Nigeria considers crude supply reforms to aid Dangote, other refiners

Nigeria is considering changes to crude allocation and pricing rules to improve ‌feedstock access for its refiners, including Dangote Refinery, the local oil refiners' association said.

Dangote has previously said Nigeria's pricing structure adds $3 to $4 per barrel to feedstock costs for refiners because purchases ​are routed through producers' trading arms. Analysts say the main constraint in domestic ​crude transactions is pricing rather than physical availability.

The move could help ⁠boost operations at Dangote's 650,000 barrel-per-day refinery, Africa's largest, whose output has at ​times been constrained by difficulties securing sufficient crude supplies domestically.
The Crude Oil Refinery-owners Association ​of Nigeria (CORAN) said the proposed changes are expected to be discussed this week during a regulator-led review of Nigeria's domestic crude supply obligation, which requires producers to supply local refiners before exporting.

Under ​one proposal, a producer linked to an IOC's network could deliver crude directly ​to a nearby refinery, with volumes reconciled later at the terminal, said CORAN spokesperson Eche Idoko, ‌adding ⁠this would reduce reliance on trunklines and bring crude closer to refiners.

A second proposal would allow refiners that lift crude directly from production facilities to receive a discount reflecting the freight and handling costs embedded in Brent-linked pricing but not actually incurred ​by them.

"This could be ​a win-win for ⁠both the producers and refiners," said Idoko.

The Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) released data on Monday showing producer compliance with the domestic ​crude supply framework rose to over 90% from less than ​43% in ⁠the previous quarter.

The metric tracks actual deliveries against volumes allocated by the regulator, not refinery demand met. Under the scheme, producers must offer allocated volumes to local refineries, with ⁠sales ​agreed on a 'willing-buyer, willing-seller' basis.

A NUPRC official said ​the ideas "are on the table" largely at the urging of inland refiners, but added that implementation would require ​addressing crude quality differences and pricing adjustments.

By Isaac Anyaogu, Reuters

South Africa slams $18.5m repatriation bill on Nigeria, 2 other African countries amid migration crackdown

The Department of Home Affairs says it has spent almost R300 million, approximately $18.5 million, on the repatriation operation, which has seen tens of thousands of foreign nationals processed for return to their countries.

The department has written to the government of Malawi and to the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia, through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) requesting reimbursement of the costs incurred.

Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs that the department had spent R292 million on the operation, substantially exceeding its R60 million allocation for deportations.

Transport accounted for the largest share of the expenditure, as authorities moved undocumented migrants to repatriation centres and border points.

As of August 6, Home Affairs had processed 82,875 foreign nationals through its repatriation centres. The figure excludes people repatriated before June 30 and those processed directly by the Border Management Authority.

South Africa seeks to recover repatriation costs

The repatriation operation followed a surge in anti-immigrant protests across South Africa, with several African governments organising voluntary returns for their citizens amid concerns over their safety.

Malawians have accounted for the largest group of people returning or being deported, followed by nationals from Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

South African authorities have also continued deportations through the Lindela Repatriation Centre. Home Affairs said 44,607 foreign nationals were deported from Lindela during the previous financial year, while 16,078 were deported between April 20 and July 28 this year.

The government has described the increased enforcement as part of efforts to strengthen immigration control and address the growing number of undocumented migrants in the country.

However, the financial burden has emerged as a major concern for Pretoria. Makhode said the repatriation programme had not been budgeted for under the department's existing framework, prompting the government to seek reimbursement from the countries whose nationals were repatriated.

“We have also written to the government of Malawi and, of course, the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia requesting reimbursements of this cost through the department of DIRCO,” Makhode told lawmakers.

South Africa is now awaiting responses from the three governments as it seeks to recover part of the R292 million already spent on the operation.

By Solomon Ekanem, Business Insider Africa

Authorities say 10 Nigerian police officers were killed in gunbattle with rebels in the north

A gunbattle between rebels and Nigerian security forces has left 10 police officers dead in a remote part of the country’s conflict-battered north, authorities said Tuesday.

The clash, which occurred on Monday in the Sakaba council area of Kebbi state, also left two civilians and 17 of the rebels dead, police spokesperson Bashir Usman said in a statement.

The rebels were heavily armed and riding on motorcycles when they were intercepted by security forces, said Usman. They were seen close to the border with Zamfara state, where armed gangs who frequently raid Nigerian towns and villages are concentrated.

“Tragically, we lost 10 gallant police personnel in the engagement, while two others sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention,” the police spokesman said.

The attack is the latest in a cycle of violence in Africa’s most populous country, where gangs compete for territory and control of natural resources in villages where they outnumber the country’s overstretched security forces. Dozens have been killed in recent weeks across the north, and security forces are often targeted.

The U.S. government is providing military support to Nigeria under an agreement it says aims to protect Nigerian Christians, though much of that support is restricted to logistics and intelligence-gathering at the heart of the violence in the north.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Nigeria strengthens health financing capacity for universal coverage

When Dr Divine Igwe, Executive Secretary of Ebonyi State Health Insurance Agency and a representative of the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the participating state social health insurance agencies (SSHIAs), arrived for the WHO health financing training 19–22 May 2026 in Abuja, he saw a room filled with colleagues who shared a common task: helping more people get quality health care without facing financial hardship.

