Nigeria theme park offers escape from biting economy

At Magicland, a privately owned theme park in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, the country's recurrent crises -- from galloping inflation to armed insurgencies -- fade into the background, at least for one afternoon.

Nigeria's fragile middle class has been battered by two years of soaring prices amid the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

At Magicland, one content creator from Borno state -- where international headlines typically centre on jihadist attacks -- filmed TikTok dances as a brightly coloured big wheel towered behind her.

Others took to the carnival rides, including 26-year-old public health worker Mary Adeleke, who said she'd once been an adventurous person.

"But as I grew up, with how the country's structured and all the struggles, I lost that part of me," she said, adding she was on a quest to regain it, one roller coaster at a time.

The west African nation is, by some metrics, a success story: a tech powerhouse, a major exporter of global cultural staples like Afrobeats, and the continent's leading oil producer.

But rampant inflation, a cost of living crisis and continued insecurity have proven hard for much of the country's 228 million people.

Walking out of a swinging pendulum ride, Victor Bamidele, 28, offered a review.

"I thought it was something that would take my soul out of my body," the medical device supplier said in typically colourful Nigerian English.

"But it definitely did not," he added. "It was quite enjoyable."

Victoria Friday drove 30 minutes from Nasarawa state. She paid the 1,500 naira ($1) entry fee, but seemed less keen on buying ride tickets.

In a move relatable to budget-conscious young people the world over, the 20-year-old stylist said she "just came to snap my friend" -- taking photos for social media among the colourful backgrounds.

"Our prices are still very low," said park manager Paul Oko.

"Those who don't earn much can still come," he added, though he admitted the number of visitors has declined.

AFP

Dozens of Ghanaians trafficked in football job scam rescued in Nigeria

Some 76 Ghanaians who were trafficked to Nigeria under a fraudulent recruitment scheme have been rescued, Ghanaian police say.

The victims, mostly young men, were lured with promises of football contracts with top foreign teams, job placements abroad or assistance with visa processing.

Upon arrival, their travel documents and mobile phones were seized, and they were housed in overcrowded rooms under poor conditions, police say.

The victims were forced to contact their families to solicit about $1,000 (£727) in the guise of paying training or facilitation fees. The fraud masterminds also allegedly used the victims' phone contact lists to scam their friends and relatives.

Seven Ghanaian suspects have been arrested in connection with the trafficking.

The head of Ghana's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Lydia Yaako Donkor, said at a press briefing that the rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with Interpol and Nigerian law enforcement agencies.

The victims were rescued from different states in Nigeria between 19 May and 27 June this year, and are yet to be repatriated to be reunited with their families in Ghana.

The CID boss cautioned families to verify lucrative job offers and educational opportunities abroad before taking them up.

She said once the victims are convinced into the scam, they are usually instructed to travel by road to an unfamiliar country.

They are later transferred to "holding camps" - rented rooms where as many as 40 people are forced to live in substandard conditions. Under pressure, they are coerced into recruiting others, deceiving even their own families and friends, Ms Donkor said.

"The psychological and economic harm caused to these victims and their families is devastating," she said, adding that in many cases, the victims are "so malnourished and psychologically affected" that they are unable to resume their normal lives.

QNET, a global lifestyle and wellness marketing company allegedly linked to the recruitment scam, has been banned from operating in Ghana since 2022 for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme.

The company has repeatedly denied any involvement in fraudulent activities.

Cases of individuals being lured with false job promises and getting into internet fraud schemes are not uncommon in Ghana and Nigeria.

The police say efforts are ongoing to arrest all of those behind the scam.

By Thomas Naadi, BBC

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One of Nigeria’s richest men set to be buried in Saudi Arabia

 

One of Nigeria's wealthiest businessmen, Aminu Dantata, is set to be buried in Saudi Arabia later after he died on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.

Business mogul Dantata, 94, an uncle of Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote, leaves three wives, 21 children and 121 grandchildren.

His body was transferred from Abu Dhabi where he died to Medina after Saudi authorities approved his burial in their country.

It was his wish to be buried in a city he adored and where Islam's prophet Muhammad lived and died.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu described Dantata's death as a "monumental national loss” in a statement.

He said Dantata had made "sterling contributions to Nigeria's growth and development" through decades of enterprise, service, and philanthropy.

He was known across Nigeria for his philanthropic activities. Last year, he donated 1.5 billion naira ($972,000; £710,000) to victims of the devastating floods in north-eastern Borno state.

His business interests cut across agriculture, real estate, construction and manufacturing.

He first made his name in agriculture, starting trading kola nuts and groundnuts in the 1940s.

He came from a business family - his father Alhassan Dantata was once considered to be the richest man in West Africa.

Despite his riches, Dantata lived in one of the poorest areas of the northern city of Kano, like his parents before him.

His influence was also felt in politics, with politicians eager to seek his blessings before elections.

A video of President Tinubu bowing to greet him before the 2023 elections went viral on social media.

A special prayer was held for him in Kano, where he lived all his life.

Two Nigerian governors and the defence minister have gone to Medina for his funeral.

Mansur Abubakar, BBC