Nigeria is increasingly relying on international partnerships to modernize agriculture and strengthen food production. One key collaboration is with Chinese firm CGCOC Agriculture, which is introducing modern farming technologies and training local farmers to improve productivity and sustainability. CGTN looks at how the initiative is transforming farming communities and what it could mean for Nigeria’s long-term food security goals.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Video - Nigeria turns to global partnerships to boost food security
Nigeria is increasingly relying on international partnerships to modernize agriculture and strengthen food production. One key collaboration is with Chinese firm CGCOC Agriculture, which is introducing modern farming technologies and training local farmers to improve productivity and sustainability. CGTN looks at how the initiative is transforming farming communities and what it could mean for Nigeria’s long-term food security goals.
US Report Says 30,000 Armed Fulani Militants Operating Across Nigeria
New report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has revealed that about 30,000 armed Fulani militants are currently operating across Nigeria, carrying out deadly attacks, kidnappings and widespread violence that have displaced over 1.3 million people, especially in the country’s Middle Belt region.
The report described the armed groups as one of the most dangerous non-state actors in Nigeria, stressing that their activities have intensified insecurity, deepened humanitarian crises and worsened religious tensions in several parts of the country.
The report stated that attacks linked to the groups have resulted in thousands of deaths, destruction of villages and mass displacement of rural populations over the years.
“An estimated 30,000 Fulani militants likely operate across the country, traditionally concentrating in the country’s northwest, then migrating down through the Middle Belt, and becoming increasingly active in the South. Each group consists of anywhere from 10 to 1,000 members.
“While these militants do not share a centralised leadership, some collaborate on attacks. Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year as compared to attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs.
“Fulani assailants have not spared Muslims, raiding herders’ cattle and violently attacking non-Fulani Muslim communities. Furthermore, many militants have targeted Christian communities in the Middle Belt and, increasingly, the South, burning homes and churches as well as kidnapping, raping, and murdering.
“Militants often coordinate via radio and utilise motorcycles and automatic weapons, rapidly hitting several targets at once in rural, isolated areas. They often wield machetes and descend on vulnerable communities,” the report said.
The commission estimated that at least 1.3 million people had been displaced by violence associated with the groups, with Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa and parts of Niger states among the worst-hit areas.
However, the report cautioned against viewing the violence solely through a religious lens, stressing that the conflict is rooted in multiple overlapping factors.
“The violence associated with Fulani militants is driven by a complex combination of religion, ethnicity, competition over land and water resources, criminality, and environmental degradation,” USCIRF stated.
It added that worsening desertification, population growth and shrinking grazing routes have intensified clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farming communities across northern and central Nigeria.
The commission further alleged that some militant factions have developed links with criminal gangs and extremist groups operating in the region. “Some Fulani militant groups reportedly collaborate with bandit groups and other armed actors to conduct raids, cattle rustling, kidnappings for ransom, and attacks on civilians,” the report said.
USCIRF criticised the response of Nigerian security agencies, arguing that authorities have struggled to effectively contain the violence despite repeated military deployments and security operations.
“Government authorities have often failed to prevent attacks, respond rapidly to incidents, or hold perpetrators accountable,” the report stated.
According to the commission, the inability to consistently prosecute perpetrators has contributed to a climate of impunity and recurring cycles of violence in affected communities.
The report also cited accusations by some local communities that security responses are sometimes delayed or inadequate, although it acknowledged that Nigerian authorities continue to face enormous operational and logistical challenges in tackling insecurity across multiple fronts.
Despite its criticisms, USCIRF highlighted several efforts undertaken by the Nigerian government to address the crisis. The report referenced increased military operations in parts of the North-central and North-west, expanded intelligence-sharing efforts and the deployment of special security task forces to troubled communities.
It also noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had taken steps to strengthen counterterrorism measures and intensify actions against armed groups involved in kidnappings and violent attacks.
Nevertheless, USCIRF maintained that the government’s response has not been sufficient to stem the scale of the violence. “Despite government efforts, attacks by Fulani militants continue with devastating consequences for civilians,” the report stated.
