Nigeria has recorded its highest single-day infection rate of COVID-19, the day Africa's biggest economy began a six-week phase-out period of the emergency lockdown measures.
A total of 245 new cases were confirmed on Monday by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 73 of them in the country's commercial capital Lagos.
The total number of infections in the country stood at 2,802 on Tuesday, including 93 deaths and 417 recoveries.
The update came just hours after the government relaxed restrictions in Abuja, Ogun and Lagos states, after more than four weeks of lockdowns imposed to contain the new coronavirus.
These densely populated regions will come into line with the rest of the country in which slightly looser restrictions introduced last week by President Muhammadu Buhari included an overnight curfew, mandatory face masks in public and a ban on non-essential interstate travel.
On Monday, the usually frenetic streets of the coastal megacity Lagos, largely empty during the lockdown, were busy again with cars, buses and tricycle taxis.
Despite rules banning groups of more than 20 people and stipulating that individuals remain two metres (6.6 feet) apart, large groups of people often gathered by the road waiting for public transport.
Social distancing rules were largely ignored.
Distinctive yellow minivans used as buses were full, with some passengers struggling to find space to enter vehicles.
However, in a crucial difference to pre-lockdown life, most people on the streets of Lagos wore face masks.
In the capital Abuja, in central Nigeria, many businesses were still closed.
Businesses have been allowed to reopen provided they have decontaminated their offices, can enable social distancing and offer hand sanitiser and hand washing.
The decision to begin a phased lifting of the lockdown despite the recent sharp rise in cases was criticised by some medical experts, including the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
The NMA president, Francis Faduyile, said on Friday the move was "very premature" and risked driving up the rate of infections, which he called a "frightening scenario".
Chike Ihekweazu, the head of NCDC, warned that crowded scenes seen on Monday would result in more infections.
Al Jazeera
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Survivors of Nigeria's 'baby factories' share their stories
She asked Miriam if she was interested in moving to the city of Enugu to work as a housemaid for a monthly salary.
Miriam, who is now 17, wasted no time in accepting the offer and began to prepare for her trip to the east the following day.
She told her 17-year-old cousin, Roda*, about it and advised her to approach Aunty Kiki.
When Roda, who is now 18, met Aunty Kiki the next morning, she asked if there was a job for her, too. The woman quickly agreed, so Roda packed her bags.
"We were both very excited to travel to Enugu," Miriam says. "We had suffered so much for four years and were happy to go somewhere new to start a new life."
The promise
Both girls, who used to live in the same compound in Bama, fled the northeastern Nigerian town in 2017 when Boko Haram stormed the area, burning down houses and kidnapping women and children.
Miriam and Roda fled, leaving other members of their family behind. They do not know what happened to them.
The two girls trekked for several days to reach Madinatu, where they remained for nearly two years before their trip to Enugu in southeastern Nigeria.
In Madinatu, Miriam and Roda lived together in a small bamboo tent inside the camp that houses more than 5,000 people who, like them, had fled Boko Haram.
Life was tough in the camp. Food was in short supply and IDPs had to beg on the streets of the nearby town to be able to get enough to eat.
So the girls jumped at the chance of paid jobs in Enugu.
They did not have time to tell anyone they were going.
The journey
First, they travelled with Aunty Kiki to Maiduguri.
Then a 12-hour journey to Abuja followed. They spent the night there in the home of a woman who knew Aunty Kiki.
The next day, after a nine-hour journey, they reached Enugu.
Aunty Kiki took them to a compound where she handed them over to an elderly woman she called "Mma" and told the girls to do whatever the woman asked of them.
"The compound had two flats of three bedrooms each, filled with young girls, some of them pregnant," says Miriam. "Aunty Kiki said it was where we'd be working."
At first, the girls thought their jobs were to clean the compound and do household chores as Aunty Kiki had led them to believe. Their new employers, however, had other ideas.
A daily torture
"Mma asked that we stay alone in separate rooms for that first night," Miriam explains. "We were surprised because the other girls in the compound were sharing rooms, some of which had four people in them."
Late that night, according to Miriam, a man walked into her room, ordered her to take off her clothes, held her hands tightly, and raped her.
The same thing happened to Roda, but her rapist was much more brutal.
"When I tried to scream, he covered my mouth and gave me a dirty slap," Roda says. "If he saw tears in my eyes, he slapped me even more."
The next day, the girls were moved to shared rooms with others, only being sent to single rooms when they were required to "work".
Both girls say they were raped almost daily by several different men.
They believe that Mma and Aunty Kiki work together in the same trafficking cartel and that Mma is the leader of the group.
All they could make out for sure, however, was that the two women communicated with each other and the men in Igbo, the language spoken in southeastern Nigeria.
Giving birth
Within a month, they were both pregnant. But still, they were raped.
"It doesn't matter whether you are six weeks or six months pregnant," says Roda. "If any of the men wants you, you can't say no."
It was pointless trying to escape, they explain, because the compound was guarded by men with guns.
Around a dozen girls were living in the compound when Miriam and Roda first arrived. But the number would change as the girls gave birth and were sent away, before new girls were brought in to produce more children for the cartel.
Miriam gave birth to a baby boy in the compound, with the assistance of a midwife who was called in from outside. But her son was taken from her.
Three days later, she was blindfolded and taken to a bus station where her traffickers made sure she boarded a vehicle back to the north.
"They didn't want me to know the way to the compound, that's why they covered my face," she explains. "I was given 20,000 naira (about $55) to assist in my transportation to my destination."
She first went to Abuja where she spent a night on the street before boarding a commercial vehicle back to Maiduguri.
'Boys are more expensive'
Miriam does not know how much her baby was sold for.
"Some traffickers let their victims leave after giving birth because they believe if girls stay for too long, they could develop a plan to expose the trade," explains Abang Robert, public relations head of Caprecon Development and Peace Initiative, an NGO focused on rehabilitating victims of human trafficking in Nigeria. "They are scared of sabotage."
Baby factories are more common in the southeastern part of Nigeria, where security operatives have carried out several raids, including an operation last year when 19 pregnant girls and four children were rescued.
Women and girls are held captive to deliver babies who are then sold illegally to adoptive parents, forced into child labour, trafficked into prostitution or, as several reportssuggest, ritually killed.
"Boys are more expensive than girls in the baby sale business," says Comfort Agboko, head of the southeastern arm of Nigeria's anti-trafficking agency, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), at her office in Enugu.
"Male children are often sold for between 700,000 naira (about $2,000) to one million naira (about $2,700) while female babies are sold for between 500,000 naira (about $1,350) and 700,000 naira."
The majority of the buyers are couples who have been unable to conceive.
Although anyone caught buying, selling or otherwise dealing in the procurement of children can be prosecuted, the baby trade remains prevalent in Enugu.
'Orphanages'
In recent years, security officials have carried out several undercover operations targeting suspected baby trafficking cartels whose operations the Enugu state government said are aided by some security agencies and unscrupulous state officials.
To avoid suspicion in the local community, baby factories are often presented as orphanages, experts explain.
"Baby factory operators hide under the 'canopy' of orphanages," says Agboko. She believes people receiving babies from them either do not know or do not care that they are not really orphans.
NAPTIP has arrested and prosecuted a number of people involved in the sale of babies in the southeast in recent years, Agboko explains. There are currently around half a dozen cases going through the court system.
"We are now working in collaboration with the association of orphanage homes operators in the entire southeast to identify, arrest and prosecute such people," she adds.
There is no official data to show how many babies are bought and sold each year in Nigeria, nor the number of girls exploited by human traffickers. The United Nations estimates, however, that "about 750,000 to one million persons are trafficked annually in Nigeria and that over 75 percent of those trafficked are trafficked across the states, 23 percent are trafficked within states, while 2 percent are trafficked outside the country."
Human trafficking 'widespread'
Like Miriam, Roda was also discarded after she gave birth to a boy.
The cousins were reunited in Madinatu, where they are now living together in a small mud house, not far from the camp they were trafficked from.
"Luckily, we got to Madinatu on the same day," says Miriam, who spent weeks on the streets of Abuja, before she was able to make her way back to the northeast.
"We thought it was no longer safe to stay in the camp, so talked to the man who owns this place to let us stay here."
To earn money, the girls now make and sell groundnut cakes at a mini kiosk just outside their compound.
They were not the first to be trafficked from the Madinatu camp. There have been many reports of girls being trafficked from the camp to cities in Nigeria and to countries including Italy, Libya, Niger and Saudi Arabia. The victims are often promised good jobs only to end up being exploited or enslaved.
Although widespread in Madinatu, the problem of human trafficking is not peculiar to this area alone. It is common across the entire northeast region.
The 2019 United States Department of State Trafficking in Persons report revealed that: "Sexual exploitation, including sex trafficking of IDPs (internationally displaced persons) in camps, settlements, and host communities around Maiduguri remained a pervasive problem." The report also notes that some security officials are complicit in these activities.
NAPTIP says it is aware of high numbers of cases of human trafficking in Madinatu and is increasing efforts to address the issue in the IDP camp in particular.
"The office has now increased surveillance in the IDP camp," Mikita Ali, head of the NAPTIP office covering the northeast region, says. "We are working with camp managers and camp officials to whom we've given our toll-free numbers and told to call us if they suspect any case of human trafficking."
'Easy to exploit'
Inside the Madinatu camp, however, residents remain worried about the number of cases. Community leaders say the lack of adequate amenities like potable water facilities and cooking stoves means that people have to walk long distances in search of water and firewood, making them vulnerable to the human traffickers who prey on them.
"If we had easy access to water and firewood, there'd be little talk of human trafficking," says Mohammed Lawan Tuba, a community leader in Madinatu. "Criminals take advantage of our children when they go out to find what they need to keep them and their families alive."
Human rights campaigners are running "sensitisation campaigns" which aim to educate displaced persons about the dangers of human trafficking and how to spot the signs of it inside the IDP camp.
But Yusuf Chiroma, head of the Borno Community Coalition, a group of aid workers assisting survivors of the Boko Haram insurgency through skills acquisition programmes, says: "Displaced persons in Madinatu are really struggling to survive, as they are not getting enough food supply from the government and that is why it is easy for traffickers to exploit those who are desperate for jobs."
"Sensitisation programmes have to be matched with adequate security and availability of food and social services by the state government to effectively tackle human trafficking."
*Names have been changed
By Philip Obaji Jr.
Al Jazeera
Friday, May 1, 2020
President Buhari appoints dead man to run government agency
NIGERIA'S president was left red-faced after he appointed a man who died more than two months ago to a top job.
Muhammadu Buhari, 77, has previously appointed at least five other dead people to the boards of government agencies - meaning its the sixth time he's made such an error.
President Buhari - who is nicknamed "Baba Go Slow" - appointed Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru to Nigerian agency the Federal Character Commission.
He appointed the man despite his funeral taking place in February.
Applications for the job were reopened when journalists pointed out the error, with Mr Okwuru dying aged 59.
The president's aides have hit back and claimed the embarrassing mistake was actually down to the long screening process for the role.
It comes after he had previously handed out at least five top jobs to the dead back in 2017.
Among those promoted was Francis Okpozo, who had been dead for almost a year when he was named chairman of the board of the Nigerian Press Council.
President Buhari earned his nickname due to that fact he took six months to name his first cabinet in 2015.
And back in 2018 he was forced to deny rumours of his own death and that he had been replaced with a body double named Jubril.
He was previously Nigeria's military ruler for two years between 1983 an 1985 after leading a coup, and has blamed democracy for slowing him down.
Previously, the president said: "It’s not Baba that is slow but it is the system, so I am going by this system and I hope we will make it."
The late Mr Okwuru's name was part of a list of 37 new appointees which was read aloud to the senate.
President Buhari's media aide Lauretta Onochie defended the move - saying he wasn't dead when the recruitment process started.
She said: "He even came to update his CV in readiness for the appointment after the senate screening.
"When he sadly passed away while waiting for the screening by the senate, that information was not communicated."
Friends of the deceased politician slammed the government for the mistake.
Dr Chike Onwe said: "Please, in God’s name, leave us alone to mourn our dead. Keep your belated appointment."
Kitzito Nwankwo added: “We all waited for it, and it came only when you had gone, deepening the hole in our hearts, reminding us the vacuum your departure created."
President Buhari was first elected in 2015, and was re-elected last year in a landslide by more than 3million votes.
He came under critcism back in September, 2016, after he was found to have copied Barack Obama's inauguration speech.
The leader later blamed "overzealous staff" - and his team were given anti-plagiarism software to make sure it didn't happen again.
President Buhari also denied his own death in December, 2018, amid claims he had been replaced by a Sudanese man named Jubril.
Addressing the nation he said "it is the real me I assure you" and assured he was not a "clone" after he came back from a number of health problems.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man was arrested in Nigeria for "insulting" President Buhari.
In a statement, cops said: "Any person found taking undue advantage of the social media to insult others will face the wrath of the law."
The Sun
Muhammadu Buhari, 77, has previously appointed at least five other dead people to the boards of government agencies - meaning its the sixth time he's made such an error.
President Buhari - who is nicknamed "Baba Go Slow" - appointed Tobias Chukwuemeka Okwuru to Nigerian agency the Federal Character Commission.
He appointed the man despite his funeral taking place in February.
Applications for the job were reopened when journalists pointed out the error, with Mr Okwuru dying aged 59.
The president's aides have hit back and claimed the embarrassing mistake was actually down to the long screening process for the role.
It comes after he had previously handed out at least five top jobs to the dead back in 2017.
Among those promoted was Francis Okpozo, who had been dead for almost a year when he was named chairman of the board of the Nigerian Press Council.
President Buhari earned his nickname due to that fact he took six months to name his first cabinet in 2015.
And back in 2018 he was forced to deny rumours of his own death and that he had been replaced with a body double named Jubril.
He was previously Nigeria's military ruler for two years between 1983 an 1985 after leading a coup, and has blamed democracy for slowing him down.
Previously, the president said: "It’s not Baba that is slow but it is the system, so I am going by this system and I hope we will make it."
The late Mr Okwuru's name was part of a list of 37 new appointees which was read aloud to the senate.
President Buhari's media aide Lauretta Onochie defended the move - saying he wasn't dead when the recruitment process started.
