Africans were urged to continue wearing masks and practising social distancing
Average daily cases of coronavirus in Africa fell last week, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The continent-wide daily average was 10,300 last week, down from 11,000 the week before.
The director of Africa CDC, Dr John Nkengasong, said it was a “sign of hope”.
Africa has recorded 1,147,369 cases, more than half of which are in South Africa, and about 26,000 deaths.
Dr Nkengasong said he was hopeful “that we are beginning to bend the curve slowly” but added that “it’s very, very early – we are dealing with a very delicate virus that spreads rapidly”.
“We take this news with cautious optimism,” he said, explaining that he didn’t want people to get complacent and stop trying to prevent the spread of the virus.
“We really want our population not to show what we call ‘prevention fatigue’, where we slow down on the measures that we are putting in place.”
He urged people to continue their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus, specifically saying that people needed to continue to wear masks, to maintain social distance and that more testing is needed.
Should Africa be celebrating?
Analysis
After a sustained rise in the number of new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Africa, the week-on-week drop is a welcome relief.
But the trend must be noted with a lot of caution.
Testing has increased steadily in the past few months to more than 10 million tests conducted so far, according to the Africa CDC.
That’s nearly 1% of the continent’s population.
But it’s still a mixed bag – South Africa leads in both the number of tests conducted and positive cases.
The WHO attributes the overall drop in newly confirmed cases in Africa to the decreasing number of positive cases observed in the country in recent days.
But lower testing rates in much of the continent means we are still not getting the true picture of the pandemic.
It may well be too soon to predict a sustained downward trend of newly confirmed cases in Africa.
Dr Nkengasong also said that more than one million tests had been conducted across the continent, with South Africa being one of the main countries to test people.
Recorded cases and deaths are relatively low compared to other parts of the word such as parts of Europe, Latin America and the US, which alone has more than 5,500,000 cases, but some experts warn that there may be many more cases than are recorded in Africa because of the lack of testing.
The spread of the virus appeared to be relatively slow in Africa in the early stages of the pandemic but the recorded rate of infection gradually accelerated, especially in South Africa.
South Africa has 596,060 cases of coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That is more than half the cases across Africa and the fifth-most cases in the world.
The country’s cases have been falling, and this has been driving the fall in cases across the continent. At its peak, there were more than 12,000 daily confirmed new cases and that has fallen to an average of 5,000.
The next African country to feature on the list is Egypt, in 31st place in the world with 96,914 cases.
At 31, Lagos-born Espago is redefining what it means to be a late bloomer in the Nigerian music
space. After spending years as a chef, designer, and farmer, Espago turned to music just a year
ago on a journey sparked by deep loss, life experience, and self-discovery.
What makes him different? It’s not just his sound, it’s his story. Espago brings a calm but
confident energy that mirrors his Lagos upbringing: a blend of vibrant Fuji rhythms and soulful
Afrobeat traditions like King Sunny Ade, shaped by global legends like Michael Jackson and
Celine Dion. His voice? Professionally trained. His brand? Stylish, grounded, and intentional.
Espago didn’t wait for the industry to find him; he found his own way in, teaching himself,
searching out producers, and building his identity from scratch. With no major label backing and
no big-name features, he has still built a brand marked by boldness, emotion, and Lagos street
authenticity.
He’s not just making music; he’s building a lifestyle brand. His creative roots are in food,
fashion, and music fused into something richer than just a “sound.” It’s a full experience. While
he hasn’t performed live yet, he’s putting in the work behind the scenes, mentoring new artists,
recording regularly to sharpen his voice and brand for bigger stages ahead.
In a scene dominated by speed, Espago’s journey is about intentional growth, honest
expression, and emotional connection.
As the new class of Afro‑HipHop begins to take shape, Espago stands out not just for what he’s
making, but for who he is becoming.
