Niger River boat accident kills at least 26 people in Nigeria

An accident involving a boat carrying passengers on the Niger River in north-central Nigeria has killed at least 26 people, an official said Wednesday.

The accident happened Tuesday in the Ibaji area of Kogi state. The passengers were mostly traders headed to a market in neighboring Edo State, said Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi state commissioner for information.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

“This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased, as well as the entire Ibaji local government area, in this moment of grief,” Fanwo said in a statement.

Kogi state government will work with federal agencies to improve waterway safety and prevent a repeat of such accidents, Fanwo said.

Boat accidents are common during the rainy season in remote areas of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.

The accidents often are caused by overloaded and poorly maintained vessels, which analysts say often operate without life jackets.

At least 31 people were killed last month when an overloaded boat hit a tree trunk in the Borgu area of Niger state.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Related story: ‘Over 400 Killed in 6 Months’: The Sorry Cases of Boat Mishaps in Nigeria

Nigeria avoids energy disruption as Dangote resolves dispute with a major oil union

The Nigerian labor ministry, which was an instrumental figure in the mediation between both parties, recently announced that the oil union has decided to call off its protest against the refinery.

PENGASSAN’s grievance was brought on by allegations that the Dangote Refinery fired hundreds of workers tied to the union.

This ultimately led to a strike, which threatened the security of energy distribution in Africa’s most populous market.

However, the Nigerian labor ministry, via a statement issued on Wednesday, disclosed that PENGASSAN has decided to call off its strike.

“The Honourable Minister of Labour informed the meeting that unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria, and this right should be respected,” the statement revealed.

“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the meeting agreed that the management of Dangote Group shall immediately begin the process of redeploying the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay.

No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN.

PENGASSAN agreed to start the process of calling off the strike. Both parties agreed to this understanding in good faith,” the statement added, as seen on the Punch.

The meeting between both parties, which has yielded results, remained in a stalemate on the first day of negotiations.

Mohammed Dingyadi, the Minister of Labor and Employment, and Nkiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labor and Employment, participated in a nine-hour-long dialogue that lasted until early Tuesday morning.

However, the second phase of the meeting, which included the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Dingyadi; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, and the Director-General of the NIA, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, have led to an agreement.

Origins of Dangote’s dispute with PENGASSAN

Following the dismissal of hundreds of employees, the Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) became embroiled in a major dispute.

The union alleged that Dangote violated labor rights and discriminated against local employees by firing over 800 Nigerians who joined PENGASSAN, replacing them with foreign workers.

Nigeria's downstream oil industry was severely disrupted when the union retaliated by asking that the delivery of gas and crude oil to the $20 billion refinery be suspended.

They then launched a nationwide strike, which has garnered support from other downstream union groups.

By Chinedu Okafor, Business Insider Africa

President Tinubu says "worst is over" on independence day amid worsening hardship

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared on Wednesday that the “worst is over” following a series of painful economic reforms that have left millions struggling with rising costs and deepening poverty.

In a national address marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day, Tinubu defended his administration’s decision to scrap fuel subsidies and unify the foreign exchange rate - moves that triggered inflation and widespread public anger but, he said, were necessary to “reset” the economy.

“Less than three years later, the seeds of those difficult but necessary decisions are bearing fruit,” Tinubu said.

He cited second-quarter GDP growth of 4.23% - the fastest in four years - and a decline in inflation to 20.12% in August, the lowest in three years.

Tinubu also pointed to five consecutive quarters of trade surpluses, a rebound in oil production to 1.68 million barrels per day, and a rise in external reserves to $42.03 billion - the highest since 2019.

The president said the government had disbursed 330 billion naira ($222.90 million) to eight million vulnerable households under its social investment programme and was expanding infrastructure across rail, roads, airports, and seaports.

However, critics questioned the transparency of the cash transfer scheme. Two weeks ago, the finance minister announced the disbursement, sparking calls for a public register of beneficiaries.

Despite Tinubu’s upbeat tone, the IMF’s most recent Article IV assessment warned of persistently high inflation and worsening poverty.

Over 129 million Nigerians - more than half the population - live below the poverty line, while funding cuts by international donors have forced the World Food Programme to shut down 150 nutrition centres in the conflict-hit northeast.

“We are racing against time,” Tinubu said, even as critics including opposition party leader Peter Obi argue that his spending priorities have not matched the scale of the country’s humanitarian and economic challenges.

The speech comes amid growing labour unrest over the recent dismissal of 800 workers at the privately owned Dangote Oil Refinery for unionising.

The dispute has disrupted power supply and could threaten the oil production gains touted by Tinubu. ($1=1,480.4900 naira)

By Isaac Anyaogu, Reuters