This is a list of events in 2021 in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

Incumbents

Benin

*Chief of state and Head of government:

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Patrice Talon Patrice Guillaume Athanase Talon (born 1 May 1958) is a Beninese politician and businessman who has been President of Benin since 6 April 2016. Early life and career Talon is of Fon origin and was born in Ouidah. He descends from slave trader ...

(since 2016)Africa: Benin
The CIA World Fact Book: Benin, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Burkina Faso

*Chief of state:

Roch Marc Christian Kaboré Roch Marc Christian Kaboré (; born 25 April 1957) is a Burkinabé banker and politician who served as the President of Burkina Faso from 2015 until he was deposed in 2022. He was the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso between 1994 and 1996 and Pre ...

(since 2015) *Head of government:

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Christophe Dabiré (since 2019)Africa: Burkina Faso
The CIA World Fact Book: Burkina Faso, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)

*Chief of state:

Jorge Carlos Fonseca Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca (; born 20 October 1950)
is a

(since September 9, 2011) *Head of government:

Ulisses Correia e Silva (since April 22, 2016)CIA: Cabo Verde
The CIA World Fact Book: Cabo Verde, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

*Chief of state –

Alassane Ouattara Alassane Dramane Ouattara (; ; born 1 January 1942) is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) since 2010. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Hamed Bakayoko Hamed Bakayoko (8 March 1965 – 10 March 2021) was an Ivorian politician who served as Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from 8 July 2020 until his death on 10 March 2021. He had previously served as the country's Minister of New Technologies, ...

(until March 8) Died March 10. **

Patrick Achi Patrick Achi (born 17 November 1955) is an Ivorian politician who serves as Prime Minister of Ivory Coast since March 2021. A member of the Rally of the Republicans, he studied at Supélec and Stanford University and specialises in engineering a ...

(Interim, starting March 8)

The Gambia

*Chief of state and Head of government:

Adama Barrow Adama Barrow ( ff, 𞤀𞥄𞤣𞤢𞤥𞤢 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤪𞤮, Aadama Baaro, born 15 February 1965) is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of the Gambia since 2017. Born in Mankamang Kunda, a village ...

(since 2017) **

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

Isatou Touray Isatou Touray (born 17 March 1955) is a Gambian politician, activist, and social reformer. A noted campaigner against female genital mutilation (FGM), she became the first female Gambian presidential candidate in 2016, before dropping out to en ...

(since 2019)Africa: Gambia, The
The CIA World Fact Book: The Gambia, 9 Jan 2020, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Ghana

*Chief of state and Head of government:

Nana Akufo-Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ( ; born 29 March 1944) is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 7 January 2017. In 2020, he was re-elected for his second term, which will end on 6 January 2025. Akufo-Addo previously ...

(since 2017) **

Mahamudu Bawumia (since 2017)Africa: Ghana
The CIA World Fact Book: Ghana, 9 Jan 2020, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Guinea

*Chief of state: Coup dètat Mamady Doumbouya (since 2021) *Head of government:

Prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

None (since 2021)Africa: Guinea
The CIA World Fact Book: Guinea, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Guinea-Bissau

*Chief of state:

Umaro Sissoco Embaló Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco Embaló (born 23 September 1972) is a Bissau-Guinean politician serving as the president of Guinea-Bissau since 27 February 2020. He is a political scientist and military officer who previously served as prime minister bet ...

(since 2020) *Head of government:

Faustino Imbali Faustino Fudut Imbali (born 1 May 1956)Peter Karibe Mendy (2013) ''Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau'', Scarecrow Press, p229 is a Bissau-Guinean politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau from 21 March 2001 to 9 Dece ...

(since 2019)Africa: Guinea-Bissau
The CIA World Fact Book: Guinea-Bissau, 18 Dec 2019, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Liberia

*Chief of state and Head of government:

George Weah George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (; born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional footballer who is the incumbent president of Liberia, in office since 2018. Prior to his election to the presidency, Weah served a ...

(since 2018) *

Jewel Howard-Taylor (since 2018)
The CIA World Fact Book: Liberia, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Mali

*Chief of state: List of heads of state of Mali, President **

Bah Ndaw Bah Ndaw (also spelled N'Daw, N'Dah, and N'Daou; born 23 August 1950) is a Malian military officer and politician who served as the president of Mali between 25 September 2020 and 24 May 2021 when he was overthrown during the 2021 Malian coup d ...

