Senegal has won the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament which ended in Abuja, Nigeria over the weekend. Senegal beat host Nigeria by a 4-1 defeat in the finals of the tournament. This year, the 13th ECOWAS African Wrestling Tournament marked its first-ever inclusion of female wrestlers as the regional bloc seeks to promote gender equality particularly in sports.

The Nigerian government says it wants to raise its profile as a hub for agricultural exports in 2025 through what it’s calling the "Earn From the Soil" initiative. The program is also an attempt to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil revenue. Emeka Gibson has the report from the capital, Abuja, narrated by Anthony LaBruto.

An estimated nine million Nigerians are deaf or have hearing impairments, and many cope with discrimination that limits their access to education and employment. But one initiative is working to change that — empowering deaf people with tech skills to improve their career prospects. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

Mozambique opposition leader Venancio Mondlane said Tuesday the country's top court is “legalizing fraud, legalizing the humiliation of its own people” after the court upheld the election win by the ruling Frelimo party Monday. The Constitutional Court ruled that irregularities “did not substantially influence the results.” And the Kenya Wildlife Service announced plans to partner with the BioRescue Consortium to use advanced reproductive techniques to save the critically endangered white rhino - the only two remaining females live at Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy. These, and more Africa-related news updates on today’s VOA 60.

Most Nigerians are still determined to share the joy and warmth of the festive season, despite the gloom of the country's worst cost of living crisis in decades, exacerbated by President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms. Parts of the commercial city Lagos has been transformed into a winter wonderland with dazzling bright lights. The festive illumination has brought a much-needed respite to the city's residents, offering a fleeting escape from the economic hardships that have deepened since Tinubu's presidency began last May.

With prices rising, Nigerians are becoming creative. Thrift shopping — locally called "okrika"— is booming, offering affordable options. Gibson Emeka has more from Abuja in this report that was narrated by VOA's Salem Solomon.

West Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria, has seen a rise in so-called “hustle kingdoms” — informal academies where young people are trained to carry out digital scams. Timothy Obiezu gained rare access to one of these centers and has this report from Lagos.

Nigerian authorities plan to convert 1 million gasoline-engine vehicles to run on cheaper, cleaner compressed natural gas, or CNG, by the year 2027. Nigeria has some of the largest gas reserves in the world. But with only a few CNG filling stations available in the country, many who have converted the vehicles are facing a new challenge. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

A network of volunteer rescuers said Sunday that Sudan’s army carried out an air strike a day earlier on a marketplace in Khartoum, leaving 23 people dead. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting the military as part of a civil war. In Switzerland, the head of the U.N. refugee agency Filippo Grandi warned Monday that displacement crises in Lebanon and Sudan could worsen but said tighter border measures were not the solution, calling them ineffective and sometimes unlawful. Grandi said an unprecedented 123 million people are now displaced around the world. These, and more Africa-related news updates on today’s VOA 60.

In a sea of duplicate facial features, the sleepy town of Igbo-Ora in Nigeria's southwest Oyo state came alive over the weekend with laughter, music, and celebration at the annual Twins Festival. The festival featured a procession of twins of various ages, parading in pairs, taking photos, dressed in matching clothes and accompanied by drummers and dancers. Twins are common in the Yoruba ethnic group that dominates southwest Nigeria. But even among Yoruba people, Igbo-Ora is considered exceptional, with at least one twin birth in every family. Locals believe the high rate of twin births is linked to okra leaf and amala, a local dish made from yam and cassava flour.