Libya has the highest obesity rates in Africa while Ethiopia has the lowest. List of countries and percent of adults aged 18 and over considered obese.

Here is a list of countries and percent of adults aged 18 and over considered obese in Africa. The five most obese African countries are Libya, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia. 

Obesity is defined as an adult having a Body Mass Index greater to or equal to 30. Most of the world's population lives in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight, this includes Africa despite the media perception of starving Africans.

Throughout Africa as part of the trend toward greater consumption of convenience foods, demand for fried potatoes is increasing. Over-consumption of these high-energy products, along with reduced physical activity, can lead to overweight. Therefore the role of fried foods in the African diet must be taken into consideration in efforts to prevent overweight, obese and diet related non-communicable diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.

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Obese Rank	African Country	Population	Total Obese	%Obese
1	Libya	6.9 Million	2.2 Million	32.5%
2	Egypt	104.4 Million	33.4 Million	32%
3	South Africa	56.4 Million	15.9 Million	28.3%
4	Algeria	42. 9 Million	11.7 Million	27.4%
5	Tunisia	11.7 Million	3.1 Million	26.9%

Grilled chicken served at a roadside restaurant in central Libya.

Obesity is a complicated but preventable health topic resulting from a combination of causes and individual factors such as behavior and genetics. Once considered a first world problem, obesity is on the rise in low- and middle-income countries in urban African communities.

In urban African populations out of the 20 fastest rising countries with obesity, nearly half are in Africa. Contributing factors include the prevalence of fast food restaurants such as McDonald's and KFC and food marketing and promotion. Libya has the highest obesity rates in Africa while Ethiopia has the lowest.

Obesity is frequently subdivided into categories:

Class 1: BMI of 30 to 35.

Class 2: BMI of 35 to 40.

Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher, class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as extreme or severe obesity.

Percent of fat people in Africa listed by country.

World Rank	African Country	Percent of Obesity
16	Libya	32.5
18	Egypt	32
31	South Africa	28.3
38	Algeria	27.4
40	Tunisia	26.9
45	Morocco	26.1
114	Botswana	18.8
119	Namibia	17.2
122	Lesotho	16.6
124	Eswatini	16.5
126	Zimbabwe	15.5
127	Gabon	15
130	Seychelles	14
131	Djibouti	13.5
132	Mauritania	12.7
133	Sao Tome And Principe	12.4
134	Cabo Verde	11.8
135	Cameroon	11.4
136	Ghana	10.9
137	Mauritius	10.8
138	Cote D'ivoire	10.3
139	The Gambia	10.3
141	Liberia	9.9
142	Benin	9.6
143	Republic of the Congo	9.6
144	Guinea-Bissau	9.5
145	Nigeria	8.9
146	Senegal	8.8
147	Sierra Leone	8.6
149	Mali	8.6
151	Tanzania	8.4
152	Togo	8.4
153	Somalia	8.3
154	Angola	8.1
155	Zambia	8.1
156	Equatorial Guinea	8
157	Comoros	7.8
158	Guinea	7.7
159	Central African Republic	7.5
160	Mozambique	7.2
161	Kenya	7.1
164	Democratic Republic of the Congo	6.7
165	South Sudan	6.6
166	Sudan	6.6
170	Chad	6.1
173	Malawi	5.8
174	Rwanda	5.8
175	Burkina Faso	5.6
177	Niger	5.5
178	Burundi	5.4
180	Madagascar	5.3
181	Uganda	5.3
183	Eritrea	5
185	Ethiopia	4.5

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong
2. What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa?
3. About African Healers and Witchdoctors
4. Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors
5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
6. About African Night Running

Depending on others for love and happiness African proverb quotes explains why an emotional dependency is like building a house on shifting sands.

Loaned love African proverb.

Relying on others for love is an unreliable supply of long-term happiness, the following African proverb quotes explains why.

Nobody can use another person's teeth to smile.

It is best for us to be like a tall tree.

Self-respect breeds respect from others.

Do not believe what you hear before you see it.

The needy one takes home a rotten fish.

Do not show a bone to a hyena.

We do not look after our crops until it is eaten by insets.

Do not build a house that is tilted on one side.

Do not kill yourself with your own sphere.