She said: "He even came to update his CV in readiness for the appointment after the senate screening.
"When he sadly passed away while waiting for the screening by the senate, that information was not communicated."
Friends of the deceased politician slammed the government for the mistake.
Dr Chike Onwe said: "Please, in God’s name, leave us alone to mourn our dead. Keep your belated appointment."
Kitzito Nwankwo added: “We all waited for it, and it came only when you had gone, deepening the hole in our hearts, reminding us the vacuum your departure created."
President Buhari was first elected in 2015, and was re-elected last year in a landslide by more than 3million votes.
He came under critcism back in September, 2016, after he was found to have copied Barack Obama's inauguration speech.
The leader later blamed "overzealous staff" - and his team were given anti-plagiarism software to make sure it didn't happen again.
President Buhari also denied his own death in December, 2018, amid claims he had been replaced by a Sudanese man named Jubril.
Addressing the nation he said "it is the real me I assure you" and assured he was not a "clone" after he came back from a number of health problems.
Meanwhile, a 70-year-old man was arrested in Nigeria for "insulting" President Buhari.
In a statement, cops said: "Any person found taking undue advantage of the social media to insult others will face the wrath of the law."
The Sun
Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen dies aged 79
He was 79.
The Afrobeat sound, which rose to prominence in Nigeria in the 1970s, combined organ riffs with West African drum patterns and brass instruments.
Allen's drumming was a key part of the rhythmic structure that underpinned the fusion of jazz, funk and West African melodies.
Allen died on Wednesday evening in Paris of a heart attack, National Public Radio (NPR) cited his manager Eric Trosset as saying on Thursday.
He lived in the Paris suburb Courbevoie.
"Farewell Tony! Your eyes saw what most couldn't see. You are the coolest person on Earth! As you used to say, 'There is no end'," Trosset said in a tribute posted on Facebook.
Kuti, who died in 1997, once said that "without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat".
In later years, Allen worked with a broad range of artists, including musician Brian Eno who referred to Allen "perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived".
Allen recorded more than 30 albums with Kuti and his group, Africa '70, which fused jazz, funk and African traditional singing.
The songs were usually more than 10 minutes long and Kuti's lyrics were often diatribes against corruption, authoritarian African leaders and Nigeria's military regimes.
"We don't know the exact cause of death," Trosset said, adding it was not linked to the coronavirus. "He was in great shape, it was quite sudden. I spoke to him at 1pm [11:00 GMT], then two hours later he was sick and taken to Pompidou hospital where he died."
Al Jazeera
Nigeria Reports Highest Single-Day COVID-19 Cases
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported the highest figure of COVID-19 cases recorded in a day.
In a late-night tweet on Thursday, the agency revealed that a total of 204 new infections were reported across the country – the peak since the beginning of the outbreak in late February.
According to the health agency, Kano State also reported the highest number of infections in a single day, with 80 new cases.
Similarly, Lagos record 45 new infections, with 12 in Gombe, nine each in Bauchi and Sokoto, seven in Borno and Edo, as well as six cases in Ogun State.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also had four new cases, as well as Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, there were three more infections in Kaduna, two each in Oyo, Delta and Nasarawa, while Ondo and Kebbi states have one case each.
As of 11:50pm on Thursday, the total number of cases in Nigeria rose from 1,728 to 1,932.
The number of infected persons who lost the battle against COVID-19 also increased to 58, following the death of seven more patients.
On the good side, 12 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged following their full recovery from the disease.
204 new cases of #COVID19 reported;
80-Kano
45-Lagos
12-Gombe
9-Bauchi
9-Sokoto
7-Borno
7-Edo
6-Rivers
6-Ogun
4-FCT
4-Akwa Ibom
4-Bayelsa
3-Kaduna
2-Oyo
2-Delta
2-Nasarawa
1-Ondo
1-Kebbi
11:50pm 30th April- 1932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 319
Deaths: 58
The patients were discharged from the isolation centres in Lagos, bringing the number of persons that have recovered so far in the state to 199.
According to a tweet by the spokesman for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr Gboyega Akosile, the recovered persons include nine males and three females and one of them is a foreign national.
Six of the patients were released from the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, five from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and one from Ibeju-Lekki.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 patients that have been discharged across the country to 319.
ChannelsTV
In a late-night tweet on Thursday, the agency revealed that a total of 204 new infections were reported across the country – the peak since the beginning of the outbreak in late February.
According to the health agency, Kano State also reported the highest number of infections in a single day, with 80 new cases.
Similarly, Lagos record 45 new infections, with 12 in Gombe, nine each in Bauchi and Sokoto, seven in Borno and Edo, as well as six cases in Ogun State.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also had four new cases, as well as Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, there were three more infections in Kaduna, two each in Oyo, Delta and Nasarawa, while Ondo and Kebbi states have one case each.
As of 11:50pm on Thursday, the total number of cases in Nigeria rose from 1,728 to 1,932.
The number of infected persons who lost the battle against COVID-19 also increased to 58, following the death of seven more patients.
On the good side, 12 more COVID-19 patients have been discharged following their full recovery from the disease.
204 new cases of #COVID19 reported;
80-Kano
45-Lagos
12-Gombe
9-Bauchi
9-Sokoto
7-Borno
7-Edo
6-Rivers
6-Ogun
4-FCT
4-Akwa Ibom
4-Bayelsa
3-Kaduna
2-Oyo
2-Delta
2-Nasarawa
1-Ondo
1-Kebbi
11:50pm 30th April- 1932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria
Discharged: 319
Deaths: 58
The patients were discharged from the isolation centres in Lagos, bringing the number of persons that have recovered so far in the state to 199.
According to a tweet by the spokesman for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr Gboyega Akosile, the recovered persons include nine males and three females and one of them is a foreign national.
Six of the patients were released from the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, five from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and one from Ibeju-Lekki.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 patients that have been discharged across the country to 319.
ChannelsTV
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Anthony Joshua shows his class by sending necessities to Nigeria and pays tribute to NHS heroes fighting coronavirus
ANTHONY JOSHUA has yet again shown his class by sending much-needed basics to Nigeria - while also paying tribute to the NHS heroes fighting coronavirus.
The world heavyweight boxing champion, 30, has sent boxes of much-needed supplies to Nigeria having been prevented from visiting in person, as planned, due to coronavirus.Joshua has also teamed-up with Under Armour to send 2,000 products to NHS workers at Watford General Hospital
And he has also sent Under Armour clothing to Watford General, where he was born, to help hospital workers through this tough time.
In a clip posted on social media, Joshua could be heard narrating over a video of people in Nigeria collecting their "free gift" packages from the British boxing star.
Joshua said: "It's 2019 and I'm visiting Nigeria. I was planning on teaming up with some of the local community leaders to contribute to some of their events.
"But due to the global pandemic these plans have come to a halt.
"During this crisis, we thought it would be best to put some basic necessities together for some of the people who may need it.
"So here's to Nigeria. One love, people. And I'll see you soon."
In the clip, the locals piled praise on Joshua - who recently revealed how his time in Nigeria changed him for the better - for his selfless deed.
WAT A MAN
And Joshua has also revealed he has teamed up with sporting goods giants Under Armour to send 2,000 of their products to Watford General, the hospital in which he was born.
Items include HeatGear T-shirts which feel cool, dry and light, as well as its Recovery sleepwear and tracksuits to help make staff feel more comfortable after working long shifts.
In a video on Instagram, Joshua said: "I was born in Watford General and those that know me, know that Watford will forever run through my veins.
"I saw that Under Armour have been doing some great things globally supporting key workers during this pandemic.
"So I teamed up with Under Armour to support something near and dear to my heart.
By Dave Fraser
The Sun
The world heavyweight boxing champion, 30, has sent boxes of much-needed supplies to Nigeria having been prevented from visiting in person, as planned, due to coronavirus.Joshua has also teamed-up with Under Armour to send 2,000 products to NHS workers at Watford General Hospital
And he has also sent Under Armour clothing to Watford General, where he was born, to help hospital workers through this tough time.
In a clip posted on social media, Joshua could be heard narrating over a video of people in Nigeria collecting their "free gift" packages from the British boxing star.
Joshua said: "It's 2019 and I'm visiting Nigeria. I was planning on teaming up with some of the local community leaders to contribute to some of their events.
"But due to the global pandemic these plans have come to a halt.
"During this crisis, we thought it would be best to put some basic necessities together for some of the people who may need it.
"So here's to Nigeria. One love, people. And I'll see you soon."
In the clip, the locals piled praise on Joshua - who recently revealed how his time in Nigeria changed him for the better - for his selfless deed.
WAT A MAN
And Joshua has also revealed he has teamed up with sporting goods giants Under Armour to send 2,000 of their products to Watford General, the hospital in which he was born.
Items include HeatGear T-shirts which feel cool, dry and light, as well as its Recovery sleepwear and tracksuits to help make staff feel more comfortable after working long shifts.
In a video on Instagram, Joshua said: "I was born in Watford General and those that know me, know that Watford will forever run through my veins.
"I saw that Under Armour have been doing some great things globally supporting key workers during this pandemic.
"So I teamed up with Under Armour to support something near and dear to my heart.
By Dave Fraser
The Sun
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Video - Nigeria to gradually ease lockdown restrictions
Nigeria’s president said the country will begin a gradual easing of lockdown restrictions to curtail the spread of the coronavirus in the capital, Lagos, Abuja and Ogun States May 4. In a national broadcast late Monday, Muhammadu Buhari said he made the decision after reviewing the more than a four-week lockdown to allow the country's economy to operate and still keep a steady response in containing the virus.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
What is behind Nigeria's unexplained deaths in Kano?
The Nigerian president has expressed deep concern over a high number of unexplained deaths in the northern state of Kano, amid fears they could be caused by Covid-19.
President Muhammadu Buhari said a lockdown would be imposed in Kano for an additional two weeks, and that he was sending a government team to investigate.
Nigeria's Health Minister Dr Osagie Ehanire says the situation is being "monitored closely".
But following preliminary investigations the state authorities have dismissed a connection with coronavirus.
Hundreds of people are rumoured to have died in the community but no official death records are kept.
Grave diggers initially raised concerns that they were burying a higher than usual number of bodies.
Ali, a grave digger at the Abattoir Graveyard, told the BBC: "We have never seen this, since the major cholera outbreak that our parents tell us about. That was about 60 years ago."
This week, the state governor issued a statement saying the "mysterious deaths" were unrelated to coronavirus.
But after ordering a "thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the deaths", announced that their preliminary findings "indicated that the deaths are not connected to the Covid-19 pandemic".
The state government said "reports from the state ministry of health has shown that most of the deaths were caused by complications arising from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria".
"Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is earnestly waiting for the final report from the state ministry of health so as to take the necessary action."
The commercial and industrial centre of the north, Kano has become the epicentre of coronavirus in northern Nigeria. Its highly dense population is still in lockdown in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
Don't tests show the cause of death?
State officials started testing for Covid-19 two weeks ago and one lab has had to close due to contamination. Samples are being sent to the capital, Abuja, which authorities say is causing a delay in announcing how many positive cases have been detected in the state.
Dr Sani Aliyu, who is the national co-ordinator for the presidential task force on Covid-19, says a team of five medical experts were deployed to Kano to facilitate in reopening the testing centre this week after it was fumigated.
Officials also plan to open a second lab, at Bayero University, for testing for Covid-19 from next week.
How many people have died?
It is unclear how many people have died, as the deaths causing concern are happening in the community. Deaths in many parts of Nigeria are not registered, and so for those who died outside of hospital, no records are kept.
This makes it difficult to understand how many people have died in recent weeks.
Sabitu Shaibu, the deputy head of the state task force on Covid-19, is hoping to release preliminary findings of the investigation by next week but believes that most of the rumoured 640 deaths are from natural causes and says the figure is below the average death rate for Kano.
Hospital records which provide the only death register available are thought to provide lower numbers than the real picture across the state.
Those on the investigating taskforce say they will conduct "verbal autopsies" with family members to help establish why people are dying.
If not coronavirus, what else could be going on?
Private hospitals which provide for a significant part of health provision in the region have been closed due to coronavirus fears. This could mean a lack of support for those with existing conditions who may have died as a result.
Dr Nagoma Sadiq who works at the Aminu Kano Hospital, thinks this could be behind the additional deaths, but he is also not ruling out coronavirus.
"It's shocking to most of us that the count of the dead is alarming. But it's likely due to the reduction in the number of health institutions available in the state.
"Because there are a lot of hypertensive patients, diabetic patients, asthmatic patients, cancer patients, and they don't have much access to the hospitals. The lockdown is affecting everybody.
"Our poor majority don't even have a vehicle to take them to the hospitals."
Grave digger Ali agrees, adding "some say the current situation is due to the epidemic, others say it's difficulties of life. People have so many problems in their lives and a lack of peace of mind."
However Covid-19 is known to be more dangerous for those with underlying health conditions, so it could be that the deaths are related to coronavirus. The only way to know for sure is to test for coronavirus.
Dr Sadiq also said that there was still a concern about an ongoing Lassa fever infection amongst communities. The state has had five confirmed cases and one death, according to the most recent report from the Nigerian Centre For Disease Control.
Kano currently has 77 positive cases of coronavirus with three deaths.
Authorities are urging the public not to panic.
By Chi Chi Izundu
BBC
President Muhammadu Buhari said a lockdown would be imposed in Kano for an additional two weeks, and that he was sending a government team to investigate.
Nigeria's Health Minister Dr Osagie Ehanire says the situation is being "monitored closely".
But following preliminary investigations the state authorities have dismissed a connection with coronavirus.
Hundreds of people are rumoured to have died in the community but no official death records are kept.
Grave diggers initially raised concerns that they were burying a higher than usual number of bodies.
Ali, a grave digger at the Abattoir Graveyard, told the BBC: "We have never seen this, since the major cholera outbreak that our parents tell us about. That was about 60 years ago."
This week, the state governor issued a statement saying the "mysterious deaths" were unrelated to coronavirus.
But after ordering a "thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the deaths", announced that their preliminary findings "indicated that the deaths are not connected to the Covid-19 pandemic".
The state government said "reports from the state ministry of health has shown that most of the deaths were caused by complications arising from hypertension, diabetes, meningitis and acute malaria".
"Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is earnestly waiting for the final report from the state ministry of health so as to take the necessary action."
The commercial and industrial centre of the north, Kano has become the epicentre of coronavirus in northern Nigeria. Its highly dense population is still in lockdown in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
Don't tests show the cause of death?
State officials started testing for Covid-19 two weeks ago and one lab has had to close due to contamination. Samples are being sent to the capital, Abuja, which authorities say is causing a delay in announcing how many positive cases have been detected in the state.
Dr Sani Aliyu, who is the national co-ordinator for the presidential task force on Covid-19, says a team of five medical experts were deployed to Kano to facilitate in reopening the testing centre this week after it was fumigated.
Officials also plan to open a second lab, at Bayero University, for testing for Covid-19 from next week.
How many people have died?
It is unclear how many people have died, as the deaths causing concern are happening in the community. Deaths in many parts of Nigeria are not registered, and so for those who died outside of hospital, no records are kept.
This makes it difficult to understand how many people have died in recent weeks.
Sabitu Shaibu, the deputy head of the state task force on Covid-19, is hoping to release preliminary findings of the investigation by next week but believes that most of the rumoured 640 deaths are from natural causes and says the figure is below the average death rate for Kano.
Hospital records which provide the only death register available are thought to provide lower numbers than the real picture across the state.
Those on the investigating taskforce say they will conduct "verbal autopsies" with family members to help establish why people are dying.
If not coronavirus, what else could be going on?
Private hospitals which provide for a significant part of health provision in the region have been closed due to coronavirus fears. This could mean a lack of support for those with existing conditions who may have died as a result.
Dr Nagoma Sadiq who works at the Aminu Kano Hospital, thinks this could be behind the additional deaths, but he is also not ruling out coronavirus.
"It's shocking to most of us that the count of the dead is alarming. But it's likely due to the reduction in the number of health institutions available in the state.
"Because there are a lot of hypertensive patients, diabetic patients, asthmatic patients, cancer patients, and they don't have much access to the hospitals. The lockdown is affecting everybody.
"Our poor majority don't even have a vehicle to take them to the hospitals."
Grave digger Ali agrees, adding "some say the current situation is due to the epidemic, others say it's difficulties of life. People have so many problems in their lives and a lack of peace of mind."
However Covid-19 is known to be more dangerous for those with underlying health conditions, so it could be that the deaths are related to coronavirus. The only way to know for sure is to test for coronavirus.
Dr Sadiq also said that there was still a concern about an ongoing Lassa fever infection amongst communities. The state has had five confirmed cases and one death, according to the most recent report from the Nigerian Centre For Disease Control.
Kano currently has 77 positive cases of coronavirus with three deaths.
Authorities are urging the public not to panic.
By Chi Chi Izundu
BBC
Nigeria to ease Abuja and Lagos lockdowns on May 4th
Nigeria will begin a "gradual easing" of coronavirus-related lockdowns for millions of people in its largest city Lagos and the capital, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari said the lockdowns, which had been due to end on Monday, needed to continue until 4 May.
He also ordered new nationwide measures against Covid-19, including a night-time curfew and mandatory face masks.
The moves would ensure the economy functioned "while still maintaining our aggressive response", Mr Buhari said.
The easing will apply to Abuja, Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state, where collectively more than 25 million people have been under lockdown since 30 March. Other states have introduced their own measures.
Before the announcement, workers at a construction site in Lagos rioted in protest at the lockdown.
A police spokesman said the workers at the Lekki Free Trade zone - including those at the oil refinery of billionaire Aliko Dangote - injured several officers in the area. Fifty-one people were arrested, he added.
There are reports that the protesters were angry that some foreign nationals were allowed to go to work at the site.
Nigeria, Africa's most-populous nation and largest economy, has reported 1,273 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths.
In a televised address on Monday night, Mr Buhari acknowledged that the lockdowns in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun had "come at a very heavy economic cost" since they began on 30 March.
"Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down," he said.
He added: "No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines."
The president said there would therefore be a "phased and gradual easing" of these lockdowns next Monday to allow some economic activities to resume.
But to limit the spread of Covid-19, he announced that the government would impose a curfew across the country between 20:00 and 06:00, require everyone to wear face masks in public, and stop "non-essential inter-state passenger travel".
Bans on social and religious gatherings will also remain in place.
Mr Buhari also expressed deep concern over the unexplained deaths of a number of people in the northern state of Kano.
He said a lockdown would be imposed there for two weeks with immediate effect and that he was sending a government team to investigate.
BBC
President Muhammadu Buhari said the lockdowns, which had been due to end on Monday, needed to continue until 4 May.
He also ordered new nationwide measures against Covid-19, including a night-time curfew and mandatory face masks.
The moves would ensure the economy functioned "while still maintaining our aggressive response", Mr Buhari said.
The easing will apply to Abuja, Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state, where collectively more than 25 million people have been under lockdown since 30 March. Other states have introduced their own measures.
Before the announcement, workers at a construction site in Lagos rioted in protest at the lockdown.
A police spokesman said the workers at the Lekki Free Trade zone - including those at the oil refinery of billionaire Aliko Dangote - injured several officers in the area. Fifty-one people were arrested, he added.
There are reports that the protesters were angry that some foreign nationals were allowed to go to work at the site.
Nigeria, Africa's most-populous nation and largest economy, has reported 1,273 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 40 deaths.
In a televised address on Monday night, Mr Buhari acknowledged that the lockdowns in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun had "come at a very heavy economic cost" since they began on 30 March.
"Many of our citizens have lost their means of livelihood. Many businesses have shut down," he said.
He added: "No country can afford the full impact of a sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines."
The president said there would therefore be a "phased and gradual easing" of these lockdowns next Monday to allow some economic activities to resume.
But to limit the spread of Covid-19, he announced that the government would impose a curfew across the country between 20:00 and 06:00, require everyone to wear face masks in public, and stop "non-essential inter-state passenger travel".
Bans on social and religious gatherings will also remain in place.
Mr Buhari also expressed deep concern over the unexplained deaths of a number of people in the northern state of Kano.
He said a lockdown would be imposed there for two weeks with immediate effect and that he was sending a government team to investigate.
BBC
Monday, April 27, 2020
Nigeria's Okraraises $1M from TLcom connecting bank accounts to apps
A new Nigerian fintech venture, Okra, has racked up a unique mix of accomplishments in less than a year.
The Lagos based API developer created a product that generates revenues from both payment startups and established financial institutions.
Okra has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding from TLcom Capital — a $71 million Africa focused VC firm that rarely invests in early-stage companies or fintech.
The startup is also poised to enter new markets and it’s hiring.
Founded in June 2019 by Nigerians Fara Ashiru Jituboh and David Peterside, Okra casts itself as a motherboard for the continent’s 21st century financial system.
“We’re building a super-connector API that…allows individuals to connect their bank accounts directly to third party applications. And that’s their African bank accounts starting in the largest market in Africa, Nigeria,” said Ashiru Jituboh.
As a sector, fintech has become the continent’s highest funded tech space, receiving the bulk of an estimated $2 billion in VC that went to African startups in 2019. Those ventures, and a number of the continent’s established banks, are in a race to build market share through financial inclusion.
By several estimates — including The Global Findex Database — the continent is home to the largest percentage of the world’s unbanked population, with a sizable number of underbanked consumers and SMEs.
With 54 countries, 1.2 billion people and thousands of relatively young startups, there are a lot of moving parts in Africa’s fintech space. Similar to U.S. company Plaid, Okra is shaping a platform that connects accounts and financial data to banking apps into a revenue generating product.
With Africa’s largest population of 200 million people, Nigeria serves as a major financial hub — but there’s still a disconnect between fintech apps and banks, according to Okra’s Ashiru Jituboh.
“Here in this market there’s no way to directly connect your bank account through an API or directly to an application,” she said.
Okra offers several paid packages for those types of integrations and opens up the code to its five product categories — authorization, balance, transactions, identity and accounts — to developers.
Okra has already created a diverse client list that includes mobile payments startup PalmPay, insurer Axa Mansard and Nigerian digital lender Renmoney.
The startup generates revenues through product fees and earns each time a user connects a bank account to a customer, according to Ashiru Jituboh.
On how the Okra differs from other well-funded fintech companies in Nigeria, such as Flutterwave or Interswitch, “The answer is we’re not doing payments, but what we’re doing is making processes with [payment providers] even smoother,” she said.
Ashiru Jituboh comes to her CEO position with a software engineering background and a strong connection to the U.S. Born in Nigeria, she grew up in and studied computer science in North Carolina.
She did stints in finance — JP Morgan Chase and Fidelity Investments — and then in tech companies before making the leap to founder. “I went to work in startups, but I was always employee number two or three,” said Ashiru Jituboh.
She decided to go all in on Okra after returning to Nigeria and noting the need for linking together the country’s emerging digital financial infrastructure.
“When we knew that it was a big addressable market is when we realized that all these fintech CEOs and CTOs were struggling with this use case,” she said.
Shortly after its launch, Okra attracted the attention of TLcom Capital in second quarter 2019, according to VC Andreata Muforo.
With offices in London, Lagos, and Nairobi, the group closed its $71 million Tide Africa fund this year. TLcom has focused primarily on Series A and later investments, including backing Kenyan agtech startup Twiga Foods and Nigerian trucking logistics company Kobo360.
In an interview last year, the fund’s managing partner, Maurizio Caio, explained that TLcom was steering more toward investments in infrastructure oriented tech companies and away from Africa’s more commoditized payments and lending startups.
The VC firm was attracted to Okra for its ability to serve the continent’s broader financial sector. “It’s a service that other fintechs can plug into and utilize, so it’s accelerating the growth of fintech across the continent…That to us was a big hook,” TLcom’s Andreata Muforo told TechCrunch on a call.
Founder Fara Ashiru Jituboh was also a factor in the fund making a $1 million pre-seed investment in Okra. “We found her to be very strong and also liked the fact that she’s a technical founder,” said Muforo. As part of the investments, she and TLcom Capital partner Ido Sum will join Okra’s board.
In addition to hiring fresh engineering talent, the startup aims to take its product offerings that connect bank accounts to apps to new African countries — though it would not disclose where or when.
“We’re looking at three target markets that our clients are already in,” said Ashiru Jituboh. Okra investor Andreata Muforo named Kenya — with one of the highest mobile money penetration rates in the world — as a likely candidate for the startup’s product services.
By Jake Bright
TechCrunch
Related stories: Video - Nigerian returns bitcoins worth $80,000
Bitcoin used in Nigeria to hedge against national currency
The Lagos based API developer created a product that generates revenues from both payment startups and established financial institutions.
Okra has raised $1 million in pre-seed funding from TLcom Capital — a $71 million Africa focused VC firm that rarely invests in early-stage companies or fintech.
The startup is also poised to enter new markets and it’s hiring.
Founded in June 2019 by Nigerians Fara Ashiru Jituboh and David Peterside, Okra casts itself as a motherboard for the continent’s 21st century financial system.
“We’re building a super-connector API that…allows individuals to connect their bank accounts directly to third party applications. And that’s their African bank accounts starting in the largest market in Africa, Nigeria,” said Ashiru Jituboh.
As a sector, fintech has become the continent’s highest funded tech space, receiving the bulk of an estimated $2 billion in VC that went to African startups in 2019. Those ventures, and a number of the continent’s established banks, are in a race to build market share through financial inclusion.
By several estimates — including The Global Findex Database — the continent is home to the largest percentage of the world’s unbanked population, with a sizable number of underbanked consumers and SMEs.
With 54 countries, 1.2 billion people and thousands of relatively young startups, there are a lot of moving parts in Africa’s fintech space. Similar to U.S. company Plaid, Okra is shaping a platform that connects accounts and financial data to banking apps into a revenue generating product.
With Africa’s largest population of 200 million people, Nigeria serves as a major financial hub — but there’s still a disconnect between fintech apps and banks, according to Okra’s Ashiru Jituboh.
“Here in this market there’s no way to directly connect your bank account through an API or directly to an application,” she said.
Okra offers several paid packages for those types of integrations and opens up the code to its five product categories — authorization, balance, transactions, identity and accounts — to developers.
Okra has already created a diverse client list that includes mobile payments startup PalmPay, insurer Axa Mansard and Nigerian digital lender Renmoney.
The startup generates revenues through product fees and earns each time a user connects a bank account to a customer, according to Ashiru Jituboh.
On how the Okra differs from other well-funded fintech companies in Nigeria, such as Flutterwave or Interswitch, “The answer is we’re not doing payments, but what we’re doing is making processes with [payment providers] even smoother,” she said.
Ashiru Jituboh comes to her CEO position with a software engineering background and a strong connection to the U.S. Born in Nigeria, she grew up in and studied computer science in North Carolina.
She did stints in finance — JP Morgan Chase and Fidelity Investments — and then in tech companies before making the leap to founder. “I went to work in startups, but I was always employee number two or three,” said Ashiru Jituboh.
She decided to go all in on Okra after returning to Nigeria and noting the need for linking together the country’s emerging digital financial infrastructure.
“When we knew that it was a big addressable market is when we realized that all these fintech CEOs and CTOs were struggling with this use case,” she said.
Shortly after its launch, Okra attracted the attention of TLcom Capital in second quarter 2019, according to VC Andreata Muforo.
With offices in London, Lagos, and Nairobi, the group closed its $71 million Tide Africa fund this year. TLcom has focused primarily on Series A and later investments, including backing Kenyan agtech startup Twiga Foods and Nigerian trucking logistics company Kobo360.
In an interview last year, the fund’s managing partner, Maurizio Caio, explained that TLcom was steering more toward investments in infrastructure oriented tech companies and away from Africa’s more commoditized payments and lending startups.
The VC firm was attracted to Okra for its ability to serve the continent’s broader financial sector. “It’s a service that other fintechs can plug into and utilize, so it’s accelerating the growth of fintech across the continent…That to us was a big hook,” TLcom’s Andreata Muforo told TechCrunch on a call.
Founder Fara Ashiru Jituboh was also a factor in the fund making a $1 million pre-seed investment in Okra. “We found her to be very strong and also liked the fact that she’s a technical founder,” said Muforo. As part of the investments, she and TLcom Capital partner Ido Sum will join Okra’s board.
