Video - Nigeria struggling to manage mounting electronic waste

Global e-waste is growing five times faster than recycling, with Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, being a major contributor. Experts say Nigeria's government needs to put measures in place to encourage proper disposal of e-waste and more recycling.

CGTN

Video - Port Harcourt and Dangote refineries expected to help meet local consumption needs

Nigeria's state-owned Port Harcourt refinery is finally back up and running. It is hoped that, along with recent launch of the privately-owned Dangote refinery, Nigeria will soon be able to supply the petrol products needed domestically while positioning Nigeria as a petroleum product exporter.

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Related story: Nigeria's richest man Aliko Dangote takes on the 'oil mafia'

 

Video - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala secures second term at WTO

The former Nigerian finance minister ran unopposed, and the WTO's 166 members agreed by consensus to the proposal to reappoint her. Okonjo-Iweala called on members to adopt a creative approach to deal with the issues that will face the world trading system. Her next term is set to commence on September 1, 2025.

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Video - Nigeria looks to untapped minerals to diversify economy

Nigeria looks to untapped minerals to diversify economy.

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Video - Nigeria loses nearly 3.7 percent of forest cover annually to logging

Nigeria loses nearly 3.7 percent of forest cover annually to logging.

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Video - Nigeria pushes to replace foreign cartoons with local ones

Nigerian officials say foreign cartoons are contributing to cultural dilution among the youth. To address this, the country's National Orientation Agency plans to support the production of more local content, a move experts believe could also create jobs and grow the film industry.

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Video - Manufacturing sector weighed down by economic downturn in Nigeria

The country's local manufacturing body, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria blames the situation on inflation, the removal of petrol subsidy, and the devaluation of the local currency, which have all combined to suppress demand.

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Video - Health workers relieved as mpox vaccination campaign starts in Nigeria

The government started the long-delayed program on Monday. The effort targets medics and those with low immunity. Now fully protected, many health workers say they feel confident they can help curb the spread of the virus.

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Video - Entrepreneur introduces reverse vending machines to help curb plastic pollution in Nigeria

The machines collect and sort plastic bottles and other items. In return, people receive money for every bottle they bring in for recycling.

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Related stories: Women in Nigeria lead drive to upcycle plastics

Video - Lagos state government bans single-use plastics and Styrofoam

 

 

Video - Millions of Nigerians go hungry due to severe floods, insecurity, rising food costs

The World Food Programme says the number of people in dire need of food aid in Nigeria is expected to rise to 33 million by June 2025. The group blames the food insecurity issue on unfavorable weather conditions, insurgent attacks, and a surge in food prices resulting from the removal of a fuel subsidy.

CGTN

Video - Nigerian government to phase out wooden boats to reduce waterway deaths

The wooden vessels make up 90 percent of all the boats, and account for the majority of fatal accidents that have claimed thousands of lives over the years. However, safety experts said the government also needs to strengthen its safety measures campaign, such as requiring passengers to wear life jackets and enforcing a ban on night travel and overloading of boats.

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Related stories: At least 60 dead in Nigeria boat accident

At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident

 

Video - Nigerian protesters including minors face treason charges

Backlash has erupted in Nigeria over the detention of 30 minors, aged 14 to 17, who are among 76 people charged with treason following August protests against worsening economic conditions. Rights advocates argue that holding minors beyond 14 days violates Nigerian law. In response, President Bola Tinubu has instructed the Attorney General to review these cases, but the minors remain in custody, with a hearing set for January 24.

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Video - Nigerians urge government to lower gas prices

Cooking gas prices in Nigeria have more than doubled since 2023, forcing households to rely on cheaper, traditional fuels. Experts warn that this crisis has shifted beyond an economic concern and is now about survival. They are calling for urgent action to prevent a crisis.

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Video - Nigeria ends state oil firm's role as Dangote refinery's sole buyer

Nigeria's Minister of Finance says the new arrangement which allows independent marketers to also purchase products directly from the refinery will encourage a wider supply chain for products across the nation. However, energy experts say the government will need to revitalize more refineries that have been dysfunctional for years.

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Video - Building collapse in Nigeria's capital leaves at least 7 dead

A building collapsed in a suburban area of Nigeria’s capital over the weekend, killing at least seven people, police said Monday.

The building, located in the Sabon-Lugbe area of Abuja, had already been partly demolished and its structure was further compromised by scavengers looking for scrap metal, the Abuja police said.

Abuja police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said five people were rescued from the rubble on Sunday.

