightly golden brown and fragrant, about 20 minutes. You might hear the occasional pop and crackle. They may not look dark, but they continue to cook as they cool. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Let cool for about 30 minutes—there will be more popping and crackling as the peanuts cool and shrink. Store the groundnuts in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks at room temperature, 3 months in the refrigerator, and 6 months in the freezer.
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Business
- Russia Today
The US has just declared economic war on Africa. It will backfire
In April, US President Donald Trump implemented new tariff policies, imposing a maximum of 50% on goods entering America from African countries. They previously enjoyed free access benefits from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which, according to the Center for Global Development, used to provide sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to over 7,000 products. In 2023, the Office of the US Trade Representative reported that the US imported goods worth $9.7 billion under the AGOA, with South Africa ($14.0 billion), Nigeria ($5.7 billion), Ghana ($1.7 billion), Angola ($1.2 billion), and Cote d'Ivoire ($948 million) being Africa's biggest exporters. But with a 10% universal tariff now imposed on all African nations, experts believe the AGOA may have come to an end. However, the same experts also say Africa's market of 1.4 billion people can serve as the best response to external economic shocks caused by Trump's trade tariffs. Dr. Francis Owusu, a trade economist at the University of Ghana, notes that with the new tariffs, 'Trump not only made AGOA lame, but also prepared it for eventual death.' 'There is no way AGOA will be beneficial to African countries with the new tariffs in place. It makes no sense at all,' Dr. Owusu said. 'Trump's tariff policy rendered AGOA meaningless.' Dr. Owusu says that, instead of lamenting over Trump's tariff actions, African leaders must breathe life into the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 'What Africa needs is regional trade and economic resilience. With a population and market of over one billion people, African leaders must shift focus and use regional instruments like AfCFTA to build and insulate the continent's economy,' he told RT. According to the expert, by imposing new trade tariffs on African exports, 'Trump did Africa a big favor.' Launched in 2021, the AfCFTA boasts an estimated combined GDP of $3.4 trillion and a market of 1.4 billion people, making it the world's largest free trade area by number of participating countries. But despite the existence of the AfCFTA, intra-African trade remains below par. As of April 2025, it accounted for only 18% of total continental trade. According to Afreximbank's Africa Trade Report 2024, intra-African trade in 2023 was $192.2 billion, a 3.2% increase from the previous year. In the same year, the share of formal intra-African trade increased from 13.6% in 2022 to 14.9%. Projections by the UN Economic Commission show that a full implementation of the AfCFTA could push intra-African trade to 35% by 2045. Faith Atieno, a trade policy analyst with Kenya's Institute of Economic Affairs, argues that a lack of political will and trust among member states has hampered the full implementation of the AfCFTA. 'Africa must address existing structural barriers and disjointed customs regulations if it wants to realize its full trade potential,' Atieno told RT. She added that to unlock its dormant trade power, the continent should also invest in the enhancement of its industrial capacity and logistics infrastructure. 'For AfCFTA to succeed, Africa must start trading as a continent and invest in regional value chains. Member states must stop prioritizing trade deals with Europe and the US,' she said. According to Atieno, there is no reason why a country like Kenya cannot export its textiles and horticultural products to countries like Nigeria, Egypt, and Ghana. 'Why should African nations continue having trade barriers among themselves when they can all benefit from this ripe and huge market?' In the wake of Trump's actions, African countries are taking insulating measures. In Nigeria, the Export Promotion Council has already announced a new policy to ease bureaucratic barriers and enhance intra-African trade for its textiles, cocoa, and pharmaceutical products. Regarded as Africa's largest economy, Nigeria is among the member states that have lagged in the implementation of the AfCFTA. On the other hand, Ghana, through the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, is prioritizing intra-African trade in the implementation of the National Export Development Strategy, which aims to create a $25 billion export economy by 2029. Yodit Hailemariam, a development economist based in Addis Ababa, says Africa's trade and economic future rests in regional integration. 'As a continent, we have a promising future. Regional integration must now move from theory to reality. Regional blocs must start aligning their industrial and trade policies for intra-African trade to be effective and beneficial,' she told RT. 'For AfCFTA to succeed, we will need strong and powerful regional and continental value chains.' Afreximbank already has a $2 billion Intra-African Trade Resilience Fund to help exporters build continental logistics hubs to boost intra-continental trade. And with the African Union set to host an emergency trade summit in August 2025 in Nairobi to discuss unified responses to global trade shocks, Dr. Owusu says Trump's tariffs on African countries are a 'statement of economic freedom and independence for the continent.' A 2022 research report published by the World Bank Group forecasted that full implementation of the AfCFTA could lift at least 50 million Africans out of extreme poverty by 2035. Wamkele Mene, who heads the AfCFTA secretariat, says that to fully benefit from the protocol, member states need to focus on innovation and economic development, which requires the integration of government, industry, and academia to foster innovation and economic development. 'We urgently must address existing challenges to continental trade, enhance trade capabilities and develop sector-specific technologies,' Mene said. 'What we need are policies that promote intra-African trade and cooperation, tax incentives as a catalyst for propelling Africa towards greater economic integration.' Mene says that through the AfCFTA, Africa has a chance to accelerate the realization of the African Union Agenda 2030 goals and try to establish a sustainable economic foundation for future generations.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Why Nigerian authorities declare Speed Darlington wanted
