A government investigation in Nigeria has found that 37 suspected illegal miners died in custody in Niger State due to overcrowding, extreme heat, poor ventilation and neglect. The panel recommended 1.4 billion naira in compensation for bereaved families and survivors, while authorities pledge disciplinary action against officers implicated in the case.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Video - Nigerian govt panel finds 37 detained miners died from overcrowding and neglect
A government investigation in Nigeria has found that 37 suspected illegal miners died in custody in Niger State due to overcrowding, extreme heat, poor ventilation and neglect. The panel recommended 1.4 billion naira in compensation for bereaved families and survivors, while authorities pledge disciplinary action against officers implicated in the case.
Google Wallet and Google Pay Launch in Nigeria
Google has launched Google Wallet, including Google Pay, in Nigeria, allowing Android and Wear OS users to make digital payments and store essential items such as loyalty cards, event tickets and boarding passes on their devices.
The service enables users to add supported payment cards from participating financial institutions and make contactless payments at physical stores, as well as payments within apps and on websites. The launch is intended to simplify everyday transactions by allowing users to pay with compatible devices without needing to present a physical bank card.
Beyond payments, Google Wallet provides a digital storage space for items users may need throughout the day, including loyalty cards, event tickets and airline boarding passes. This allows users to access these items from one place rather than carrying physical copies.
Google said security measures are built into the service, with multiple layers of protection and industry-standard encryption designed to safeguard financial information during transactions.
Users whose phones are lost or stolen can also use Google’s Find My Device feature to lock their devices remotely, set a new password or erase personal information to help protect their data.
Google Wallet is available for download through the Google Play Store. Contactless payments require a compatible Android device with near-field communication (NFC) support and a payment terminal that accepts contactless transactions.
The service enables users to add supported payment cards from participating financial institutions and make contactless payments at physical stores, as well as payments within apps and on websites. The launch is intended to simplify everyday transactions by allowing users to pay with compatible devices without needing to present a physical bank card.
Beyond payments, Google Wallet provides a digital storage space for items users may need throughout the day, including loyalty cards, event tickets and airline boarding passes. This allows users to access these items from one place rather than carrying physical copies.
Google said security measures are built into the service, with multiple layers of protection and industry-standard encryption designed to safeguard financial information during transactions.
Users whose phones are lost or stolen can also use Google’s Find My Device feature to lock their devices remotely, set a new password or erase personal information to help protect their data.
Google Wallet is available for download through the Google Play Store. Contactless payments require a compatible Android device with near-field communication (NFC) support and a payment terminal that accepts contactless transactions.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Dangote refinery IPO draws three times target demand
Nigeria's $1.6 billion Dangote refinery initial public offering has drawn about three times the total targeted orders, two people with knowledge of the situation said, underscoring strong demand for what has been billed as "The People's IPO".
The share sale, which closes on Tuesday, has about 6.4 trillion naira ($4.78 billion) of orders from Nigerian retail and institutional investors, one person involved told Reuters.
Aliko Dangote, the billionaire owner of the Lagos refinery, has said the sale is targeting millions of ordinary Nigerians and Africans who can buy shares with as little as $4.
He said in a statement on Wednesday all 54 African countries had participated in the IPO while applications were received from 120 countries, calling it "a historic achievement."
The order book is expected to grow once subscriptions from investors in other African countries are included, one of the people said, adding that Dangote had received subscriptions from more than 2 million investors through digital channels so far.
Given the demand, Dangote was expected to exercise a greenshoe option that would allow it to increase the size of the offering to as much as $2.1 billion, the person added.
A Dangote spokesperson declined to comment on the demand and possibility of exercising the greenshoe option.
The IPO comes as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE has benefited from stronger margins, with higher crude oil prices linked to the Iran war lifting earnings.
The refinery, which began commercial operations in early 2024, has steadily increased output and expanded exports, including shipments of jet fuel to Europe and other African markets, helping position Nigeria as a potential net exporter of refined petroleum products.
Share allocation will begin next week ahead of the stock's planned listing on the Nigerian Exchange later in November, the company's IPO prospectus said.
Built at a cost of about $20 billion, the refinery has transformed Nigeria's fuel market since it began operating.
It processes about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and aims to double capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2029.
By Chijioke Ohuocha and Macdonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
The share sale, which closes on Tuesday, has about 6.4 trillion naira ($4.78 billion) of orders from Nigerian retail and institutional investors, one person involved told Reuters.
Aliko Dangote, the billionaire owner of the Lagos refinery, has said the sale is targeting millions of ordinary Nigerians and Africans who can buy shares with as little as $4.
He said in a statement on Wednesday all 54 African countries had participated in the IPO while applications were received from 120 countries, calling it "a historic achievement."