Building collapses are becoming increasingly common in Nigeria, with more than a dozen such incidents recorded in the last two years. Authorities often blame such disasters on failures to enforce building safety regulations and on poor maintenance.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has recorded 22 building collapses between January and July this year, according to the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

In July, a two-story school collapsed in north-central Nigeria, killing 22 students. The Saints Academy college in Plateau state’s Busa Buji community collapsed shortly after students, many of whom were 15 years old or younger, arrived for classes. 

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Netflix's new Nigerian movie Hijack '93 out today

On 25 October 1993, four teenage boys boarded a Nigeria Airways flight from Lagos to Abuja with a clear agenda: hijack the aircraft, take all 193 passengers hostage and force the government to bend to their demands.

The moment the pilot told passengers they could unfasten their seatbelts, the young men - aged between 16 and 18 - sprung into action.

After entering the cockpit with a fake gun, the second step of their plan was to declare that the commercial aircraft - which had several leading politicians on board - was now being controlled by the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD).

'Remain calm, we will not harm you,' they reportedly told the terrified travellers. 'You will be told where the plane will land you.'

But despite their claims that there would be no casualties, the teenagers' carefully constructed plan quickly descended into chaos - culminating in the death of a crew member following four days of tense negotiations.

31 years on from the incident, Netflix has dramatised the case in their film Hijack '93, which lands on the streaming platform tomorrow.

Here FEMAIL delves into hijacking that had Nigeria on tenterhooks in October 1993 - and why the men have since been celebrated as heroes.
 

Political unrest in run-up

The 1980s and 1990s were a particularly turbulent time for politics in the West African country.

In 1983, the Nigerian military staged a coup to overthrow President Shehu Shagri's elected government.

Over the next 10 years, power only passed through the hands of the military, which resulted in internal uprising and power struggles among leaders.

In 1990, Major Gideon Orkar attempted to overthrow the government through a failed military coup - after General Ibrahim Babangida took power via the same means five years before.

Three years later, the country went to the polls for the first time in over a decade - with Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, who was the leader of the Social Democratic Party, winning over the National Republican Convention's Alhaji Bashir Tofa.

Although MKO Abiola won in a landslide and secured eight million votes, the military government proceeded to annul the election - citing security threats.

At the time, military leader General Ibrahim Babangida said in a statement that 'these steps were taken to save our judiciary from being ridiculed and politicized locally and internationally'.

However, the decision led to unrest among the population amid growing fears there would be indefinite military rule.

A Western diplomat in West Africa told the New York Times in 1993: 'The military has only themselves to blame for this mess.'
 

Hijacking plane with a toy gun

After three months of protests, teenagers Richard Ogunderu, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal decided to send a message to the Nigerian government.

When they boarded the Nigeria Airways plane, the foursome had already prepared statements demanding MKO Abiola be instated as the country's rightful leader, which they handed out to passengers.

They also demanded the military return embezzled money to the state and reopen a series of closed newspaper companies and universities.

Before the incident, Ogunderu - who grew up in a middle class neighbourhood and was one of five children - told Sahara Reporters that some of them had not even been on a plane before.

Speaking to Neusroom in 2022, Richard Ogunderu's father Yemi described him as 'strong-willed and obstinate'.

He added: '[Richard] would tell me, "you old men just sat there bemoaning your fate, won’t you do something about this country?"

'The relationship between us was beyond father and son. We relate like brothers. I didn’t even know when he became a member of MAD. He had never discussed activism with me even though he knew I’m highly opinionated about socio-political issues.'

Speaking to The Punch, one of the hijackers said they targeted this specific aircraft because it 'flew the calibre of people we wanted to deal with'.

As well as China's vice president Rong Yiren, there were also top Nigerian government officials on board.

Speaking to the Sahara Reporters in 2009, Richard Ogunderu - who was the group's leader - explained: 'We were on a mission.

'We wanted to show the evil [military] regime that young people were prepared to go the extra length to free Nigerians from the yoke of military dictatorship.'

He then revealed how he was the one to enter the cockpit, where he pointed a fake gun at the pilot and told him to redirect the plane. A fellow hijacker later claimed that Ogunderu pretended to be a student who wanted to look at the plane's controls.

Although reports stated that Ogunderu wanted to land in Germany, the plane didn't have enough fuel - as their planned journey should have only taken just over an hour.

As such, the hijacker settled on Niamey in Niger instead - where they were met with armed forces.

While the aircraft was still in the air, the hijackers doused themselves in the six litres of fuel they had smuggled onto the plane and threatened to set themselves on fire if passengers didn't follow orders.
 