, interim president (starting 2020) ** Assimi Goita, interim vice-president (starting 2020) *Head of government:

Mauritania

*Chief of state:

Mohamed Ould Ghazouani Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed Ould Ghazouani ( ar, محمد ولد الشيخ محمد أحمد ولد الغزواني; born 4 December 1956), also known as Ghazouani and Ould Ghazouani, is a Mauritanian politician and retired Mauritanian A ...

(since 2019)
The CIA World Fact Book: Mauritania, 18 Dec 2019, retrieved 7 Feb 2020 *Head of government ** List of prime ministers of Mauritania, Prime Minister

Mohamed Ould Bilal Mohamed Ould Bilal (; born in 1963, Rosso), is a Mauritanian politician serving as the List of prime ministers of Mauritania, prime minister of Mauritania since 6 August 2020. Career Prime minister Prior to become the new Prime Minister Moha ...

(since 2020)

Niger

*Chief of state:

Mahamadou Issoufou Mahamadou Issoufou (born 1 January 1952) is a Nigerien politician who served as the President of Niger from 7 April 2011 to 2 April 2021. Issoufou was the prime minister of Niger from 1993 to 1994, president of the National Assembly from 1995 t ...

(since 2011) *Head of government:

Brigi Rafini Brigi Rafini (born 7 April 1953) is a Nigerien politician who served as the Prime Minister of Niger from 2011 to 2021. A native of Iférouane in Agadez Region and an ethnic Tuareg,

: *

Administrator of Tristan da Cunha The Administrator of Tristan da Cunha is the head of government and representative of the Governor of Saint Helena in Tristan da Cunha. Objective The role of the Administrator is to chair the territory's Island Council which consists of eight ...

: Sean Burns (since 2016)

Senegal

*Chief of State:

Macky Sall Macky Sall (, wo, Maki Sàll, fuc, 𞤃𞤢𞤳𞤭 𞤅𞤢𞤤‎, italic=no, Maki Sal; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who has been President of Senegal since April 2012. He was re-elected President in the first round voti ...

(since 2012)The World Factbook: Africa: Senegal
CIA Library, retrieved 18 Jan 2020 *Head of Government:

Mahammed Dionne Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne (born 22 September 1959) is a Senegalese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Senegal from 2014 to 2019. He was the third prime minister appointed by President Macky Sall. Dionne served at the Central Bank ...

Sierra Leone

*Chief of State, Head of Government, and Minister of Defense: President Julius Maada Bio (since 2018) ** Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh (since 2018)
The CIA World Fact Book: Sierra Leone, 11 Dec 2019, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Togo

*Chief of State: President Faure Gnassingbé (since 2005) *Head of Government: Prime Minister

Komi Sélom Klassou Komi Sélom Klassou (born February 10, 1960
etiame.com .
The CIA World Fact Book: Togo, 11 Dec 2019, retrieved 7 Feb 2020

Monthly events

January and February

*January 1 – The

African Continental Free Trade Area The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a free trade area encompassing most of Africa. It was established in 2018 by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, which has 43 parties and another 11 signatories, making it the larg ...

(AfCFTA) officially begins. *January 2 – One hundred people, including dozens of civilians, are killed by unidentified terrorists in Tillabéri Region, Niger. *January 4 –

Musu Bakoto Sawo MUSU may refer to * University of Melbourne Student Union, one of several student organisations at the University of Melbourne, Australia * University of Manchester Students' Union, student organisation of the University of Manchester, England * ...

, 30, of the Gambia ("Think Young Women") is chosen as 2020 ''

Daily Trust Media Trust is a privately held Nigerian newspaper publishing company based in Abuja that publishes the English-language ''Daily Trust'', ''Weekly Trust'', ''Sunday Trust'' and the Hausa-language ''Aminiya'' newspapers, as well as a new pan-Afric ...

'' "African of the Year". *January 11 – Nigeria signs a US$2 billion agreement to build a rail line through Kano,

Jigawa Jigawa State (Hausa: ''Jihar Jigawa'' (Fula Leydi Jigawa 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤮𞤤 𞤶𞤭𞤺𞤢𞤱𞤢) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria, located in the northern region of the country. Created in 1991 from the northeastern-most region of Kan ...

