Many Nigerian students, and their parents, are worried they won't be able to complete their education following a decision by public universities to raise fees by 200 percent. The universities say the hike is necessary due to the surge in the cost of living raising the cost of operations.
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Video - Parents face tough times as public universities hike fees in Nigeria
Video - Nigeria continues to record surge in adoption of cryptocurrencies
Africa's most populous country is still reporting a boom in the use of cryptocurrencies despite warnings from authorities. Nigerians say bottlenecks around banking transactions, a scarcity of foreign exchange, and the belief that cryptocurrencies are an easy and quick means to make money, contribute to crypto's popularity.
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Video - Central bank of Nigeria raises key lending rate by 25 basis points
Samson Owolabi, an associate in research and portfolio management at Zedcrest Wealth, says there were several key reasons behind the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) increasing the interest rate, including persistent inflation and record levels of money supply. Owolabi, however, added that the CBN needs to find alternative methods of addressing such issues rather than simply resorting to interest hikes.
25 killed by suspected ISWAP militants in Nigeria
Islamist militants killed at least 25 people and wounded others in attacks on two villages in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state, a hotbed for insurgency, a police source and two residents said on Wednesday.
The militants killed 18 herders grazing their livestock in one village and seven other people in another village, both in Kukawa district of the state that borders neighbouring Chad on Tuesday, the police source said.
Habibu Ardo, a herder in the area, said "ISWAP fighters (riding) on more than 15 motorcycles attacked our people while grazing in Kukawa and beheaded 18 of them without firing a single bullet on them in order to avoid the attention of security forces.”
Bakura Mustapha, a local vigilante who helped bury the dead, said “about 18 of the corpses were recovered in the bush and they have been buried today according to Islamic rites.”
A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to calls to confirm the incident.
Borno state is at the heart of a 14-year Islamist insurgency in Nigeria, which has spilled into neighbouring Chad and Cameroon. The conflict was launched by Boko Haram and later joined by its offshoot ISWAP, a regional affiliate of the Islamic state.
The United Nations estimates that the conflict had killed some 350,000 people by the end of 2020 and has left millions dependent on aid.
By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters
Security agency to probe clash between officers and prison officials in Nigeria
Nigeria's Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday said it is investigating an "unfortunate" clash between its officers and prison officials on court premises after a bail ruling for the suspended central bank governor Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele, who was granted bail on Tuesday, was forcefully re-arrested by DSS officers after openly clashing with prison officials who attempted to take him into custody in line with the court's ruling. He has been held by the DSS since June 10.
The DSS has "initiated detailed investigations into the matter. This is with a view to identifying the role played by specific persons as well as undertaking disciplinary actions if necessary," Peter Afunanya, a spokesman for agency, said in a statement.
The agency, which notes the "undue overzealousness" by everyone involved in the incident, "has tremendous respect for the judiciary" and will not deliberately undermine it, he added.
By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo, Reuters
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