Thursday, March 16, 2017
Video - Nigerian businessmen eager for xenophobic tensions to settle
A high level Nigerian delegation is visit South Africa this week to discuss the recent xenophobic attacks. Tensions flared between Nigerian and South African residents in and around Johannesburg in recent weeks. There have been several attempts to quell the violence but Nigerian nationals are still being targeted. Well known South African brands MTN, Shoprite and DSTV run successful businesses in Nigeria. Nigerian run businesses in South Africa are also thriving. However the recent violence has raised concerns around the relationship between the two countries and the businesses run by citizens of the two countries. Sumitra Nydoo caught up with a Nigerian businessman who's been living in South Africa for over 20 years.
EFCC seize large bundles of cash at Kaduna Airport in Nigeria
The cash, in the local naira currency, was found near Kaduna airport's check-in and was still in sealed packs.
An investigation is under way to trace the source of the cash, a spokesman for Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says.
Tackling corruption was a key election pledge for President Muhammadu Buhari.
"Operatives [of the EFCC] intercepted a sum of 49m naira in five large black 150kg... sacks following a tip off," the EFCC said on its website.
It added that investigations are "in top gear" to find the "culprits behind the attempted illegal movement of the cash".
EFCC official Ibrahim Bappah said the cash haul, made up of "crispy naira notes", was discovered on Tuesday when airport security detected a distinctive aroma during a routine screening.
It is not known where the cash were being sent, and the EFCC has said it is looking into whether the money is linked to any crime.
The discovery of the money at the airport fits into a pattern of cash being found by the anti-graft team.
In February the EFCC seized nearly $1.75m in cash at a house belonging to the former boss of the country's giant oil firm.
In another case, a corruption-related probe against the former minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, resulted in a federal high court directing the confiscation of $150m.
Last year, the commission recovered some cash stashed away in a hole dug at the house of ex-air force chief, Marshal Adesola Amosu.
In this case, Nigerians are very keen to know who left the bundles of crispy notes and what they planned to do with the cash.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Video - Nigerian government unveils comprehensive plan to revive economy by 2020
The Nigerian Government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to get the country's economy out of recession and set it on a strong path of growth. Called the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, it is envisaged that by 2020, Nigeria would have made significant progress towards achieving structural economic change with a more diversified and inclusive economy.
Hate Crime Unit to launch in South Africa to defend Nigerians
South Africa says it will launch an "early warning" system with Nigeria to track and deter xenophobic attacks following a surge in violence in the rainbow nation.
South Africa's Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the new monitor would "help prevent violence" against foreigners and their businesses as she met with Geoffrey Onyeama, her Nigerian counterpart on Monday.
Last month, more than 20 shops were targeted in Atteridgeville, 120km west of Pretoria, while in Rosettenville, an area south of the commercial capital Johannesburg, residents attacked at least 12 houses.
In response to the violence, the Nigerian government called for the African Union to step in and stop the "xenophobic attacks", claiming 20 Nigerians were killed in South Africa last year.
South African authorities have declined to confirm the figure, which may have been the result of other criminal activity, not just anti-immigrant violence.
Nkoana-Mashabane told reporters it was untrue that the attacks were specifically "targeting Nigerians", adding that citizens of other countries were also affected.
She said the monitor would meet every three months and would be made up of representatives from both countries including immigration officials, business associations, and civil society groups.
'Mass attacks'
Onyeama said he had received assurances that Nigerians in South Africa would be able to live in peace and called for an end to "mass attacks".
According to the Nigerian Union in South Africa, there are about 800,000 Nigerians in the country, many of them living in Johannesburg.
A protest march against "migrant crime" was held in Pretoria on February 24 and resulted in violent clashes between crowds of young South African men and migrants from elsewhere in Africa, including Nigerians and Somalis.
Attacks against foreigners and foreign-run businesses have erupted regularly in recent years in South Africa, fuelled by the country's high unemployment and poverty levels.
President Jacob Zuma called for calm and restraint, saying that migrants should not be used as a scapegoat for the country's widespread crime problem.
South Africa's Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said the new monitor would "help prevent violence" against foreigners and their businesses as she met with Geoffrey Onyeama, her Nigerian counterpart on Monday.
Last month, more than 20 shops were targeted in Atteridgeville, 120km west of Pretoria, while in Rosettenville, an area south of the commercial capital Johannesburg, residents attacked at least 12 houses.
In response to the violence, the Nigerian government called for the African Union to step in and stop the "xenophobic attacks", claiming 20 Nigerians were killed in South Africa last year.
South African authorities have declined to confirm the figure, which may have been the result of other criminal activity, not just anti-immigrant violence.
Nkoana-Mashabane told reporters it was untrue that the attacks were specifically "targeting Nigerians", adding that citizens of other countries were also affected.
She said the monitor would meet every three months and would be made up of representatives from both countries including immigration officials, business associations, and civil society groups.
'Mass attacks'
Onyeama said he had received assurances that Nigerians in South Africa would be able to live in peace and called for an end to "mass attacks".
According to the Nigerian Union in South Africa, there are about 800,000 Nigerians in the country, many of them living in Johannesburg.
A protest march against "migrant crime" was held in Pretoria on February 24 and resulted in violent clashes between crowds of young South African men and migrants from elsewhere in Africa, including Nigerians and Somalis.
Attacks against foreigners and foreign-run businesses have erupted regularly in recent years in South Africa, fuelled by the country's high unemployment and poverty levels.
President Jacob Zuma called for calm and restraint, saying that migrants should not be used as a scapegoat for the country's widespread crime problem.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Video - Nigerian foreign minister due in South Africa for talks
Nigeria's foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama is due in South Africa Monday. The backdrop is a recent strain on relations triggered by a spate of attacks on foreign nationals, particularly Nigerians. Some South Africans claim foreigners are taking their jobs and promoting crime. The South African government has condemned the violence, but blamed criminal elements, rather than xenophobia.
President Buhari resumes work after sick leave
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to lawmakers informing them that he’s returning to work Monday after more than seven weeks on sick leave in the U.K., presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said on Twitter.
Adesina said Buhari, 74, will be briefed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was acting president during his medical treatment for an undisclosed medical condition. Buhari returned to Nigeria on March 10 and spent the weekend resting. His long absence fueled concern about government paralysis and speculation that he wouldn’t be able to continue in office.
Buhari has been confronting growing opposition in a nation suffering an economic recession amid a slump in the production and prices for oil, its main export, and an Islamist insurgency in the nation’s northeast that he’s failed to quell.
Adesina said Buhari, 74, will be briefed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was acting president during his medical treatment for an undisclosed medical condition. Buhari returned to Nigeria on March 10 and spent the weekend resting. His long absence fueled concern about government paralysis and speculation that he wouldn’t be able to continue in office.
Buhari has been confronting growing opposition in a nation suffering an economic recession amid a slump in the production and prices for oil, its main export, and an Islamist insurgency in the nation’s northeast that he’s failed to quell.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Krispy Kreme to open in Nigeria
“We are thrilled to be expanding into Nigeria, and we are fortunate to be working with an exceptional group,” the Vice President of International at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Michael McGill said.
“The joy of a Krispy Kreme doughnut and coffee is beloved all over the world, and we cannot wait to introduce that joy to the people of Nigeria over the next several years.”
According to Business Week, Quality Foods Africa (QFA) is an African quick service restaurant business focused on providing a dining experience in accordance with top global standards and service quality to Africa’s rapidly growing consumer markets.
“We are delighted to be able to bring the Krispy Kreme brand to Nigeria,” the CEO of QFA, Edmond Sassine said.
“Nigeria is a huge market and we are truly excited about bringing the world’s best doughnuts to one of Africa’s biggest economies.”
This development agreement will make Nigeria the 31st nation with a Krispy Kreme presence worldwide. Nigeria is the second African nation to open Krispy Kreme shops. Krispy Kreme made its African debut in South Africa in 2015.
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation is a global retailer of premium-quality sweet treats, including its signature original glazed doughnut. Headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.A., the company has offered the highest-quality doughnuts and coffee since it was founded in 1937.
Video - Air passengers struggle as Abuja airport closes for repairs
People travelling to Abuja will have to fly to an airport several hours away in the north of the country and then go by bus, accompanied by armed guards to the city.
