Most of Nigeria has the perfect climate for growing coconuts and yet it imports 70% of the popular fruit.

That's all for now from the BBC Africa Live team for now. There will be an automated news feed until we're back on Monday morning.

You can also keep up to date on the BBC News website, or by listening to the Africa Today podcast.

A reminder of our wise words of the day:

Click here to send us your African proverbs.

And we leave you with this photo of upcoming fashionistas in Mali celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. It's from our pick of the best photos from the continent this week.

Image source, Getty Images

DJ Edu
Presenter of This Is Africa on BBC World Service

Image source, Karun

Karun was only 15 when her group Camp Mulla gained almost instant fame with their fresh, hiphop songs, and in 2012 they were nominated for a BET award.

Wizkid, also young at the time and not as famous as they were, was a fan.

Unlike Wizkid, Camp Mulla weren’t able to build on their early success. They disbanded.

Karun says they didn’t have good management, and hit one or two hurdles that, in their youth, they struggled to overcome.

I’m sure many fans were disappointed, but for Karen it wasn’t such a bad thing: “I was very young, I was over sexualised, I was put into boxes, I was a pop artist, and I am a musician first. I’ve always been very musical, I’ve done music since I was six.”

So after the break up of the group Karen went to study music at the prestigious Berklee school in the US.

“I learned a couple of instruments, the guitar, the bass, the drums, music theory, I did pretty top tier music lessons. When I came back from university my first few releases in 2018 were very R’n’B based, because now I felt like I’d experimented enough.”

One of Karun’s new solo songs, Glow Up, was co-signed by Mr Eazi, Nigerian artist and the brains behind Empawa, which is a label intent on supporting new talent. Karun has looked beyond Kenya a lot, and several of the tracks on her EP Catch a Vibe, released in 2021, are produced by Nigerians.

“My favourite song on the EP is I Know. I really love that song, it really slaps! It’s to do with the production. Le Mav, he’s from Nigeria, we met online, and I just think his production is really really dope.”

Karun released a brand new single on 7 July. It’s a gorgeous dreamy number called Pen & Paper inspired by a failed romance with her best friend.

Karun is one to watch.

You can hear Karun’s music on This is Africa this Saturday, on BBC World Service radio and partner stations across Africa, as well as online here.

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Image source, Getty Images

Southern Africa is the most unequal region in the world and contains the world’s three most unequal countries (South Africa, Namibia and Zambia), a report by three top international organisations has revealed.

The new analysis from Oxfam, Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Development Finance International (DFI) says all countries in the regional bloc, the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) - except Tanzania and Mauritius - are in the top 50 most unequal countries.

The report says that many Sadc member governments are still showing considerable commitment to fighting inequality – but still nowhere near enough to offset the huge disparities produced by the market, that favours the rich, and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The combination of budget cuts, rising debt and a slow recovery due to global vaccine inequity risks raising the Sadc inequality crisis to new heights,” according to Mathew Martin, Development Finance International Director.

He said that Sadc members had "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do what their citizens wanted – to increase taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, to boost public spending especially on healthcare, education and social protection, and to boost workers’ rights in order to tackle joblessness and precarious work."

He added that if the countries got debt relief and aid, then it was possible to drastically reduce inequality and eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.

The Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRI), external report shows that the 15 Sadc member states lost about $80bn (£67bn) in 2020 due to lower-than-expected growth which is equivalent to around $220 for every Sadc citizen.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

UN experts have warned that attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa are on the increase and they've called for greater accountability.

They say violence and discrimination has risen under the guise of a recent protest movement known as Operation Dudula.

This led to migrant-owned homes and businesses being set ablaze and some foreign nationals being murdered.

The UN experts warn that xenophobic mobilisation has become the central campaign strategy for some political parties.

They accuse senior government officials of fanning the flames of violence with anti-migrant discourse.

Read more on this story:

• Dudula: How South African anger has focused on foreigners
• South Africans take law into their own hands to drive out foreigners

Patricia Oyella
BBC News, Kampala

An American missionary has been sentenced to 10 years after a US court found him guilty of defiling a 14-year-old local girl under his care in Uganda's eastern district of Mbale.

Eric Tuininga, 45, was also ordered to pay $20,000 (£16,000) in restitution to the victim and spend a lifetime in supervised release as a registered sex offender after serving his term.

Tuininga pleaded guilty in February and was taken to jail pending sentencing.

An American citizen affiliated with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church operating in Mbale contacted the US embassy in June 2019 to report Tuininga, says a statement from the US State Department.

Ugandan authorities were also involved in investigating the case.

Nigerian Afrobeats artist, Tiwa Savage, has been given an honorary doctorate by her alma mater, the UK's University of Kent.

"Tiwa studied Business at Kent before she embarked on her incredible career - a reminder to all our graduates today to reach for the stars!." the university tweeted, adding that they were "super proud"

Tiwa began her music career doing backup vocals for artists.

She was the first woman to win the Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Nigeria international Chidera Ejuke says leaving the Russian Premier League for German club Hertha Berlin on loan will give him a fresh challenge.

Scorching temperatures and drought feed fires in the north of the country.

Image source, Getty Images

At least 5,000 people have been newly vaccinated in Namibia in the last two weeks since the country's military announced that new recruits should have evidence of taking Covid-19 jabs, news site Namibian reports quoting health officials., external

The Ministry of Defence announced that it was looking for 1,500 new members.

