Nigeria's Senate has been condemned for rejecting a proposed bill aimed at eliminating "all forms of discrimination" against women.
Rights activists say the bill would promote women's equality in marriage, inheritance and education.
But some lawmakers voiced opposition, saying the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill is not compatible with Nigerian culture and religious beliefs.
Others said the constitution already recognises the rights of everyone.
In Islam, women get half of men's share in inheritance and it is unacceptable for anyone to change that, a Muslim senator told the BBC.
One Christian lawmaker also quoted some sections of the bible to condemn the bill.
But the Senate's decision to throw out the bill has been widely condemned.
Human rights activist Bukky Shonibare says it was a sad day for Nigerian women.
"It shows how backward we are and how much we want to hold on to our lopsided religious and cultural beliefs," she told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme.
It is unfortunate that some men who see the emancipation of women as a threat are the ones being trusted with making laws and order, she added.
"Every Senator that voted against the bill should hide in shame," said prominent actress Uche Jombo.
Some activists have started circulating a petition urging the Senators to reconsider.
BBC
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Video - President Muhammadu Buhari discusses oil theft with Equatorial Guinea's president
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is back in Nigeria after a two day tour of Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. Together with host President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the leaders discussed piracy along the Atlantic ocean and oil theft among other issues.
Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote launches tomato paste factory in Nigeria
The highly anticipated Dangote tomato paste factory, located in Kano, northern Nigeria, has commenced operations in an attempt to curb the import of tomato pastes into the Nigerian market. The $20 million facility, which is the size of 10 football pitches set within 17,000 hectares of irrigated fields, will directly employ 120 people. It is also expected to produce about 430,000 tons of tomato pastes annually, which is a significant ingredient in most local Nigerian dishes such as Jollof rice, stew and many soups.This plant will help save tons of tomatoes from rotting away in the Nigerian market. According to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria produces about 1.5 million tons of tomatoes a year, but over 900,000 tons is lost to rot. This is obviously a huge sigh of relief for farmers in Northern Nigeria where this crop is grown the most. However, the Dangote Group, owned by Africa’s richest man, has said that the company will buy tomatoes from farmers who grow this crop in large quantities. This is because the factory requires a huge supply of tomatoes to be functional.
Still, the start of Dangote’s tomato paste factory raises several questions like whether commencing operations will beat imported pastes out of the market or if Dangote will be able to slash the cost of his tomatoes looking at how he slashed the price of cement across Nigeria?
Quick facts about the tomatoes industry in Nigeria
Nigeria is the 14th largest producer of tomatoes in the world.
It is the largest producer of tomatoes in sub-Saharan Africa
It is the eighth largest importer of tomato paste in the world after Iraq and Japan.
The country has a significant demand for processed tomatoes but almost half of the tomato pastes found in its markets have been imported from China and Italy.
Last year, the Director General and CEO of the Raw Material and Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim, revealed that Nigeria spends about $1.5 billion annually on tomato product-importation from China and other parts of the world.
Erisco tomato paste known as Nagiko is the first tomato paste to be made in Nigeria.
Ventures Africa
Mexicans arrested in Nigeria for running "industrial scale" crystal meth lab
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested four Mexicans for allegedly running a crystal meth production laboratory on an "industrial" scale.
The anti-drug agency said it had uncovered the lab producing the banned stimulant, disrupting what it said was "a major drug trafficking organization".
Four Nigerians believed to be joint owners of the lab were also arrested with the Mexicans, who were said to be production experts hired as "technical partners".
The laboratory, found in Asaba, was "similar to the ones found in Mexico" and the first to be discovered in Nigeria, the NDLEA said.
It produced between 3,000 and 4,000 kilograms of the drug per production cycle. The agency described the output as "an industrial scale".
During the raid in Asaba, agents recovered 1.5 kilograms of finished methamphetamine and 750 litres of liquid methamphetamine.
The NDLEA, set up to fight drug trafficking, said recently that Nigeria has graduated from being a transit point for smuggling to a drug-production and consuming nation.
"We are set now to prosecute the four Mexican suspects arrested over running a super methamphetamine production laboratory," NDLEA spokesman Ofoyeju Mitchell disclosed on Tuesday.
"The delay in taking them to court was caused by the inability to get Spanish interpreters on time.
"The suspects, arrested last week, claimed they did not understand English. We now have interpreters and we are ready."
Mitchell did not disclose a precise date for the prosecution but said it would be "very soon".
AFP
The anti-drug agency said it had uncovered the lab producing the banned stimulant, disrupting what it said was "a major drug trafficking organization".
Four Nigerians believed to be joint owners of the lab were also arrested with the Mexicans, who were said to be production experts hired as "technical partners".
The laboratory, found in Asaba, was "similar to the ones found in Mexico" and the first to be discovered in Nigeria, the NDLEA said.
It produced between 3,000 and 4,000 kilograms of the drug per production cycle. The agency described the output as "an industrial scale".
During the raid in Asaba, agents recovered 1.5 kilograms of finished methamphetamine and 750 litres of liquid methamphetamine.
The NDLEA, set up to fight drug trafficking, said recently that Nigeria has graduated from being a transit point for smuggling to a drug-production and consuming nation.
"We are set now to prosecute the four Mexican suspects arrested over running a super methamphetamine production laboratory," NDLEA spokesman Ofoyeju Mitchell disclosed on Tuesday.
"The delay in taking them to court was caused by the inability to get Spanish interpreters on time.
"The suspects, arrested last week, claimed they did not understand English. We now have interpreters and we are ready."
Mitchell did not disclose a precise date for the prosecution but said it would be "very soon".
AFP
Eight year old teachers in Nigeria given salary due to identity fraud
Children as young as eight are being paid teaching salaries by the state as part of identity fraud in the north-eastern Nigerian state of Bauchi, officials have found.
The scam, which involves drawing the salaries of non-existent civil servants, is widespread, a BBC correspondent in Nigeria says.
But the government has recently been cracking down, removing thousands of "ghost workers" from its payroll.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy.
It is the continent's top oil producer, but its economy is currently under huge strain due to the recent collapse in oil prices.
The state has been able to save millions of dollars as a result of an ongoing verification of its workforce, the auditor general for Bauchi said.
Abubakar Gabi said that thousands of workers and pensioners did not appear for an exercise aimed at rooting out ghost workers and claimants.
BBC
Related story: Pharmaceutical research institute of Nigeria paid “ghost workers” for months before backdoor recruitment
The scam, which involves drawing the salaries of non-existent civil servants, is widespread, a BBC correspondent in Nigeria says.
But the government has recently been cracking down, removing thousands of "ghost workers" from its payroll.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy.
It is the continent's top oil producer, but its economy is currently under huge strain due to the recent collapse in oil prices.
The state has been able to save millions of dollars as a result of an ongoing verification of its workforce, the auditor general for Bauchi said.
Abubakar Gabi said that thousands of workers and pensioners did not appear for an exercise aimed at rooting out ghost workers and claimants.
BBC
Related story: Pharmaceutical research institute of Nigeria paid “ghost workers” for months before backdoor recruitment
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