The order book is expected to grow once subscriptions from investors in other African countries are included, one of the people said, adding that Dangote had received subscriptions from more than 2 million investors through digital channels so far.
Given the demand, Dangote was expected to exercise a greenshoe option that would allow it to increase the size of the offering to as much as $2.1 billion, the person added.
A Dangote spokesperson declined to comment on the demand and possibility of exercising the greenshoe option.
The IPO comes as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE has benefited from stronger margins, with higher crude oil prices linked to the Iran war lifting earnings.
The refinery, which began commercial operations in early 2024, has steadily increased output and expanded exports, including shipments of jet fuel to Europe and other African markets, helping position Nigeria as a potential net exporter of refined petroleum products.
Share allocation will begin next week ahead of the stock's planned listing on the Nigerian Exchange later in November, the company's IPO prospectus said.
Built at a cost of about $20 billion, the refinery has transformed Nigeria's fuel market since it began operating.
It processes about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day and aims to double capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2029.
Nigeria panel says 37 detained miners died from overcrowding and neglect
A group of 37 suspected illegal miners died in detention in Nigeria as a result of severe overcrowding, poor ventilation and neglect, according to a government investigation into their deaths.
The investigating committee, set up after the deaths last month sparked outrage in Nigeria, rejected earlier claims by officials that an outbreak of disease was to blame and called for compensation for victims and survivors as well as an overhaul of the agency involved.
The deaths, which included many teenagers working in artisanal gold mines, triggered protests in Nigeria, raising fresh concerns about conditions in detention facilities and the treatment of suspects awaiting trial.
Jonathan Kure, chairman of the committee, said the deaths were "entirely preventable" and a result of severe overcrowding, deprivation of basic necessities and ignored warnings.
"The tragedy demonstrates the consequences of systemic disregard for detention standards, supervisory responsibilities, and the welfare of persons in custody," Kure said after his committee reviewed evidence, including detention records, autopsies, hospital reports and communication logs.
NSCDC officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The evidence showed the victims died from asphyxia, an acute respiratory failure caused by prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded, poorly ventilated cell, worsened by heat stress and dehydration, Kure said.
"The evidence did not support claims that the deaths resulted from a disease outbreak," Kure said.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the paramilitary agency that locked up the miners as part of efforts to regulate mining, initially suggested the detainees may have died from an unspecified disease before later saying the cause had not been established.
The panel recommended 30 million naira (about $22,500) in compensation for each victim's family and 10 million naira for each of the 41 survivors.
The findings are in line with testimonies from survivors who told Reuters that dozens of artisanal miners were crammed into a small holding cell and repeatedly ignored after complaining of overcrowding.
The government has suspended senior NSCDC officials pending the investigation, but the panel called for a sweeping overhaul of the agency's leadership.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
The investigating committee, set up after the deaths last month sparked outrage in Nigeria, rejected earlier claims by officials that an outbreak of disease was to blame and called for compensation for victims and survivors as well as an overhaul of the agency involved.
The deaths, which included many teenagers working in artisanal gold mines, triggered protests in Nigeria, raising fresh concerns about conditions in detention facilities and the treatment of suspects awaiting trial.
Jonathan Kure, chairman of the committee, said the deaths were "entirely preventable" and a result of severe overcrowding, deprivation of basic necessities and ignored warnings.
"The tragedy demonstrates the consequences of systemic disregard for detention standards, supervisory responsibilities, and the welfare of persons in custody," Kure said after his committee reviewed evidence, including detention records, autopsies, hospital reports and communication logs.
NSCDC officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The evidence showed the victims died from asphyxia, an acute respiratory failure caused by prolonged confinement in a severely overcrowded, poorly ventilated cell, worsened by heat stress and dehydration, Kure said.
"The evidence did not support claims that the deaths resulted from a disease outbreak," Kure said.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the paramilitary agency that locked up the miners as part of efforts to regulate mining, initially suggested the detainees may have died from an unspecified disease before later saying the cause had not been established.
The panel recommended 30 million naira (about $22,500) in compensation for each victim's family and 10 million naira for each of the 41 survivors.
The findings are in line with testimonies from survivors who told Reuters that dozens of artisanal miners were crammed into a small holding cell and repeatedly ignored after complaining of overcrowding.
The government has suspended senior NSCDC officials pending the investigation, but the panel called for a sweeping overhaul of the agency's leadership.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Video - Nigeria moves closer to decentralised policing
Twenty-five of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies approved a constitutional amendment allowing states to establish their own police forces. Supporters say the reform could improve local security and response times, while critics warn of potential political interference and concerns over funding, human rights and accountability.
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