, and Katsina states as far as Maradi, Niger. *January 13 **The

International Maritime Bureau The International Maritime Bureau is a specialized department of the International Chamber of Commerce. The IMB's responsibilities lie in fighting crimes related to maritime trade and transportation, particularly piracy and commercial fraud, and ...

says that kidnappings by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea reached a new record in 2020. **Three U.N. peacekeepers from the

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

are killed by an

improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mechan ...

(IED) on the road between

Douentza Douentza (Fulfulde: ''Duwayⁿsa'') is a town and urban commune in the Mopti Region of central Mali. The town lies 145 km east-northeast of Mopti on the RN16, a paved road that links Mopti and Gao. It is the administrative center of the Do ...

and

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

, Mali. Six other soldiers are wounded. *January 16 – Thirty migrants are rescued near Gran Canaria island,

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

, but a 9-year-old boy dies. *January 22 – The

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...

(UNHCR) reports the number of displaced persons in West Africa has quadrupled in the last two years to two million people, including 850,000 refugees who have fled across international borders, mainly from Mali. *February 14 – Guinea declares a new

ebola Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after becom ...

outbreak in Gouéké, Nzérékoré Region. *February 24 – Ghana is the first country to receive

COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...

s under the COVAX vaccine-sharing plan. *February 25 – Burkina Faso and Senegal are added to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list of places that are only partially in compliance with international efforts against financing terrorism and money laundering.

March and April

*March 5 – The

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

(WHO) says Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia are not prepared for

ebola vaccine Ebola vaccines are vaccines either approved or in development to prevent Ebola. As of 2022, there are only vaccines against the Zaire ebolavirus. The first vaccine to be approved in the United States was rVSV-ZEBOV in December 2019. It had been ...

s. 1,604 people have been vaccinated in Guinea. *March 6 – More than 1,500 candidates peacefully contest 255-seats in the 2021 Ivorian parliamentary election. *March 10 **Prime Minister

of the Ivory Coast dies of cancer in Germany. **

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

publishes a
opinion piece
signed by 100 Senegalese artists and academics calling for President

to be held accountable for corruption and authoritarian rule. At least ten people have died protesting the March 3 arrest of opposition leader

Ousmane Sonko Ousmane Sonko (born 12 october 1974) is a Senegalese politician. He is a former chief tax inspector in Senegal, and an advocate for reformation in the Senegalese tax system. Sonko was the youngest candidate to run in the 2019 presidential elect ...

on rape charges. *March 12 – Pirates kidnap 15 sailors on a Dutch chemical tanker in the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in the ...

210 nautical miles (389 kilometres) south of

Cotonou Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...

, Benin.

Scheduled and programmed events

Elections

* February 21 –

2020–21 Nigerien general election General elections were held in Niger on 27 December 2020 to elect the President of Niger, President and National Assembly (Niger), National Assembly.TBA To be announced (TBA), to be confirmed (TBC), to be determined or decided or declared (TBD), and other variations, are placeholder terms used very broadly in event planning to indicate that although something is scheduled or expected to happen, a ...

–

2021 Cape Verdean presidential election Presidential elections were held in Cape Verde on 17 October 2021. The result was a victory for José Maria Neves of the opposition African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), who received 51.8% of the vote. Background The outgoi ...

and

2021 Cape Verdean parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Cape Verde on 18 April 2021. Background The incumbent prime minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva of the Christian democratic Movement for Democracy (MpD) party, sought reelection after five years of governmen ...

Holidays

January and February

*January 4 Revolution Day,

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

. *January 7 – Constitution Day,

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

. *January 10 – Traditional Religions Day,

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

. *January 13 – Democracy Day, Cape Verde. *January 20 ** Heroes' Day,

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...

and Cape Verde (Assassination of Amílcar Cabral in 1973). ** Armed Forces Day,

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

. *February 11 – Armed Forces Day,

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

. *February 18 **

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

The Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

(from the UK, 1965). **Armed Forces Day,

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

March and April

*March 8 **

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

, widely celebrated throughout the region. **

Independence Day (Ghana) The Independence Day of Ghana is a national holiday celebrated yearly. This day is an official state holiday for the citizens of Ghana both within and in the diaspora to honour and celebrate the Heroes of Ghana who led the country to attain its ...