In addition to hiring fresh engineering talent, the startup aims to take its product offerings that connect bank accounts to apps to new African countries — though it would not disclose where or when.
“We’re looking at three target markets that our clients are already in,” said Ashiru Jituboh. Okra investor Andreata Muforo named Kenya — with one of the highest mobile money penetration rates in the world — as a likely candidate for the startup’s product services.
By Jake Bright
TechCrunch
Related stories: Video - Nigerian returns bitcoins worth $80,000
Bitcoin used in Nigeria to hedge against national currency
Friday, April 24, 2020
Lebanon arrests suspect for putting Nigerian worker up 'for sale'
Lebanese security forces have arrested a man suspected of putting a Nigerian domestic worker up "for sale" on a popular Facebook page used to trade everyday items such as furniture, food and shoes.
"Domestic worker of African citizenship (Nigerian) for sale with a new residency and full legal papers," an account under the name Wael Jerro posted on the page, named Buy and Sell in Lebanon. The exact date of the post remains unclear.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday by Lebanon's General Security agency, the country's leading intelligence agency, which also controls entry and exit from the small Mediterranean nation. General Security said an investigation was under way in the case, and warned that advertising people online violated the country's human trafficking laws, subjecting perpetrators to prosecution.
The arrest came after Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najem on Wednesday ordered the judiciary to follow up on the case, citing Lebanon's anti-human trafficking law. Lebanon's Ministry of Labour also released a statement saying anyone who advertises domestic workers online would be prosecuted.
Najem said in a statement that the case represented a "blatant violation of human dignity".
The case has sparked fury in Nigeria, where officials requested the Lebanese authorities to investigate the incident.
"The government is very angry," said Julie Okah-Donli, director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). "The Lebanese government should prosecute him and rescue other girls that have been sold or [are] about to be sold into slavery."
Many Nigerians also took to social media to express their outrage.
'Modern-day slavery'
Some 250,000 migrant domestic workers - most from sub-Saharan African countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana, and southeast Asian countries including Nepal and the Philippines - reside in Lebanon.
Domestic workers in Lebanon are legally bound to their employers through the country's notorious kafala system, which only allows them to end their contracts with the consent of employers.
The system has led to widespread abuse, ranging from the withholding of wages, to physical and sexual assault. Camille Abousleiman, Lebanon's former labour minister, has called it "modern-day slavery".
While Lebanon's Ministry of Labour says it is working to improve protection for domestic workers by amending the contract between them and their employers, experts say the abuse will continue until the kafala system is entirely abolished.
"Adopting a revised contract which addresses shortcomings is undoubtedly a step forward, but it's not enough," Diala Haidar, a Lebanon campaigner at Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera.
"The Lebanese labour law explicitly excludes domestic workers from labour protections enjoyed by other workers such as minimum wage, overtime pay, compensation for unfair dismissal, and social security. The labour law needs to be amended to recognise domestic workers as workers and grant them full labour protections," she said.
General Security had said in 2017 that two domestic workers die every week in Lebanon. Videos often circulate of domestic workers trying to escape the homes of their employers by climbing down high buildings. Frequently, they are found dead.
Last month, the body of 23-year-old Ghanaian domestic worker Faustina Tay was found in a parking lot under the fourth-storey apartment of her employers. In the days leading up to her death, Tay had alleged repeated abuse by her employer and the agent who brought her to Lebanon and said she feared her life was in danger.
The employer has since been blacklisted, meaning he cannot hire any more domestic workers, while a criminal investigation is ongoing. The high-profile case, first reported by Al Jazeera, shed light on the conditions migrant workers face in Lebanon.
Despite the fact that most domestic workers arrive in Lebanon by legal means, the Facebook post has renewed calls in Nigeria for tougher measures to curb the activities of those involved in human trafficking - a big problem faced by a number of African countries.
"As long as traffickers are working about freely, making money, trafficking will not stop," Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, told Al Jazeera.
Last year, the Nigerian government began the repatriation of up to 20,000 girls who were trafficked to Mali.
The national agency fighting human trafficking said many of these girls ended up working as sex slaves in mining camps in Mali after they were tricked with promises of getting jobs in Europe.
In 2018, the government removed some 5,500 Nigerians from Libya following reports of abuse, slavery and torture.
"We shall, after COVID-19, engage countries where human trafficking is endemic with a view to rescuing and repatriating victims of trafficking as we did in Libya a few years ago," Okah-Donli said, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"Human trafficking is a global problem and huge all over the world because of the large profit. It's an organised criminal network that cuts across local and international boundaries. more of it is for sexual and labour exploitation and of course organ harvesting," she added.
Al Jazeera
Related stories: Lebanese puts up Nigerian for sale on Facebook
Video - Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for prostitution at 'crisis level'
"Domestic worker of African citizenship (Nigerian) for sale with a new residency and full legal papers," an account under the name Wael Jerro posted on the page, named Buy and Sell in Lebanon. The exact date of the post remains unclear.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday by Lebanon's General Security agency, the country's leading intelligence agency, which also controls entry and exit from the small Mediterranean nation. General Security said an investigation was under way in the case, and warned that advertising people online violated the country's human trafficking laws, subjecting perpetrators to prosecution.
The arrest came after Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najem on Wednesday ordered the judiciary to follow up on the case, citing Lebanon's anti-human trafficking law. Lebanon's Ministry of Labour also released a statement saying anyone who advertises domestic workers online would be prosecuted.
Najem said in a statement that the case represented a "blatant violation of human dignity".
The case has sparked fury in Nigeria, where officials requested the Lebanese authorities to investigate the incident.
"The government is very angry," said Julie Okah-Donli, director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). "The Lebanese government should prosecute him and rescue other girls that have been sold or [are] about to be sold into slavery."
Many Nigerians also took to social media to express their outrage.
'Modern-day slavery'
Some 250,000 migrant domestic workers - most from sub-Saharan African countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana, and southeast Asian countries including Nepal and the Philippines - reside in Lebanon.
Domestic workers in Lebanon are legally bound to their employers through the country's notorious kafala system, which only allows them to end their contracts with the consent of employers.
The system has led to widespread abuse, ranging from the withholding of wages, to physical and sexual assault. Camille Abousleiman, Lebanon's former labour minister, has called it "modern-day slavery".
While Lebanon's Ministry of Labour says it is working to improve protection for domestic workers by amending the contract between them and their employers, experts say the abuse will continue until the kafala system is entirely abolished.
"Adopting a revised contract which addresses shortcomings is undoubtedly a step forward, but it's not enough," Diala Haidar, a Lebanon campaigner at Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera.
"The Lebanese labour law explicitly excludes domestic workers from labour protections enjoyed by other workers such as minimum wage, overtime pay, compensation for unfair dismissal, and social security. The labour law needs to be amended to recognise domestic workers as workers and grant them full labour protections," she said.
General Security had said in 2017 that two domestic workers die every week in Lebanon. Videos often circulate of domestic workers trying to escape the homes of their employers by climbing down high buildings. Frequently, they are found dead.
Last month, the body of 23-year-old Ghanaian domestic worker Faustina Tay was found in a parking lot under the fourth-storey apartment of her employers. In the days leading up to her death, Tay had alleged repeated abuse by her employer and the agent who brought her to Lebanon and said she feared her life was in danger.
The employer has since been blacklisted, meaning he cannot hire any more domestic workers, while a criminal investigation is ongoing. The high-profile case, first reported by Al Jazeera, shed light on the conditions migrant workers face in Lebanon.
Despite the fact that most domestic workers arrive in Lebanon by legal means, the Facebook post has renewed calls in Nigeria for tougher measures to curb the activities of those involved in human trafficking - a big problem faced by a number of African countries.
"As long as traffickers are working about freely, making money, trafficking will not stop," Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, told Al Jazeera.
Last year, the Nigerian government began the repatriation of up to 20,000 girls who were trafficked to Mali.
The national agency fighting human trafficking said many of these girls ended up working as sex slaves in mining camps in Mali after they were tricked with promises of getting jobs in Europe.
In 2018, the government removed some 5,500 Nigerians from Libya following reports of abuse, slavery and torture.
"We shall, after COVID-19, engage countries where human trafficking is endemic with a view to rescuing and repatriating victims of trafficking as we did in Libya a few years ago," Okah-Donli said, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"Human trafficking is a global problem and huge all over the world because of the large profit. It's an organised criminal network that cuts across local and international boundaries. more of it is for sexual and labour exploitation and of course organ harvesting," she added.
Al Jazeera
Related stories: Lebanese puts up Nigerian for sale on Facebook
Video - Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for prostitution at 'crisis level'
Nigeria Defends Slow Pace of Virus Testing
Nigeria defended the slow pace of testing for the coronavirus amid a lockdown that’s paralyzed economic activity in its two main cities as concern over the government response to the outbreak grows.
The lockdown has kept more than 40 million people at home since March 30 and discontent is mounting in the country, which late February became the first in sub-Saharan Africa to identify a person with the virus. Health authorities have tested only 10,000 people out of a population of more than 200 million. Almost 900 infections have been reported, and 28 deaths.
Authorities have adopted a strategy of “managed acceleration” and won’t pool samples to multiply testing capacity as is currently being done in Ghana, which has rolled out one of the largest testing programs in the region, said Chikwe Ihekweazu, director general for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
“I would rather go a little bit slower and get it right than speed into a situation that we will end up regretting,” he said during a briefing by the World Health Organization on Thursday.
There are signs that Nigeria’s weak health system won’t be able to cope with a larger outbreak. At least four private hospitals in the commercial hub Lagos closed temporarily or ‘until further notice’ because they had to be decontaminated. A laboratory in the northern city of Kano, Nigeria’s third-largest, shut after two workers tested positive. And reports that 150 people died in the state with the same name this week have added to fears that the government response is inadequate.
“Our performance has been a show of shame,” said Cheta Nwanze, lead partner with Lagos-based risk consultancy SBM Intelligence. “It’s been completely uncoordinated, with different state governments doing different things at different times. We have essentially wasted four weeks of lockdown.”
The national pandemic response is based on a mix of the CDC’s guidelines and an existing influenza outbreak preparedness plan that will be turned into a single document, according to Sani Aliyu, chairman of Nigeria’s presidential task force on Covid-19. Nigeria had about 350 ventilators before the coronavirus outbreak, not all of them functional, and obtained at least 100 more in recent weeks, he said.
Still, the government is struggling to import the kits needed to enable existing tuberculosis and HIV centers to test for the coronavirus due to a global supply crisis, said Ihekweazu of the NCDC.
“Once we have these in, we will be able to quickly scale up testing across the country,” he said, without saying when they will arrive.
By Tope Alake
Bloomberg
The lockdown has kept more than 40 million people at home since March 30 and discontent is mounting in the country, which late February became the first in sub-Saharan Africa to identify a person with the virus. Health authorities have tested only 10,000 people out of a population of more than 200 million. Almost 900 infections have been reported, and 28 deaths.
Authorities have adopted a strategy of “managed acceleration” and won’t pool samples to multiply testing capacity as is currently being done in Ghana, which has rolled out one of the largest testing programs in the region, said Chikwe Ihekweazu, director general for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
“I would rather go a little bit slower and get it right than speed into a situation that we will end up regretting,” he said during a briefing by the World Health Organization on Thursday.
There are signs that Nigeria’s weak health system won’t be able to cope with a larger outbreak. At least four private hospitals in the commercial hub Lagos closed temporarily or ‘until further notice’ because they had to be decontaminated. A laboratory in the northern city of Kano, Nigeria’s third-largest, shut after two workers tested positive. And reports that 150 people died in the state with the same name this week have added to fears that the government response is inadequate.
“Our performance has been a show of shame,” said Cheta Nwanze, lead partner with Lagos-based risk consultancy SBM Intelligence. “It’s been completely uncoordinated, with different state governments doing different things at different times. We have essentially wasted four weeks of lockdown.”
The national pandemic response is based on a mix of the CDC’s guidelines and an existing influenza outbreak preparedness plan that will be turned into a single document, according to Sani Aliyu, chairman of Nigeria’s presidential task force on Covid-19. Nigeria had about 350 ventilators before the coronavirus outbreak, not all of them functional, and obtained at least 100 more in recent weeks, he said.
Still, the government is struggling to import the kits needed to enable existing tuberculosis and HIV centers to test for the coronavirus due to a global supply crisis, said Ihekweazu of the NCDC.
“Once we have these in, we will be able to quickly scale up testing across the country,” he said, without saying when they will arrive.
By Tope Alake
Bloomberg
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Nigerian woman, 68, gives birth to twins after four IVF attempts
A Nigerian woman has given birth to twins, a boy, and a girl at the age of 68.Margaret Adenuga went through three previous IVF procedures before finally having twins.
Her husband Noah Adenuga, 77 told CNN the couple, who married in 1974 had long desired to have a child of their own.
Adenuga said they never gave up even after the failed attempts.
The retired stock auditor told CNN, "I am a dreamer, and I was convinced this particular dream of ours will come to pass."
The babies were delivered via caesarian section at 37 weeks last Tuesday at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) but the hospital only recently made the news public to give the first-time mother time to recuperate, it said.
Dr. Adeyemi Okunowo, who delivered the babies, told CNN a specialist team was assembled at the hospital to monitor the pregnancy because of her age.
"As an elderly woman and a first-time mother, it was a high-risk pregnancy and also because she was going to have twins but we were able to manage her pregnancy to term," Okunowo told CNN.
Last year, a 73-year-old Indian woman was safely delivered of twin girls after she conceived through IVF and is reported to be the oldest person to give birth at that age.
Okunowo said even though older women are able to conceive through IVF, doctors must lay bare the medical risks associated with being pregnant at that age.
"There are age-related medical complications that come with being pregnant at that age such as the baby being born preterm. She's lucky but many may succumb to other complications during or after having a baby," he told CNN.
CNN
Why some Nigerians are gloating about Covid-19
In our series of letters from African writers, Nigerian novelist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani reflects on the different attitudes of the rich and poor towards coronavirus.
