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Articles by Aliyu Bello
Africa’s Path to Energy Independence Begins With Financing Its Own Future
Nigeria’s Electricity Act of 2023 introduced reforms allowing state governments to participate more actively in the power sector, creating opportunities to attract investment, expand electricity supply, and address local energy needs. However, financing the infrastructure required to achieve reliable power remains a significant challenge for Nigeria and other developing economies.
Rethinking Africa’s Wildlife Conservation Beyond Colonial-Era Policies
For decades, conservation approaches have often restricted communities’ access to ancestral lands and excluded them from decisions affecting their environments. Greater community participation and benefit-sharing are increasingly recognized as essential to sustainable wildlife protection.
Africa’s Information Battle: Can Journalism Keep Up With AI-Driven Misinformation?
While AI can accelerate the spread of false information, it also offers opportunities to strengthen fact-checking, monitor broadcasts, and help audiences access reliable information. However, limited representation of African languages in AI systems presents additional challenges for content moderation and verification across the continent.
Africa’s Music Boom Puts Economic Sovereignty in Spotlight
The worldwide popularity of Afrobeats has opened new markets for African artists, with streaming platforms and international partnerships helping their music reach audiences far beyond the continent. However, questions remain over who controls distribution, collects royalties, and captures the financial value generated by African creativity.
Beyond Colonial Walls: Rediscovering Africa’s Architectural Heritage
Colonial-era buildings and Western-inspired designs remain prominent across many African cities, raising concerns about the marginalization of indigenous architectural traditions and the affordability of modern housing. Global South Pole spoke with Associate Professor Mustapha Bala Ruma of the Department of English and French at Umaru Musa Yar’adua University in Katsina, Nigeria, to discuss colonialism’s impact on African architecture and the importance of reclaiming indigenous design traditions.
How One Scientist is Rethinking Future of Paint in Africa
The innovation, developed at the University of Lagos, uses plant-based materials and nanotechnology to combat microbial deterioration, offering a potential alternative to conventional paint formulations that rely on hazardous substances such as lead, which has long been used in paint manufacturing to improve durability and resistance to deterioration.
Africa is Not Poor, But “Chronically Undervalued,” Senegalese Expert Says
The issue goes beyond media representation. The way Africa is described can influence perceptions of risk, investment decisions, and the value assigned to assets that already exist across the continent. At the same time, the rise of African media, digital platforms, and creative industries is creating new opportunities to shape how the continent is understood.
Defense Innovation and Africa’s Quest for Greater Strategic Choice
The challenge is therefore not simply whether African countries can develop sophisticated technologies, but whether they can build the wider ecosystem needed to move those technologies from the laboratory into sustained operational use.
BRICS Can Become Important Pillar of Africa’s Development Finance, Scholar Says
Global South Pole spoke to Dr. Dylan Mangani, an expert in international relations, security, and governance and a research fellow at the BRICS Research Institute in South Africa, about the growing role of BRICS and the New Development Bank in Africa’s development financing landscape. Mangani said the NDB could become an important pillar of a diversified financial architecture for Africa, particularly by supporting infrastructure, sustainable development, and productive sectors.
Africa’s Cashew Industry Could Become Model for Agro-Industrialization
Across the continent, countries are increasingly looking at how to move further along the cashew value chain, from raw production to processing and manufacturing. Cashew can generate a wide range of products beyond the familiar edible nut, including juice, butter, milk, and cashew nut shell liquid, creating opportunities for broader industrial development.
From Ground Troops to Drones: Nigeria’s Changing Approach to Modern Warfare
Global South Pole spoke with Dr. Dickson Osajie, a global security analyst, counter-terrorism expert, and former military officer, to examine the significance of the development and its potential impact on military operations. Osajie said the use of drones could give troops advance information about threats, improve commanders’ decision-making, and reduce soldiers’ exposure to danger during operations.
Why African Data Matters in Future of Medical AI
The data gap could have consequences for disease diagnosis, outbreak prediction, treatment, and the detection of antimicrobial resistance. In one example discussed during the program, a model for predicting ciprofloxacin resistance reportedly achieved about 75% accuracy in England but around 50% when applied to African data.
From Soil Maps to Drones, Precision Farming Rewrites Rules of African Agriculture
Precision agriculture combines data and targeted farm management to determine where resources are needed, rather than applying them uniformly across an entire field. Technologies including satellite imagery, soil mapping, and drones can help farmers monitor crops, identify problems, and make more informed decisions.
