AP PHOTOS: From the Atlantic coast to the Sahelian plain, Ramadan brings West Africans to the table

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Each night, throughout Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, families gather, neighbors share food freely and communities come together around beloved culinary traditions that carry both comfort and meaning.

Quiet hunger gives way to the clattering of plates as the sun sets each night and Muslims end their day-long fasts. In homes, mosque courtyards and under the warm glow of streetside food stalls, believers gather to share meals woven with tradition, faith and the warmth of community.

Ramadan is not just another month on the Islamic calendar, it’s the heart of the year for believers. From dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from food and drink, using the time for self-reflection, devotion and spiritual awareness. And it’s a national event in Muslim-majority countries throughout West Africa, where more than half of the population is Muslim, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

In coastal Senegal, volunteers lather a spiced fish paste made of local sardinella onto bread, making sandwiches to hand out during ndogou — the wolof word for iftar — the meal in which Muslims break their fasts. In Ghana, women pour corn dough and cassava into a silver pot to make a doughy base for a dish called tuo zaafi. They then serve it to those in need with a traditional stew made with tomatoes, spices and ayoyo. In Nigeria, volunteers pile mountains of onions into steaming cauldrons of rice, stirring up the pungent magic of jollof.

In Sahelian countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, families prepare pungent peanut stews with meat and onions, incorporating local culinary staples into their nightly feasts.

Islam may be most commonly associated with the Arab world, but its roots run deep across many parts of the globe, notably in West Africa. Muslims make up large majorities in most of the countries along the region’s Atlantic coastline and in its Sahelian plains, including Ghana, Mali and Senegal.

Increased demand for meat, fruits and vegetables during Ramadan can drive up food prices, making festive meals unaffordable for many. However, volunteer organizations in cities like Dakar and Accra, the capitals of Senegal and Ghana, intensify their efforts in the spirit of generosity that defines the holy month.

Rabi and her children break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan at their home in Nima, Accra, Ghana, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Asana and her daughter break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan at their home in Nima, Accra, Ghana, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

At the home of artist Mactar Fall and his family, the table is set to break the fast with coffee, tea, baobab juice, bread and chocolate spreads Monday, March 17, 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Muslims gather to break their fast with fruits and juice during the holy month of Ramadan in Nima, Accra, Ghana, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Volunteers in the popular Medina neighbourhood serve free coffee to break the Ramadan fast Monday, March 17, 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

People grab dates as they break their fast Monday, March 17, 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Volunteers in the popular Medina neighbourhoods serve free sardinella paté sandwiches to passers-by to break the Ramadan fast, Monday, March 17, 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Naheemah Ishola, founder of Meebelle Kitchen, left, distributes jollof rice and Chicken to the less privileged women in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A woman carries distributed food during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A woman prepares food to be distributed to the less privileged people during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

A woman prepares food to be distributed to the less privileged people during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Lagos, Nigeria, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Muslim women prepare Iftar, fast breaking meal, for charity during the holy month of Ramadan in Nima, Accra, Ghana, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

A Muslim man cuts watermelon for Iftar, fast breaking meal, during the holy month of Ramadan in Nima, Accra, Ghana, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

Volunteers in the popular Medina neighbourhoods serve free sardinella paté sandwiches to passers-by to break the Ramadan fast, Monday, March 17, 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Volunteers in the popular Medina neighbourhoods serve free sardinella paté sandwiches to passers-by to break their fast, Monday, March 17, 2025 in Dakar, Senegal. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Muslims gather to break their fast with fruits and juice during the holy month of Ramadan in Nima, Accra, Ghana, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)

MUNICH & ESPOO, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 9, 2026--

IQM Quantum Computers, the global leader in superconducting quantum computers, has developed a novel quantum error-correcting code that achieves up to three orders of magnitude lower logical error rates than the surface code, also requiring up to eight times fewer physical qubits.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260609533201/en/

Unlike many alternative high-performance quantum error-correction approaches, the new code also maintains a comparatively low hardware complexity, marking a significant advancement toward scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Quantum error correction remains one of the defining challenges in the race toward practical quantum computing. Errors introduced by noise must be corrected faster than they accumulate, a requirement that previous approaches demanded either complex hardware or significant performance trade-offs, which IQM's codes address both constraints simultaneously.

IQM´s breakthrough technology, called barbell codes, is a family of quantum low-density parity-check (QLDPC) codes tailored to IQM's Constellation, a unique quantum processor topology with enhanced planar connectivity where each qubit can natively interact to 12 other qubits; vs. four qubits in a conventional square grid topology, but only requiring three couplers for the computational qubits and six for the central elements.

By exploiting qubit connectivity and requiring only a single long coupler connection for every other qubit, barbell codes make high-performance error correction with dramatically reduced hardware complexity a reality.

The development details and numerical performance analysis published by the IQM team on arXiv demonstrate a major advancement in quantum computing. Barbell codes are constructed by connecting two sites of standard planar Constellation connectivity with a single long coupler for every second qubit, thereby providing the capability for generating entanglement between such pairs.

Therefore, this unique design eliminates the need for additional long-range crossing couplers on open boundary conditions — simplifying fabrication without compromising performance. The result is a solution engineered not for ideal laboratory conditions, but for the practical realities of superconducting qubit manufacturing.

“We are pioneering the next chapter in quantum computing,” said Jan Goetz, CEO and Co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers. "Our approach offers a highly competitive path to scalable quantum error correction with superconducting qubits, paving the way for large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers."

IQM has sold more quantum systems than any other manufacturer and will deploy 150-qubit systems to customers later this year. The company has further announced IQM Halocene, an advanced quantum computer for error correction codes.

The barbell codes approach aligns with the company's development roadmap, positioning IQM on a credible path to fault-tolerant quantum systems with hundreds of high-precision logical qubits and possibility of quantum advantage across multiple industries.

IQM recently announced increased commitments to its PIPE, driven by upsized investor demand ahead of its planned Nasdaq listing through a merger with Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ).

About IQM Quantum Computers

IQM Quantum Computers is a global leader in superconducting quantum computers, delivering full-stack quantum computers and cloud platform access to research institutions, universities, high-performance computing centers, national laboratories and enterprises worldwide. IQM's on-premises deployment model gives customers direct ownership and control of their quantum infrastructure. Founded in 2018, headquartered in Finland with major operations in Munich, it has over 400 employees. IQM operates across Europe, Asia, and North America. IQM has filed an F-4 registration statement to the SEC with the intention to become the first publicly listed European quantum company on Nasdaq Global Exchange in the U.S by merging with Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ).

IQM´s breakthrough technology, called barbell codes.