Many Nigerians gloat that Covid-19 is mainly targeting the country's elite, particularly politicians, despite warnings that the life-threatening respiratory illness could hit the poor as well.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has recorded more than 600 cases since the end of February - most of them people who had been abroad, and those they had interacted with after their return to Africa's most-populous state, which has a population of about 200 million.
So far, Nigeria's list of people who got or have died from Covid-19 includes President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff, politicians, heads of government agencies, former ambassadors and their aides or relatives.
These are the kind of people who normally jet off to the UK, Germany, or the US at the slightest headache because Nigeria's state hospitals are poorly funded, run-down, and lack adequate equipment.
The 2020 government budget allocates only about 4.5% of spending for health, less than the 15% target the African Union had set for governments in 2001.
Doctors frequently embark on strikes over salaries not paid for months.
Mocking politicians
Many of them seize any opportunity to work abroad - nearly 2,000 of the doctors in the UK's state-run National Health Service qualified in Nigeria, according to a report presented to the UK's parliament last year.
Nigerians spent more than $1bn ($800m) on treatment in overseas hospitals in 2013.
President Buhari promised to end "medical tourism" when he took power in 2015, but he himself spent more than four months in London in 2017 getting treatment for an undisclosed illness and subsequently returning to the UK capital for additional care.
But with borders closed and each country haunted by its own Covid-19 nightmare, Nigeria's big men and women are now forced to use their country's hospitals, prompting a stream of taunts and jokes.
"This is your punishment for not investing in your country's health system," some say.
"I thought our hospitals were not good enough for you," others say.
Some Nigerians also hoped that the "selectiveness" of the virus might be God's way of bringing about changes in their government.
They latched on to rumours that Mr Buhari, 72, had been infected by his chief of staff, and was gravely ill on a ventilator.
The less malicious folk shrouded their great hope in a prayer: "Let God's will be done."
'God pulled a fast one'
Indignant at the expressions of ill will towards his boss, presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said: "Why do some people conjure nothing but evil? In 2017, while President Buhari had his medical challenge, they were on an orgy of negative wishes, misinformation, and disinformation.
"But God pulled a fast one on them. He brought the president back, as right as rain. Haven't they learned their lessons?"
The rumours finally ended after Mr Buhari - looking well - was videoed in a meeting with senior health officials.
A day later, on 29 March, Mr Buhari appeared on TV and ordered a 14-day lockdown of Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos, neighbouring Ogun state, and the capital city Abuja, giving their 30 million residents just 24 hours to prepare to stay at home.
Mr Buhari subsequently extended the lockdown by two weeks, deepening fears about how the poor will survive in their overcrowded neighbourhoods, without water, electricity, and little food.
But all the gloating could come to a swift end.
Covid-19 could spread more rapidly beyond the elites, who could pass it on to their retinue of "servants" - drivers, cooks, nannies and security guards, among others - who in turn could infect their families and neighbours in slums found in every major city.
'Not for the rich alone'
Social-distancing and self-isolation in a typical Nigerian slum is impossible.
About 30 families often cram into a building, sharing the same bathroom and toilet. The potential disaster is unimaginable.
As Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun said at the 30 March launch of a Covid-19 isolation centre in his state: "Contrary to the erroneous belief, this virus is not for the rich or elite alone. Everyone is at risk."
So while the lockdown causes much inconvenience and hardship for all Nigerians, especially the poor, it helps to maintain the vast gulf that exists in society, thus preventing those at the top from transmitting the virus to those at the bottom.
Nigeria's gross inequality has often been criticised, and rightly so, but the spread of Covid-19 is definitely one area where the nation cannot afford to have equality.
BBC
Many Nigerians gloat that Covid-19 is mainly targeting the country's elite, particularly politicians, despite warnings that the life-threatening respiratory illness could hit the poor as well.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has recorded more than 600 cases since the end of February - most of them people who had been abroad, and those they had interacted with after their return to Africa's most-populous state, which has a population of about 200 million.
So far, Nigeria's list of people who got or have died from Covid-19 includes President Muhammadu Buhari's chief of staff, politicians, heads of government agencies, former ambassadors and their aides or relatives.
These are the kind of people who normally jet off to the UK, Germany, or the US at the slightest headache because Nigeria's state hospitals are poorly funded, run-down, and lack adequate equipment.
The 2020 government budget allocates only about 4.5% of spending for health, less than the 15% target the African Union had set for governments in 2001.
Doctors frequently embark on strikes over salaries not paid for months.
Mocking politicians
Many of them seize any opportunity to work abroad - nearly 2,000 of the doctors in the UK's state-run National Health Service qualified in Nigeria, according to a report presented to the UK's parliament last year.
Nigerians spent more than $1bn ($800m) on treatment in overseas hospitals in 2013.
President Buhari promised to end "medical tourism" when he took power in 2015, but he himself spent more than four months in London in 2017 getting treatment for an undisclosed illness and subsequently returning to the UK capital for additional care.
But with borders closed and each country haunted by its own Covid-19 nightmare, Nigeria's big men and women are now forced to use their country's hospitals, prompting a stream of taunts and jokes.
"This is your punishment for not investing in your country's health system," some say.
"I thought our hospitals were not good enough for you," others say.
Some Nigerians also hoped that the "selectiveness" of the virus might be God's way of bringing about changes in their government.
They latched on to rumours that Mr Buhari, 72, had been infected by his chief of staff, and was gravely ill on a ventilator.
The less malicious folk shrouded their great hope in a prayer: "Let God's will be done."
'God pulled a fast one'
Indignant at the expressions of ill will towards his boss, presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said: "Why do some people conjure nothing but evil? In 2017, while President Buhari had his medical challenge, they were on an orgy of negative wishes, misinformation, and disinformation.
"But God pulled a fast one on them. He brought the president back, as right as rain. Haven't they learned their lessons?"
The rumours finally ended after Mr Buhari - looking well - was videoed in a meeting with senior health officials.
A day later, on 29 March, Mr Buhari appeared on TV and ordered a 14-day lockdown of Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos, neighbouring Ogun state, and the capital city Abuja, giving their 30 million residents just 24 hours to prepare to stay at home.
Mr Buhari subsequently extended the lockdown by two weeks, deepening fears about how the poor will survive in their overcrowded neighbourhoods, without water, electricity, and little food.
But all the gloating could come to a swift end.
Covid-19 could spread more rapidly beyond the elites, who could pass it on to their retinue of "servants" - drivers, cooks, nannies and security guards, among others - who in turn could infect their families and neighbours in slums found in every major city.
'Not for the rich alone'
Social-distancing and self-isolation in a typical Nigerian slum is impossible.
About 30 families often cram into a building, sharing the same bathroom and toilet. The potential disaster is unimaginable.
As Ogun governor Dapo Abiodun said at the 30 March launch of a Covid-19 isolation centre in his state: "Contrary to the erroneous belief, this virus is not for the rich or elite alone. Everyone is at risk."
So while the lockdown causes much inconvenience and hardship for all Nigerians, especially the poor, it helps to maintain the vast gulf that exists in society, thus preventing those at the top from transmitting the virus to those at the bottom.
Nigeria's gross inequality has often been criticised, and rightly so, but the spread of Covid-19 is definitely one area where the nation cannot afford to have equality.
BBC
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Lebanese puts up Nigerian for sale on Facebook
A Lebanese identified as Wael Jerro has claimed on Facebook that he has a Nigerian woman for sale at $1000.
The director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Dame Julie Okah-Donli told The Guardian on Tuesday that NAPTIP investigators were already working on the case.
Renee Abisaad, who first shared the news on her Instagram page, told The Guardian that Lebanese authorities were already involved in the matter.
Information of the biodata page of the international passport Jerro shared identified the Nigerian as Peace Ufuoma, born on May 19, 1988.
The passport was issued in Ibadan May 23, 2018, and will expire on May 22, 2023.
Although Wael Jerro’s account could not be found, the Facebook marketplace Jerro tagged in his post – Buy & Sell In Lebanon (Original) الأصلي – still appears on the social media platform.
Calls to the phone number listed on the Facebook page were not returned. But the operators of the page said it is only to facilitate buying and selling between interested parties and are not responsible for what is posted on the page.
“We are not legally responsible for an opinion, subject or comment, or for the direct broadcast, photos or publication published on our page from any subscriber,” information on the About section of the page said. The information was translated into English from Arabic.
The operators of the page also claimed that they are not responsible for the opinions, pictures and comments posted on the personal page of any of its subscriber and do “not check the subscriber or the personal subscriber page when agreeing to the request to join our page.”
Abisaad suggested Jerro may have deactivated his own page following a barrage of backlashes from Nigerians on Facebook.
“The whole nation went for him,” Abisaad, who was the second runner up in the 2013 edition of Miss Africa Lebanon said.
Lebanon again!
Two Nigerian women were rescued from Lebanon’s capital city Beirut last month.
One of the victims, an indigene of Oyo State, was trafficked to Beirut in September 2019. The other is an Ebonyi indigene was a salesgirl in Lagos before being trafficked to the Middle East country, also in September 2019.
“Both victims travelled by air as their visas and other travelling documents were procured by the suspect,” the Lagos Zonal Commander of the Agency, Mr Daniel Atokolo said.
Atokolo said a suspected trafficker was arrested and another mastermind, known as David, who was believed to have played a major role in the recruitment of the victims was at large.
Before the March rescue of the women, another Nigerian lady was freed from forced labour in the same country.
The story of 23-year-old Omolola Ajayi caught national attention after she posted a video on social media, detailing how she was deceived with a promise of a teaching job in Lebanon.
Another Nigerian woman Kikelomo Olayide, a mother of two, was rescued in February. She was rescued after her husband petitioned NAPTIP
The commander said the victim was allegedly trafficked by a 54–year-old Lebanese in October 2019.
Atokolo said that the suspect trafficked Olayide to Lebanon under the pretence of employing her as a caregiver to his aged mother in Lebanon.
“However, upon the victim’s arrival at Lebanon, she was received by an agent, who also handed her over to a family, where she was exploited as a domestic servant.
“The victim also reported that she was sexually harassed while working for the said family,” the NAPTIP Lagos Commander said.
According to Atokolo, when Olayide’s husband approached the suspect to return his wife, he was threatened.
“The suspect demanded that the victim would only be returned if the victim’s family provides another person to replace her. This is so sad,” the state commander said.
By Timileyin Omilana
The Guardian
The director-general of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons Dame Julie Okah-Donli told The Guardian on Tuesday that NAPTIP investigators were already working on the case.
Renee Abisaad, who first shared the news on her Instagram page, told The Guardian that Lebanese authorities were already involved in the matter.
Information of the biodata page of the international passport Jerro shared identified the Nigerian as Peace Ufuoma, born on May 19, 1988.
The passport was issued in Ibadan May 23, 2018, and will expire on May 22, 2023.
Although Wael Jerro’s account could not be found, the Facebook marketplace Jerro tagged in his post – Buy & Sell In Lebanon (Original) الأصلي – still appears on the social media platform.
Calls to the phone number listed on the Facebook page were not returned. But the operators of the page said it is only to facilitate buying and selling between interested parties and are not responsible for what is posted on the page.
“We are not legally responsible for an opinion, subject or comment, or for the direct broadcast, photos or publication published on our page from any subscriber,” information on the About section of the page said. The information was translated into English from Arabic.
The operators of the page also claimed that they are not responsible for the opinions, pictures and comments posted on the personal page of any of its subscriber and do “not check the subscriber or the personal subscriber page when agreeing to the request to join our page.”
Abisaad suggested Jerro may have deactivated his own page following a barrage of backlashes from Nigerians on Facebook.
“The whole nation went for him,” Abisaad, who was the second runner up in the 2013 edition of Miss Africa Lebanon said.
Lebanon again!
Two Nigerian women were rescued from Lebanon’s capital city Beirut last month.
One of the victims, an indigene of Oyo State, was trafficked to Beirut in September 2019. The other is an Ebonyi indigene was a salesgirl in Lagos before being trafficked to the Middle East country, also in September 2019.
“Both victims travelled by air as their visas and other travelling documents were procured by the suspect,” the Lagos Zonal Commander of the Agency, Mr Daniel Atokolo said.
Atokolo said a suspected trafficker was arrested and another mastermind, known as David, who was believed to have played a major role in the recruitment of the victims was at large.
Before the March rescue of the women, another Nigerian lady was freed from forced labour in the same country.
The story of 23-year-old Omolola Ajayi caught national attention after she posted a video on social media, detailing how she was deceived with a promise of a teaching job in Lebanon.
Another Nigerian woman Kikelomo Olayide, a mother of two, was rescued in February. She was rescued after her husband petitioned NAPTIP
The commander said the victim was allegedly trafficked by a 54–year-old Lebanese in October 2019.
Atokolo said that the suspect trafficked Olayide to Lebanon under the pretence of employing her as a caregiver to his aged mother in Lebanon.
“However, upon the victim’s arrival at Lebanon, she was received by an agent, who also handed her over to a family, where she was exploited as a domestic servant.
“The victim also reported that she was sexually harassed while working for the said family,” the NAPTIP Lagos Commander said.
According to Atokolo, when Olayide’s husband approached the suspect to return his wife, he was threatened.
“The suspect demanded that the victim would only be returned if the victim’s family provides another person to replace her. This is so sad,” the state commander said.
By Timileyin Omilana
The Guardian
Nigeria reports biggest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases
Nigeria confirmed Tuesday night 117 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the biggest single-day increase since the most populous African country reported the first case on Feb. 27.
As of 11:25 p.m. Tuesday local time (2225 GMT), Nigeria has reported a total of 782 cases, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said, adding that it has seen 197 cases discharged from hospitals and 25 deaths across the country.
So far the pandemic has spread to the capital city of Abuja and 24 states.
Lagos, the country's economic hub, also the worst-hit state by COVID-19, recorded 59 news cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 430. The Federal Capital Territory, where the capital Abuja is located, came second with 29 new cases on Tuesday and a total number of 118 cases.
The disease could make its way to every state in Nigeria, NCDC Director-General Chikwe Ihekweazu has warned in a programme on local broadcast Channels TV.
Since the outbreak in Nigeria, the government has stopped international and domestic passenger flights, closed all educational institutions and introduced a lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states, among other measures, to curb the virus's spread.
