Over two thousand women received training in e-marketing, bead-making, cloth weaving, soap, air freshener, shoe making, hair-do, waste-to-wealth and make-up, among other skills at this year’s 10th African Arts and Craft Expo in Abuja. The 22-day expo, which ended last Sunday, also provided free medical tests for blood sugar and Body Mass Index for about 1,120 Nigerians, who could not afford such exercises. Also, 200 Nigerians were given free eye glasses while 620 got free dental test.

Over the past two decades, Russia's efforts to regain its Soviet-era influence in Africa have achieved little success because "times have changed significantly, for example, a new economic and political environment, new emerging challenges, new competitive conditions and new bases for cooperation," according to Nataliya Zaiser, a Public Policy Advisor at Squire Patton Boggs Moscow office.