Our BBC Hausa colleague Halima Umar has sent through a translation of the phone conversation between Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and the governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. 

It was the first time the president's voice has been heard in public since he left for the UK more than a month ago on extended medical leave (see earlier posts). 

Here's how their conversation, which was put on speakerphone and played live to the audience at a prayer meeting in the northern city of Kano, went:

Kano Governor: How is your health, sir?

Pres Buhari: Glory be to God, I am feeling better.

Crowd: God is great! (in a louder voice)

Kano Governor: Sir, they could hear you answering the question.

Pres Buhari: Convey my gratitude to them.

Kano Governor: On Friday all the mosques in Kano will pray for you again.

Pres Buhari: All Praises are due to God. May God accept it.

Crowd: God is great! (in a louder voice)

A day after his inauguration, Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed has appointed a new prime minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre, a dual national of Norway and Somalia.He is a newcomer to Somali politics, and had previously served as head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). 

Up until his appointment, he was working as director of UK-based oil exploration firm Soma Oil and Gas. 

Mr Kheyre is a close associate of former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and a member of the Hawiye clan, meaning his nomination maintains the traditional clan balance alongside Mr Mohamed who is a Darod, AFP news agency reports.

The appointment must now be approved by parliament. 

Matthew Kenyon
BB Africa Sport

Image source, AFP

Fifa president Gianni Infantino arrives in Zimbabwe today, to attend a controversial gathering arranged by the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) president Phillip Chiyangwa. 

Mr Chiyanga insists it is a celebration to mark his 58th birthday as well as his ascendancy to the presidency of the regional confederation, Cosafa.

But the Confederation of Africa Football (Caf) took a different view, claiming the meeting might be an attempt to destabilise Caf by gathering a host of continental football figures, and Mr Infantino, outside the usual forums.

Cosafa and Mr Chiyanga have thrown their weight behind the challenger to long-serving Caf president Issa Hayatou.

He is the head of Madagascar's FA, Ahmad Ahmad - and he will be a guest in Harare this evening, along with 23 other football federation heads and Fifa secretary-general Fatma Samoura.

Mr Hayatou is not a guest - but the head of the organising committee for the festivities, Chamu Chiwanza, told reporters there was no reason to read anything into that:

Martin Patience
BBC News, Nigeria correspondent

Nigerian police say gunmen have kidnapped two German archaeologists in the north of the country. A police spokesman said the pair were abducted from Kaduna state on Wednesday morning. 

The police say the two were part of an archaeological team excavating a site in the village of Jajela. 

Reports say they were from Goethe University in the German city of Frankfurt. Police say there have been no ransom demands or contact from the kidnappers. 

The German foreign ministry declined to comment on the incident. 

Kidnapping is on the rise in Nigeria as the country suffers its worst economic crisis in decades. 

The city of Lagos recently introduced the death penalty for those convicted of the crime. 

Image source, AFP

The reaction to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's phone call in Kano has been very positive, reports BBC Hausa's Yusuf Yakasai from the city. 

The conversation between the president and Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was played on speakerphone and placed next to the mic at the prayer meeting, so the audience could hear. 

It was subsequently played out on local radio stations. 

For his worried supporters, it dispelled rumours over his possible death. 

Others had been saying that Mr Buhari, 74, was critically ill, or that he couldn't speak, but this phone call showed that he is alive and is resting, our reporter adds.

Reports in Nigerian media suggested that people at the prayer gathering burst into tears on hearing Mr Buhari's voice, but our correspondent says this was not the case, and that they were praising God loudly and praying for Mr Buhari.  

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who's been out of the country for more than a month, has spoken via telephone to the governor of the northern state of Kano. 

It is the first time his voice has been heard in public since he left for the UK more than a month ago, extending his stay for medical reasons, without a clear return date.

The conversation was put on speakerphone, with the phone placed next to the mic to allow those at the prayer session to follow the call.

Nigeria's Punch newspaper reports that some of those present burst into tears as soon as they heard the president’s voice. 

However, there is no independent confirmation of the report.  

Sahara Reporters has posted a video of the moment the call came through:

Why is Nigeria's President Buhari still in London?

Cameroon has expelled 517 Nigerians, including 313 asylum seekers, who fled the insurgency by militant Islamist group Boko Haram, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said, AFP news agency reports. 

UNHCR said it was "very concerned" about the expulsions and it urged Cameroon  to offer asylum and respect international conventions against the forced repatriation of asylum seekers, AFP adds.

The UN body said it planned to sign an agreement with Cameroon and Nigeria on 2 March for the voluntary return of 85,000 Nigerian refugees.

Image source, AFP

Correspondents say a similar crisis has developed in East Africa, where Kenya's government has been trying to close down the Dadaab refugee camp and forcibly repatriate Somalis who fled the insurgency by militant Islamist group al-Shabab. 

On 9 February, a Kenyan court blocked the plan to close the camp, saying it amounted to "group persecution".    

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