On April 13, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announce the decision to extend the lockdown in the three states for two weeks, when several other states also adopted lockdown measures on their own.
All airports will remain closed for two more weeks from Thursday as a result of the extension on lockdown, Nigerian Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said Monday.
Health authorities in Lagos have deployed sampling units for COVID-19 across the local government areas, where samples would be collected from civilians who meet the designated testing criteria.
The strategy aims to expand COVID-19 testing at the community level, said Lagos State Commissioner for Health Akin Abayomi in a statement on Monday.
Xinhua
As of 11:25 p.m. Tuesday local time (2225 GMT), Nigeria has reported a total of 782 cases, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said, adding that it has seen 197 cases discharged from hospitals and 25 deaths across the country.
So far the pandemic has spread to the capital city of Abuja and 24 states.
Lagos, the country's economic hub, also the worst-hit state by COVID-19, recorded 59 news cases on Tuesday, bringing its total to 430. The Federal Capital Territory, where the capital Abuja is located, came second with 29 new cases on Tuesday and a total number of 118 cases.
The disease could make its way to every state in Nigeria, NCDC Director-General Chikwe Ihekweazu has warned in a programme on local broadcast Channels TV.
Since the outbreak in Nigeria, the government has stopped international and domestic passenger flights, closed all educational institutions and introduced a lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states, among other measures, to curb the virus's spread.
On April 13, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announce the decision to extend the lockdown in the three states for two weeks, when several other states also adopted lockdown measures on their own.
All airports will remain closed for two more weeks from Thursday as a result of the extension on lockdown, Nigerian Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said Monday.
Health authorities in Lagos have deployed sampling units for COVID-19 across the local government areas, where samples would be collected from civilians who meet the designated testing criteria.
The strategy aims to expand COVID-19 testing at the community level, said Lagos State Commissioner for Health Akin Abayomi in a statement on Monday.
Xinhua
President Buhari asks Nigeria's chief judge to free prisoners due to COVID-19
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the chief judge to free prison inmates who have been awaiting trial for six years or more to ease overcrowding as the novel coronavirus continues to spread, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
A statement quoted Buhari as saying 42 percent of Nigeria's 74,000 or so prisoners were awaiting trial. He urged Chief Judge Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad to reduce that number "since physical distancing and self-isolation in such conditions are practically impossible".
Buhari said inmates with no confirmed criminal cases against them, elderly prisoners and those who are terminally ill could be discharged.
"Most of these custodial centres are presently housing inmates beyond their capacities and the overcrowded facilities pose a potent threat to the health of the inmates and the public in general in view of the present circumstances, hence the need for urgent steps to bring the situation under control," he said.
Two weeks ago, Buhari pardoned 2,600 prisoners who were either 60 or older, terminally ill, or had less than six months left to serve of sentences of three years or more.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with some 200 million people. As of Wednesday morning, the West African country has 782 confirmed cases and reported 25 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has introduced measures to stop the spread of the virus including closing its borders and locking down the capital Abuja, the commercial hub, Lagos, and the adjacent state, Ogun.
Al Jazeera
A statement quoted Buhari as saying 42 percent of Nigeria's 74,000 or so prisoners were awaiting trial. He urged Chief Judge Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad to reduce that number "since physical distancing and self-isolation in such conditions are practically impossible".
Buhari said inmates with no confirmed criminal cases against them, elderly prisoners and those who are terminally ill could be discharged.
"Most of these custodial centres are presently housing inmates beyond their capacities and the overcrowded facilities pose a potent threat to the health of the inmates and the public in general in view of the present circumstances, hence the need for urgent steps to bring the situation under control," he said.
Two weeks ago, Buhari pardoned 2,600 prisoners who were either 60 or older, terminally ill, or had less than six months left to serve of sentences of three years or more.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with some 200 million people. As of Wednesday morning, the West African country has 782 confirmed cases and reported 25 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has introduced measures to stop the spread of the virus including closing its borders and locking down the capital Abuja, the commercial hub, Lagos, and the adjacent state, Ogun.
Al Jazeera
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Nigerian immigration to Canada is booming
In 2019, Nigeria became the fourth-leading source country of new immigrants to Canada, behind India, China, and the Philippines.
A total of 12,600 Nigerians gained permanent residence last year, which represents a tripling of Nigerian immigration to Canada since 2015.
The vast majority of Nigerians came to Canada as economic class immigrants. The main way that Canada manages economic class immigration applications is through Express Entry, and 65 per cent of Nigerian immigrants gained Canadian permanent resident status through Express Entry in 2019.
Nigeria was actually the third-leading source country of those who received an invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence under Express Entry last year.
Why Nigerian immigration to Canada is booming
Several factors explain the rise in Nigerian immigration to Canada.
The oil-rich nation has seen its economic growth slow since the decline in global oil prices in 2014. Nigeria’s economy was growing by around 5 per cent per year leading up to 2014, but growth has since weakened to around 2 per cent annually.
As a result, more Nigerian professionals have sought to come to countries such as Canada in pursuit of economic opportunity.
Canada is an attractive destination for Nigerians because it offers economic opportunities in sectors which are appealing to Nigerian professionals, such as oil and gas, ICT, health care, and other STEM-related fields.
Nigerian professionals may also fare well under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Factors such as English-language proficiency, having a high level of education, and possessing professional work experience are all taken into consideration when immigration candidates submit Express Entry profiles, factors which the Nigerian professionals who immigrate to Canada possess.
Given that English is their mother tongue, Nigerians have a significant advantage under Express Entry compared with most other nationalities since English-language proficiency comprises a major component of the CRS.
Post-coronavirus: Canada set to welcome more Nigerian immigrants
Once the coronavirus has been contained and we return to a sense of normalcy, we should continue to expect higher levels of Nigerian immigration to Canada.
Global oil prices have plummeted once again, which will create economic challenges for oil-rich countries around the world.
Canada’s rising immigration levels over the coming years will open up more economic class immigration spots, including through Express Entry.
Canada’s openness to immigrants also runs in stark contrast to other countries which have historically welcomed high levels of Nigerian immigrants, such as the United States and Great Britain. The recent U.S. decision to expand its travel ban to include Nigeria may result in more prospective Nigerian immigrants looking to Canada.
More Nigerians are also studying in Canada. There are currently around 12,000 Nigerian students in Canada, and these students will be well-placed to transition to permanent resident status due to their youth, English language fluency, Canadian education, and Canadian work experience.
When you add these factors together, it is reasonable to expect further increases in the number of Nigerian immigrants welcomed by Canada.
CIC News
A total of 12,600 Nigerians gained permanent residence last year, which represents a tripling of Nigerian immigration to Canada since 2015.
The vast majority of Nigerians came to Canada as economic class immigrants. The main way that Canada manages economic class immigration applications is through Express Entry, and 65 per cent of Nigerian immigrants gained Canadian permanent resident status through Express Entry in 2019.
Nigeria was actually the third-leading source country of those who received an invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence under Express Entry last year.
Why Nigerian immigration to Canada is booming
Several factors explain the rise in Nigerian immigration to Canada.
The oil-rich nation has seen its economic growth slow since the decline in global oil prices in 2014. Nigeria’s economy was growing by around 5 per cent per year leading up to 2014, but growth has since weakened to around 2 per cent annually.
As a result, more Nigerian professionals have sought to come to countries such as Canada in pursuit of economic opportunity.
Canada is an attractive destination for Nigerians because it offers economic opportunities in sectors which are appealing to Nigerian professionals, such as oil and gas, ICT, health care, and other STEM-related fields.
Nigerian professionals may also fare well under Express Entry’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Factors such as English-language proficiency, having a high level of education, and possessing professional work experience are all taken into consideration when immigration candidates submit Express Entry profiles, factors which the Nigerian professionals who immigrate to Canada possess.
Given that English is their mother tongue, Nigerians have a significant advantage under Express Entry compared with most other nationalities since English-language proficiency comprises a major component of the CRS.
Post-coronavirus: Canada set to welcome more Nigerian immigrants
Once the coronavirus has been contained and we return to a sense of normalcy, we should continue to expect higher levels of Nigerian immigration to Canada.
Global oil prices have plummeted once again, which will create economic challenges for oil-rich countries around the world.
Canada’s rising immigration levels over the coming years will open up more economic class immigration spots, including through Express Entry.
Canada’s openness to immigrants also runs in stark contrast to other countries which have historically welcomed high levels of Nigerian immigrants, such as the United States and Great Britain. The recent U.S. decision to expand its travel ban to include Nigeria may result in more prospective Nigerian immigrants looking to Canada.
More Nigerians are also studying in Canada. There are currently around 12,000 Nigerian students in Canada, and these students will be well-placed to transition to permanent resident status due to their youth, English language fluency, Canadian education, and Canadian work experience.
When you add these factors together, it is reasonable to expect further increases in the number of Nigerian immigrants welcomed by Canada.
CIC News
Nigeria Extends Closure of Airports by 2 Weeks to Contain Virus
Nigeria extended the closing of the West African nation’s airports for two weeks as it continues a lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision is subject to review when appropriate, Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said in an emailed statement.
Nigeria closed its international airports for one month on March 23, a week before President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a two-week lockdown of the capital, Abuja, the commercial hub, Lagos and neighboring Ogun state. The stay-at-home directive was also extended to the end of April.
By Emele Onu
Bloomberg
The decision is subject to review when appropriate, Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said in an emailed statement.
Nigeria closed its international airports for one month on March 23, a week before President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a two-week lockdown of the capital, Abuja, the commercial hub, Lagos and neighboring Ogun state. The stay-at-home directive was also extended to the end of April.
By Emele Onu
Bloomberg
Monday, April 20, 2020
Armed bandits kill at least 47 in Nigeria's Katsina state
Armed bandits have killed at least 47 people in attacks on several villages in the northwestern Nigerian state of Katsina.
The attacks took place in the early hours of Saturday, between 12:30am (23:30 GMT Friday) and around 3am (02:00GMT), Katsina police said in its statement on Sunday.
"Detachments of Police, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Civil Defence and DSS (Department of State Services) have been drafted to the area," the statement added.
Police spokesman Gambo Isah told the dpa news agency that the attacks were carried out by more than 300 armed men.
"We are combing the forest to arrest those behind the attack," added Isah.
The bandits reportedly demanded food items and other relief materials delivered to the villagers as part of government's efforts to help locals during the coronavirus lockdown, the local Channels TV reported.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the last year by criminal gangs carrying out robberies and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.
Such attacks have added to security challenges in Africa’s most populous country, which is already struggling to contain Boko Haram attacks in the northeast and communal violence over grazing rights in central states.
Al Jazeera
The attacks took place in the early hours of Saturday, between 12:30am (23:30 GMT Friday) and around 3am (02:00GMT), Katsina police said in its statement on Sunday.
"Detachments of Police, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Civil Defence and DSS (Department of State Services) have been drafted to the area," the statement added.
Police spokesman Gambo Isah told the dpa news agency that the attacks were carried out by more than 300 armed men.
"We are combing the forest to arrest those behind the attack," added Isah.
The bandits reportedly demanded food items and other relief materials delivered to the villagers as part of government's efforts to help locals during the coronavirus lockdown, the local Channels TV reported.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the last year by criminal gangs carrying out robberies and kidnappings in northwest Nigeria.
Such attacks have added to security challenges in Africa’s most populous country, which is already struggling to contain Boko Haram attacks in the northeast and communal violence over grazing rights in central states.
Al Jazeera
Friday, April 17, 2020
Nigerian tailors are hand-making PPE to help fight coronavirus
As the world experiences a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, tailors in Nigeria are responding by hand-making equipment like overalls and face masks.
Rising demand, panic buying, hoarding, and misuse have disrupted the global supply of PPE, according to the World Health Organization, putting lives at risk.
Now, tailors in Abia state, in the southeast of the country, are using local fabrics, cotton, and polypropylene to sew PPE for people looking to protect themselves.
With cases of Covid-19 rising in Nigeria, the Abia state government released a 12 million naira (about $31,000) grant to support tailors to make the protective gear.
The grant was disbursed to 100 selected tailors at the start of April to help them buy additional equipment, source materials and employ more people, according to Sam Hart, the director-general of the Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency.
Hart explained that the initial face mask samples were examined by a team of medical experts and that the gear is intended for citizens looking for protection, rather than for health workers.
Local solution
So far, tailors in Aba, the state's commercial nerve center, have produced 200,000 face masks and 3,000 overalls, the agency said.
One of the tailors, Queen Duruibe, told CNN that the overalls she makes are waterproof and puncture-resistant, and are made from a polyamide fabric coated with protective materials.
Her face masks are made with cotton and polypropylene and are hypoallergenic, she said. She also produces decorative face masks made from a colorful print fabric, which aren't intended to protect from coronavirus.
Duruibe had been producing face masks since January but says she has now taken on more staff and converted her fashion store to make up to 10,000 masks per day.
"I sew different types of clothes here in Aba and I usually buy my materials from China," she said. "But when coronavirus happened, they (her suppliers) started telling me how bad things are, that there are no materials and face masks are scarce.
"So I thought to myself that if things are so scarce, I can actually start producing them myself."
Finding buyers
The equipment produced by the tailors is sold for around 200 naira (roughly 50 cents), according to Hart, and it is finding a range of buyers.
"We had a pharmacist who bought 10,000 pieces to stock in his pharmacy for sale," he said. "The PPE overalls and face masks have been made available to the public -- anybody can order. We even have some Nigerians in the diaspora who have made bulk orders for their communities and villages here in Abia."
The state government has also ordered masks, which it will distribute to the most vulnerable citizens, according to John Okiyi, the state commissioner for communications.
"65,000 of these facemasks have already been distributed in some local governments through churches and mosques," he told CNN. "The government has also ordered the production of an additional 150,000 face masks for further distribution."
He added that the state government has distributed N95 face masks to health workers, because those are more suited to medical professionals.
Beating coronavirus
Abia currently has no confirmed cases of coronavirus, but there have been more than 400 cases in Nigeria. The country has put in place travel restrictions to control the spread of the virus, and all international airports and land borders have been closed.
Three of Nigeria's 36 states -- Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja -- have imposed an extended lockdown that began on March 30. Abia state is also on a self-imposed lockdown.
