Nigeria’s housing crisis is deepening as rising rents, construction costs and mortgages make decent homes unaffordable for many families. Stakeholders say the country needs over 500,000 new homes annually for the next decade to meet demand.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Video - Nigeria housing crisis worsens amid rising costs
Nigeria’s housing crisis is deepening as rising rents, construction costs and mortgages make decent homes unaffordable for many families. Stakeholders say the country needs over 500,000 new homes annually for the next decade to meet demand.
Video - Gunmen abduct students in Nigeria’s Oyo State
Fear has gripped Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State after gunmen killed a school official and abducted students and a vice principal in coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire. Authorities have ordered temporary school closures as the number of abducted students remains unclear.
Nigeria intensifies surveillance as Ebola outbreak spreads in Central Africa
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has stepped up surveillance and emergency response following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a confirmed imported case in Uganda.
Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case of Ebola, NCDC emphasised that it is maintaining heightened vigilance due to increasing regional mobility and the risk of cross-border transmission.
In a public health advisory signed by NCDC Director-General Jide Idris, the agency said it is closely monitoring developments in affected countries and coordinating preparedness efforts with the Port Health Services and other stakeholders.
“Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system,” Mr Idris said.
Highlighting preparedness measures that have been activated, Mr Idris said NCDC had strengthened nationwide surveillance systems for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases, while intensifying event-based monitoring and coordination with state health authorities.
Other measures include enhancing laboratory and diagnostic readiness, strengthening infection prevention and control awareness in healthcare settings, and expanding community engagement and public risk communication.
He further said the agency is closely tracking global and regional developments to ensure a rapid response if the situation changes.
Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case of Ebola, NCDC emphasised that it is maintaining heightened vigilance due to increasing regional mobility and the risk of cross-border transmission.
In a public health advisory signed by NCDC Director-General Jide Idris, the agency said it is closely monitoring developments in affected countries and coordinating preparedness efforts with the Port Health Services and other stakeholders.
“Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system,” Mr Idris said.
Highlighting preparedness measures that have been activated, Mr Idris said NCDC had strengthened nationwide surveillance systems for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases, while intensifying event-based monitoring and coordination with state health authorities.
Other measures include enhancing laboratory and diagnostic readiness, strengthening infection prevention and control awareness in healthcare settings, and expanding community engagement and public risk communication.
He further said the agency is closely tracking global and regional developments to ensure a rapid response if the situation changes.
Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal viral infection transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials of infected persons or animals.
According to the NCDC, the disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days.
It typically begins with symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain and sore throat before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
The director-general warned that early detection and isolation are critical in preventing outbreaks from escalating.
Mr Idris advised healthcare workers across the country to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola in patients presenting symptoms consistent with the disease, particularly those with recent travel or exposure history linked to affected areas.
He urged medical personnel to strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols, including hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, early isolation of suspected cases and prompt reporting through established surveillance channels.
Mr Idris appealed to Nigerians to avoid panic or the spread of misinformation, stressing that there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in the country.
“Residents are advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons and refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources.”
He also encouraged members of the public to promptly report unusual illnesses to health facilities and rely only on verified information from official public health authorities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the latest alert has renewed concerns about the potential regional spread, particularly in countries with high levels of border movement and trade.
Nigeria’s extensive travel connections and large population make preparedness essential, especially given the country’s previous experience managing Ebola outbreaks.
Nigeria was internationally praised for containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak after swift tracing and isolation measures prevented widespread transmission following the arrival of an infected traveller from Liberia.
NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning of significant regional and global risks.
The decision, announced on 16 May by the WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus under the International Health Regulations (2005), follows rising infections and deaths, alongside evidence of cross-border transmission.
However, the organisation clarified that the situation did not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency.
Data from WHO showed that as of 16 May, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths have been recorded in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo.
The affected areas include Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, where clusters of unexplained community deaths have raised alarm.
In Uganda, two confirmed cases, including one fatality, were reported in the capital, Kampala, within 24 hours of each other.
Both individuals had recently travelled from DR Congo, marking a confirmed international spread of the virus.