Video - Nigeria government assures that country will overcome recession by end 2017
The Nigerian government hopes that the economy will be back on the growth path, and out of a recession by December. The Budget Minister, Udoma Udo Udoma, says that policies needed to ensure that happens are being put in place. He emphasized the need for the 2017 budget to be passed quickly so that its implementation can begin. Nigerian legislators are currently debating the proposed spending plans, for this fiscal year.
Video - President Buhari returns to Nigeria after a 2 month medical leave
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived back home. The president is said to have touched down at the new Kaduna international airport early Friday, amid tight security. Buhari has been on medical leave in London for nearly two months. No official pictures of him or his meetings in London had been posted until Thursday.
The presidency released photographs of him meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. The 74 year old originally planned to stay in London for 10 days. He however, extended his stay twice, saying he needed further rest. His absence sparked concerns as rumours about his health continued to swirl. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has been in charge during his absence.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Video - Nigeria to start leasing national airports to private investors
Nigeria government says it would soon start leasing out all its airports to private investor management. The aviation ministry says the concession plan is aimed at modernizing infrastructure and management in Nigeria Airports.
Abuja airport closed for repairs
Nigeria has closed its main airport in the capital, Abuja, for six weeks to allow badly needed repairs to be carried out.
It comes after airlines threatened to stop flying there because of safety concerns over the state of the runway.
From now, those wishing to travel to Abuja are being encouraged to instead fly to the northern city of Kaduna, 190km (120 miles) away.
But all but one international airline has refused to fly there.
Ethiopian Airlines is currently the only company offering international flights to Kaduna, which has been hit recently by a spate of kidnappings.
The government has set up a dedicated Abuja Airport Closure website, where passengers can book free bus tickets for the two-hour journey by road.
"The runway has deteriorated to such an extent that it requires complete reconstruction," the government said.
"This cannot be done at night. Furthermore, the runway has been maintained mostly through closure at night in the past several years, but is has reached a state where that method will not work anymore."
What are people going to do?
All domestic flights are being rerouted to Kaduna, a small regional airport.
The shuttle bus to Abuja will take two hours on a good day, more with traffic. Like most Nigerian roads it is bumpy but the government has undertaken some repairs on it in preparation for the airport commuters.
On the international front however there are not many options.
Most international airlines said they were worried about security. Some also expressed concern that the equipment at Kaduna airport was not of a high enough standard.
Henrietta Yakubu from the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that plans had been put in place to protect passengers and to transfer them in luxury buses.
"The police boss has assured members of the public that for each luxury bus on the highway, there will a police patrol vehicle on the front and behind," she said.
"A police checkpoint will also be set up every one kilometre on the road between Kaduna and Abuja."
Is it safe to fly to Kaduna?
In February two German archaeologists were kidnapped while working on a dig near the Kaduna-Abuja road. That sounded the final death knell on efforts by the Nigerian government to convince international airlines to fly there.
The government has promised extra security on the Abuja-to-Kaduna highway but that will not reassure many passengers or airline bosses.
Even in Lagos and Abuja they hire police escorts for their crew. Southern Kaduna has also been in the news recently over ethnic clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen which may put some passengers off travelling there.
However that conflict is further west in very rural areas and unlikely to spread to the Abuja-Kaduna road.
Could I go to Lagos instead?
The airport in the commercial capital, Lagos, has more international flights than Abuja but it would be a 12-hour drive to Abuja, at the very least. Though it may be safer, the Abuja-to-Lagos road is in terrible disrepair.
Some embassies in Abuja have talked about the possibility of flying to Enugu, a six-hour road trip from Abuja, in case of an emergency.
What will the impact be?
It is hard to tell just what impact the closure will have or how many people will choose not to fly. Nigeria's biggest airline Arik has introduced a reduced schedule.
But flying in Nigeria is incredibly unpredictable anyway, with flights often delayed for hours and then cancelled.
Nigerian air travellers are already extremely resilient and will most likely weather this latest storm just fine.
However, it is also likely to affect Nigeria's postal service, as 40% of the country's international mail is transported through Abuja.
How bad is the Abuja runway?
It is bad. There are two major holes in the runway and several serious cracks and bumps.
In August a South African Airways plane damaged its landing gear when it hit one of the potholes. Although no-one was injured, the plane was out of commission for four days.
Many of the major airlines threatened to stop flying if the runway wasn't fixed.
Why did it get so bad before anything was done?
Successive governments have ignored the problem for more than 15 years. The runway was supposed to be upgraded in 2002 - it was built in 1982 and was only meant to have a 20-year lifespan.
That is because of a cocktail of corruption and incompetence on the part of those in charge. But with gaping potholes now posing a real danger, the problem is impossible to ignore.
It comes after airlines threatened to stop flying there because of safety concerns over the state of the runway.
From now, those wishing to travel to Abuja are being encouraged to instead fly to the northern city of Kaduna, 190km (120 miles) away.
But all but one international airline has refused to fly there.
Ethiopian Airlines is currently the only company offering international flights to Kaduna, which has been hit recently by a spate of kidnappings.
The government has set up a dedicated Abuja Airport Closure website, where passengers can book free bus tickets for the two-hour journey by road.
"The runway has deteriorated to such an extent that it requires complete reconstruction," the government said.
"This cannot be done at night. Furthermore, the runway has been maintained mostly through closure at night in the past several years, but is has reached a state where that method will not work anymore."
What are people going to do?
All domestic flights are being rerouted to Kaduna, a small regional airport.
The shuttle bus to Abuja will take two hours on a good day, more with traffic. Like most Nigerian roads it is bumpy but the government has undertaken some repairs on it in preparation for the airport commuters.
On the international front however there are not many options.
Most international airlines said they were worried about security. Some also expressed concern that the equipment at Kaduna airport was not of a high enough standard.
Henrietta Yakubu from the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that plans had been put in place to protect passengers and to transfer them in luxury buses.
"The police boss has assured members of the public that for each luxury bus on the highway, there will a police patrol vehicle on the front and behind," she said.
"A police checkpoint will also be set up every one kilometre on the road between Kaduna and Abuja."
Is it safe to fly to Kaduna?
In February two German archaeologists were kidnapped while working on a dig near the Kaduna-Abuja road. That sounded the final death knell on efforts by the Nigerian government to convince international airlines to fly there.
The government has promised extra security on the Abuja-to-Kaduna highway but that will not reassure many passengers or airline bosses.
Even in Lagos and Abuja they hire police escorts for their crew. Southern Kaduna has also been in the news recently over ethnic clashes between farmers and Fulani herdsmen which may put some passengers off travelling there.
However that conflict is further west in very rural areas and unlikely to spread to the Abuja-Kaduna road.
Could I go to Lagos instead?
The airport in the commercial capital, Lagos, has more international flights than Abuja but it would be a 12-hour drive to Abuja, at the very least. Though it may be safer, the Abuja-to-Lagos road is in terrible disrepair.
Some embassies in Abuja have talked about the possibility of flying to Enugu, a six-hour road trip from Abuja, in case of an emergency.
What will the impact be?
It is hard to tell just what impact the closure will have or how many people will choose not to fly. Nigeria's biggest airline Arik has introduced a reduced schedule.
But flying in Nigeria is incredibly unpredictable anyway, with flights often delayed for hours and then cancelled.
Nigerian air travellers are already extremely resilient and will most likely weather this latest storm just fine.
However, it is also likely to affect Nigeria's postal service, as 40% of the country's international mail is transported through Abuja.
How bad is the Abuja runway?
It is bad. There are two major holes in the runway and several serious cracks and bumps.
In August a South African Airways plane damaged its landing gear when it hit one of the potholes. Although no-one was injured, the plane was out of commission for four days.
Many of the major airlines threatened to stop flying if the runway wasn't fixed.
Why did it get so bad before anything was done?
Successive governments have ignored the problem for more than 15 years. The runway was supposed to be upgraded in 2002 - it was built in 1982 and was only meant to have a 20-year lifespan.
That is because of a cocktail of corruption and incompetence on the part of those in charge. But with gaping potholes now posing a real danger, the problem is impossible to ignore.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Video - Johannesburg mayor meets Nigerian officials to ease tensions
Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has moved to assure the Nigerian consulate that the city welcomes all Africans. Mashaba met with Nigerian Consul General Godwin Adama to bolster relations. It follows alleged xenophobic comments by the Johannesburg mayor which reportedly led to attacks on foreign nationals.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Video - Nigeria dismisses UN warning about looming famine
The Nigerian government has dismissed the warning from the United Nations that famine is looming. The country's agriculture minister says the UN is exaggerating, and that no one is facing starvation.