For many of the participants, it was their first-ever formal training in health financing.

“These opportunities are rare for many of our staff,” said Igwe. “The knowledge we gain here will help us strengthen health insurance implementation in our states and improve access to care for our people.”

His words point to a challenge many health systems face. Health insurance does not work only because a policy exists. It works when the people managing it have the skills, tools and support to make fair and informed decisions on behalf of the beneficiaries.
In Nigeria, this is especially important. Out-of-pocket payments remain a major barrier to care. In 2023, household out-of-pocket spending accounted for about 72% of current health expenditure in Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization Global Health Expenditure Database. High out-of-pocket payments are linked to catastrophic and impoverishing health spending.

For a trader in Gombe, a pregnant woman in Ebonyi or a family caring for a child with malaria in Anambra, the way health care is financed can determine whether health care is received early, delayed or even missed altogether.
To support Nigeria’s efforts to reduce this burden, World Health Organization (WHO) in Nigeria, in partnership with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and with funding from the Global Fund, organized a four-day health financing training for 49 technical and management staff from NHIA and State Social Health Insurance Agencies in Anambra, Ebonyi, Gombe, Kwara and Lagos states.

The training supports implementation of Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, national efforts to expand health insurance coverage and the use of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund as a key financing mechanism under the National Health Act. It also aligns with the government’s broader priority to improve health financing, strengthen primary health care and expand financial protection for poor and vulnerable people.

Before the training, a WHO-supported baseline assessment in participating states found gaps in health financing knowledge, health insurance operations and health systems management. Only 20% of SSHIA staff have received training in health financing, and at the same time, 100% of respondents expressed a strong need for the training. These gaps affected the ability of institutions to design, manage and expand insurance schemes for people most at risk of being left behind.

WHO provided technical leadership in designing the training curriculum, drawing on global guidance and adapting it to Nigeria’s reform priorities. Sessions were led by more than 20 experts from WHO Nigeria, WHO Regional Office for Africa, the Gates

Foundation, the Centre for Health Economics and Development, NHIA, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria.


The training focused on practical issues faced by states. Participants discussed how to raise and manage funds, improve financial protection, purchase health services in ways that improve quality and value for money, and use evidence to guide decisions. They also looked at how health financing connects with integrated service delivery, health security, climate resilience and digital systems.
“Knowledge must lead to action and impact on the population we serve,” said Dr Francis Ukwuije, WHO Nigeria health financing technical officer. “Our aim is to support the government and institutions to use evidence-based practical tools to improve financing decisions that have the best value for money and help more people access quality essential services.”


At the end of the programme, participants completed post-training assessments with the mean score increasing from 58% before the training to 61% after the training. With 64% of participants who improved in their scores, and a statistically significant paired t-test (t(32) = 3.64, p < 0.001), there is evidence that the increase in scores demonstrated that the training had a positive impact on participants' knowledge of key concepts of health financing and health insurance.

The immediate outcome is clear: 49 (21 females, 28 males) staff from federal and state health insurance institutions completed the WHO innovative health financing training and are better prepared to support insurance implementation in their states. The expected outcome is stronger state capacity to manage insurance schemes, improve decision-making and support coverage for poor and vulnerable groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities and people in rural communities.

NHIA Director-General Dr Kelechi Ohiri, represented by Aliyu Mohammed, said the work reflects the shared responsibility of government, WHO, the Global Fund, state agencies and partners to expand health insurance coverage. “The progress we have made shows what is possible when people and institutions work together for the common good,” said Ohiri.

Representing the WHO Representative in Nigeria, Dr Mary Nana Ama Brantuo acknowledged progress made by the Government of Nigeria in expanding health insurance coverage and reaffirmed WHO’s technical support in line with national priorities. “This training is part of a broader effort to strengthen the systems that make universal health coverage possible in Nigeria,” she said. “By investing in people and institutions, WHO supports lasting improvements in financing access to quality health services for all, especially those most in need.”

The initiative is part of the learning agenda of the Global Fund-supported Resilient and Sustainable Systems for Health pilot project on vulnerable populations coverage and the full integration of HIV and tuberculosis services into state health insurance schemes in Nigeria. It also demonstrates WHO’s commitment to translating global norms and best practices into country-led action, fostering peer learning and supporting governments to build resilient, equitable and people-centred health systems.

For participants, the next step is to apply the learning in their states. This includes strengthening insurance operations, improving planning, supporting long-term approaches to financing health services and ensuring that vulnerable people are considered in decisions.

Continued investment in health financing capacity and collaboration across federal and state institutions will be important for Nigeria’s progress towards universal health coverage.

For Igwe and his colleagues, the training was not only about policy. It was about helping build a system where more people in communities can get quality health care when they need it, without fear of financial hardship.

WHO

Video - Nigeria’s Borno resettles nearly 300,000 IDPs as insecurity persists

More than a decade of insurgency has forced thousands of families in Nigeria’s Borno State from their homes, livelihoods and communities. As security conditions gradually improve, the state is stepping up efforts to resettle nearly 300,000 internally displaced people and close IDP camps.

CGTN Africa