Duruibe, like many of the other tailors, says she is happy to help control the spread of Covid-19. "For me, I am doing my part in any way I can to aid those fighting the coronavirus pandemic," she said.
By Aisha Salaudeen
CNN
Rising demand, panic buying, hoarding, and misuse have disrupted the global supply of PPE, according to the World Health Organization, putting lives at risk.
Now, tailors in Abia state, in the southeast of the country, are using local fabrics, cotton, and polypropylene to sew PPE for people looking to protect themselves.
With cases of Covid-19 rising in Nigeria, the Abia state government released a 12 million naira (about $31,000) grant to support tailors to make the protective gear.
The grant was disbursed to 100 selected tailors at the start of April to help them buy additional equipment, source materials and employ more people, according to Sam Hart, the director-general of the Abia State Marketing and Quality Management Agency.
Hart explained that the initial face mask samples were examined by a team of medical experts and that the gear is intended for citizens looking for protection, rather than for health workers.
Local solution
So far, tailors in Aba, the state's commercial nerve center, have produced 200,000 face masks and 3,000 overalls, the agency said.
One of the tailors, Queen Duruibe, told CNN that the overalls she makes are waterproof and puncture-resistant, and are made from a polyamide fabric coated with protective materials.
Her face masks are made with cotton and polypropylene and are hypoallergenic, she said. She also produces decorative face masks made from a colorful print fabric, which aren't intended to protect from coronavirus.
Duruibe had been producing face masks since January but says she has now taken on more staff and converted her fashion store to make up to 10,000 masks per day.
"I sew different types of clothes here in Aba and I usually buy my materials from China," she said. "But when coronavirus happened, they (her suppliers) started telling me how bad things are, that there are no materials and face masks are scarce.
"So I thought to myself that if things are so scarce, I can actually start producing them myself."
Finding buyers
The equipment produced by the tailors is sold for around 200 naira (roughly 50 cents), according to Hart, and it is finding a range of buyers.
"We had a pharmacist who bought 10,000 pieces to stock in his pharmacy for sale," he said. "The PPE overalls and face masks have been made available to the public -- anybody can order. We even have some Nigerians in the diaspora who have made bulk orders for their communities and villages here in Abia."
The state government has also ordered masks, which it will distribute to the most vulnerable citizens, according to John Okiyi, the state commissioner for communications.
"65,000 of these facemasks have already been distributed in some local governments through churches and mosques," he told CNN. "The government has also ordered the production of an additional 150,000 face masks for further distribution."
He added that the state government has distributed N95 face masks to health workers, because those are more suited to medical professionals.
Beating coronavirus
Abia currently has no confirmed cases of coronavirus, but there have been more than 400 cases in Nigeria. The country has put in place travel restrictions to control the spread of the virus, and all international airports and land borders have been closed.
Three of Nigeria's 36 states -- Lagos, Ogun, and Abuja -- have imposed an extended lockdown that began on March 30. Abia state is also on a self-imposed lockdown.
Duruibe, like many of the other tailors, says she is happy to help control the spread of Covid-19. "For me, I am doing my part in any way I can to aid those fighting the coronavirus pandemic," she said.
By Aisha Salaudeen
CNN
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Video - Coronavirus fallout: IMF says Nigeria economy to shrink by 3.4 %
The International Monetary Fund says Nigeria's economy is expected to shrink by 3.4 percent this year and Africa's largest economy could face a recession lasting until 2021. Oil-rich Nigeria has been hit by the plunge in the demand for energy set off by the global lockdown against COVID-19. And the country's jobless rate, already at 23 percent, is expected to climb even higher. . Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Abuja.
Video - Nigerian Foreign Minister denies allegations Africans are being mistreated in China
The Nigerian Foreign Minister has denied allegations Africans are being mistreated in southern China's Guangzhou. Geoffrey Onyeama says the city's control measures are not targeting Nigerians.
At least 19 killed in ethnic fighting in Nigeria
At least 19 people have been killed in fighting between members of ethnic groups in central Nigeria's Taraba state over ownership of a fishing lake, police said.
The violence broke out on Monday between the Shomo and Jole ethnic groups in Lau district.
"Nineteen people were confirmed dead," state police spokesman David Misal told AFP news agency on Wednesday.
"Around 100 houses were burned and several people were also injured."
Misal said long-standing animosity between the neighbouring communities over the lake's ownership had already cost dozens of lives.
He said the government had banned fishing around the lake after unsuccessful attempts at reconciliation by state authorities and the police. "However some miscreants flouted the ban ... leading to the clashes," Misal said.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the clashes in a statement late on Tuesday, expressing sadness at "the resort to violence over disagreements that could be resolved through dialogue".
"These frequent incidents of ethnic and communal violence is a failure of community leadership and the refusal to embrace dialogue as a means of conflict resolution," Buhari said
Communal clashes over land and water rights are common in parts of Nigeria, especially between nomadic herders and farmers in the centre of the country.
Al Jazeera
The violence broke out on Monday between the Shomo and Jole ethnic groups in Lau district.
"Nineteen people were confirmed dead," state police spokesman David Misal told AFP news agency on Wednesday.
"Around 100 houses were burned and several people were also injured."
Misal said long-standing animosity between the neighbouring communities over the lake's ownership had already cost dozens of lives.
He said the government had banned fishing around the lake after unsuccessful attempts at reconciliation by state authorities and the police. "However some miscreants flouted the ban ... leading to the clashes," Misal said.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the clashes in a statement late on Tuesday, expressing sadness at "the resort to violence over disagreements that could be resolved through dialogue".
"These frequent incidents of ethnic and communal violence is a failure of community leadership and the refusal to embrace dialogue as a means of conflict resolution," Buhari said
Communal clashes over land and water rights are common in parts of Nigeria, especially between nomadic herders and farmers in the centre of the country.
Al Jazeera
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
'Unacceptable' - Nigeria condemns treatment of citizens in China
Nigeria has condemned the "extremely distressing" and "unacceptable" footage appearing to show its citizens in China maltreated because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zhou Pingjian in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, Nigeria's Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said: "There were videos circulating on social media of very disturbing scenes and incidents involving Nigerians in the city of Guangzhou."
Onyeama said it appeared that Nigerians were being discriminated against at hotels and restaurants and being stigmatised as supposed carriers of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"We saw images of Nigerians in the streets with their possessions and this was, of course, extremely distressing for us at home," he said.
He said the situation was "unacceptable" to the Nigerian government and its people, and needed "immediate action" from the Chinese authorities.
The Chinese ambassador said Beijing was taking the issues the minister raised "very seriously" and said China would continue to foster cordial ties with Nigeria.
The conversation followed accusations of discrimination in the southern city of Guangzhou linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Having brought under control the original outbreak centred on the city of Wuhan, Beijing is now concerned about imported cases and is stepping up scrutiny of foreigners coming into the country and tightening border controls.
And while Beijing has denied discrimination, Africans in China say they have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines and mass coronavirus testing.
Earlier on Tuesday, US fast-food chain McDonald's apologised for a sign in one of its restaurants in Guangzhou telling black people they were banned from entering.
On Saturday, the African Union expressed "extreme concern" about the situation in Guangzhou and called on the Chinese government to take immediate corrective measures.
Al Jazeera
In a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zhou Pingjian in his office in Abuja on Tuesday, Nigeria's Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said: "There were videos circulating on social media of very disturbing scenes and incidents involving Nigerians in the city of Guangzhou."
Onyeama said it appeared that Nigerians were being discriminated against at hotels and restaurants and being stigmatised as supposed carriers of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
"We saw images of Nigerians in the streets with their possessions and this was, of course, extremely distressing for us at home," he said.
He said the situation was "unacceptable" to the Nigerian government and its people, and needed "immediate action" from the Chinese authorities.
The Chinese ambassador said Beijing was taking the issues the minister raised "very seriously" and said China would continue to foster cordial ties with Nigeria.
The conversation followed accusations of discrimination in the southern city of Guangzhou linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Having brought under control the original outbreak centred on the city of Wuhan, Beijing is now concerned about imported cases and is stepping up scrutiny of foreigners coming into the country and tightening border controls.
And while Beijing has denied discrimination, Africans in China say they have become targets of suspicion and subjected to forced evictions, arbitrary quarantines and mass coronavirus testing.
Earlier on Tuesday, US fast-food chain McDonald's apologised for a sign in one of its restaurants in Guangzhou telling black people they were banned from entering.
On Saturday, the African Union expressed "extreme concern" about the situation in Guangzhou and called on the Chinese government to take immediate corrective measures.
Al Jazeera
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Video -Nigeria football supporters hopeful postponements can end soon
It's a tough time for football fans in Nigeria, where the game is the most popular among every other sports. With all sporting activities across the world suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, both fans and players of football in Nigeria say they miss the game a lot. CGTN's Deji Badmus has more.
Nigeria extends coronavirus lockdown in key cities for two weeks
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has announced a 14-day extension to a lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
In a televised address on Monday, Buhari said "it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement" that was set to expire later in the day.
Initial 14-day lockdowns in the three areas began on March 30.
There are currently 323 confirmed cases of the virus in Nigeria, with 71 percent of them registered in Lagos and the capital territory of Abuja. Ten people have died so far.
"It is a matter of life and death," Buhari said of the nation's response. "The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable."
Economic hardship
Nigeria, with 200 million people, is Africa's most populous nation. Some 20 million reside in the megacity of Lagos.
Health experts have raised alarms over the impact of a major coronavirus outbreak, warning that the country's unprepared and underfunded healthcare system could quickly become overwhelmed.
The extension of the lockdown is expected to add to the hardship of millions of Nigerians living hand-to-mouth, often on less than one dollar a day.
Buhari said he was "fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earn a daily wage".
"But despite these realities, we must not change the restrictions," he added.
The government has pledged a series of support measures to ease the financial pain for the most vulnerable, but there have been widespread complaints that not enough is being done for those facing hunger.
"The vast majority of Nigerians depend on daily wages, they have to go out to get money and buy food to put it on the table for their families," Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the capital, Abuja, said.
"For the next two weeks, they are going to stay at home with no work and no chance of getting money."
Meanwhile, police said on Monday that they were bolstering forces in Lagos and Ogun after almost 200 suspects were arrested amid fears of a spike in crime during the lockdown.
Buhari said compliance with the stay-at-home order and other restrictions introduced by state governors across the country had been "generally good".
But he cautioned that "a large proportion of new infections are now occurring in our communities".
Al Jazeera
In a televised address on Monday, Buhari said "it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement" that was set to expire later in the day.
Initial 14-day lockdowns in the three areas began on March 30.
There are currently 323 confirmed cases of the virus in Nigeria, with 71 percent of them registered in Lagos and the capital territory of Abuja. Ten people have died so far.
"It is a matter of life and death," Buhari said of the nation's response. "The repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable."
Economic hardship
Nigeria, with 200 million people, is Africa's most populous nation. Some 20 million reside in the megacity of Lagos.
Health experts have raised alarms over the impact of a major coronavirus outbreak, warning that the country's unprepared and underfunded healthcare system could quickly become overwhelmed.
The extension of the lockdown is expected to add to the hardship of millions of Nigerians living hand-to-mouth, often on less than one dollar a day.
Buhari said he was "fully aware of the great difficulties experienced especially by those who earn a daily wage".
"But despite these realities, we must not change the restrictions," he added.
The government has pledged a series of support measures to ease the financial pain for the most vulnerable, but there have been widespread complaints that not enough is being done for those facing hunger.
"The vast majority of Nigerians depend on daily wages, they have to go out to get money and buy food to put it on the table for their families," Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris, reporting from the capital, Abuja, said.
"For the next two weeks, they are going to stay at home with no work and no chance of getting money."
Meanwhile, police said on Monday that they were bolstering forces in Lagos and Ogun after almost 200 suspects were arrested amid fears of a spike in crime during the lockdown.
Buhari said compliance with the stay-at-home order and other restrictions introduced by state governors across the country had been "generally good".
But he cautioned that "a large proportion of new infections are now occurring in our communities".
Al Jazeera
Friday, April 10, 2020
Nigerians struggle as virus lockdown hits supply chains
At a market on the outskirts of Nigeria’s megacity Lagos, yam trader Olatunji Okesanya is scrambling for produce as measures to halt the coronavirus cut him off from suppliers.
“The restriction in the movement has disrupted supply — the farmers are finding it difficult to get their produce to Lagos,” he told AFP.
“The few who are able are bribing the security agents and this is making the price to rise.”
Authorities in Africa’s most populous nation are battling to stop the spread of a virus that has led to 288 confirmed infections and seven deaths.
Lagos, an economic hub of 20 million, is deep into the second week of a lockdown that has left it a shadow of its usually frenetic self.
The capital Abuja is also shut down and other states around the country have imposed their own restrictions.
Officials insist that the measures are needed to contain a disease that threatens to wreak havoc on the weak health system.
But farmers, sellers, and consumers complain the fight against the virus has turned Nigeria into a patchwork of roadblocks and regulations that have ruptured business links.
‘Losses are piling up’
Wale Oni has seen the lockdown in Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state hit his fish farm hard.
Travel restrictions have prevented him from feeding his stock properly and blocked customers from picking up their orders.
“Profits are being wiped off and losses are piling up,” he lamented.
“Feed prices and transportation costs have gone up.”
In a sign of how desperate the situation is getting many of the fish have started eating each other.
The coronavirus crisis has already battered Nigeria’s finances.
Africa’s biggest oil producer has seen government revenues gutted by a collapse in crude prices.
The authorities have frozen loan repayments for farmers and small businesses in a bid to ease the pain but many are demanding more action.
Analysts warn there could still be much tougher times ahead as the lockdowns push up costs and upset supply chains.
“As the pandemic looks set to be around for at least the next few months, we believe that consumers should prepare for even more price increases,” said Nigeria’s SBM Intelligence in a note.
“This development would have important implications for the health of the economy and largely determine whether the country’s present anaemic growth track turns into a full downturn.”
Bribes and banks
In theory food supplies should be exempt from most of the restrictions in place against the coronavirus and free to be transported.
But in a country eaten away by corruption, officers at checkpoints have often manipulated the situation to rake in money from bribes.