Nigeria warns citizens not to travel to USA
The United States are looking less and less welcoming to would-be visitors.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is advising its citizens against traveling to the US, except on urgent trips. The move is in response to reported difficulties that Nigerians have faced gaining entry into the US, despite holding valid visas.
During a business trip on March 2, Nigerian software engineer Celestine Omin was detained despite holding a valid visa. Before granting him entry, officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport forced Omin to answer generic engineering questions to prove his profession.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a presidential aide on foreign affairs and diaspora, appears to blame such incidents on confusion over US president Donald Trump’s recent failed executive order, which banned visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. On March 6, Dabiri-Erewa advised prospective visitors to the US to “consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy.”
“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria.”
“In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.”
Trump’s travel ban was revised and re-issued today, March 6. Neither version mentioned Nigeria.
Nigerians are a major source of visitors to the US. They accounted for 32% of the nearly half million nonimmigrant US visas issued to African nationals in 2015.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is advising its citizens against traveling to the US, except on urgent trips. The move is in response to reported difficulties that Nigerians have faced gaining entry into the US, despite holding valid visas.
During a business trip on March 2, Nigerian software engineer Celestine Omin was detained despite holding a valid visa. Before granting him entry, officials at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport forced Omin to answer generic engineering questions to prove his profession.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a presidential aide on foreign affairs and diaspora, appears to blame such incidents on confusion over US president Donald Trump’s recent failed executive order, which banned visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries. On March 6, Dabiri-Erewa advised prospective visitors to the US to “consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy.”
“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria.”
“In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.”
Trump’s travel ban was revised and re-issued today, March 6. Neither version mentioned Nigeria.
Nigerians are a major source of visitors to the US. They accounted for 32% of the nearly half million nonimmigrant US visas issued to African nationals in 2015.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Video - Abuja Airport to be closed temporarily for runway rehabilitation
It's now a matter of days before a six-week shutdown of the Abuja international airport, to allow for an overhaul of its runway. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam takes a closer look at final preparations to make Kaduna Airport a viable alternative for passengers traveling to Nigeria's capital, Abuja.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Video - Incubating tech and innovation in Kaduna, Nigeria
CoLab is the first tech hub in the northern part of Nigeria where developers and start-ups can work and grow. Located in Kaduna, CoLab's founder wants to explore the opportunities for tech in a state traditionally known for processing, farming, and cattle.
Triple suicide bombing in Nigeria
Three suicide bombers blew themselves up in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, but failed to cause any casualties besides themselves, according to emergency officials.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) tweeted that the three had detonated their devices on Damboa Road—one of the main roads into the city—early Friday morning.
Three petrol bankers were burnt as a result of the bombings, which took place outside a gas station and opposite the regional headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
NEMA spokesman Abdulkadir Ibrahim said that one bomber had exploded next to a stationary tanker filled with fuel, setting two more tankers on fire and killing the other attackers, according to the AP.
Officials blamed the militant group Boko Haram for the attack, without specifying which faction. Boko Haram has been waging an armed insurgency in northeast Nigeria since 2009, aimed at establishing a hardline Islamic caliphate in the region. In 2016, the group split into two factions—one loyal to longtime leader Abubakar Shekau, and the other led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, whom the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) appointed as Boko Haram’s leader in a decision rejected by Shekau.
There have been multiple suicide bombings in the region in recent months, but the incidents have failed to cause the large-scale casualties once common in Boko Haram attacks.
Seven suicide bombers blew themselves up on the outskirts of Maiduguri on February 17, apparently targeting a refugee settlement. Nigerian officials did not report any casualties besides the bombers. Shekau also claimed responsibility for the bombing of a staff mosque and campus gate at the University of Maiduguri in January, which killed a professor and a child as well as the two bombers.
“We are lucky. Today could have been another sad day for us in Maiduguri,” said Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu Friday, according to the AP. Chukwu said he assumed the intended target of the attack was a fuel depot down the road from the site of the explosions.
Offensives by the Nigerian military and a regional joint task force have pressed both factions of Boko Haram back. Shekau’s faction is reportedly confined to the remote Sambisa forest in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, while Barnawi’s is reportedly operating out of the Lake Chad Basin area.
A recent report to the U.N. Security Council claimed that both factions are running out of money and are unable to pay fighters’ salaries, and that many attacks perpetrated by the militants were aimed at stealing provisions. Depleted resources have resulted in defections from Boko Haram factions, according to the report.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) tweeted that the three had detonated their devices on Damboa Road—one of the main roads into the city—early Friday morning.
Three petrol bankers were burnt as a result of the bombings, which took place outside a gas station and opposite the regional headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
NEMA spokesman Abdulkadir Ibrahim said that one bomber had exploded next to a stationary tanker filled with fuel, setting two more tankers on fire and killing the other attackers, according to the AP.
Officials blamed the militant group Boko Haram for the attack, without specifying which faction. Boko Haram has been waging an armed insurgency in northeast Nigeria since 2009, aimed at establishing a hardline Islamic caliphate in the region. In 2016, the group split into two factions—one loyal to longtime leader Abubakar Shekau, and the other led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, whom the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) appointed as Boko Haram’s leader in a decision rejected by Shekau.
There have been multiple suicide bombings in the region in recent months, but the incidents have failed to cause the large-scale casualties once common in Boko Haram attacks.
Seven suicide bombers blew themselves up on the outskirts of Maiduguri on February 17, apparently targeting a refugee settlement. Nigerian officials did not report any casualties besides the bombers. Shekau also claimed responsibility for the bombing of a staff mosque and campus gate at the University of Maiduguri in January, which killed a professor and a child as well as the two bombers.
“We are lucky. Today could have been another sad day for us in Maiduguri,” said Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu Friday, according to the AP. Chukwu said he assumed the intended target of the attack was a fuel depot down the road from the site of the explosions.
Offensives by the Nigerian military and a regional joint task force have pressed both factions of Boko Haram back. Shekau’s faction is reportedly confined to the remote Sambisa forest in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, while Barnawi’s is reportedly operating out of the Lake Chad Basin area.
A recent report to the U.N. Security Council claimed that both factions are running out of money and are unable to pay fighters’ salaries, and that many attacks perpetrated by the militants were aimed at stealing provisions. Depleted resources have resulted in defections from Boko Haram factions, according to the report.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Video - Should Nigeria's president resign?
President Muhammadu Buhari flew to London in mid-January to be treated for an undisclosed medical condition.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is temporarily leading the country.
But opposition leaders say Buhari has been out of the country for too long and he should resign.
So what will this mean for Nigeria and the region?
Video - Discussion on underage marriage and polygamy ongoing in Nigeria
In Nigeria, a senior Muslim cleric and former central bank governor has suggested Islamic marriage reforms. Muhammadu Sanusi has announced that men shouldn't take more than one wife if they can't afford to look after multiple spouses. His controversial comments come amid an ongoing debate on polygamy in Nigeria. Sophia Adengo has this story.
Nigerian engineer forced to take written test at New York airport
A Nigerian software engineer claims he was handed a written test by a US border officer at New York's JFK airport to prove his tech credentials, and Filipinos on social media criticise a proposed death penalty bill.
A software engineer from Lagos, Nigeria, is claiming that he was made to sit a written test by US airport immigration officers because they weren't convinced he was telling the truth about his skills.
According to social networking site LinkedIn, Celestine Omin, 28, landed in New York's JFK airport last Sunday after a 24-hour flight from Nigeria.
Mr Omin is employed by Andela, a tech start-up with offices in New York, Lagos, Nairobi and San Francisco.
The firm says it recruits "the most talented developers on the African continent" and connects them with tech employers in the US for potential job vacancies. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg visited Andela's office in Lagos last year.
Mr Omin had reportedly been granted a short-term visa to work with First Access, a financial technology company in New York's Manhattan district.
After being asked a series of questions by a US Customs and Border Protection officer, he was taken into a room for further checks.