USCIRF argued that persistent violence by both state and non-state actors, including extremist and armed groups, continues to threaten religious communities and undermine stability in Africa’s most populous nation.
“There has been some evidence of increased government efforts, both before and after the October CPC (Country of Particular Concern) designation, to address Fulani-led violence through prosecutions and community-level engagement.
“In September, prosecutors filed initial terrorism charges against nine Fulani herders. All nine defendants, including the alleged organiser of the massacre, Lawal Mohammed Dono Ardo, have reported ties to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN),” it stated.
The report described the armed groups as one of the most dangerous non-state actors in Nigeria, stressing that their activities have intensified insecurity, deepened humanitarian crises and worsened religious tensions in several parts of the country.
The report stated that attacks linked to the groups have resulted in thousands of deaths, destruction of villages and mass displacement of rural populations over the years.
“An estimated 30,000 Fulani militants likely operate across the country, traditionally concentrating in the country’s northwest, then migrating down through the Middle Belt, and becoming increasingly active in the South. Each group consists of anywhere from 10 to 1,000 members.
“While these militants do not share a centralised leadership, some collaborate on attacks. Violence by Fulani militants caused the highest number of deaths among all religious communities in Nigeria over the last year as compared to attacks by organised insurgent groups and criminal gangs.
“Fulani assailants have not spared Muslims, raiding herders’ cattle and violently attacking non-Fulani Muslim communities. Furthermore, many militants have targeted Christian communities in the Middle Belt and, increasingly, the South, burning homes and churches as well as kidnapping, raping, and murdering.
“Militants often coordinate via radio and utilise motorcycles and automatic weapons, rapidly hitting several targets at once in rural, isolated areas. They often wield machetes and descend on vulnerable communities,” the report said.
The commission estimated that at least 1.3 million people had been displaced by violence associated with the groups, with Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa and parts of Niger states among the worst-hit areas.
However, the report cautioned against viewing the violence solely through a religious lens, stressing that the conflict is rooted in multiple overlapping factors.
“The violence associated with Fulani militants is driven by a complex combination of religion, ethnicity, competition over land and water resources, criminality, and environmental degradation,” USCIRF stated.
It added that worsening desertification, population growth and shrinking grazing routes have intensified clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farming communities across northern and central Nigeria.
The commission further alleged that some militant factions have developed links with criminal gangs and extremist groups operating in the region. “Some Fulani militant groups reportedly collaborate with bandit groups and other armed actors to conduct raids, cattle rustling, kidnappings for ransom, and attacks on civilians,” the report said.
USCIRF criticised the response of Nigerian security agencies, arguing that authorities have struggled to effectively contain the violence despite repeated military deployments and security operations.
“Government authorities have often failed to prevent attacks, respond rapidly to incidents, or hold perpetrators accountable,” the report stated.
According to the commission, the inability to consistently prosecute perpetrators has contributed to a climate of impunity and recurring cycles of violence in affected communities.
The report also cited accusations by some local communities that security responses are sometimes delayed or inadequate, although it acknowledged that Nigerian authorities continue to face enormous operational and logistical challenges in tackling insecurity across multiple fronts.
Despite its criticisms, USCIRF highlighted several efforts undertaken by the Nigerian government to address the crisis. The report referenced increased military operations in parts of the North-central and North-west, expanded intelligence-sharing efforts and the deployment of special security task forces to troubled communities.
It also noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu had taken steps to strengthen counterterrorism measures and intensify actions against armed groups involved in kidnappings and violent attacks.
Nevertheless, USCIRF maintained that the government’s response has not been sufficient to stem the scale of the violence. “Despite government efforts, attacks by Fulani militants continue with devastating consequences for civilians,” the report stated.
USCIRF argued that persistent violence by both state and non-state actors, including extremist and armed groups, continues to threaten religious communities and undermine stability in Africa’s most populous nation.
“There has been some evidence of increased government efforts, both before and after the October CPC (Country of Particular Concern) designation, to address Fulani-led violence through prosecutions and community-level engagement.