Africa’s Hidden Soil Life Could Hold Keys to Food Security
Soil microbes are largely invisible, but they perform functions that are fundamental to healthy agricultural land, from cycling nutrients to helping plants access nitrogen and retain moisture. When these microbial communities begin to disappear, the soil can gradually lose some of the functions that allow it to remain fertile and productive.
Fertilizer: New Frontier in Global South Politics
Because nitrogen fertilizer depends heavily on natural gas, shocks in energy markets can quickly translate into higher fertilizer production costs and, eventually, more expensive food. For Africa, where countries remain heavily dependent on imported fertilizer, the issue also raises broader questions about domestic production, industrial capacity, and the continent’s ability to protect its food systems from external disruptions.
Africa’s Innovation Moment: From Local Ingenuity to Global Impact
Africa’s innovation landscape is being shaped by its particular circumstances, including resource constraints, a large and growing young population, expanding digital markets, and significant natural resources. These conditions are creating opportunities for locally developed solutions to address problems within Africa while potentially finding applications elsewhere.
Africa’s Creditworthiness Needs More Than External Perceptions, Expert Says
Credit rating agencies play a significant role in shaping how investors understand the risks associated with African economies. While ratings are intended to provide forward-looking assessments of a borrower’s ability to meet its obligations, significant differences between agencies can influence market perceptions and ultimately affect the cost of financing.
World United By Values: World Public Assembly Brings Global Voices Together
The assembly provided a platform for participants to exchange views on international relations, cultural understanding, and the importance of people-to-people connections in a rapidly changing global environment. The Global South Pole podcast was at the event, engaging with guests, speakers, and stakeholders and discussing global affairs, Africa’s role in the emerging international order, and the importance of stronger connections among countries and communities of the Global South.
Lamu Power Project Could Open New Chapter for African Energy Integration, Kenyan Expert Says
In East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania could be at the center of such a model, with Tanzania’s natural gas resources potentially supplying energy for industrial development in Kenya. The proposed expansion of the gas-fired power component of the planned Dangote refinery project in Lamu from 500 megawatts to as much as 1,000 megawatts has raised the possibility of creating a wider regional energy and industrial corridor.
Zed Beats: How Home Studios Transformed Zambian Music & Gave Young People a Voice
The rise of affordable computers, software and home studios lowered the traditional barriers to music production, allowing musicians who could not afford professional studio time to create and distribute their own work. The movement also helped popularise Zambian languages such as Bemba and Nyanja, making the music more closely connected to everyday youth culture.
AI Could Help Africa Build Medicines Tailored to Its People, Scientist Says
For a continent with a high disease burden but a relatively small share of global clinical trials, the growing use of AI in drug research is also raising questions about data, infrastructure, scientific capacity, and Africa’s role in developing its own medicines.
'Colonialism Has Only Changed Pattern': Africa's Fight for Health Sovereignty
Modern disease surveillance depends on countries exchanging information—scientists need data, laboratories need samples, and governments must work together quickly during outbreaks. Yet health information contains sensitive details about people, while biological materials and pathogen information carry enormous scientific, commercial, and strategic value, raising the question of who ultimately owns and controls health data generated in African countries.
Sovereignty Through Partnership: What Namibia-Russia Partnership Means for Africa's Future
Namibia is rich in minerals, fish, agriculture, and green hydrogen potential, but unlocking that wealth requires the right skills and technology. Through this partnership, Kharas aims to send students to Russian universities, explore value addition in mining, attract investment, and even boost tourism—bringing the Russia-Africa relationship closer to the people and communities it is meant to serve.
Data is African - Profits Are Not: Challenging Digital Colonialism
Across the continent, millions of users generate data daily, and the opportunity to capture its value has never been greater. By investing in African-owned data centers, cloud capacity, and AI models trained on local languages and cultures, Africa can move from being a consumer of technology to a creator, building a digital economy that works for everyone.
Energy Sovereignty Starts With Skills: College That Could Reshape Africa's Future
For too long, Africa's energy conversation has focused on infrastructure—solar panels, batteries, and hydrogen plants—while overlooking the human capacity needed to make them work. The Barefoot College model offers a shift toward investing in people, but success depends on connecting training to real markets, designing curricula with industry, and building an entire energy ecosystem that creates jobs, not just certificates.