The authorities hope that the uptake would convince others who have been hesitant to come forward. Only 17% of the country's 2.5 million population has been vaccinated.

Those applying for the army jobs have to take the Johnson and Johnson jab, the only vaccine that it available in Namibia, the news site The Namibian reports.

The army has defended the vaccine requirement saying that the training takes place in crowded environments making it easier for transmission.

“We had members of the NDF who succumbed to Covid-19 already, and many others were severely sick with Covid-19, including myself," the army's Public Relations Officer Colonel, Petrus Shilumbu said.

“We just want to keep everybody healthy, because the moment we have everybody vaccinated, then we are all well protected," he added.

South Africa will be "punished" unless they perform better in their Women's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Zambia, says midfielder Linda Motlhalo.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Countries from the southern Africa regional bloc Sadc have agreed to extend the mandate of a mission to Mozambique by a month to continue the fight against Islamist militants.

Jihadists have stepped up attacks in the north of the country.

More than 800,000 people have been forced from their homes since the violence began five years ago.

The Cabo Delgado province is a stronghold for fighters affiliated to the Islamic State group.

Attacks have also spread to Niassa and Nampula provinces where officials are concerned about young people being recruited by the jihadists.

Rwanda has also sent hundreds of soldiers to assist the Mozambican military.

Two police recruits have been dropped after it was discovered they were pregnant midway through a 10-month programme, news site News24 reports.

The status of one of the trainees was discovered after she was rushed to hospital after complaining of severe abdominal pain and later gave birth, the report says.

The other was found to be four months pregnant.

An internal investigation has been launched at the All Saints Police Academy in the Eastern Cape to understand why the recruiters missed determining the women's status.

The police union said the dismals were "unfair" and suggested that the termination of the contracts be turned into maternity leave.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, Reuters

Chad's interim military government has announced that it will hold a national dialogue starting 20 August, state TV Tele Tchad reports.

A decree signed by Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacké announcing the date was read by government spokesperson Abdraman Koulamallah on the national broadcaster.

The NDI is a precursor to elections promised by interim President Mahamat Idriss Déby when he seized power following his father's death last year.

The military is increasingly coming under domestic and international pressure to return the country to civilian rule.

US Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Bob Menendez has warned that the US will "hold to account" Mr Déby and the ruling junta over the transition.

A prominent protest movement has called for protests on Saturday to demand the junta give assurances that its members will not stand in elections due in 2023.

Wakit Tamma is also demanding clarity on the transition and the departure of French troops from the country. It accuses France of backing the junta.

Opposition leader Succes Masra urged the transitional leader last month to explain why the government had been unable to organise the dialogue, which was supposed to take place in May.

Not all competitors will have their visa issues resolved in time to appear at the World Championships, World Athletics president Lord Coe admits.

Image source, EPA

Tennis player Ons Jabeur, who became the first African or Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final, has been honoured by Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday for "her remarkable sporting successes".

The 27-year-old Tunisian lost to Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan in a gripping Wimbledon final last weekend.

Jabeur was awarded the country's Great Medal of the National Order of Merit.

President Saied praised Jabeur for being a true ambassador of her country.

Jabeur said she hoped to inspire other Arab and African players to succeed at tennis.

Jabeur has had a stellar rise over the past year, having moved up to number two in the WTA rankings to make her the highest-ever ranked African singles player (male or female).

Ghanaian Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has warned of tougher times ahead as the country seeks an IMF bailout amid a spiking inflation that hit 29.8% in June.

An IMF staff mission concluded a visit to the country on Wednesday to assess the country's economic situation and discuss the aid package.

The government has blamed external factors, including the war in Ukraine, for its woes.

"While we hope for a quick end to the [Ukraine] war, we must understand that things could get worse before they get better. We have to steel ourselves for that," Mr Bawumia told journalists.

"The immediate task is to restore fiscal and debt sustainability and this will be through revenue and expenditure measures and structural reforms."

A local media outlet has shared a video of the address:

BBC World Service

The UN says 44 West African migrants were rescued last week in northern Niger while trying to enter Libya.

The International Organisation for Migration says they were stranded in the desert for two days after their vehicle broke down.

The 29 men, 12 women and three girls were found near the town of Dirkou, in north-eastern Niger.

In late June the military in Niger said the bodies of 10 migrants were found near the Libyan border.

Many West African migrants try to reach Europe via Libya and the Mediterranean Sea.

There have been numerous reports of people being abused in Libyan detention centres and migrants being abandoned in the desert by smuggling gangs.

How TikTok is being used by supporters of various political factions in the upcoming Kenyan elections.

Kalkidan Yibeltal
BBC News

A night curfew has been imposed in Gambella city in western Ethiopia as part of efforts to “control illegal activities”, the authorities have said.

The city was last month a scene of violent confrontations between the government and two armed groups.

The groups - the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Gambella Liberation Front - controlled parts of the city for hours at the time in what the former called a "joint operation".

Government forces managed to regain control of the city after intense fighting, with reports indicating at least 40 people were killed.

While officials say calm has returned to the city in the weeks since, the curfew is an indication that things are still volatile.

The move prohibits any movement of individuals and vehicles between 20:00 and 05:30 local time except for security forces and ambulances.

A night curfew was imposed in another major city in western Ethiopia, Assosa, the capital of Benishangul-Gumuz region earlier this month.

Western Ethiopia has been a hotbed of violence in recent months with growing reports of civilians killed and ethnic minorities being targeted by armed groups.