(from the UK, 1957). *March 10 –

Decoration Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

, Liberia. *March 15 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts Birthday, Liberia. *March 26 – Martyrs' Day, Mali (honors victims of

1991 Malian coup d'état The 26 March 1991 Malian coup d'état resulted in the overthrow of President Moussa Traoré after over two decades of dictatorship and eventually led to multi-party elections. Background In 1968, Traoré had himself led a military coup d'état, ...

). *April 2 –

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...

, Christian holiday celebrated in The Gambia, Ghana,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, Sierra Leone. *April 3 **Second Republic Day,

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

(overthrow of

Ahmed Sékou Touré Ahmed Sékou Touré (var. Sheku Turay or Ture; N'Ko: ; January 9, 1922 – March 26, 1984) was a Guinean political leader and African statesman who became the first president of Guinea, serving from 1958 until his death in 1984. Touré was am ...

, 1984). ** Pidjiguiti Day, Guinea-Bissau. *April 4 – Independence Day,

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

(from France, 1960). *April 5 –

Easter Monday Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the Octa ...

, Christian holiday celebrated in Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languages Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone. *April 9 – Fast and Prayer Day, Liberia. *April 24 –

Concord Day National Day of Concorde (french: italic=yes, Journée nationale de la Concorde, Fête nationale de la Concorde) is a national holiday in Niger, celebrated every 24 April since 1995. History Concord Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the 2 ...

, Niger. *April 27 – Independence Day, Sierra Leone (from the UK, 1961).

May and June

*May 1/3 –

Labour Day Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...

and

International Workers' Day International Workers' Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every year on 1 May, ...

*May 13 **

Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate la, ascensio Iesu, lit=ascent of Jesus) is the Christian teaching that Christ physically departed from Earth by rising to Heaven, in the presence of eleven of his apostles. According to the N ...

, Christian holiday celebrated in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, ** Korité, Muslim Feast of Breaking the Fast. *May 14 – National Unification Day, Liberia. *May 24 –

Whit Monday Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. I ...

, Christian holiday celebrated in Ivory Coast, Senegal, *May 25 – Africa Day, celebrated throughout Africa. *June 1 – Youth Day, Cape Verde. *June 14 –

Democracy Day (Nigeria) Democracy Day is June 12, a national public holiday in Nigeria. Until June 6, 2018, it was held annually on May 29. Democracy Day marks the day the military handed over power to an elected civilian government in 1999, marking the beginning of the ...

July and August

*July 5 – Independence Day, Cape Verde (from Portugal 1975). *July 20 –

Tabaski Eid al-Adha () is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam (the other being Eid al-Fitr). It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael) as an act of obedience to Allah's ...

, Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice *July 22 – Revolution Day, The Gambia ( 1994 coup d'état led by

Yahya Jammeh Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017, firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 199 ...

) *July 26 – Independence Day, Liberia (from the United States, 1847). *August 1 – Independence Day, Benin (from France, 1960). *August 3 –

Independence Day (Niger) Independence Day in the Republic of Niger is commemorated on August 3, marking the nation's independence from France in 1960. Since 1975, it is also Arbor Day, as trees are planted across the nation to aid the fight against desertification. Im ...

(from France, 1960). *August 4 –

Founders' Day (Ghana) Founders' Day is a national public holiday observed to commemorate the contributions of all the people, notably the "Big Six" who led the struggle for Ghana's independence. The Founder's Day was formerly called "''Founder's Day"'' with the lett ...

. *August 5 – Independence Day, Burkina Faso (from France, 1960). *August 7 – Independence Day, Ivory Coast (from France, 1960). *August 10 –

Islamic New Year The Islamic New Year ( ar, رأس السنة الهجرية, '), also called the Hijri New Year, is the day that marks the beginning of a new lunar Hijri year, and is the day on which the year count is incremented. The first day of the Islamic y ...

, celebrated in

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

. *August 15/16 –

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...

, Roman Catholic holiday celebrated in Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, *August 24 – Flag Day, Liberia.