“In September, prosecutors filed initial terrorism charges against nine Fulani herders. All nine defendants, including the alleged organiser of the massacre, Lawal Mohammed Dono Ardo, have reported ties to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN),” it stated.
By Emmanuel Addeh, Arise News
Nigeria FA confirm death of former Southampton, Antwerp forward Victor Udoh
"We are shocked and saddened beyond words that such a promising life has been cut short in very unusual circumstances," NFF Director of Communications Ademola Olajire said told ESPN.
"We are awaiting more details, but this is horrendous and heartbreaking."
Udoh was found dead in Abuja on Monday. Local media reports indicate that the forward, who played for Czech club Dynamo České Budějovice, had returned to Nigeria after the end of the Czech football season.
He was reportedly in Abuja the night before his death, having gone out with friends, and was found the following morning. Some reports cited by Nigerian outlets suggested possible food or alcohol poisoning, though no official determination has been made.
Authorities had not publicly disclosed further details at the time of publication. The cause of death has not been confirmed.
His former clubs have been quick to pay their respects. Royal Antwerp issued a tribute on X, describing him as a player who made a mark during his brief time at the club.
"With great dismay, RAFC has learned of the passing of former player Victor Udoh," the club wrote. "Our thoughts are with Victor's family, friends, and loved ones. We wish them much strength, support, and warmth during this particularly difficult time. Rest in peace, Victor."
Southampton also posted its condolences on X. "We are devastated by the tragic passing of former player Victor Udoh at the age of 21," the club said. "The thoughts of everyone at Saints FC go out to Victor's loved ones at this extremely difficult time."
Udoh began his football journey with Hypebuzz FC in Abuja before earning a move to Royal Antwerp in 2023. His performances in Belgium attracted attention and eventually earned him a move to Southampton on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
He spent only a brief period at the club, featuring in eight matches for the under-21 side in Premier League 2 without making a senior appearance, before leaving by mutual consent in search of regular playing time.
He joined Czech second-tier side Dynamo České Budějovice in October 2025, signing a contract through 2028.
Former teammate Pierre Dwomoh, the ex-Watford midfielder, reacted on Instagram.
"I woke up to it on Tuesday morning," Dwomoh wrote. "At first you think something like this happens in your sleep, until you read the message thoroughly and realise: this s*** is real. Some of Victor's relatives I spoke to confirmed his death."
Udoh was born on October 18, 2004, in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
By Colin Udoh, ESPN
Atiku Abubakar Confirms Seventh and Final Run for Nigerian Presidency
At 78 years old, former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally announced that the 2027 general election will mark his seventh and absolute final attempt to secure the nation's highest office.
The declaration, made during an intense strategic pivot by the opposition, sets the stage for a high-stakes electoral showdown against the ruling All Progressives Congress. As the architect of a fragile new mega-coalition, Atiku is betting three decades of political capital on one last maneuver to unify a fractured opposition and capture the presidency that has repeatedly eluded him.
At 78 years old, former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally announced that the 2027 general election will mark his seventh and absolute final attempt to secure the nation's highest office.
The declaration, made during an intense strategic pivot by the opposition, sets the stage for a high-stakes electoral showdown against the ruling All Progressives Congress. As the architect of a fragile new mega-coalition, Atiku is betting three decades of political capital on one last maneuver to unify a fractured opposition and capture the presidency that has repeatedly eluded him.
The declaration, made during an intense strategic pivot by the opposition, sets the stage for a high-stakes electoral showdown against the ruling All Progressives Congress. As the architect of a fragile new mega-coalition, Atiku is betting three decades of political capital on one last maneuver to unify a fractured opposition and capture the presidency that has repeatedly eluded him.
At 78 years old, former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally announced that the 2027 general election will mark his seventh and absolute final attempt to secure the nation's highest office.
The declaration, made during an intense strategic pivot by the opposition, sets the stage for a high-stakes electoral showdown against the ruling All Progressives Congress. As the architect of a fragile new mega-coalition, Atiku is betting three decades of political capital on one last maneuver to unify a fractured opposition and capture the presidency that has repeatedly eluded him.
