I wake up in the morning and the first thought on my mind is the dishes left unwashed from last night’s dinner. Then I think of the fact

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that the pump where we fetch our water from is two streets away. I’ve walked that path so many times I could do it blind-folded. And I mustn’t forget that my youngest brother must go to school sporting a properly ironed uniform and with his homework completely, if not completely correctly, done. And then, ‘oh my goodness!’, I’d fallen asleep researching materials for my term paper which is due in two days. Great! These, more often than not, are the waking thoughts of the average African girl child, at least the one lucky enough to be in school.

Tags: Africa, Africa Union, African Culture, Africans, current-events, Educating Young Africans, human-rights, International Affairs, OLUSILE Moteleola Taiwo, society

Over the years, Africa, being home to majority of the developing countries of the world, has been and remains the continent where the most products – both original and sub-standard – are being dumped, making the African continent a dumping ground. Also, Africa, being home to mainly third world countries, has been and continues to be exploited by the developed countries of the world. Significant hazards in this regard include the signing of unfavourable trade agreements which are unhealthy to the African state, both economically and environmentally.  A vivid example of these exploits can be seen with the foreign oil companies in Nigeria, which employ methods of extraction of oil that pollute and destroy the surrounding land and water and the environment, making it hard to farm and fish. It is important to note that these oil companies do not do much to stop this pollution and they do not make any attempt to clean the environment or pay compensation to the affected communities for the destruction.

Tags: Africa, Africa Union, African Leaders, Agriculture, China, China and its African Trade Agrement, Corruption, Development, Economic Aids, economy, Educating Young Africans, Ethiopia, Exploitation of Africans, Ibraheem Idrees, International Affairs, International Agreements, Nigeria, Oil and Gas, Oil and the Environment, politics, research, third world countries, Treaties, West Africa