"Your visa says you are a software engineer. Is that correct?" an officer is reported to have asked Mr Omin.
He says he was then given a piece of paper and a pen and told to answer these two questions to prove he is actually a software engineer:
"Write a function to check if a Binary Search Tree is balanced."
"What is an abstract class, and why do you need it?"
Mr Omin told LinkedIn it seemed to him the questions had been "Googled" by "someone with no technical background".
He said later on Twitter that he was "too tired to even think", and told the officer they could "talk about other computer science concepts".
After he handed back his answers, he was told by the officer that they were wrong. He said he presumed he was required to provide "the Wikipedia definition" for the questions.
However, he was even more surprised a little later when the officer told him he was "free to go".
"Look, I am going to let you go, but you don't look convincing to me," said the officer, according to Mr Omin.
"I didn't say anything back. I just walked out."
He later found out that border protection officers had phoned Andela to verify his story.
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told the BBC: "US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers strive to treat all people arriving in the country with dignity and respect.
"While we are not at liberty to discuss individual cases due to the Privacy Act, our CBP officers enforce not only immigration and customs laws, but also more than 400 laws for 40 other agencies and have stopped thousands of violators of US law."
Nigeria is not one of the seven countries included in US President Donald Trump's temporary immigration pause. However, the African country has been struggling with the threat of terrorism in recent times, in particular from the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
Mr Trump has repeatedly called for "strong borders" and "extreme vetting" since taking office on 20 January.
A software engineer from Lagos, Nigeria, is claiming that he was made to sit a written test by US airport immigration officers because they weren't convinced he was telling the truth about his skills.
According to social networking site LinkedIn, Celestine Omin, 28, landed in New York's JFK airport last Sunday after a 24-hour flight from Nigeria.
Mr Omin is employed by Andela, a tech start-up with offices in New York, Lagos, Nairobi and San Francisco.
The firm says it recruits "the most talented developers on the African continent" and connects them with tech employers in the US for potential job vacancies. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg visited Andela's office in Lagos last year.
Mr Omin had reportedly been granted a short-term visa to work with First Access, a financial technology company in New York's Manhattan district.
After being asked a series of questions by a US Customs and Border Protection officer, he was taken into a room for further checks.
"Your visa says you are a software engineer. Is that correct?" an officer is reported to have asked Mr Omin.
He says he was then given a piece of paper and a pen and told to answer these two questions to prove he is actually a software engineer:
"Write a function to check if a Binary Search Tree is balanced."
"What is an abstract class, and why do you need it?"
Mr Omin told LinkedIn it seemed to him the questions had been "Googled" by "someone with no technical background".
He said later on Twitter that he was "too tired to even think", and told the officer they could "talk about other computer science concepts".
After he handed back his answers, he was told by the officer that they were wrong. He said he presumed he was required to provide "the Wikipedia definition" for the questions.
However, he was even more surprised a little later when the officer told him he was "free to go".
"Look, I am going to let you go, but you don't look convincing to me," said the officer, according to Mr Omin.
"I didn't say anything back. I just walked out."
He later found out that border protection officers had phoned Andela to verify his story.
A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told the BBC: "US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers strive to treat all people arriving in the country with dignity and respect.
"While we are not at liberty to discuss individual cases due to the Privacy Act, our CBP officers enforce not only immigration and customs laws, but also more than 400 laws for 40 other agencies and have stopped thousands of violators of US law."
Nigeria is not one of the seven countries included in US President Donald Trump's temporary immigration pause. However, the African country has been struggling with the threat of terrorism in recent times, in particular from the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
Mr Trump has repeatedly called for "strong borders" and "extreme vetting" since taking office on 20 January.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Video - Former Nigerian leader Obasanjo condemns South Africans attacking Nigerians
Nigerians have been condemning the violence against foreigners in South Africa. Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has added his voice to the criticism. CGTN's Deji Badmus sat down with the former leader, and filed this report.
97 Nigerians deported from South Africa
While the Nigerian government criticises South Africa’s handling of recent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, the South African Government has deported 97 Nigerians for committing various offences in the country.
The property of several Nigerians and other sub-Saharan Africans have been destroyed across South Africa in xenophobic attacks that have been condemned by various governments.
While asking its citizens to stop the attacks, the South African government has also blamed illegal immigrants from Nigeria and other countries, as well immigrants who commit crime for the attacks. The government has thus decided to clamp down on such immigrants.
The 97 deported Nigerians landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday night in a chartered aircraft with the registration number GBB710 from Johannesburg.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that they were made up of 95 males and two females.
Joseph Alabi, the spokesperson of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development.
An immigration source told NAN on condition of anonymity that six of the deportees were returned to the country for drug offences while 10 were arrested and deported for other criminal offences .
The others were said to have committed immigration offences in the Southern African country.
All the deportees were profiled by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) while those deported for drug related offences were handed over to the Police for further investigation.
The Federal Government had also on Monday evacuated 41 Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Mali for sex and labour exploitation.
Six of the suspected human traffickers were also apprehended and brought back to the country for prosecution.
The property of several Nigerians and other sub-Saharan Africans have been destroyed across South Africa in xenophobic attacks that have been condemned by various governments.
While asking its citizens to stop the attacks, the South African government has also blamed illegal immigrants from Nigeria and other countries, as well immigrants who commit crime for the attacks. The government has thus decided to clamp down on such immigrants.
The 97 deported Nigerians landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday night in a chartered aircraft with the registration number GBB710 from Johannesburg.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that they were made up of 95 males and two females.
Joseph Alabi, the spokesperson of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development.
An immigration source told NAN on condition of anonymity that six of the deportees were returned to the country for drug offences while 10 were arrested and deported for other criminal offences .
The others were said to have committed immigration offences in the Southern African country.
All the deportees were profiled by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) while those deported for drug related offences were handed over to the Police for further investigation.
The Federal Government had also on Monday evacuated 41 Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Mali for sex and labour exploitation.
Six of the suspected human traffickers were also apprehended and brought back to the country for prosecution.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Video - Nigeria rescues 41 girls being trafficked through Mali to Europe
Authorities in Nigeria have rescued 41 girls from human trafficking. They were being smuggled through Mali to Europe. The teenagers returned to Nigeria on Monday night. Authorities say they were rescued after the Nigerian Embassy in Bamako received distress calls. Nigeria has a long history of human trafficking. Hundreds of girls are smuggled into Europe every year. Authorities say the alleged traffickers in this case have been arrested.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Video - Nigerian students say they will expel South Africans
But those talks with African Ambassadors have done little to assuage angry Nigerians. The National Association of Nigerian Students say they will begin expelling South African nationals and business from Nigeria on Tuesday.
Kidnapped German archaeologists rescued in Nigeria
Nigerian security forces have freed two German archaeologists kidnapped by gunmen at a remote dig site.
The two academics were at the German embassy in Abuja on Sunday, and were doing well considering the circumstances, according to the German foreign ministry.
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the governor of northern Kaduna state, commended the security agencies for their efforts in securing the release of the Germans, a statement said. It did not say whether anyone had been arrested for the kidnapping.
Gunmen had been demanding a ransom of 60 million naira (about £150,000) for the release of Prof Peter Breunig, and his assistant, Johannes Behringer, who were abducted at gunpoint on Wednesday and walked into the bush from an archaeological dig near Janjala village in Kaduna state. Two villagers who tried to help the Germans were shot and killed by the kidnappers, the police said.
Breunig, 65, and Behringer, in his 20s, are part of a four-person team from Frankfurt’s Goethe University. The other two members, women, were not touched by the kidnappers. The Germans were collaborating with Nigeria’s national commission for museum and monuments to recover relics of the Nok culture. The early iron age people, considered the earliest ancient civilisation of the west African region that is now Nigeria, are famous for their terracotta sculptures.
Kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria, with ordinary residents and even schoolchildren targeted as well as foreigners. Victims are usually released unharmed after a ransom is paid.
The two academics were at the German embassy in Abuja on Sunday, and were doing well considering the circumstances, according to the German foreign ministry.
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the governor of northern Kaduna state, commended the security agencies for their efforts in securing the release of the Germans, a statement said. It did not say whether anyone had been arrested for the kidnapping.
