On February 27 "bandits" attacked the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State and kidnapped some three hundred girls. Government reaction was predictable: search-and-rescue missions and strong statements.

Since the conclusion of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit last December, the traffic from Washington to various African capitals has been unmistakably busy. Vice-President Kamala Harris, currently rounding up a nine-day trip to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, is the latest and, so far, most senior American official to jet into the region with a diplomatic pouch weighed down by goodwill, kisses, and felicitations.

High level visits should signal commitment, not just competition.

For Nigerian women, gender equality remains a bridge too far as increased social influence fails to translate into political power.

Angela Merkel urges European Union to reclaim control over data; Suspected Chinese hackers target U.S. manufacturing industry group; Brazil to break ranks with United States on Huawei, says Chinese a…