Threatening to blow up plane

After the plane landed, the hijackers began negotiations with the police - with the foursome initially demanding they get more fuel so they could fly to Frankfurt.

When this was denied, they teenagers urged the government to recognise the results of the June Nigerian Presidential election.

If MKO Abiola was not sworn in as President in 78 hours, the teenagers claimed they would set the plane on fire.

In an interview with The Nollywood Reporter in July 2023, Richard explained how he was connected to a BBC journalist to 'tell the world their message'.

He added: 'I said we were going to burn the plane within 78 hours if our requests were not met.

'Of course, that was just a scare tactic. We've decided to let the pleading passengers go the next day.'

In the first two hours, the hijackers released women and children - before releasing a further 129 the following day, including the Chinese vice president.

However, they refused to give up the crew or Nigerian government workers.

At first, the authorities offered not to arrest the hijackers - as long as they released the remaining hostages.

Ogunderu added: 'We were not afraid, at that moment, death meant nothing to us.'


Rescue operation leaves one dead

For four days, authorities held off on entering the aircraft - fearing the hijackers may detonate a bomb.

But on 28 October, police stormed the plane in the middle of the night.

'They thought we were asleep, so they came under the cover of the night and fired several shots,' Ogunderu said. 'They bombarded the plane.'

The rescue operation claimed the life of crew member Ethel Igwe while Richard was also injured. One of the hijackers later said over 300 shots were fired during the mission.

Richard told the Nollywood Reporter: 'I am deeply sorry about [Ethel's] death, and that in itself was one of the reasons we were clamouring for democracy.

The military government was notorious for wanton killing and abuse of human rights. That should never have happened.'

Following this, the hijackers were arrested and were sentenced to over nine months in prison in Niger. They claim to have served their sentence in one small cell, which also served as a toilet.
 

Remembered as 'heroes'

Despite the teenagers' efforts, the interim military government was replaced by General Sani Abacha's dictatorship.

The late dictator was in power from 1993 to 1998 and was the last successful military coup in the country's history.

Although they were unsuccessful in achieving their goal, Richard Ogunderu, Kabir Adenuga, Benneth Oluwadaisi and Kenny Rasaq-Lawal are seen by some as modern-day 'heroes'.

Speaking to The Punch in 2023, Benneth Oluwadaisi said he wanted to 'fight for the stability of democracy in Nigeria'.

In response to the report, one X user wrote: 'These guys are heroes, honestly. The way they went about it, though, wasn't plausible, but they have earned my respect for their courage and brevity.'

Another added: 'In as much as this is a wrong thing to do, I'm proud of them. They fought for freedom, democracy and what they believed in.'

By Lydia Hawken, Daily Mail
 

Related story: 3 Nigerians selected for Netflix Development Lab to engender more local African content

Video - Nigeria tourism stakeholders welcome Chinese infrastructure investment

Nigeria is home to a range of incredible attractions, but many sites remain difficult to access due to poor infrastructure and neglect. China's infrastructure agreements with Nigeria could change this, paving way for a more accessible tourism sector through road, energy, and railway projects.

CGTN

Video - Libya blames Nigeria for abandoned AFCON clash in Benghazi

The Libyan Football Federation says the flight delays that affected the Super Eagles, which ultimately led to the abandonment of their fixture in Benghazi, were caused by routine air traffic and logistical challenges rather than deliberate foul play. The federation also highlighted the fact that the Mediterranean Knights of Libya also faced challenges after arriving in Nigeria for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier last week. 

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Related story: Video - Nigerians react to abandoned AFCON clash against Libya

Nigeria Football team boycotts Africa Cup qualifier after being stranded at Libya airport

 

Nigerian drivers face hurdles in the transition to natural gas-powered vehicles

Nigerian authorities plan to convert 1 million gasoline-engine vehicles to run on cheaper, cleaner compressed natural gas, or CNG, by the year 2027. Nigeria has some of the largest gas reserves in the world. But with only a few CNG filling stations available in the country, many who have converted the vehicles are facing a new challenge. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

VOA

Video - Nigerians react to abandoned AFCON clash against Libya

The aborted 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Libya and Nigeria that was due to be played in Benghazi earlier this week elicited sharp reaction from Nigerians. The Nigerian Football Federation pulled the Super Eagles out of the match after the team was allegedly stranded for hours without basic necessities at an airport in Tripoli. 

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Related story: Nigeria Football team boycotts Africa Cup qualifier after being stranded at Libya airport