Image source, Getty Images

The government of Anambra, a state in southeeastern Nigeria, has banned the drinking of raw garri, which it says can lead to Lassa fever.

The disease is transmitted to humans via food and objects contaminated with rodent urine or faeces, according to the World Health Organisation, external.

Garri is a popular Nigerian food made from cassava that can be eaten or drunk. If it is cooked thoroughly, the Lassa fever virus will die.

But many Nigerians consume it raw.

"The garri you see spread along the highway while you’re travelling is very risky to consume, especially when you drink it," said Anambra's State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Akabuike.

He added that much of this garri has been has been exposed to contamination.

Cases of Lassa fever have been recorded across Nigeria.

On Sunday, a doctor died in Edo State after contracting the disease from an infected child.

Read: Mapped - the spread of disease from animals

Image source, EPA

The Premier of South Africa's Western Cape Province Helen Zillie has offered her Twitter followers an insight into how she saves water.

Ms Zille posted two images of her washing in cold water over a bowl, before tipping the water into her cistern.

The premier has been tweeting constantly about South Africa's water crisis, urging her followers to use less than 50 litres of water a day.

The South African city of Cape Town in Western Cape province is in the middle of a serious drought.

On 12 April it is due to run out of water, becoming the first major city in the world to do so.

Despite residents being told to use less than 15 litres of water a day, many are going over the limit.

Much of southern Africa has been recovering from a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, following heavy summer rains.

However, Cape Town is still gripped by drought and has had very low rainfall for the last three years.

Cape Town, the main city in Western Cape, is in the middle of a serious drought.

On 12 April it is due to run out of tap water, becoming the first major city in the world to do so.

Despite residents being told to use less than 15 litres of water a day, many are going over the limit.

Much of southern Africa has been recovering from a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, following heavy summer rains.

However, Cape Town is still gripped by drought and has had very low rainfall for the last three years.

Read:Water crisis - My wife doesn't shower anymore

South Africa's Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the public to ignore two fake news stories published about him.

The first alleges that he has endorsed the cryptocurrency Bitcoin and the second that he has promised to end the government's black economic empowerment (BEE) policy.

"Both these stories are fake news. I have never said these words - BEE is ANC policy to which we remain committed and I have never endorsed Bitcoin," he tweeted.

Mr Ramaphosa was elected leader of the governing African National Congress (ANC) in December, fuelling speculation that President Jacob Zuma will step down to open the way for him to take power.

Mr Ramaphosa is leading the South African delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, where he has held talks with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Angola's João Lourenço.

The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has an unenviable reputation for lawlessness and instability.

With the seat of government some 1,500km (930 miles) away in the capital, Kinshasa, rural areas in the east are left in the control of competing militias.

Hodari fled his village with his mother more than five years ago, and has only been able to return for occasional - and very careful - visits.

He spoke to the BBC Newsday's William Edmundson.

Ishaq Khalid
BBC Africa, Abuja

Image source, Reuters

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari against seeking re-election next year.

Mr Obasanjo supported Mr Buhari's election in 2015 but now he says the president should retire because of age and ill health.

In an open letter, Mr Obasanjo says he is disappointed with Mr Buhari, particularly because of what he calls his poor handling of Nigeria's economy, the largest in Africa.

He adds that the president does not have a good understanding of Nigeria's social and economic dynamics and the country needs a younger leader.

Mr Buhari has not publicly responded to Mr Obasanjo, who wrote a similar letter to then President Goodluck Jonathan urging him not to run in 2015.

Many observers say Mr Buhari, 74, is likely to seek a second term but so far he has not said he would do so.

Mr Obasanjo ruled Nigeria twice, in the 1970s as a military ruler and from 1999 to 2007 as a civilian president, but failed in what many believed was an attempt to change the constitution to enable him seek a third term in office.

Read: 2017, the year Africa's veteran leaders moved on

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump will meet Rwanda's President Paul Kagame at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos - the only African leader he is billed to meet, according to a schedule released by National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.

The meeting, scheduled for Friday, comes amid a political backlash against Mr Trump who alleged described African states as "shitholes" at a closed door meeting to discuss immigration policy - an allegation he denied.

Mr Trump's meeting with Mr Kagame - the current chairman of the African Union - would seek to "reaffirm the US-Africa relationship, and discuss shared priorities, including trade and security".

The African Union has called on Trump to apologise for his "contemptuous remarks."

Mr Trump is also expected to meet with the UK's Theresa May and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu at Davos.

“In all his meetings, the president hopes to increase economic opportunities for the American people,” Mr McMaster said.

Read: Why Uganda's president loves Trump

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