'Challenge the Status Quo': Africa's Future Depends on Trusting Its Own Solutions
Across the continent, farmers have developed practical solutions, entrepreneurs have built businesses, and researchers have generated evidence about what works. Yet closing the gap between having knowledge and turning it into economic value means questioning systems that have remained unchanged for decades and building institutions that preserve experience, support new ideas, and strengthen investor confidence for the long term.
'Be Conscious of Your Identity': Why Hausa is More Than Language
Across the continent, African languages carry history, literature, and collective memory, yet they remain undervalued in official spaces where colonial languages still dominate. The challenge is not simply about speaking Hausa at home or in the marketplace but about committing it to research, writing, and publishing and ensuring that it competes favorably at every level and endures for generations to come.
Cultural Banks: Can Africa Turn Heritage Into Living Resource?
The cultural bank model, pioneered in Mali, is one such approach. It seeks to keep heritage connected to communities while allowing cultural resources to contribute to their social and economic well-being, offering a model that could complement traditional museums.
Homegrown Innovation Holds Key to Africa’s Food Future - Zimbabwean Developer
While many agricultural technologies used across Africa are developed abroad, a growing number of local innovators are designing solutions tailored to the continent’s environmental conditions, available resources, and the needs of smallholder farmers.
Russian Wines Make Nigerian Debut as Africa’s Market Diversifies
The inaugural shipment included more than 48 tonnes of sparkling and still wines, making Nigeria a new export destination for Russian producers. The development comes as Africa’s wine market continues to grow alongside rising urbanization, tourism, and changing consumer preferences.
Who Owns Africa’s Digital Future? Nigeria’s Big Tech Probe Sparks Content Colonialism Debate
President Bola Tinubu directed Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission [FCCPC] to examine complaints involving technology firms, including Meta*, Alphabet, and X, over concerns ranging from digital competition to the alleged unauthorized use of journalistic and other online content. The inquiry has sparked wider discussions about intellectual property, AI training data, and digital sovereignty across Africa.
China’s Yuan Gains Momentum Across Africa as De-dollarization Reshapes Global Finance
African governments are increasingly exploring local currency settlements, currency swap agreements, and reserve diversification as they seek to reduce transaction costs and lessen exposure to exchange rate volatility. These developments come amid broader discussions on reforming the global financial system and strengthening Africa’s economic resilience.
Africa’s First Deep Underground Science Lab Could Transform Research Across Continent, Academic Says
The Pearl Africa Underground Lab (PAUL), currently under development in South Africa, is expected to become the continent’s first dedicated deep underground multidisciplinary research laboratory. Built around 800 meters beneath the Du Toitskloof Mountains, the facility will provide an ultra-low background environment for advanced scientific research while supporting disciplines ranging from particle physics and geology to artificial intelligence, environmental science, and quantum technologies.
Agricultural revolution must flow through irrigation
Sir: There is an old saying that a wise farmer does not quarrel with the weather; he prepares for it. As Nigeria confronts an increasingly unpredictable climate, this timeless wisdom should become the guiding philosophy of our agricultural policy. The rains no longer arrive with the certainty they once did. Dry spells appear unexpectedly, and farmers who depend solely on rainfall are paying a heavy price.
Africa Must Build Maritime Strength From Within, South African Researcher Says
Africa’s maritime domain supports more than 90% of the continent’s international trade by volume and underpins fisheries, offshore energy, maritime commerce, and the growing blue economy. Yet despite growing investments in maritime security, many African countries continue to rely heavily on foreign partners for naval technology, surveillance systems, and defense capabilities.
Dangote’s Refining Expansion Offers a Blueprint for Industrialising Africa, Energy Expert Says
Dangote Industries’ plans to expand its refining capacity to 2.1 million barrels per day, including a proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Kenya, have renewed discussions about African-led industrialisation and regional energy integration. The investments are expected to reshape downstream energy markets while supporting broader economic development across the continent. Global South Pole spoke with Kelvin A.
West Africa’s Cinema Is Finally Telling Its Own Story and Audiences Are Listening - Industry Expert
Recent figures from the West African box office show cinema revenues reached record figures, with Nollywood productions accounting for nearly half of total ticket sales, outperforming Hollywood releases across the regional market for the first time. The figures highlight the growing influence of locally produced films and the expanding role of the creative economy in West Africa.
