Thursday, November 14, 2013
Video - Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote signs deal to build oil refinery
Africa's wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote, has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with banks to finance the building of an oil refinery in Nigeria.The refinery would be the largest in Africa, turning Nigeria into a petroleum exporter, he told the BBC.Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil producer but lacks refining capacity and has to import most of its fuel.The West African state is often hit by fuel shortages, and conflict over control of its oil wealth.Mr Dangote told the BBC's Chris Ewokor that job creation is the most important thing.
Related stories: Aliko Dangote makes Forbes list of most powerful people in the world
Dangote group to create more employment opportunities in Nigeria
Documentary on Nigeria's out of control oil industry
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Video - kidnapped American sailors released
The two men were the captain and chief engineer of the US-flagged C-Retriever oil supply ship, it says.
State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined to provide any details how the sailors were released.
Incidents of piracy off Nigeria's coast have increased this year as gangs try to snatch cargoes from ships passing through the Gulf of Guinea.
Ransom payments
The C-retriever was stormed by gunmen on 23 October near the coastal town of Brass in Nigeria's oil rich Bayelsa State.
The captain and the chief engineer - whose names have not been released - where then led away by the attackers.
No group has said it carried out the attack.
The International Maritime Bureau has recorded more than 40 attacks in the area this year with 132 crew taken hostage. The gangs usually target the oil vessels to steal the cargo.
It is estimated that oil product worth approximately $100m (approximately £62m) has been stolen since 2010.
In recent months there have been numerous kidnappings of foreign oil workers and wealthy Nigerians, especially in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.
They have often been held until a ransom payment is made and then released unharmed.
BBC
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
President Goodluck Jonathan gives cash reward to under-17 World Cup winners
The Nigerian team beat Mexico 3-0 on Friday in Abu Dhabi to emerge as winners for a record fourth time.
Jonathan doled out two million naira (12,400 dollars) for each of the players, three million naira and 2.5 million naira for the head coach and his assistant.
Other officials got between 300,000 and 500,000 naira each.
"You won fairly and convincingly and we are very proud of you," Jonathan told the team at a reception in Abuja.
"This victory is for the whole of Africa and the beginning of a new era in the revival of the nation's competitive spirit," he said.
"Within just seven months, the team has transformed themselves from being second best in Africa to being the best in the world," he added.
AFP
Nigerian sex-traffickers arrested in Spain
Spanish police say they have arrested 25 people in a sex-trafficking ring that brought women from Nigeria to work as prostitutes.
The women, allegedly lured with the promise of good jobs in Europe, were first flown to Mexico or Brazil, travelling on false identity documents.
From there, they were flown to Paris, then smuggled into Spain to work in the sex trade, police say.
Five women who were victims of the sex ring were freed in the raids.
Police found one member of the gang performing an abortion on one of the five women, reports the BBC's Madrid correspondent, Tom Burridge.
Hidden goods
Arrests were made across Spain - in Madrid, Toledo, Cantabria and Palma de Mallorca.
More than 100 vans concealing luxury goods were also seized.
The gang used the vans to launder their profits and send them back to Lagos, police say.
The vans, with dark-tinted windows and welded doors, were stocked full of beer but had luxury items hidden deeper inside.
Goods worth an estimated 5m euros (£4.1m; $6.6m) were found in 94 vans seized in Madrid and another 26 in the port of Valencia, including high-end televisions and cases of alcohol.
Police say the gang was formed more than 20 years ago in Nigerian universities and was also known for sending so-called Nigerian letters by email, asking recipients to send money.
Eight of the 25 people arrested were in Spain illegally, they say.
BBC
The women, allegedly lured with the promise of good jobs in Europe, were first flown to Mexico or Brazil, travelling on false identity documents.
From there, they were flown to Paris, then smuggled into Spain to work in the sex trade, police say.
Five women who were victims of the sex ring were freed in the raids.
Police found one member of the gang performing an abortion on one of the five women, reports the BBC's Madrid correspondent, Tom Burridge.
Hidden goods
Arrests were made across Spain - in Madrid, Toledo, Cantabria and Palma de Mallorca.
More than 100 vans concealing luxury goods were also seized.
The gang used the vans to launder their profits and send them back to Lagos, police say.
The vans, with dark-tinted windows and welded doors, were stocked full of beer but had luxury items hidden deeper inside.
Goods worth an estimated 5m euros (£4.1m; $6.6m) were found in 94 vans seized in Madrid and another 26 in the port of Valencia, including high-end televisions and cases of alcohol.
Police say the gang was formed more than 20 years ago in Nigerian universities and was also known for sending so-called Nigerian letters by email, asking recipients to send money.
Eight of the 25 people arrested were in Spain illegally, they say.
BBC
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)