Gunmen had been demanding a ransom of 60 million naira (about £150,000) for the release of Prof Peter Breunig, and his assistant, Johannes Behringer, who were abducted at gunpoint on Wednesday and walked into the bush from an archaeological dig near Janjala village in Kaduna state. Two villagers who tried to help the Germans were shot and killed by the kidnappers, the police said.
Breunig, 65, and Behringer, in his 20s, are part of a four-person team from Frankfurt’s Goethe University. The other two members, women, were not touched by the kidnappers. The Germans were collaborating with Nigeria’s national commission for museum and monuments to recover relics of the Nok culture. The early iron age people, considered the earliest ancient civilisation of the west African region that is now Nigeria, are famous for their terracotta sculptures.
Kidnappings for ransom are common in Nigeria, with ordinary residents and even schoolchildren targeted as well as foreigners. Victims are usually released unharmed after a ransom is paid.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Video - U.S. praises Nigeria's progress, pledges ongoing security support
In an effort to crush Boko Haram, the United States has pledged to continue to provide security assistance to the West African country. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of the U.S Africa Command, AFRICOM, says enormous progress has been made in the fight against the insurgency. He had been speaking at a ceremony at the National Defence College in Abuja. Waldhauserof says America will continue to offer advice and assistance to Nigeria. Over the past two years, Nigerian and regional security forces from Cameroon, Chad, and Niger have made gains in pushing Boko Haram out of the towns and villages in the north-eastern parts of the country and the broader Lake Chad Basin region. The U.S. has praised Nigeria for this progress.
Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa prompts backlash
A series of xenophobic attacks on foreigners in South Africa have provoked an angry response in Nigeria, where protesters ransacked the offices of a South African telecoms giant Thursday.
A spokesman for South African mobile phone firm MTN said that protesters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja had “vandalized equipment, stole customer phones and iPads” and attacked MTN customers at the firm’s customer care center, Reuters reported. The MTN spokesman said that the protesters were motivated by the xenophobic violence in South Africa.
Over the past week, residential buildings occupied by African immigrants, including Nigerians, and Nigerian-owned businesses in the South African capital Pretoria have been attacked and looted by demonstrators, who accuse foreigners of taking local jobs. Protesters also burnt buildings alleged to be brothels or drug dens in a Johannesburg suburb earlier in February; the buildings were reportedly owned by Nigerians.
Nigeria and South Africa, the continent’s two largest economies, have endured rocky relations before. Xenophobic violence flares up periodically in South Africa, and Nigeria recalled its ambassador to the country in 2015 after seven people were killed in a spate of anti-immigrant attacks in Johannesburg and Durban.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Wednesday that the government had summoned South Africa’s high commissioner in the West African country to discuss the response to the attacks.
In a statement to South Africa’s parliament Thursday, the country’s interior minister, Malusi Gigaba, said that local businesses were inflaming anti-immigrant sentiment by disrespecting local employment laws. South African labor law requires that 60 percent of a company’s employees be either South African citizens or permanent residents of the country.
“[Businesses] should not fuel tensions playing locals against foreigners but should be on the side of the law,” Gigaba said. The interior minister added that more than 33,000 people were deported from South Africa during the last financial year and urged South Africans to desist from xenophobic violence.
Tensions remain high in parts of the country, however. A citizen group calling itself the Mamelodi Concerned Residents has organized an anti-immigrant march in Pretoria Friday, according to South African newspaper The Citizen. The group’s spokesman, Makgoka Lekganyane, said they were tired of jobs going to Nigerians, Pakistanis and Zimbabweans, among other foreign nationals, ahead of South Africans. Police have reportedly denied an application for the protest to go ahead, according to South Africa’s Eyewitness News.
South Africa’s unemployment rate remains high at around 26 percent and the country recorded slow economic growth of 0.2 percent in the last quarter.
Unemployment is often linked to outbreaks of xenophobic violence in South Africa. According to the 2011 census, 2.1 million foreign nationals were living in South Africa, while the U.N. Refugee Agency estimated in 2015 that a further 600,000 asylum seekers and refugees were also living in the country, according to fact-checking site Africa Check.
A spokesman for South African mobile phone firm MTN said that protesters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja had “vandalized equipment, stole customer phones and iPads” and attacked MTN customers at the firm’s customer care center, Reuters reported. The MTN spokesman said that the protesters were motivated by the xenophobic violence in South Africa.
Over the past week, residential buildings occupied by African immigrants, including Nigerians, and Nigerian-owned businesses in the South African capital Pretoria have been attacked and looted by demonstrators, who accuse foreigners of taking local jobs. Protesters also burnt buildings alleged to be brothels or drug dens in a Johannesburg suburb earlier in February; the buildings were reportedly owned by Nigerians.
Nigeria and South Africa, the continent’s two largest economies, have endured rocky relations before. Xenophobic violence flares up periodically in South Africa, and Nigeria recalled its ambassador to the country in 2015 after seven people were killed in a spate of anti-immigrant attacks in Johannesburg and Durban.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said Wednesday that the government had summoned South Africa’s high commissioner in the West African country to discuss the response to the attacks.
In a statement to South Africa’s parliament Thursday, the country’s interior minister, Malusi Gigaba, said that local businesses were inflaming anti-immigrant sentiment by disrespecting local employment laws. South African labor law requires that 60 percent of a company’s employees be either South African citizens or permanent residents of the country.
“[Businesses] should not fuel tensions playing locals against foreigners but should be on the side of the law,” Gigaba said. The interior minister added that more than 33,000 people were deported from South Africa during the last financial year and urged South Africans to desist from xenophobic violence.
Tensions remain high in parts of the country, however. A citizen group calling itself the Mamelodi Concerned Residents has organized an anti-immigrant march in Pretoria Friday, according to South African newspaper The Citizen. The group’s spokesman, Makgoka Lekganyane, said they were tired of jobs going to Nigerians, Pakistanis and Zimbabweans, among other foreign nationals, ahead of South Africans. Police have reportedly denied an application for the protest to go ahead, according to South Africa’s Eyewitness News.
South Africa’s unemployment rate remains high at around 26 percent and the country recorded slow economic growth of 0.2 percent in the last quarter.
Unemployment is often linked to outbreaks of xenophobic violence in South Africa. According to the 2011 census, 2.1 million foreign nationals were living in South Africa, while the U.N. Refugee Agency estimated in 2015 that a further 600,000 asylum seekers and refugees were also living in the country, according to fact-checking site Africa Check.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Video - Nigerian government urges AU to intervene after spate of attacks its citizens in South Africa
Nigeria's government is calling on the African Union to urgently intervene in the xenophobic attacks in South Africa. President Muhammadu Buhari's foreign affairs advisor maintains South African authorities aren't in control of the situation. Kelechi Emekalam has this report from Nigeria.
Video - AMCON stops several big companies from collapsing
In Nigeria, several companies ranging from banks to airlines have been saved from total collapse by the state-owned Assets Management Company -- AMCON. The latest firm AMCON has taken over is the heavily indebted Arik Air. The average life span of a Nigerian company is estimated at 10 years before they fold -- mostly due to poor management. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam spoke to AMCON about its role in supporting Nigerian businesses at a time when the economy continues to struggle.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Video - Nigeria Central Bank to sell off $500 million to improve dollar liquidity
Nigeria's central bank will sell $500 million to help improve dollar liquidity a day after the bank effectively devalued the naira for retail currency sales. Nigeria has been running short of dollars as its oil revenues have fallen along with the price of crude. That has driven the naira to a low of 520 to the dollar on the black market, far weaker than the official inter-bank rate of 305.
Video - Nigerian Football Federation endorses Ahmad Ahmad
The Nigerian Football Federation has joined the Southern African federations in endorsing Madagascar's Ahmad Ahmad for the post of CAF President in next month's elections. African football will hold elections in Addis Ababa, with incumbent Issa Hayatou vying for an eighth term.
Vice President of Nigeria launches 60-day plan to improve business climate in Nigeria
Feb 21 Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has launched a 60-day action plan to improve the business climate in Africa's biggest economy struggling with recession, his office said on Tuesday.
"There are improvements which we expect to see at our ports. Improvements at our airports, improvements at the seaports, improvements in immigration visas," Osinbajo said in a statement.
Last month, President Muhammadu Buhari put Osinbajo in charge while he is on sick leave in Britain.
"There are improvements which we expect to see at our ports. Improvements at our airports, improvements at the seaports, improvements in immigration visas," Osinbajo said in a statement.