The firewood you fetch is the one that burns you.

Do not allow someone to milk your cow while keeping an eye out for an open gate.

If you want to eat the best part of the cow, kill your own.

African Proverb

More self-sufficient love and happiness African proverbs and quotes.

Do not break your cooking pot for the passing guest.

Those who want to dance must start beating the drums.

Dependency made the rabbit die in its den.

The one you eat with is the one who kills you.

He who wants to start a new house must dismantle the old one.

What is loaned to you can be taken away while you are still in need.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong
2. What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa?
3. About African Healers and Witchdoctors
4. Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors
5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
6. About African Night Running

Africa’s deadly Mediterranean Sea suffers higher fatal African refugee and migrant shipwrecks than any other route in the world.

Since 2013, the Mediterranean Sea has been described as a cemetery due to the large number of African migrants who drowned there after their boats capsized. There are more than 70 deaths a month making the Mediterranean Sea one of the most deadly routes for refugees and migrants in the world.

Thousands of African refugees and migrants have died as a result of drowning attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean sea from Africa's shoreline often on overcrowded boats that capsize or sink. This reached a peak in 2016, when more than 4,500 migrants died. Off the coast of Libya in 2019 it is estimated that 900 people lost their lives attempting to make the journey across the Mediterranean Sea.

In August 2019, the humanitarian charity operating the Open Arms ship, saving the lives of refugees and migrants at risk in the Mediterranean Sea faced a 1 million dollar fine from Italy. The Open Arms had for days been stuck off the Italian island of Lampedusa as Salvini refused to let it dock. "The Open Arms doesn't have a permit to rescue," Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Carmen Calvo told Spanish radio. 

It was reportedly banned from heading to the seas off Libya, where people attempt the perilous journey to Europe on rickety boats, but went anyway. Returning with 164 migrants on board, the ship wanted to dock in Lampedusa, the largest island of the Italian Pelagie Islands in the Mediterranean Sea and the nearest safe port. 

But Matteo Salvini, an Italian Lega Nord party politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of the Interior from June 1, 2018 to September 5, 2019 banned all Non-Governmental Organization rescue boats from entering Italian ports and prevented The Open Arms from docking on Italian land. The ship remained at sea for three weeks.

The ship was carrying 164 refugees and migrants mainly from African countries, some people were evacuated for mental health reasons due to post traumatic stress and bodily medical care also all unaccompanied children were allowed on the Italian shore however 83 people who remained on board were not allowed on shore but had to seek asylum in other European countries.

Also, Salvini refused a landing berth in July 2019 to an Italian coastguard vessel that had picked up 145 migrants rescued by two other boats. The Gregoretti was stuck at sea for days until a judge approved its landing in Augusta, Sicily.

Another Italian rescue ship carrying 141 people was refused entry into Italy for days until Albania, Ireland and Italy’s Catholic Church agreed to take responsibility for the passengers. In July 2020, the Ex-minister Matteo Salvini faces kidnapping charges for preventing docking of migrant rescue ships by a special tribunal.

Explore More: This story is part of our African Truth & Justice Hub featuring stories of resistance and human dignity.

There are 35 African small and large cities bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

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African Country	Coastal Cities
Algeria	Oran, Mostaganem, Algiers, Béjaïa, Jijel, Skikda, Annaba.
Egypt	Alexandria, Damietta, Port Said, Arish, Mersa, Matru.
Libya	Sirte, Benghazi, Khoms, Misrata, Tripoli, Zuwarah, Zawiya, Zliten, Ajdabiya, Derna, Tobruk.
Morocco	Al Hoceima, Tétouan, Tangier, Nador.
Tunisia	Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Tabarka, Bizerte, Nabeul, Kelibia.

After the dangerous journey at sea, Africans arrival to The European Union Member States. 

The European Union (EU) consists of 27 member states. The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on January 31, 2020. The latest data on EU immigration is from 2018, Germany reported the largest total number of immigrants 893,000, Spain 643,000, France 386,000 and Italy 332,000.

Around 566,000 people acquired EU-27 citizenship in 2018 and these new citizens were mainly from Africa with 28% of the total number of citizenship's acquired, Europe outside of the EU-27 25%, Asia 16% and North and South America 14%.