A Decades-Long Pursuit of Power
Atiku’s pursuit of the presidency is one of the most enduring narratives in African democratic history. His ambition spans back to the early 1990s, navigating through multiple political parties, shifting alliances, and relentless primary battles. Having served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku has always operated at the absolute pinnacle of Nigerian political strategy.
In a recent television interview, Atiku explicitly confirmed that age and historical timing dictate that 2027 will be his final campaign. He will turn 80 in November 2026, making him the oldest major presidential aspirant in the country's democratic era. By framing this as a definitive final run, his campaign team is attempting to cultivate a narrative of ultimate redemption, urging loyalists to mobilize for one last historic push.
However, critics view his longevity as a liability. Detractors argue that a seventh attempt reflects a stubborn refusal to pass the baton to a younger generation of leaders, risking the stagnation of the opposition’s broader ideological appeal.
Atiku’s pursuit of the presidency is one of the most enduring narratives in African democratic history. His ambition spans back to the early 1990s, navigating through multiple political parties, shifting alliances, and relentless primary battles. Having served as Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku has always operated at the absolute pinnacle of Nigerian political strategy.
In a recent television interview, Atiku explicitly confirmed that age and historical timing dictate that 2027 will be his final campaign. He will turn 80 in November 2026, making him the oldest major presidential aspirant in the country's democratic era. By framing this as a definitive final run, his campaign team is attempting to cultivate a narrative of ultimate redemption, urging loyalists to mobilize for one last historic push.
However, critics view his longevity as a liability. Detractors argue that a seventh attempt reflects a stubborn refusal to pass the baton to a younger generation of leaders, risking the stagnation of the opposition’s broader ideological appeal.
Forging the ADC Opposition Coalition
The 2027 strategy relies entirely on the successful formation of a unified opposition front. Following his defeat to Bola Tinubu in 2023, Atiku recognized that fragmented opposition voting blocs—specifically the division between his People's Democratic Party and Peter Obi’s Labour Party—guaranteed an APC victory.
To combat this, Atiku is a central figure in the newly formed African Democratic Congress coalition. This alliance aims to bring together heavyweights such as Peter Obi, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi. The coalition's objective is singular: to present a united front capable of dismantling the APC’s electoral machinery.
The 2027 strategy relies entirely on the successful formation of a unified opposition front. Following his defeat to Bola Tinubu in 2023, Atiku recognized that fragmented opposition voting blocs—specifically the division between his People's Democratic Party and Peter Obi’s Labour Party—guaranteed an APC victory.
To combat this, Atiku is a central figure in the newly formed African Democratic Congress coalition. This alliance aims to bring together heavyweights such as Peter Obi, former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi. The coalition's objective is singular: to present a united front capable of dismantling the APC’s electoral machinery.
. Age Milestone: Atiku will turn 80 years old in November 2026, months before the election.
. Electoral History: The 2027 election marks his 7th presidential bid and his 4th on a general election ballot.
. The Coalition: Leading the charge to merge opposition forces under the African Democratic Congress banner.
. The Objective: To consolidate Northern voting blocs and unseat the incumbent All Progressives Congress government.
Yet, the coalition is already experiencing immense internal friction. Disagreements over who will ultimately top the ticket threaten to derail the alliance before it gains momentum. Supporters of Peter Obi vehemently reject the notion that their candidate should play second fiddle to Atiku, demanding a generational shift that the veteran refuses to concede.
Yet, the coalition is already experiencing immense internal friction. Disagreements over who will ultimately top the ticket threaten to derail the alliance before it gains momentum. Supporters of Peter Obi vehemently reject the notion that their candidate should play second fiddle to Atiku, demanding a generational shift that the veteran refuses to concede.