Last month, President Muhammadu Buhari put Osinbajo in charge while he is on sick leave in Britain.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Video - Thousands of Nigerians homeless after massive blaze
In Nigeria, thousands of residents of a slum in Lagos are counting their losses after a fire swept through the area on Sunday. Although many homes have been burnt to the ground, no casualties have been reported yet.
Nigeria lost $100bn to Niger Delta militants
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has clarified the $50-$100 billion said to have been lost to the attacks of oil and gas infrastructure by the Niger Delta militants.
In his recent monthly podcast, the minister was quoted by some media reports (not THISDAY) as saying that Nigeria lost $50-$100 billion in oil revenue at the peak of the militant attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta, which slashed oil production from 2.2 million barrels per day to one million barrels per day last year.
But in a statement yesterday, the Technical Assistant (Media) to the minister, Uche Ozurumba Adighibe, made a clarification on the $50 – $100 billion unearned income lost to militancy, which was mentioned by the minister.
Adighibe, who quoted the minister as having said in the podcast that “as at 2016 on the average and looking at it historically that we (Nigeria) was losing $50 – $100 billion as result of the disruption,” said the amount covers a period of 10 years and not 2016 only.
On the amount lost in 2016, Adighibe pointed out that the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry lost over $7 billion to militancy from January to October 2016.
“Please note the word ‘historically’. Over the last decade spanning through various administrations, the oil industry in Nigeria has suffered critical disruptions to operations resulting in the unearned incomes amounting to $50 – $100 billion due to militancy activities and vandalism. This can be verified through the records provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) during the 2016 Fiscal Liquidity Assessment Committee Retreat which showed that the industry lost over $7 billion due to activities of militancy groups and oil pipeline vandals from January 2016 –October 2016,” Adighibe further clarified.
The minister’s technical assistant added that the amount mentioned as unearned income due to militancy activities as stated in the podcast covers the entire industry which includes the international oil companies (IOCs), independent producers as well the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
To tackle the scourge the minister, who spoke on “Oil Sector Militancy Challenges…Roadmap to Closure,”also unveiled a 20-point agenda aimed at instituting permanent peace in the oil-producing region.
According to him, the Niger Delta crisis, coupled with the 45 per cent drop in oil production, worsened the financial challenges of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Kachikwu said the crisis resulted in attacks on oil and gas facilities and the sub-optimal performance of the refineries, stressing that Nigeria was unable to meet its international obligations as a result of the militancy.
He said despite all efforts made by successive administrations to tackle the militancy in the Niger Delta, a permanent solution was never found.
The minister also stated that the present administration has also made efforts to end the crisis by launching a seven-point roadmap, engaging the oil-producing communities and sustaining the Amnesty Programme for the repentant militants.
Kachikwu added that President Buhari’s efforts to sustain the programme were being hampered by declining oil revenue, as the present administration only gets 55 per cent of the revenue that was available to previous administrations.
In his recent monthly podcast, the minister was quoted by some media reports (not THISDAY) as saying that Nigeria lost $50-$100 billion in oil revenue at the peak of the militant attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta, which slashed oil production from 2.2 million barrels per day to one million barrels per day last year.
But in a statement yesterday, the Technical Assistant (Media) to the minister, Uche Ozurumba Adighibe, made a clarification on the $50 – $100 billion unearned income lost to militancy, which was mentioned by the minister.
Adighibe, who quoted the minister as having said in the podcast that “as at 2016 on the average and looking at it historically that we (Nigeria) was losing $50 – $100 billion as result of the disruption,” said the amount covers a period of 10 years and not 2016 only.
On the amount lost in 2016, Adighibe pointed out that the Nigeria’s oil and gas industry lost over $7 billion to militancy from January to October 2016.
“Please note the word ‘historically’. Over the last decade spanning through various administrations, the oil industry in Nigeria has suffered critical disruptions to operations resulting in the unearned incomes amounting to $50 – $100 billion due to militancy activities and vandalism. This can be verified through the records provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) during the 2016 Fiscal Liquidity Assessment Committee Retreat which showed that the industry lost over $7 billion due to activities of militancy groups and oil pipeline vandals from January 2016 –October 2016,” Adighibe further clarified.
The minister’s technical assistant added that the amount mentioned as unearned income due to militancy activities as stated in the podcast covers the entire industry which includes the international oil companies (IOCs), independent producers as well the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
To tackle the scourge the minister, who spoke on “Oil Sector Militancy Challenges…Roadmap to Closure,”also unveiled a 20-point agenda aimed at instituting permanent peace in the oil-producing region.
According to him, the Niger Delta crisis, coupled with the 45 per cent drop in oil production, worsened the financial challenges of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Kachikwu said the crisis resulted in attacks on oil and gas facilities and the sub-optimal performance of the refineries, stressing that Nigeria was unable to meet its international obligations as a result of the militancy.
He said despite all efforts made by successive administrations to tackle the militancy in the Niger Delta, a permanent solution was never found.
The minister also stated that the present administration has also made efforts to end the crisis by launching a seven-point roadmap, engaging the oil-producing communities and sustaining the Amnesty Programme for the repentant militants.
Kachikwu added that President Buhari’s efforts to sustain the programme were being hampered by declining oil revenue, as the present administration only gets 55 per cent of the revenue that was available to previous administrations.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Video - Nigerians claim to have the best Jollof rice in west Africa
Jollof Rice is one of the most common dishes in Nigeria. It's also not alien to the west African region. It's one delicacy which caterers and chefs in Nigeria cannot afford to miss out - should they want to remain in business. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam takes a look at the uniqueness of this delicacy to the Nigerian. They claim that they make the best jollof.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Video - Nigerians flock to refugee camps for food aid
The United Nations says around 20 million globally are in need of food assistance. World Food Programme economist Arif Husain says that even though humanitarian aid is at a record high, demand is growing faster. In Nigeria, famine has devastated communities and driven up prices. Millions are at risk of starvation, and turning to refugee camps for food assistance.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Video - Nigeria declares environmental emergency in oil-rich city
Nigeria's environmental ministry has declared an air pollution emergency in the southern city of Port Harcourt. For months the oil-rich city has been engulfed in thick black soot, thought to be coming from petrochemical plants and illegal oil refineries.
Video - President Buhari tweets, thanking Nigerians for their support
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has tweeted for the first time since he travelled to the United Kingdom for medical treatment. The contact has gone a long way to reassure Nigerians about his health. In the tweet, President Buhari thanks Nigerians for their support during his treatment. He's expressed gratitude to both Muslims and Christians in the country for their prayers and well wishes.
Video - New figures show Boko Haram killed 100,000 people in 8 years
New figures have emerged on the total number of people killed by Boko Haram during the group's eight-year insurgency. The governor of Borno State says the death toll could be as high as a-hundred thousand. The ISIL-affiliated group is already considered the deadliest in the world.
Nigeria spends $2bn annually in rice importation
Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Groups of Companies, says Nigerians consume over 6.5 million tonnes of rice annually, less than half of which is produced locally. Dangote stated this on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Dangote Rice Out growers Scheme in Goronyo Local Government Area of Sokoto state.
He expressed concern that the deficit arising from importation of rice cost Nigeria over $2billion per annum.
He said : ”As agriculture remains an important sector in our economy, we plan to produce 1million tonnes of high quality parboiled rice within the next three years. “This is by cultivating about 160,000 hectres of irrigable rice farmland in some selected states, thus making the commodity affordable to ordinary Nigerians.
He expressed concern that the deficit arising from importation of rice cost Nigeria over $2billion per annum.
He said : ”As agriculture remains an important sector in our economy, we plan to produce 1million tonnes of high quality parboiled rice within the next three years. “This is by cultivating about 160,000 hectres of irrigable rice farmland in some selected states, thus making the commodity affordable to ordinary Nigerians.
“Moreover, the outgrowers scheme is committed to creating significant number of jobs, increasing the incomes of small holder farmers and ensuring food security in the country. “This is by providing high quality seeds, fertiliser and agro-chemicals, as well as technical assistance on best agricultural practice to farmers.” The Project Director, Dangote Rice Ltd, Mr Robert Coleman said that the Sokoto operation was a demonstration phase meant to familiarise the farming community with the programme.