Rising artist Derriq isn’t just making music for entertainment; he’s building a legacy rooted in culture, resilience, and pride. The Lagos-based Afro-soul and Afrobeats singer has his eyes set on something bigger than streaming numbers: putting his hometown of Benin City on the global creative map is his dream.
A native of Edo State, Derriq’s musical journey began as a child organizing school parties just for the chance to perform. Since then, he’s gone from studio assistant to full-fledged artist, releasing impactful tracks like “Position,” “Vibration,” and “Confidence.” His sound, described as smooth, calm, and party-ready, reflects the duality of his personality: laid-back yet determined, quiet but powerful.
Derriq is more than just a promising name on Nigeria’s growing music roster; he’s a symbol of the next generation of artists who blend regional identity with global appeal using his distinctive voice, a strong sense of direction, and his signature slang “Yehboo! Yezaiii!” making waves among fans, Derriq is proving that cultural authenticity still cuts through the noise.
His next single, “Omo n’ Ogie,” is a tribute to his heritage and a signal that he’s just getting started. Keep your eyes on Derriq, he’s not just singing for the moment, he’s singing for a movement.
Follow @DerriqMusic on all social platforms
For interviews and press: derriqmusic@gmail.com
Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. President Bola Tinubu will address the nation in a broadcast today, Sunday, August 4, 2024. Mr Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced this in a statement, on Saturday, saying the broadcast would hold at 7am.
2. The Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Yusuf Lawal, on Saturday confirmed the killing of four persons along Baga Road in Maiduguri, Borno State during the nationwide #EndBadGoverment protest. He said Boko Haram elements infiltrated the protesters and killed four persons on Thursday with explosives at a filling station.
3. Many persons have been feared killed while others sustained injuries as hoodlums clashed with security operatives in Kano. It was gathered that Rijiyar Lemo, Kurna to Bachirawa areas in Fagge Local Government, Kofar Nassarawa in Kano municipal and Unguwa Uku area of Tarauni Local Government are the worst hit areas.
4. The leadership of the organised labour, on Saturday, warned the Nigeria Police Force and other security forces to stop what it described as a “massacre” of protesters carrying out nationwide demonstrations against hunger in the land.
5. Leading Human Rights group, Amnesty International Nigeria, has said over 50 protesters were arrested in Abuja on the third day of the demonstration against hardship in the land.
6. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged the police and other security agencies to stop shooting and killing protesters demanding good governance in Nigeria. Atiku in a statement on Saturday, questioned the professionalism of the security agencies in the handling of the ongoing demonstrations.
7. Some of the organisers and supporters of the ongoing protest have set up pages to raise over N4bn through GoFundMe, a popular online crowdfunding platform. A check on Saturday showed that a total of N4.1bn had been benchmarked to be donated through accounts created by three GoFundMe users.
8. Tragedy struck again in Imo State on Saturday evening when some gunmen reportedly shot dead the President-General of Umucheke Okwe autonomous community in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, Hyginus Ohazurike. Six village heads from the autonomous community were also allegedly killed by the gunmen.
9. The Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh has said his men were not responsible for the death of a teenager in the Kubwa area of the FCT. In a viral video, a man claimed that police, while dispersing protesters, shot dead a teenager in the Kubwa area.
10. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu has said President Bola Tinubu is keeping an eye on the ongoing #EndBadGovernance demonstrations across the country.
-
Audio10 years agoPage – Day Break Everywhere Burst
-
Audio5 years agoShadykarz – Forever
-
Audio10 years agoJuniorboy ft. 9ice – IRAPADA
-
Entertainment Gists5 years agoEx-Beauty Queen, Sandra Benede Shares Sexy Photo
-
Audio5 years agoSimi – Happy Birthday ft. Adekunle Gold, DeJa
-
Audio5 years agoRuger – Bounce
-
Mixtapes4 years agoMixtape: DJ DimpleNipple – The Best Of Amapiano Thrills
-
Editorials3 years agoSa’eedah Imam On Creating Her Imprint In The Nigerian Music Industry As An Emerging Creative Writer