The Liberalist

The Togolese government recently announced the commencement of a 30-day visa-free entry policy for all African nationals, a new initiative that closely aligns with a recent move by Nigeria to grant 30-day visa-free access to Rwandan citizens. Analysts say these efforts would facilitate travel and boost tourism across borders in Africa. Read the full analysis here written by Hafsat Salihu and Hauwa Tauhid: theliberalist.org/africa-moves-c…

One Wednesday morning sometime this year, Lukman Mohammad, a basic five pupil of Ukago Primary School Wamba, tried to look at the blackboard, but his eyes blurred as he sat with his colleagues in the classroom. He recalled a day when his throat became dry, his head felt light, the ground seemed to sway beneath him. Not long, there was a headache, then a fever. The thirst he endured gripped him that he stopped comprehending what the teacher was saying. Read our latest investigation detailing how Nasarawa schoolchildren fend for water despite multi-billion naira allocations in education: theliberalist.org/in-nasarawa-pu…

Cheap fuel is the bread and butter of an economy. Workers need fuel to get to work. Every physical product requires fuel to get between A and B. Fuel is needed to keep generators running. The only reason we’ve escaped loadshedding is because Eskom has been spending more on diesel. Watch the full analysis 🎥🎥

Several African countries continue to struggle to ensure that journalists and media organisations operate without fear of censorship or intimidation, the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reveals. While a few nations like South Africa and Namibia continue to champion transparency, the broader continental trend shows a disturbing rise in repression of media freedom across all levels. Read the full analysis written by Sebiotimo Abdullateef: theliberalist.org/inside-africas…

In 2025, Jingilma invested ₦5 million (approximately $3,600) to cultivate six hectares of rice fields: three owned by him and three belonging to his children. A significant portion of this investment was financed through loans. In early September 2025, floodwaters swept through the fields and destroyed everything, repeating the disaster he had suffered the previous year. Click on the link below to read the full story: theliberalist.org/sokoto-farmers…

Africa’s democratic trajectory continues to face mounting gridlock as political rights and civil liberties decline across much of the continent. While a few countries demonstrate resilience through electoral progress and institutional reforms, the broader pattern shows a region grappling with authoritarian resurgence, conflict, and weakening democratic safeguards. Watch the full analysis 🎥🎥

Over the years, a growing number of African nations have made progress in facilitating travel, but visa restrictions remain a significant barrier to the movement of people and goods. ​The 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) evaluated 54 countries and found that only 17 had significantly improved their visa policies, following progress made by 15 countries the previous year. Read the full report here written by Sebiotimo Abdullateef: theliberalist.org/africas-riches…

A few months after dissolving all political parties, the Burkina Faso’s military junta has disbanded over 100 civil society and non-governmental organisations in the country. Human rights groups warn that this move signals a broader pattern of effort to silent dissent and restrict the civic space in the nation. Watch the full analysis 🎥🎥

As part of Nigeria’s tax reforms, the government has exempted traditional medical services from Value Added Tax (VAT) while imposing the levy on digital health services. Industry experts warn that this disparity could stifle innovation and threaten the future of the digital health sector. Click on the link below to read the full analysis written by @Sebiotimo Abdullateef: theliberalist.org/nigerias-new-v…

Across Africa, military coups and conflicts continued to reshape the lives of citizens, according to the 2026 World Report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW). While challenges vary by nation, the report identifies juntas as the major perpetrator of human right violations in the continent. Read the full analysis written by Hafsat Salihu: theliberalist.org/report-militar…

Dear Reader, Could Morocco’s latest travel reform mark a new phase in Sahelian diplomacy and regional influence? Last month, Morocco removed Malian nationals from its electronic travel authorisation known as Autorisation Électronique de Voyage au Maroc (AEVM). Previously introduced to manage visitor influxes during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, this digital pre-authorisation system had remained in place as a temporary border security measure for eight African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Read our today's newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/theliberal…

As violence persists in Africa, the traumatic experience has broken the peace of homes and disintegrated families, living the trails of ruins and fear. The international report established by the Freedom House traces these incidents, which affect countries across the world. Check out our postcard for more insights or read the full analysis at theliberalist.org

The Nigerian House of Representatives passed the first reading of a bill to amend the controversial Cybercrime Act. Among others, the new bill mandates that disputes arising from public interest publications, such as allegations of defamation or falsehood, must be resolved exclusively through civil remedies. This move signals a step towards safeguarding media freedom and Nigeria’s broader civic space. Read our latest analysis written by @ItsSebiotimo: theliberalist.org/new-bill-aims-…

Petrol is an essential good. Fuel not only keeps our economy chugging but enables all South Africans to work and live. As we head into a possible oil crisis due to the war in Iran, the government needs to stop the anti-poor and archaic tactic of taxing petrol to make up for shortfalls in its fiscus. Read the full article here: theliberalist.org/stop-taxing-fu…

What we learned from those examples is that countries that shut themselves off become poorer and less developed than everyone else. China shut itself off first through the Haijin policy, or sea bans, which restricted maritime trade, from about 1434 to 1567. Then again from 1757 to 1842 specifically to limit Western influence on China, there was even a missed opportunity in 1793 to peacefully open trade with the British and that refusal not only led to the opium wars that initiated China’s century of humiliation. Read the full analysis here: theliberalist.org/south-africa-n…

China announced scrapping import tariffs for 53 African countries. This move, international trade experts say, could boost African nations' economic development on the global market and close the trade deficit between China and the continent. Watch the full analysis 🎥🎥

Since the Burkinabe military took over power in September 2022, the government has made repressive moves targeted at suppressing non-governmental organisations, human rights groups, and independent media. Authorities have banned or suspended many Burkinabè local and international media outlets, including the BBC and France 24. Read our latest analysis written by Hafsat Salihu: theliberalist.org/burkinabe-junt…

For years, high import duties and opaque regulatory frameworks have hindered the efficiency of the automotive trade across the country. By lowering the tariff from 70 percent to 40 percent, the government enables merchants to import more vehicles, effectively boosting the broader Nigerian economy where thousands of citizens depend on vehicles for their commercial livelihoods. Read our latest analysis written by Sebiotimo Abdullateef: theliberalist.org/nigerias-impor…

Dear Reader, Is Nigeria’s latest trade reform a strategic move? Our analysis shows that moving to a single online portal eliminates the need for traders to visit multiple offices or submit redundant paperwork. Experts believe this digital transition is essential to curb corruption and remove the administrative bottlenecks that have long stalled the movement of essential goods. Read our today's newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/theliberal…

For years, cargo clearance at Nigerian ports remained slow and burdened by several administrative processes that stalled the effective movement of goods. Prior to this recent digital reform, businesses had to shuttle different government offices, submit the same documents to different agencies, and wait endlessly for approvals. Read our latest analysis written by Tauhid Ndafogi Hauwa: theliberalist.org/nigerias-singl…