The Demographic Disconnect
The core vulnerability of Atiku’s final run is Nigeria’s rapidly evolving demographic reality. The country possesses one of the youngest populations globally, with millions of young voters demanding radical systemic change rather than a continuation of the old political guard. The enthusiasm generated by the youth-driven Obidient movement in 2023 starkly contrasts with the traditional, elite-brokered politics Atiku represents.
To win, Atiku must somehow bridge this generational chasm. He is banking on his profound organizational control over northern political structures and his history of delivering massive voting blocs in key states. But numerical dominance in the North may not be sufficient if the Southern electorate and the youth completely reject his candidacy.
The core vulnerability of Atiku’s final run is Nigeria’s rapidly evolving demographic reality. The country possesses one of the youngest populations globally, with millions of young voters demanding radical systemic change rather than a continuation of the old political guard. The enthusiasm generated by the youth-driven Obidient movement in 2023 starkly contrasts with the traditional, elite-brokered politics Atiku represents.
To win, Atiku must somehow bridge this generational chasm. He is banking on his profound organizational control over northern political structures and his history of delivering massive voting blocs in key states. But numerical dominance in the North may not be sufficient if the Southern electorate and the youth completely reject his candidacy.
The Ripple Effect Across Africa
The trajectory of the Nigerian election holds massive implications for democratic norms across the continent. In Kenya, where coalition-building and ethnic voting blocs similarly dominate the political landscape, the success or failure of the ADC mega-alliance will be closely analyzed by political strategists in Nairobi.
As Atiku Abubakar prepares to marshal his vast resources for one final, grueling campaign, the stakes could not be higher. His legacy will be defined not by the six previous defeats, but by whether he can successfully engineer the ultimate political upset in 2027.
The trajectory of the Nigerian election holds massive implications for democratic norms across the continent. In Kenya, where coalition-building and ethnic voting blocs similarly dominate the political landscape, the success or failure of the ADC mega-alliance will be closely analyzed by political strategists in Nairobi.
As Atiku Abubakar prepares to marshal his vast resources for one final, grueling campaign, the stakes could not be higher. His legacy will be defined not by the six previous defeats, but by whether he can successfully engineer the ultimate political upset in 2027.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Nigeria becoming Africa’s largest fintech hub
Professor of Economics and Vice Chancellor of James Hope University (JHU), Olu Akinkugbe, has said Nigeria is rapidly emerging as Africa’s largest and most dynamic fintech hub.
Recall that Nigeria has the highest volume of venture capital funding on the continent and houses a booming ecosystem of over 430 startups. The sector is valued at over $10.6 billion and is anchored in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria.
Speaking when members of the National University Commission (NUC) visited the Lagos campus of the institution, the don observed that Nigeria was leading with innovations in payments, lending, and blockchain, thereby transforming the economy.
He also revealed that the institution’s Fintech programme was strategically designed to produce graduates who would not only understand financial systems but could harness big data, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive inclusion, efficiency, and security in financial services.
Noting that the institution was in advanced talks with the nation’s Fintech ecosystem, he added it was also having conversations with the University of Texas in Dallas, and two other universities in Canada and East Asia to collaborate on technological solutions that would contribute to digital innovation on the continent.
According to him, the NUC is a vital regulatory body to nearly 310 universities across our nation that plays an indispensable role in maintaining standards, ensuring relevance, and fostering global competitiveness.
He told the guests: “Your (NUC’s) consistent engagement with tertiary institutions strengthens our sector and guarantees that the degrees we award remain symbols of genuine scholarship and integrity. For this noble mandate, we express our profound respect and gratitude.”
By Sunday Aikulola, The Guardian
Recall that Nigeria has the highest volume of venture capital funding on the continent and houses a booming ecosystem of over 430 startups. The sector is valued at over $10.6 billion and is anchored in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria.
Speaking when members of the National University Commission (NUC) visited the Lagos campus of the institution, the don observed that Nigeria was leading with innovations in payments, lending, and blockchain, thereby transforming the economy.
He also revealed that the institution’s Fintech programme was strategically designed to produce graduates who would not only understand financial systems but could harness big data, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive inclusion, efficiency, and security in financial services.