“The phase is to familiarise the farming community through the training of extension workers and lead farmers as well as test modern technologies, ‘he said. ”In 2017, they will have 25,000 hectares to be cultivated by nearly 50,000 outgrowers, in addition to 260 jobs expected to be created by the end of the year.” Gov. Aminu Tambuwal called on the farmers to respect the agreement signed between the state and Dangote group to ensure that,” all products are directed to the real sectors of need.’’
The coming of Dangote to invest in the state was as a result of the government’s sustained efforts toward inviting prospective investors to the state,” he said. Earlier, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for diversifying the economy and urged Nigerians to pray for him.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Video - Trump cements relations with Nigeria's Buhari, S. Africa's Zuma
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised enhanced military support to Nigeria. The pledge was made during a phone call with President Muhammadu Buhari. The U.S. President also spoke to South African President Jacob Zuma about trade and security.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Video - Illegal refineries in Nigeria's Port Harcourt a health risk for locals
Oil refineries in Nigeria's southern city of Port Harcourt pose a serious threat to the environment. The city has been engulfed in black soot and residents are beginning to worry about the health consequences.
Trump promises President Buhari weapons to fight Boko Haram
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to “cut a new deal” to sell more weapons to Nigeria to fight the extremist Boko Haram militia, a Nigerian spokesman says.
The promise came in a telephone conversation on Monday between Mr. Trump and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari – the first official conversation between Mr. Trump and a sub-Saharan African leader since he took office last month.
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“President Trump assured the Nigerian president of U.S. willingness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism,” a Nigerian presidential spokesman said after the phone call.
The planned weapons sales will be controversial. In the past, the United States has often refused to sell weapons to Nigeria because of deep concerns over human-rights abuses by the Nigerian military.
In 2014, for example, the United States blocked the sale of U.S.-made Cobra attack helicopters by Israel to Nigeria because of concerns that the Nigerian army was failing to protect civilians during military operations. The Nigerian government, furious over the blocked sale, made diplomatic protests in Washington.
Many human-rights groups have documented atrocities by the Nigerian military in its battle against Boko Haram, a radical Islamist militia. Last month, a Nigerian warplane dropped two bombs on a refugee camp in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 100 people, mostly women and children. In other well-documented incidents, the Nigerian military killed hundreds of Shia Muslims in northern Nigeria, bombed and strafed several hundred detainees who had escaped in a jailbreak, allowed thousands of detainees to die of starvation and torture at a military prison, and was reprimanded for the use of child soldiers in a government-sponsored militia.
Congressional rules have restricted U.S. arms sales to countries such as Nigeria where the military has a poor human-rights record. But last year, there were preliminary signs that the United States might be loosening these restrictions. The two countries have been discussing the sale of U.S. attack aircraft to Nigeria since last May, although the deal has not been finalized.
In their Monday phone conversation, Mr. Trump and Mr. Buhari “discussed ways to improve co-operation in the fight against terrorism through provision of necessary equipment,” the Nigerian spokesman said.
He said Mr. Trump invited Mr. Buhari to Washington and praised the Nigerian President for “the strides being taken by the Nigerian military.” The U.S. President also lauded the release in October of 21 of the schoolgirls from Chibok who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, the spokesman said.
The phone conversation between the two leaders has sparked controversy in Nigeria, where many people have been angered by Mr. Buhari’s mysterious disappearance from the country for the past three weeks.
Mr. Buhari travelled to London last month on what was initially reported as a vacation. Later, his office acknowledged that the 74-year-old President was receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed condition, and Nigeria was consumed by rumours that he was severely ill or even dead.
When news of the Trump-Buhari conversation broke on Monday, many Nigerians said Mr. Buhari should provide as much openness to the Nigerian people as he has to Mr. Trump.
Mr. Buhari’s office said he spoke to Mr. Trump from London, but some Nigerians said they wanted to see video evidence of the call to evaluate their president’s health, especially because Nigeria has a past history of leaders concealing their illnesses. In 2010, former president Umaru Yar’Adua died after a long illness that was covered up by the government.
Shortly after speaking to the Nigerian President, Mr. Trump spoke by telephone to South African President Jacob Zuma. A statement by Mr. Zuma’s office said they discussed trade and security issues, including “the quest for peace and stability on the African continent.”
Mr. Trump has said almost nothing about his Africa strategy so far. But from questions given by his staff to the U.S. State Department, it is clear that Mr. Trump has little interest in U.S. foreign aid to Africa. Instead, he sees Africa primarily through the lens of security issues, especially the fight against Islamist radical groups. Stability and security issues dominated his phone calls with both African leaders on Monday.
The promise came in a telephone conversation on Monday between Mr. Trump and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari – the first official conversation between Mr. Trump and a sub-Saharan African leader since he took office last month.
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“President Trump assured the Nigerian president of U.S. willingness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism,” a Nigerian presidential spokesman said after the phone call.
The planned weapons sales will be controversial. In the past, the United States has often refused to sell weapons to Nigeria because of deep concerns over human-rights abuses by the Nigerian military.
In 2014, for example, the United States blocked the sale of U.S.-made Cobra attack helicopters by Israel to Nigeria because of concerns that the Nigerian army was failing to protect civilians during military operations. The Nigerian government, furious over the blocked sale, made diplomatic protests in Washington.
Many human-rights groups have documented atrocities by the Nigerian military in its battle against Boko Haram, a radical Islamist militia. Last month, a Nigerian warplane dropped two bombs on a refugee camp in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 100 people, mostly women and children. In other well-documented incidents, the Nigerian military killed hundreds of Shia Muslims in northern Nigeria, bombed and strafed several hundred detainees who had escaped in a jailbreak, allowed thousands of detainees to die of starvation and torture at a military prison, and was reprimanded for the use of child soldiers in a government-sponsored militia.
Congressional rules have restricted U.S. arms sales to countries such as Nigeria where the military has a poor human-rights record. But last year, there were preliminary signs that the United States might be loosening these restrictions. The two countries have been discussing the sale of U.S. attack aircraft to Nigeria since last May, although the deal has not been finalized.
In their Monday phone conversation, Mr. Trump and Mr. Buhari “discussed ways to improve co-operation in the fight against terrorism through provision of necessary equipment,” the Nigerian spokesman said.
He said Mr. Trump invited Mr. Buhari to Washington and praised the Nigerian President for “the strides being taken by the Nigerian military.” The U.S. President also lauded the release in October of 21 of the schoolgirls from Chibok who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, the spokesman said.
The phone conversation between the two leaders has sparked controversy in Nigeria, where many people have been angered by Mr. Buhari’s mysterious disappearance from the country for the past three weeks.
Mr. Buhari travelled to London last month on what was initially reported as a vacation. Later, his office acknowledged that the 74-year-old President was receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed condition, and Nigeria was consumed by rumours that he was severely ill or even dead.
When news of the Trump-Buhari conversation broke on Monday, many Nigerians said Mr. Buhari should provide as much openness to the Nigerian people as he has to Mr. Trump.
Mr. Buhari’s office said he spoke to Mr. Trump from London, but some Nigerians said they wanted to see video evidence of the call to evaluate their president’s health, especially because Nigeria has a past history of leaders concealing their illnesses. In 2010, former president Umaru Yar’Adua died after a long illness that was covered up by the government.
Shortly after speaking to the Nigerian President, Mr. Trump spoke by telephone to South African President Jacob Zuma. A statement by Mr. Zuma’s office said they discussed trade and security issues, including “the quest for peace and stability on the African continent.”
Mr. Trump has said almost nothing about his Africa strategy so far. But from questions given by his staff to the U.S. State Department, it is clear that Mr. Trump has little interest in U.S. foreign aid to Africa. Instead, he sees Africa primarily through the lens of security issues, especially the fight against Islamist radical groups. Stability and security issues dominated his phone calls with both African leaders on Monday.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Nigeria - Authorities in Nigeria recover more than $160m dollars in anti-graft drive
Nigeria's government has announced the recovery of more than $160 million dollars in stolen state funds in less than two months as part of an anti-graft drive. Government officials say the money was recovered for four people including a former head of the state oil company. The largest amount, about $136 million was stashed in a commercial bank using a fake account name. In December last year the west African nation launched a whistle-blower scheme entitling those who help find stolen assets to up to five percent of the recovered sums. Graft, particularly in the oil sector on which Nigeria relies, has taken large sums from the country's coffers. Several former government officials, including army generals, are on trial for corruption.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Video - Boko Haram reportedly battling financial crisis and internal split
Boko Haram is reportedly struggling to survive. The United Nations maintains the group is broke and facing an internal split. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam has more on what a financial crisis could mean to the militants' survival.