Other vital supplies like fertilisers fall into a grey zone and there could be a serious knock-on impact if these do not get through for the upcoming planting season.
“Our members have been arrested in some states while trying to deliver their products to farmers,” Kabiru Fara of the Nigerian Agro-Inputs Dealers Association told AFP.
Importers are also facing major hurdles that have seen the volumes of goods coming into Lagos through its clogged port dwindle.
“The banks are in fact closed and though theoretically it is possible to pay customs duties online, not all importers are able to do so,” said one employee at a major importer.
“As a result volume of deliveries of cargo are probably down 50 percent.”
‘We are getting hungry’
Securing their supplies is just one of the headaches for vendors.
In the ramshackle Obalende market on Lagos Island stallholders said that just as their costs were rising so customer numbers were falling.
The lockdown means that millions of poor in the city are struggling to make ends meet and do not have spare cash to spend.
“The price of transport has increased, so everything increases,” said Basseg Kate, sitting in front of her stores of rice, tomato paste and eggs.
“But we are making small prices for customers because they don’t have money.”
The authorities have restricted markets to working every other day, meaning produce can spoil.
“Everything is rotting,” said Ma Victor, waving flies away from her wares.
“Yesterday I wasn’t allowed to sell, now all my tomatoes are spoilt.”
Ernest Crusoe, a civil servant, was out looking for food — but he barely had any money left to buy it.
“We eat once a day now, the rest of the time we go and rest,” he said, showing the few small banknotes he had to spend.
“This thing is affecting us. We are getting hungry.”
The Guardian
“The restriction in the movement has disrupted supply — the farmers are finding it difficult to get their produce to Lagos,” he told AFP.
“The few who are able are bribing the security agents and this is making the price to rise.”
Authorities in Africa’s most populous nation are battling to stop the spread of a virus that has led to 288 confirmed infections and seven deaths.
Lagos, an economic hub of 20 million, is deep into the second week of a lockdown that has left it a shadow of its usually frenetic self.
The capital Abuja is also shut down and other states around the country have imposed their own restrictions.
Officials insist that the measures are needed to contain a disease that threatens to wreak havoc on the weak health system.
But farmers, sellers, and consumers complain the fight against the virus has turned Nigeria into a patchwork of roadblocks and regulations that have ruptured business links.
‘Losses are piling up’
Wale Oni has seen the lockdown in Lagos and neighbouring Ogun state hit his fish farm hard.
Travel restrictions have prevented him from feeding his stock properly and blocked customers from picking up their orders.
“Profits are being wiped off and losses are piling up,” he lamented.
“Feed prices and transportation costs have gone up.”
In a sign of how desperate the situation is getting many of the fish have started eating each other.
The coronavirus crisis has already battered Nigeria’s finances.
Africa’s biggest oil producer has seen government revenues gutted by a collapse in crude prices.
The authorities have frozen loan repayments for farmers and small businesses in a bid to ease the pain but many are demanding more action.
Analysts warn there could still be much tougher times ahead as the lockdowns push up costs and upset supply chains.
“As the pandemic looks set to be around for at least the next few months, we believe that consumers should prepare for even more price increases,” said Nigeria’s SBM Intelligence in a note.
“This development would have important implications for the health of the economy and largely determine whether the country’s present anaemic growth track turns into a full downturn.”
Bribes and banks
In theory food supplies should be exempt from most of the restrictions in place against the coronavirus and free to be transported.
But in a country eaten away by corruption, officers at checkpoints have often manipulated the situation to rake in money from bribes.
Other vital supplies like fertilisers fall into a grey zone and there could be a serious knock-on impact if these do not get through for the upcoming planting season.
“Our members have been arrested in some states while trying to deliver their products to farmers,” Kabiru Fara of the Nigerian Agro-Inputs Dealers Association told AFP.
Importers are also facing major hurdles that have seen the volumes of goods coming into Lagos through its clogged port dwindle.
“The banks are in fact closed and though theoretically it is possible to pay customs duties online, not all importers are able to do so,” said one employee at a major importer.
“As a result volume of deliveries of cargo are probably down 50 percent.”
‘We are getting hungry’
Securing their supplies is just one of the headaches for vendors.
In the ramshackle Obalende market on Lagos Island stallholders said that just as their costs were rising so customer numbers were falling.
The lockdown means that millions of poor in the city are struggling to make ends meet and do not have spare cash to spend.
“The price of transport has increased, so everything increases,” said Basseg Kate, sitting in front of her stores of rice, tomato paste and eggs.
“But we are making small prices for customers because they don’t have money.”
The authorities have restricted markets to working every other day, meaning produce can spoil.
“Everything is rotting,” said Ma Victor, waving flies away from her wares.
“Yesterday I wasn’t allowed to sell, now all my tomatoes are spoilt.”
Ernest Crusoe, a civil servant, was out looking for food — but he barely had any money left to buy it.
“We eat once a day now, the rest of the time we go and rest,” he said, showing the few small banknotes he had to spend.
“This thing is affecting us. We are getting hungry.”
The Guardian
Nigeria Ending Fuel Subsidies With Oil at Record-Low Prices
Nigeria is ending decades of subsidies paid to ensure uniform gasoline prices in Africa’s biggest oil producer with crude prices at historical lows, the state-owned energy company said.
Official gasoline prices have been cut twice in as many weeks, a move the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. said was intended to bring them in line with the current market situation. Nigeria relies on fuel imports to meet its domestic needs with four ill-maintained state refineries barely functional.
“What we are putting in place today is a situation where market forces will take control of prices and eliminate subsidy,” Mele Kyari, group managing director of the company also known as NNPC said in a Twitter post. Savings from the measure would be spent to build infrastructure, boost health care and education, he said.
Crude prices are down about 40% from the budget peg of $57 per barrel as the collapse of demand due to the coronavirus pandemic and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia pushed crude prices to record lows. Brent crude, which compares with Nigerian export grades, traded at $33.65 per barrel as of 17:05 p.m, in London, after trading under $30 in the previous two weeks.
By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo
Bloomberg
Official gasoline prices have been cut twice in as many weeks, a move the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. said was intended to bring them in line with the current market situation. Nigeria relies on fuel imports to meet its domestic needs with four ill-maintained state refineries barely functional.
“What we are putting in place today is a situation where market forces will take control of prices and eliminate subsidy,” Mele Kyari, group managing director of the company also known as NNPC said in a Twitter post. Savings from the measure would be spent to build infrastructure, boost health care and education, he said.
Crude prices are down about 40% from the budget peg of $57 per barrel as the collapse of demand due to the coronavirus pandemic and a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia pushed crude prices to record lows. Brent crude, which compares with Nigerian export grades, traded at $33.65 per barrel as of 17:05 p.m, in London, after trading under $30 in the previous two weeks.
By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo
Bloomberg
How the basic Nigerian email scam evolved into sophisticated malware attacks on corporates
Nigerian internet fraudsters, best known for romance scams and infamous business propositions from “Nigerian princes,” are now operating with a lot more sophistication.
Last August, a major bust by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) offered some insight into the growing scale and capabilities of Nigerian online fraudsters. Federal agents arrested 14 fraudsters operating within the US as part of a prolific network of scammers and named 66 others in a 252-count federal grand jury indictment. The fraudsters had defrauded victims of up to $10 million in one of the “largest cases of its kind in US history.” In total, the ring had attempted to steal $40 million from victims in 10 countries as well as the US.
A new report by Palo Alto Networks, a California-based cyber-security company which says it has researched Nigerian cyber-crime for five years, tries to show how these fraudsters have become a lot more proficient at scams over the past five years, employing more sophisticated tactics and tools to carry out Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams. It’s a long way from the classic “Yahoo Yahoo boys” scams 15 odd years ago.
While Nigerian actors were previously classed as “emerging” with regard to malware attacks, recent evidence suggests they “have evolved to a point where they are demonstrating signs of maturity consistent with established threat groups in their delivery techniques, malware packaging, and technical abilities,” Palo Alto Networks’ report notes. Last year, the firm’s malware tracking service identified around 27,000 samples of malware associated with Nigerian actors.
The researchers note the “dominant proportionality and sheer enormity” of BEC scam attempts from Nigerian actors. Last year, BEC scam attempts from these fraudsters resulted in an average of 92,739 attacks per month—172% increase from 2018.
Here’s how BEC scams work: fraudsters use hacked email accounts to convince businesses or individuals to make payments that are either bogus or similar to actual payments owed to legitimate companies. As part of the scam, fraudsters also learn about key personnel in companies who are responsible for those payments as well as the protocols necessary to perform wire transfers in various companies. They then target businesses and individuals that regularly perform such wire transfer payments.
Around $1.7 billion in losses were attributed to BEC attacks last year, more than losses to romance scams, phishing, identity theft, credit card fraud and ransomware, according to the annual report of the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The antics of these fraudsters have come at a wider cost for most Nigerians, as students, business people and tourists are often subject to extra scrutiny from international payment platforms, potential business partners and embassies for visa applications. While successive Nigerian governments have made significant efforts to curb international online fraud from the source at home by awarding notable powers to its anti-fraud agency, the state of the country’s weak economy and large swathes of educated, unemployed young college graduates means fraud is still seen by some as being worth the risk.
However, while growing sophisticated in their methods, Nigerian online fraudsters still “remain indiscriminate in their targeting” with attacks attempted on small and large businesses, healthcare companies as well US government institutions. However, high-tech companies bore the largest brunt of these efforts recording around 313,000 attacks last year—more than double the number in 2018.
And yet, the digital persona linked with young Nigerians has started to change markedly in recent years given several success stories in the country’s fledgling tech ecosystem over the last decade. Nigerian tech startups, innovating to solve many of the country’s systemic problems—from digital payments to online education—have attracted the most funding across Africa last year from major investors.
Nigerian software developers have also become widely sought afterbeyond the country’s shores, partly prompting a $100 million dollar bet on African development talent by software giant, Microsoft.
But even in Nigeria, local police have often “profiled” young men with laptops as online fraudsters as an excuse for harassment and extortion. This has led to significant protests and crowdfunding legal aid by the burgeoning tech community.
By Yomi Kazeem
Quartz
Last August, a major bust by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) offered some insight into the growing scale and capabilities of Nigerian online fraudsters. Federal agents arrested 14 fraudsters operating within the US as part of a prolific network of scammers and named 66 others in a 252-count federal grand jury indictment. The fraudsters had defrauded victims of up to $10 million in one of the “largest cases of its kind in US history.” In total, the ring had attempted to steal $40 million from victims in 10 countries as well as the US.
A new report by Palo Alto Networks, a California-based cyber-security company which says it has researched Nigerian cyber-crime for five years, tries to show how these fraudsters have become a lot more proficient at scams over the past five years, employing more sophisticated tactics and tools to carry out Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams. It’s a long way from the classic “Yahoo Yahoo boys” scams 15 odd years ago.
While Nigerian actors were previously classed as “emerging” with regard to malware attacks, recent evidence suggests they “have evolved to a point where they are demonstrating signs of maturity consistent with established threat groups in their delivery techniques, malware packaging, and technical abilities,” Palo Alto Networks’ report notes. Last year, the firm’s malware tracking service identified around 27,000 samples of malware associated with Nigerian actors.
The researchers note the “dominant proportionality and sheer enormity” of BEC scam attempts from Nigerian actors. Last year, BEC scam attempts from these fraudsters resulted in an average of 92,739 attacks per month—172% increase from 2018.
Here’s how BEC scams work: fraudsters use hacked email accounts to convince businesses or individuals to make payments that are either bogus or similar to actual payments owed to legitimate companies. As part of the scam, fraudsters also learn about key personnel in companies who are responsible for those payments as well as the protocols necessary to perform wire transfers in various companies. They then target businesses and individuals that regularly perform such wire transfer payments.
Around $1.7 billion in losses were attributed to BEC attacks last year, more than losses to romance scams, phishing, identity theft, credit card fraud and ransomware, according to the annual report of the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The antics of these fraudsters have come at a wider cost for most Nigerians, as students, business people and tourists are often subject to extra scrutiny from international payment platforms, potential business partners and embassies for visa applications. While successive Nigerian governments have made significant efforts to curb international online fraud from the source at home by awarding notable powers to its anti-fraud agency, the state of the country’s weak economy and large swathes of educated, unemployed young college graduates means fraud is still seen by some as being worth the risk.
However, while growing sophisticated in their methods, Nigerian online fraudsters still “remain indiscriminate in their targeting” with attacks attempted on small and large businesses, healthcare companies as well US government institutions. However, high-tech companies bore the largest brunt of these efforts recording around 313,000 attacks last year—more than double the number in 2018.
And yet, the digital persona linked with young Nigerians has started to change markedly in recent years given several success stories in the country’s fledgling tech ecosystem over the last decade. Nigerian tech startups, innovating to solve many of the country’s systemic problems—from digital payments to online education—have attracted the most funding across Africa last year from major investors.
Nigerian software developers have also become widely sought afterbeyond the country’s shores, partly prompting a $100 million dollar bet on African development talent by software giant, Microsoft.
But even in Nigeria, local police have often “profiled” young men with laptops as online fraudsters as an excuse for harassment and extortion. This has led to significant protests and crowdfunding legal aid by the burgeoning tech community.
By Yomi Kazeem
Quartz
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Nollywood star arraigned for breaching coronavirus rules
Funke Akindele, a Nollywood film star popularly known as Jenifa, and her husband pleaded guilty in court and were each fined 100,000 naira ($260).
The court also sentenced them to 14 days of community service.
It ruled that the couple "shall visit 10 important public places within Lagos State to educate the public on the consequences of non-compliance with the restriction order."
They were accused of hosting guests at Saturday's bash for her husband in their upscale residence in Lekki.
Other alleged guests at the party, including well-known singer Naira Marley, have been told to report to the police criminal investigation department for questioning, Lagos state police spokesman Bala Elkana said on Monday.
Akindele's actions sparked angry reaction online from her fans after she earlier appeared in advertisements calling on Nigerians to observe social-distancing measures.
The actress issued an apology on her Instagram page on Sunday.
"I am sorry if I have misled you. I appreciate your concerns and I promise to always practice what I preach," she said. "I promise to always support the government in creating more awareness to eradicate this pandemic."
Al Jazeera
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)