Noting that the institution was in advanced talks with the nation’s Fintech ecosystem, he added it was also having conversations with the University of Texas in Dallas, and two other universities in Canada and East Asia to collaborate on technological solutions that would contribute to digital innovation on the continent.
According to him, the NUC is a vital regulatory body to nearly 310 universities across our nation that plays an indispensable role in maintaining standards, ensuring relevance, and fostering global competitiveness.
He told the guests: “Your (NUC’s) consistent engagement with tertiary institutions strengthens our sector and guarantees that the degrees we award remain symbols of genuine scholarship and integrity. For this noble mandate, we express our profound respect and gratitude.”
Video - Inside the US's biggest military push in Nigeria in years
Is the US getting into another endless conflict? After promising to pull troops out of Africa, Donald Trump is now ordering military strikes on insurgents in Nigeria. He’s also cut development funding which addressed the causes of terrorism. DW spoke with Cameron Hudson from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who says airstrikes can’t fill the gap.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Video - Nigerian ginger farmers eye China export boost under zero-tariff deal
Nigeria's ginger farmers say China’s zero-tariff policy could create major export opportunities, especially as the sector recovers from a devastating blight that destroyed up to 95% of harvests in 2023. Farmers and marketers in Kaduna State say stronger government support is needed to help producers meet China’s quality standards and overcome challenges such as poor roads, insecurity and high transport costs.
Cost of living crisis reshapes Eid spending in Nigeria
The Islamic teacher occasionally corrected a pronunciation or repeated a line, but his attention drifted.
For years, Akanji, who teaches at the Nurul Bayan Islamic School, travelled with his wife and children to Saki in Oyo State to reunite with his extended family for Eid al-Adha, often called Sallah in Nigeria.
When he did not make the trip, he would buy a ram for Eid and host a modest celebration with his family and students.
This year, neither is happening.
“I have concluded that we will just celebrate with whatever we have,” he told Al Jazeera.
The annual Muslim festival, marked by communal prayers and the ritual sacrifice of animals, is approaching amid deep economic strain in Nigeria.
In Abuja, rising food and transport costs are quietly changing how many families are preparing for Eid.
No travel home
Akanji said even parents and community members who usually support his madrassa are struggling.
“Most of them have not even paid,” he said, referring to tuition fees that help keep the school and his household running.
The pressure is not confined to the classroom. It shows up in bus stations, in markets, and in the small calculations people make before deciding whether to travel or stay.
Nafisa Ibrahim from Ogun, currently in Abuja doing a mandatory one-year programme for graduates under the National Youth Service Corps, said she has dropped her plan to go home for Eid. Transport costs alone made it impossible.
There is also no guarantee her family will even be able to slaughter an animal this year.
“Transportation is about 35,000 naira [about $26], compared to the 15,000 naira [about $11] I paid when I came to Abuja in February,” she said.
Opeyemi Ibrahim, a fashion designer based in Byazhin district, said customer patronage has dropped sharply despite the approaching festivities.
He said rising fuel costs and erratic electricity supply have pushed up his operating expenses.
“When there is no electricity, we have to run the generator,” he said. “Filling it costs about 10,000 naira [$7].
But without it, the shop becomes too hot, and we still need power to iron customers’ clothes.”
Akanji said even parents and community members who usually support his madrassa are struggling.
“Most of them have not even paid,” he said, referring to tuition fees that help keep the school and his household running.
The pressure is not confined to the classroom. It shows up in bus stations, in markets, and in the small calculations people make before deciding whether to travel or stay.
Nafisa Ibrahim from Ogun, currently in Abuja doing a mandatory one-year programme for graduates under the National Youth Service Corps, said she has dropped her plan to go home for Eid. Transport costs alone made it impossible.
There is also no guarantee her family will even be able to slaughter an animal this year.
“Transportation is about 35,000 naira [about $26], compared to the 15,000 naira [about $11] I paid when I came to Abuja in February,” she said.
Opeyemi Ibrahim, a fashion designer based in Byazhin district, said customer patronage has dropped sharply despite the approaching festivities.