Africa Risks 'Digital Colonialism' Without AI Sovereignty, Senegalese Researcher Warns
Governments across the continent are racing to attract global technology firms and develop national AI strategies, questions are growing over who owns the infrastructure, data and intellectual property powering Africa’s digital future.
Russia-Rwanda Nuclear Cooperation Reflects Africa’s Push for Strategic Partnerships, Expert Says
The agreement builds on earlier cooperation between Kigali and Moscow and covers areas including nuclear medicine, scientific research, workforce training, and the potential development of nuclear energy infrastructure. It comes as more African countries explore civilian nuclear technology to address energy deficits and support long-term economic transformation.
BRICS Can Turn Waste Into Economic Opportunity Through Shared Innovation, Researchers Say
Their comparative research found that each of the five founding BRICS members has adopted a unique model.
Scientific Validation Could Unlock Africa’s Medicinal Plant Potential, Researcher Says
Speaking on Global South Pole, Dr. Oyinlola Oluwunmi Olaokun, a research fellow at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Pretoria, South Africa, discussed how modern scientific methods can help transform medicinal plants from traditional remedies into clinically validated therapies. Dr. Olaokun said Africa’s rich medicinal plant resources could play a greater role in healthcare if supported by rigorous scientific research to establish their safety, effectiveness, and consistency.
Africa’s Borders Still Serve Colonial Interests, Zimbabwean Scholar Says
Global South Pole engaged Innocent Moyo, a professor of Human Geography at the University of Zululand in South Africa, to discuss how colonial border systems continued to shape trade, economic governance, and regional integration across Africa and what a more people-centered approach could mean for the continent’s future.
Africa’s Cancer Breakthrough Opens New Path Toward Smarter Treatments
Global South Pole spoke with Kevin Naidoo, professor of Scientific Computing and Physical Chemistry at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, who headed the team behind the discovery, about how decoding one of cancer’s hidden survival mechanisms could reshape future diagnostics, vaccines, and targeted therapies while showcasing Africa’s growing role in frontier biomedical research.
Africa’s Hidden Green Pharmacy: Time to Turn Plants Into Global Products, Researcher Says
Speaking to Global South Pole, Dr. Joy Odimegwu, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacognosy at the University of Lagos, said realizing that potential will require greater investment in research, scientific standardization, and local manufacturing, enabling Africa to move beyond exporting raw medicinal plants and instead produce high-value healthcare products.
‘The Philosophy Is Colonial’: Activist on Why Extractivism Fails to Develop African Communities
Global South Pole engaged Reverend Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation in Nigeria, to discuss climate justice, extractivism and Africa’s place in the global economy. Drawing on decades of environmental advocacy, he reflected on how patterns established during the colonial era continue to shape the relationship between resource-rich regions and international markets, often leaving communities with limited benefits from the wealth generated from their territories.
"Russia Has Walked the Talk": Expert on $20 Bln Africa Arms Deals and Anti-Colonial Continuity
The discussion follows remarks by Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheev, Russia's state-owned arms export agency, who revealed that the Russian state arms exporter has secured more than $20 billion in defense agreements across Africa since 2023. To examine what this growing cooperation means for the continent’s security landscape, Global South Pole spoke with Dylan Mangani, an expert in international relations, security, and governance and a research fellow at the BRICS Research Institute.
Reclaiming Memory, Restoring Meaning: Africa’s Push to Redefine Restitution
At the heart of this shift is a renewed focus on how African voices, experiences, and knowledge systems are centered in conversations about restitution. Rather than treating heritage as static objects, the discussion is evolving to recognize their living role within communities and their importance in sustaining identity across generations.
"Africa is Leading It, Not Just Playing It" – Expert on Sports Revolution Reshaping Continent
This transformation reflects a broader shift in how African sports are experienced and valued. What was once largely about entertainment has expanded into a dynamic ecosystem shaped by media rights, infrastructure development, and grassroots investment. Increasingly, sport is becoming a vehicle for economic expansion, youth empowerment, and continental storytelling on a global stage.
Stopping Next Outbreak Before It Starts: What It Takes to Keep Africa Safe
The conversation is shifting beyond emergency response toward building resilient systems that can protect communities and strengthen the continent’s long-term public health independence.
When the village follows you: How a VC’s lecture proved that home never lets go, By Aliyu Bello
In a world where migration has become the norm and distance is declared dead, a professor stood before an auditorium in Abuja and made a strong claim: your village is not a place you left behind; it is watching you from your phone.
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