The main African country comprising new citizens in the EU-27 is Morocco with 67,000 new citizens, that is 10% of all citizenship's granted.

Germany, Spain, France, and Italy are the four hardest hit EU-27 member states from the inflow of immigrants and refugees however, relative to the size of the resident population; Malta recorded the highest rates of immigration in 2018 with 55 immigrants per 1,000 persons, followed by Luxembourg with 41 immigrants per 1,000 persons.

Malta is situated in the center of the Mediterranean Sea north of Libya and south of Sicily. The island is 17 miles long and 9 miles wide, slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC in the USA with a population of around 498,000 people. Most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands, Gozo and Comino being the remaining two.

Luxembourg is located in Western Europe between France and Germany and is one of the six founding member countries of the EU. The total population is around 628,000 people living on land that is slightly smaller than Rhode Island and about half the size of Delaware USA.

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The European Union (EU) consists of 27 member states.

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Within the EU-27 and around the world, there is misunderstanding over the use of terms to describe the difficulty of those making the most dangerous journey across the burial ground of the Mediterranean Sea. The difference between a migrant, asylum seeker, immigrant and a refugee is more than just semantics, it is vital.

The difference between a migrant, asylum seeker, immigrant and a refugee is, a migrant is a person who makes a conscious choice to leave their country to seek a better life, education or unite with family elsewhere and can choose to stay or return home. 

An immigrant is seeking permanent residency while a refugee are people fleeing armed conflicts or persecution while an asylum seeker is a person who claims to be a refugee but whose claim hasn’t been evaluated. The difference between a migrant, asylum seeker, immigrant and a refugee is a crucial distinction for EU-27 Member Countries receiving new arrivals.

Africa is best known for African Proverbs. 

Throughout Africa many brilliant minds possess a kingdom of knowledge about how to make friends. Who is without friends is like a body without a soul.

Connect with honesty.

Having friends is an important predictor of happiness and life satisfaction. When you are a child in the playground it is simple, but “Do you want to be my friend?” is not a line you hear from adults. Making friends as an adult can be hard, and takes time.

A study from the University of Kansas found that two people need to spend 90 hours together to become friends, or 200 hours to qualify as close friends. Spending time together is a necessary component of friendship development, but the way that time is spent is equally important.

Given significant constraints on free time, especially among working adults and parents, individuals must budget their time wisely to make time for friends. Loneliness is something we all feel at times and to varying degrees, but it can be something that we feel uneasy about admitting to.

Friendship development is restricted by time; it requires both repeated contact and time to spend on the relationship. Having fun together as friends and enjoying each other’s company are essential but striking up friendships can be tricky here are twenty African Proverbs about forging and keeping new friendship connections.

Taking pictures with friends in Mozambique Africa.

 Meeting New Friends African Proverbs.

A needle's eye is wide enough for two friends.

As you do to others, you may expect another to do to you.

Unless you bear with the faults of a friend, you betray your own.

A crowd is not company.

He who is without friends is like a body without a soul.

A friend's eye is a good mirror.

Water far away will not extinguish a fire at hand.

A day wasted on others is not wasted on yourself.

That from happiness there so often springs pain.

A friendship will be young at the end of a century, a passion old at the end of three months.

Do not conceal the truth from friends, doctors, and lawyers.

A constant friend is a thing hard and rare to find.

Keep a new friend, never break with the old.

A day may sink or save a friendship.

To change, and to change for the better, are two different things.

A faithful friend is a true image of God.

The house of a friend is the best house.

A friend is a second self.

Kind words from a friend is doubly enjoyable in dark days.

To give advice as well as take it, is a feature of true friendship.

Be open when meeting new friends African proverbs.

Sometimes, it is hard to make new friends, or you do not know where to start. Let these African Proverbs be your guide to how to forge and keep new friendship connections. 

Friendships do not just happen. In fact, the belief that they happen organically can hinder chances of making friends. The perception of the world around us depends on the actions we take to carve out space for ourselves to connect with new people.

More friendship connection African Proverbs from the motherland.