Nigerian seeks ban reversal from EU for beans export
Plans are in top gear by the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) to get the European Union EU lift its ban on exportation of beans from Nigeria to its member countries.
The Coordinating Director of the agency, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, who disclosed this at the opening of a two- day training workshop on Plant Health Inspection and Certification of Vegetables for exporters and farmers, said all hands are on deck to ensure that the EU lifts the ban before 2019.
Noting that the EU ban on Nigerian beans has severely affected the economy, Isegbe said there was a need to avoid future rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural commodities even as he pointed out that the agency is doing its best to revert the situation.
According to him, the EU has promised to reverse the ban if necessary measures were put in place before 2019.
“We have had issues in the past concerning beans where the European
Union suspended Nigeria for three years from beans export. That is not good for us because it means that all the farmers who are producing beans can no longer export the quantity that they used to export.
“All the traders in between, the warehouse people, the transporters and we, who are involved in the inspection and certification, that aspect has been broken down because they cannot generate any revenue along the value chain anymore.
“The good news is that the EU said if we can put the process in place earlier than 2019, they will reverse their decision. So that is where we are,” he said.
Isegbe, said NAQS is fully committed to ensuring that the country agriculture produce meets international standards and export quality.
He said the training is centered on vegetables because it is one of Nigeria’s most exported commodity.
According to him, because of the sensitive processes involved in the handling of vegetables, there is a need to put in place stringent inspection and certification procedures that will sustain its export especially at a time the government is placing emphasis on non-oil exports.
“Vegetables are a delicate product and because it is almost ready to eat, it needs more stringent inspection and certification procedures since most times we eat it fresh as salad. So, such ready to eat commodity will need special attention.
“Now that the revenue from oil is falling, we need to go back to our first love which is agriculture. We were doing well in that area in the 1960,s and early 70’s but in the 80’s, upward, there has been a reduction in agricultural produce for export. That is why we are emphasising that the process that will enable our commodities to be accepted internationally, we have to put it in place,” he said.
Also speaking, Zonal Coordinator, South West Zone S. A. Ikani S.A said in recent times, vegetables from Nigeria are been intercepted by the importing countries especially United States of America due to the menace of White Flies (Bemisia Tabacci).
He said the constant interception is fast becoming an embarrassment to the agency and the nation as a whole hence, the need to organise the training for farmers and exporters to be more experienced in the process involved in the production and handling of vegetables from the farm down to the port of exit.
The Coordinating Director of the agency, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, who disclosed this at the opening of a two- day training workshop on Plant Health Inspection and Certification of Vegetables for exporters and farmers, said all hands are on deck to ensure that the EU lifts the ban before 2019.
Noting that the EU ban on Nigerian beans has severely affected the economy, Isegbe said there was a need to avoid future rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural commodities even as he pointed out that the agency is doing its best to revert the situation.
According to him, the EU has promised to reverse the ban if necessary measures were put in place before 2019.
“We have had issues in the past concerning beans where the European
Union suspended Nigeria for three years from beans export. That is not good for us because it means that all the farmers who are producing beans can no longer export the quantity that they used to export.
“All the traders in between, the warehouse people, the transporters and we, who are involved in the inspection and certification, that aspect has been broken down because they cannot generate any revenue along the value chain anymore.
“The good news is that the EU said if we can put the process in place earlier than 2019, they will reverse their decision. So that is where we are,” he said.
Isegbe, said NAQS is fully committed to ensuring that the country agriculture produce meets international standards and export quality.
He said the training is centered on vegetables because it is one of Nigeria’s most exported commodity.
According to him, because of the sensitive processes involved in the handling of vegetables, there is a need to put in place stringent inspection and certification procedures that will sustain its export especially at a time the government is placing emphasis on non-oil exports.
“Vegetables are a delicate product and because it is almost ready to eat, it needs more stringent inspection and certification procedures since most times we eat it fresh as salad. So, such ready to eat commodity will need special attention.
“Now that the revenue from oil is falling, we need to go back to our first love which is agriculture. We were doing well in that area in the 1960,s and early 70’s but in the 80’s, upward, there has been a reduction in agricultural produce for export. That is why we are emphasising that the process that will enable our commodities to be accepted internationally, we have to put it in place,” he said.
Also speaking, Zonal Coordinator, South West Zone S. A. Ikani S.A said in recent times, vegetables from Nigeria are been intercepted by the importing countries especially United States of America due to the menace of White Flies (Bemisia Tabacci).
He said the constant interception is fast becoming an embarrassment to the agency and the nation as a whole hence, the need to organise the training for farmers and exporters to be more experienced in the process involved in the production and handling of vegetables from the farm down to the port of exit.
Video - Nigerian soldiers caught on camera beating up disabled man
Two Nigerian soldiers have been arrested and charged with assault after they were filmed beating a disabled man with sticks in a busy street.
The army said the reason for the assault, in Onitsha in Anambra state on Tuesday, appeared to be because the man was wearing a camouflage shirt.
It said the soldiers had been charged "in line with our zero tolerance for acts of indiscipline".
Many Nigerians complain that soldiers are rarely punished for excesses.
Human rights groups have persistently accused Nigeria's military of abuses against civilians, especially in north-east Nigeria, where it has been fighting a long-running insurgency by militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
Wearing camouflage clothing is a sensitive issue in Nigeria because militants and criminals have often worn camouflage clothing either to carry out attacks or impersonate soldiers for other criminal purposes.
Section 110 of the Nigerian criminal code says it is an offence to unlawfully wear uniform of the armed forces or dress "having the appearance... of such uniforms".
Footage of the assault on the disabled man in Onitsha, in southern Nigeria, had been circulating on social media before the army commented.
It said the "ugly incident" was "an isolated case which is not [a] true reflection of the Nigerian army".
News of the soldiers being charged came a week after another soldier was jailed for seven years for shooting dead a civilian at a market in the city of Maiduguri, in the north-east, last year.
The soldier, who was not identified, was found guilty of manslaughter.
In court, he argued that he acted in self-defence after the man he killed, named as Umar Alkali, tried to wrestle his rifle from him. The military court rejected this argument, deciding that he had used disproportionate force.
800% over-subscription recorded by Nigerian's $1bn Eurobond
The Federal Government, yesterday, said that it had issued the $1 billion Eurobond with 800 per cent over-subscription, as foreign investors demanded for $7.8 billion, reflecting investors‘confidence in the nation’s economy.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Finance said that the 15-year bond was priced at 7.875 per cent and will mature on February 16, 2032. According to the statement by Director of Information, Ministry of Finance, Salisu Dambatta: “The notes will bear interest at a rate of 7.875 percent and will mature on February 16, 2032 with a bullet repayment of the principal.
The republic intends to use the proceeds of the notes to fund capital expenditures in the 2016 budget. The notes represent the republic’s third Eurobond issuance, following issuances in 2011 and 2013. “The notes were approximately eight times over-subscribed with orders in excess of $7.8 billion compared to a pre-issuance target of $1 billion demonstrating strong market appetite for Nigeria.
This is despite continued volatility in emerging and frontier markets and shows confidence by the international investment community in Nigeria’s economic reform agenda. “The offering attracted significant interest from leading global institutional investors.
The notes will be admitted to the official list of the UK Listing Authority and available to trade on the London Stock Exchange’s regulated market. The republic will apply for the notes to be eligible for trading and listed on the Nigerian FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange and the Nigerian Stock Exchange. “The pricing was determined following a roadshow led by Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, the Minister of Finance, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, Director-General of the Debt Management Office, DMO, and Mr Ben Akabueze, Director -General of the Budget Office, to key global financial centres.”
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Video - Nigerian designer creates cool sneakers for big feet
With a love for shoes and the goal to create a manufacturing sector for quality footwear in Nigeria, entrepreneur Babajide Ipaye created Keexs - an Africa-inspired brand with a social brief. Take a look.
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