Today is international female genital mutilation (FGM) awareness day. The campaign is sponsored by the UN, whose anti-FGM programme focuses on 17 African countries. 

Globally, it is estimated that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of female genitalia. The countries with the highest prevalence among girls and women aged 15 to 49 are Somalia at 98%, Guinea (97%) and Djibouti (93%).

The UN says, external FGM "reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls. 

"The practice also violates their rights to health, security and physical integrity, their right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and their right to life when the procedure results in death."

The UN is hosting Facebook Live events in which experts discuss when people can do to eliminate FGM.

Further information is available in the video below. 

And the World Health Organization has this factsheet on FGM, external.

Image source, CABI

Scientists are calling for urgent action to halt the spread of a pest that is destroying maize crops and spreading rapidly across Africa.

The fall armyworm poses a major threat to food security and agricultural trade, warns the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (Cabi).

It says farmers' livelihoods are at risk as the non-native larvae threatens to reach Asia and the Mediterranean.

The armyworm, so called because it eats its way through most of the vegetation in its way as it marches through crops, is native to North and South America but was identified for the first time in Africa last year.

Read more on the BBC News website.

Martin Patience
BBC News, Nigeria correspondent

The #IstandwithNigeria march had been billed as nationwide protests against the Nigerian government's policies at a time when the country is suffering from its worst economic crisis in decades.

The man originally behind the marches - and the social media buzz - was the singer 2Face.

But over the weekend he called off the protests citing security concerns. However, an activist group said the demonstrations would go ahead. 

More than a hundred protesters turned up.

Placards read: "Unemployed people are hungry and angry" and "There can't be a set of rules for the poor and another set for the rich."

Image source, Ayo Bello

Image source, Ayo Bello

Image source, Ayo Bello

The group, Enough is Enough, said it was protesting about a raft of issues including security, education, health, power and unemployment. 

It was, perhaps, always going to be a struggle to muster a crowd on Monday morning when most people are heading into work.

But the lack of protesters should not mask the fact that there is real anger here over the government's handling of the economy.

Jobs are hard to come by and high inflation is making the lives of those on the bottom rung of society even tougher. 

Businesses and investors complain that the government's handling of the currency exchange rate has made a bad situation even worse.

Perhaps, what's extraordinary is that despite Nigeria's enormous economic difficulties there have not been more protests.

The Islamist militant group al-Shabab in Somalia has confirmed it has executed four men accused of spying for the US, Kenya and Somalia's own western-backed government. 

The men were publicly beheaded in a town square in the Jamame district of the Jubba region, about 70km (43 miles) north of Kismayo after being found guilty by a Sharia court.  

"The four men admitted they were spies," Reuters quoted Mohamed Abu Abdalla, al-Shabab's governor for Jubba, as saying.

Image source, AFP

There have been celebrations across Cameroon after the country's football team won the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), coming from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 in last night's final in Libreville. 

It was the fifth Afcon win for the Indomitable Lions, making them the second most successful nation in the competition's history - behind Egypt. It was also the first time, in three attempts, they had beaten the Pharaohs in the final.

Substitute Vincent Aboubakar swept in the winning goal two minutes from time, flicking the ball over defender Ali Gabr and thumping it home.

Nicolas Nkoulou had earlier equalised for Cameroon, in a header on the hour mark.

The equaliser cancelled out Mohamed Elneny's opener on 22 minutes with a beautifully taken near-post strike.

The wild celebrations for Aboubakar's winner announced Cameroon's return to the continental summit, after a 15-year wait since their last title.

You can read the full match report here.

Image source, AFP

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who is in Britain for health checks, has asked parliament to extend his medical leave. 

Mr Buhari left Nigeria two weeks ago and had been expected to return to Abuja today. 

In a statement, his office said he'd been advised by doctors to complete and await the results of a series of tests.   

His aide Malam Garba Shehu said he was not in a critical condition and had not been admitted to hospital but he did need to undergo further tests. 

Mr Shehu, who was speaking with the BBC, refused to reveal the nature of the president's health problems. 

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