1. Your Attitude African Proverbs
2. What is an African Proverb
3. Do not invite evil to sit at your table then cry
4. Mean Coworkers African Proverbs
5. Having Faith African Proverbs

Human Waste in Africa — A Sanitation Crisis With Energy Potential

Africa’s sanitation story is often oversimplified. The truth is more complex. Open defecation is still common in many regions — not because people are careless, but because modern toilets, sewers, and waste collection are often unavailable or unaffordable. Millions wash with water and their hands alone because toilet paper and soap are costly. These realities are not stereotypes; they are infrastructure and public health challenges Africa is working to solve.

Did You Know? The World Health Organization estimates that over 200 million Africans still practice open defecation due to poor sanitation infrastructure and cost barriers.

Rapid urban growth makes waste management harder. Cities expand faster than pipes, toilets, and collection systems can be built. Human excreta, along with plastics and electronics, overwhelm city dumps and contaminate water sources.

Turning Waste Into Energy

Waste-to-energy (WTE) is gaining attention as one way to manage this crisis. WTE converts trash, sewage, and agricultural waste into electricity or heat. For African cities where waste piles up and power shortages are common, WTE offers a double benefit: cleaner streets and renewable energy.

Four Waste-to-Energy Projects Making a Difference

Kpone Independent Power Plant — Ghana

Uses municipal waste and natural gas to generate electricity, helping Ghana reduce landfills and dependence on imported power.

Goreangab Water Reclamation Plant — Namibia

Treats wastewater through anaerobic digestion to make biogas for electricity. Supplies up to 20% of Windhoek’s drinking water and keeps sewage out of landfills.

Cairo Waste-to-Energy Plant — Egypt

Combines incineration and gasification to turn household garbage into clean energy. Scheduled for full operation in 2024 and could be a model for North Africa.

Bronkhorstspruit Biogas Project — South Africa

First commercial-scale biogas plant in Africa. Turns manure and poultry litter into more than 100 million kWh of power and diverts 200,000 tons of waste from dumps.

Explore more about African innovations in renewable energy.

WTE Is Common in the U.S. Too

Waste-to-energy isn’t unique to Africa. In the United States, Newark’s Covanta Essex plant burns 2,800 tons of trash daily to power 45,000 homes. Florida’s Palm Beach Renewable Energy Facility 2 creates electricity for 44,000 homes while recovering metals for recycling. These long-running projects show WTE is proven technology — Africa is adapting it to local needs.

Open Defecation — Why It Persists

In many villages and city outskirts, people still relieve themselves in the open or in simple pits. This isn’t cultural preference; it’s necessity. Toilets are expensive to build and maintain. Sewer networks rarely reach informal settlements. Many households dig shallow pits or bury waste, but these can leak into groundwater. Others use water and their left hand to clean — a practical choice where toilet paper is unaffordable.

Some low-cost options exist, like sawdust toilets, but adoption is slow because families must build and maintain them themselves.

Did You Know? NASA astronauts drink water that was once urine — filtered and purified on the International Space Station. Similar technology could one day help African cities safely reuse human waste instead of polluting water sources.

Kiteezi landfill near Kampala, Uganda

The Urban Waste Challenge

Open dumps like Nairobi’s Dandora landfill take in thousands of tons of garbage daily. Informal waste pickers survive by recycling bottles, metals, and plastics, but dumps leak sewage and chemicals into soil and water. Burning trash releases toxic smoke and methane, worsening climate change.

Many cities collect only part of their waste. Trucks are few, roads are poor, and budgets are stretched. As incomes rise, plastics, electronics, and diapers replace organic waste — creating materials that can’t safely decompose.

Why Waste-to-Energy Alone Isn’t Enough

WTE can reduce trash and generate electricity, but plants must be well-managed. Poorly built incinerators can pollute the air. Projects that ignore informal waste workers can destroy jobs. Still, with strong policy and community involvement, WTE can help cities handle both sanitation and power shortages.

The Way Forward

African governments, NGOs, and entrepreneurs are expanding public toilets, safe latrines, and low-cost sanitation technologies. Communities are testing eco-toilets and biogas digesters that turn human waste into cooking fuel. International partners are financing modern landfills and WTE plants.

The challenge is real — open defecation and hand cleaning remain everyday survival strategies — but so is progress. By investing in sanitation and waste-to-energy, Africa can move from a health crisis toward cleaner cities and renewable power.