Di National Agency for di Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons [Naptip] don declare Nigerian Content creator, Darlington Okoye wanted. Di anti-trafficking and sexual abuse agency declare Darlington wey pipo sabi as Speed Darlington, wanted in connection wit alleged offences wey include rape, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking. Dis dey come afta Naptip bin invite di rapper and content creator to come ansa kwesion on top accuse wia e admit say im bin sexually abuse pikin. Im wahala start sake of video wey im use im hand post for Instagram live wia e allegedly confess say im bin abuse 15-year-old girl. Dat time, e bin no clear weda e dey serious wit di comment or e just dey do content. Pipo begin drag Naptip put inside di mata sake of say dem want Naptip to torchlight di mata. Mr Okoye bin come for social media to allegedly tok about di time wey im sleep wit 15 year old pikin for hotel and e "disvirgin her and give am 2k". Wen pipo first drag Naptip attention to di trending video, di agency bin direct di mata to di Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) bifor dem decide to handle di case by demsefs. But dis time di agency say if anybody see am make dem report to dem. Authorities bin invite di content creator afta alleged child abuse 'confession video' Speed Darlington and controversy Speed Darling dey always enta tori sake of tins wey dey controversial. E neva tey wey im comot from police hand before e do dis one again. Police bin detain am sake of defamation case against Burna Boy becos of video wey blow afta US rapper Diddy arrest. For one one viral video wey bin spread ontop social media, e show wia, Speed Darlington dey ask Burna Boy how e take win im Grammy award in 2021. Di 39-year-old wey pipo sabi as "Akpi" ask di Grammy award winner, Burna Boy if Diddy rub "oil for im nyash" bifor e win di trophy. "E no tey afta Burna Boy post im foto wit Diddy na im, e win Grammy," e tok "I just dey wonder, Burna Boy I dey ask you kwesion. No vex . How many oil Diddy drop for your nyash bifor dem give you trophy." Video of im arrest bin dey trend ontop social media, afta some pipo escort am comot from im gate. Meanwhile, di main pipo behind di arrest of 'Akpi', as Darlington dey call imsef no come out come tok. Afrobeats giant Burna Boy wey evri body dem call im name no also chook mouth for di mata. Who be Speed Darlington Speed Darlington na di son of Nigeria singer Pericoma Okoye, wey die on 16 February 2017 for Okigwe, Imo state Southest Nigeria. Im mama na Queen Theresa Onuorah. E blow for Nigeria afta im song BangDadaDang! comot for 2017 and pipo start to dey meme am for social media. E even tok say na Diddy bin inspire dat im song wen im drop am. Dat song blow sotay pipo even start to dey play am inside clubs and parties at di time and na wen Speed Darlington start im social media career. At di time wey e get im first hit, im bin dey live for di US but a few years later, e come relocate back to Nigeria. Di 39 year old rapper dey very popular for im social media persona wey im dey take tok about a lot of issues, mostly sex and how to make money.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
England-Nigeria decision coming soon
Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo recognises he needs to decide "sooner or later" whether his international future lies with England or 27-year-old has yet to receive an international call-up for either his nation of birth, England, or parentage, Nigeria with the World Cup taking place in the United States in about his hopes for playing international football, Adarabioyo said: "The World Cup means it is a decision I need to take sooner rather than later. It is a conversation we will have and we will see how it goes."The centre-back, born in Manchester, has been open to playing for England, representing the country from under-16s to under-19s, and being on Gareth Southgate's long list while playing at Fulham. However, he has yet to receive a formal terms of Nigeria, Adarabioyo has previously denied turning down any call-ups in the past. Sources say there was caution in making any decisions after his recent move to Chelsea, with the defender publicly stating he wanted to focus on club football this season. Adarabioyo is proud to have familial ties with Nigeria and last year his camp received informal contact from them. Now, with stability at Chelsea after playing 39 games this season, Adarabioyo is approaching decision time should a call-up several sources at Chelsea have praised the defender's off-field influence, especially at the Club World Cup where players are away from their families and with a lot of free time on their hands. They highlighted his close relationship with star player Cole Palmer and nickname 'Uncle' as evidence of his influence as one of a number of leaders in the squad. "I settled very quickly when I came and took on that leadership role to try and help the boys whenever I can," Adarabioyo added. "At Fulham, I was actually one of the youngest and now to come here and be one of the eldest, it's quite funny. But wherever I've been I've always been one of the leaders in the team."One example of Adarabioyo's leadership was encouraging Palmer to say more in a man-of-the-match interview after the Conference League final, with the forward in turn filmed applauding his friend after winning 'Superior Player of the Match' in a viral video after the 3-0 win over ES Tunis on Tuesday night. "No, I'm not a mentor (for Palmer), but I was looking after him a little bit," he added. "He's a top, top player who doesn't need advice from me to know what he has to do but I'm there whenever he needs me. "I banter him sometimes and tells he's a little superstar. He handles it very well."
News24
9 hours ago
- Business
- News24
Standard Bank wins 10 awards at EMEA Finance Africa Banking Awards
Standard Bank, the biggest bank in Africa by assets, has won an impressive 10 awards at the 17th annual edition of the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Finance Magazine Africa Banking Awards. The EMEA Finance Magazine Achievement Awards were recently held in London. Award winners are nominated by banks and their clients and chosen by the EMEA Finance editorial team. Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking was recognised across three categories, equity capital markets, taking five awards, three in mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and two in syndicated loans. These are inclusive of the Best M&A house in Africa accolades, two Best M&A deals in Africa for deals originated in Nigeria and East Africa, and the Best IPO in Africa Awards for the Boxer Retail deal. 'We are proud to be recognised across various categories for our innovative and client-led solutions. They reaffirm our commitment to sustainably growing the continent we proudly call home. 'This highlights the importance we place on aligning our purpose with action through innovative deals across the African continent,' says Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Executive of Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking. The Awards recognise the most notable transactions and the organisations behind them across a variety of markets, including debt and equity capital markets, loans, Islamic finance, structured finance and more. 'We will continue to strive to deliver innovative, exceptional service tailored to our clients' needs where they need them,' concludes Masinda.