Unlike other strains of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for the Bundibugyo variant, raising concerns among global health authorities.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal viral infection transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials of infected persons or animals.
According to the NCDC, the disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days.
It typically begins with symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain and sore throat before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
The director-general warned that early detection and isolation are critical in preventing outbreaks from escalating.
Mr Idris advised healthcare workers across the country to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola in patients presenting symptoms consistent with the disease, particularly those with recent travel or exposure history linked to affected areas.
He urged medical personnel to strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols, including hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, early isolation of suspected cases and prompt reporting through established surveillance channels.
Mr Idris appealed to Nigerians to avoid panic or the spread of misinformation, stressing that there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in the country.
“Residents are advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons and refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources.”
He also encouraged members of the public to promptly report unusual illnesses to health facilities and rely only on verified information from official public health authorities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the latest alert has renewed concerns about the potential regional spread, particularly in countries with high levels of border movement and trade.
Nigeria’s extensive travel connections and large population make preparedness essential, especially given the country’s previous experience managing Ebola outbreaks.
Nigeria was internationally praised for containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak after swift tracing and isolation measures prevented widespread transmission following the arrival of an infected traveller from Liberia.
NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning of significant regional and global risks.
The decision, announced on 16 May by the WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus under the International Health Regulations (2005), follows rising infections and deaths, alongside evidence of cross-border transmission.
However, the organisation clarified that the situation did not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency.
Data from WHO showed that as of 16 May, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths have been recorded in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo.
The affected areas include Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, where clusters of unexplained community deaths have raised alarm.
In Uganda, two confirmed cases, including one fatality, were reported in the capital, Kampala, within 24 hours of each other.
Both individuals had recently travelled from DR Congo, marking a confirmed international spread of the virus.
Unlike other strains of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for the Bundibugyo variant, raising concerns among global health authorities.
Nigerian military airstrike kills 100 civilians at a market, rights group claims
Nigeria ‘s military Tuesday denied a rights group’s claim that an airstrike killed 100 civilians in a market over the weekend, as attention turned again to a long-running fight against armed groups in the country’s volatile north.
Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.
“In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.
Nigeria’s military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”
“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.
The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.
Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria’s air force killed 100 people.
Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.
Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.
Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.
“In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.
Nigeria’s military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”
“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.
The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.
Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria’s air force killed 100 people.
Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.
Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan and Tunde Omolehin, AP
Gunmen abduct 39 students, 7 teachers in attacks on Nigeria schools
Armed men abducted 39 students and seven teachers in an attack targeting several schools in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State last week, officials and a Christian association have said.
The attack took place on Friday in Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools, officials said on Monday.
Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Oyo State, said 46 people, mostly children aged between two and 16 years, were taken away following the attacks.
In what police called a “coordinated attack”, armed men simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary in Yawota, and two other schools in Esiele, seizing pupils and teachers.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack as “barbaric”, while promising that the federal government was working with the Oyo State to “rescue all the victims”.
“We expect a breakthrough soon,” he said in a statement released by his office.
Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde said one abducted teacher was killed on Sunday, citing a video. Six suspects have been arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers to the kidnappers, he added.
A joint rescue operation by soldiers, police and local vigilantes was disrupted after they encountered improvised explosive devices planted by the attackers, leaving several wounded, Makinde added. Those injured are receiving treatment, he said.
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such attacks are rare in the southwest of the country.
The attack took place on Friday in Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools, officials said on Monday.
Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Oyo State, said 46 people, mostly children aged between two and 16 years, were taken away following the attacks.
In what police called a “coordinated attack”, armed men simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary in Yawota, and two other schools in Esiele, seizing pupils and teachers.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack as “barbaric”, while promising that the federal government was working with the Oyo State to “rescue all the victims”.
“We expect a breakthrough soon,” he said in a statement released by his office.
Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde said one abducted teacher was killed on Sunday, citing a video. Six suspects have been arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers to the kidnappers, he added.
A joint rescue operation by soldiers, police and local vigilantes was disrupted after they encountered improvised explosive devices planted by the attackers, leaving several wounded, Makinde added. Those injured are receiving treatment, he said.
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such attacks are rare in the southwest of the country.
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