September and October

*September 21 –

Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah (born 21 September 190927 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. An in ...

Memorial Day, Ghana. *September 22 – Independence Day, Mali (from France, 1960). *September 24 – Independence Day, Guinea-Bissau (from Portugal, 1974). *September 25 –

Grand Magal of Touba The Grand Magal of Touba is the annual religious pilgrimage of the Senegalese Mouride Brotherhood, one of the four Islamic Sufi orders of Senegal. On the 18th of Safar, the second month of the Islamic calendar, pilgrims gather in the holy Mouride ...

, Muslim pilgrimage in Senegal. *October 2 – Independence Day, Guinea (from France, 1958), *October 1 – National day, Nigeria (independence from the UK, 1960), *October 18/19 – Maouloud, Muslim Feast of the Birth of the Prophet. *October 26 – Baptism of Muhammad, Muslim feast celebrated in Mali. *October 31 – Martyrs' Day, Burkina Faso (

2015 Burkinabé coup d'état Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak album ...

November and December

*November 1 –

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are know ...

, Roman Catholic holiday celebrated in Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, *November 14 – Readjustment Movement Day, Guinea-Bissau (1980 coup). *November 15 – National Peace Day, Ivory Coast. *November 28 – Independence Day, Mauritania (from France, 1960). *November 29 –

William Tubman William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman (29 November 1895 – 23 July 1971) was a Liberian politician. He was the 19th president of Liberia and the longest-serving president in the country's history, serving from 1943 Liberian general election, his e ...

's Birthday, Liberia. *December 3 –

Farmers' Day Farmers' Day is an annual observance in various countries to celebrate the national contributions of farmers and agriculturers. In India it is observed on December 23''.'' List by country Ghana The National Farmers' Day in Ghana is an annual c ...

, Ghana. *December 11 – Proclamation of the Republic of Upper Volta, Burkina Faso (1958). *December 18 –

Republic Day (Niger) Republic Day, a national holiday in the Republic of Niger is commemorated on 18 December 1958. Importance of date Although not the date of formal, complete independence from France, 18 December marks the founding of the Republic and creation of ...

. *December 25 –

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

, Christian holiday, also celebrated by some Muslims. *December 26/27 –

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

, celebrated in the countries of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

Culture

Sports

*January 16 – Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso sets a world record in the indoor

triple jump The triple jump, sometimes referred to as the hop, step and jump or the hop, skip and jump, is a track and field event, similar to the long jump. As a group, the two events are referred to as the "horizontal jumps". The competitor runs down th ...

of 18.07 meters (59.28 feet) in

Aubière Aubière (; Auvergnat: ''Aubèira'') is a commune located in the department of Puy-de-Dôme in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeast France. As of 2017 its population was 10,061. The town is home to the Cézeaux campus of the University of ...

, France.

Deaths

*January 2 –

Modibo Keita Modibo or more correctlyMoodibbo in Fula or Fulfulde Orthography is a given name in some Fulɓe or Fulani regions, while in some regions it's used as a form of respect which means a learned scholar. Others are named moodibbo after one's parents or g ...

, 78, Malian politician,

(2002, 2015–2017). *1 February – Joshua Hamidu, 85, Ghanaian military officer and diplomat, Chief of the Defence Staff (1978–1979), High Commissioner to Zambia (1978) and Nigeria (2003–2005). *February 3 – Abdoul Aziz Mbaye, 66, Senegalese diplomat and politician, Minister of Culture (since 2012); COVID-19.Décès de Abdoul Aziz Mbaye de la Covid-19 : Fin de mission d’un diplomate et 1er Directeur de Cabinet du Président Sall
*March 10 –

, 56, Prime Minister of the Ivory Coast (2020-2021); cancer

References

External links

UK-Africa trade: What will Brexit change? (by Kate Hairsine, DW, January 18, 2021)
{{Year in Africa , 2021 2021 in Africa

Events in Africa

Incumbents

Benin

Burkina Faso

Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)

Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

The Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Liberia

Mali

Mauritania

Niger

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Togo

Monthly events

January and February

March and April

Scheduled and programmed events

Elections

Holidays

January and February

March and April

May and June

July and August

September and October

November and December

Culture

Sports

Deaths

See also

References

External links