He said rising fuel costs and erratic electricity supply have pushed up his operating expenses.
“When there is no electricity, we have to run the generator,” he said. “Filling it costs about 10,000 naira [$7].
But without it, the shop becomes too hot, and we still need power to iron customers’ clothes.”
Inside Kubwa livestock market
At a livestock market in Kubwa, visited by Al Jazeera ahead of Eid, the strain is obvious before anyone even speaks. Men stand beside rams tied to wooden posts. Buyers move from one animal to another, ask a few questions, then drift away.
Malam Ibrahim, a livestock seller who has been in the trade for years, sat near the feed, watching most of his customers leave empty-handed.
“People come, ask for prices, and walk away,” he said.
He pointed to a ram nearby, with black-and-white markings on its body.
“This ram is selling for 600,000 naira [about $438],” he said. “Last year, the same size was below 350,000 naira [$255].”
Getting animals down from northern Nigeria, Sokoto, Kaduna and beyond, has become more expensive. Fuel prices, transport fares, everything feeds into the final cost.
“Even the sellers are suffering,” Ibrahim said. If sales stay slow, he worries the animals will remain unsold after Eid, when their value drops further. “We do not pray to take them back home, but with the looks of things, I fear so,” he said.
At a livestock market in Kubwa, visited by Al Jazeera ahead of Eid, the strain is obvious before anyone even speaks. Men stand beside rams tied to wooden posts. Buyers move from one animal to another, ask a few questions, then drift away.
Malam Ibrahim, a livestock seller who has been in the trade for years, sat near the feed, watching most of his customers leave empty-handed.
“People come, ask for prices, and walk away,” he said.
He pointed to a ram nearby, with black-and-white markings on its body.
“This ram is selling for 600,000 naira [about $438],” he said. “Last year, the same size was below 350,000 naira [$255].”
Getting animals down from northern Nigeria, Sokoto, Kaduna and beyond, has become more expensive. Fuel prices, transport fares, everything feeds into the final cost.
“Even the sellers are suffering,” Ibrahim said. If sales stay slow, he worries the animals will remain unsold after Eid, when their value drops further. “We do not pray to take them back home, but with the looks of things, I fear so,” he said.
Eid cutbacks
One woman who had come to buy two rams left with only one.
Inflation has been steady in Nigeria for years now, but what people feel most is the gap between rising prices and stagnant incomes. The naira may look more stable against the United States dollar than last year, traders say, but moving goods across the country still costs more every month.
At Kubwa village market, buyers kept moving, but few stopped to buy.
Vendors selling tomatoes, onions, rice and cooking oil said sales were slower than usual, with many families cutting back even on basic festive food.
“We used to celebrate Eid with joy,” one trader said quietly. “Now we just calculate what we can afford.”
One woman who had come to buy two rams left with only one.
Inflation has been steady in Nigeria for years now, but what people feel most is the gap between rising prices and stagnant incomes. The naira may look more stable against the United States dollar than last year, traders say, but moving goods across the country still costs more every month.
At Kubwa village market, buyers kept moving, but few stopped to buy.
Vendors selling tomatoes, onions, rice and cooking oil said sales were slower than usual, with many families cutting back even on basic festive food.
“We used to celebrate Eid with joy,” one trader said quietly. “Now we just calculate what we can afford.”
Monday, May 25, 2026
Video - Nigeria averts aviation shutdown over fuel dispute
For the second time in two weeks, Nigeria has avoided a halt to its aviation sector after a surge in jet fuel prices. Emergency talks between airlines and government ministers led to a new tax waiver and a subsidized direct fuel supply for carriers.
President Tinubu to run for second term after party primary win
The ruling All Progressives Congress party held its presidential primaries on Saturday after a surprise candidate, Stanley Osifo, challenged Tinubu.
The president ended up getting nearly 11 million votes against 16,500 for Osifo.
Tinubu has won plaudits from foreign investors after rolling out some of Nigeria's boldest reforms, including the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies, ending foreign exchange controls and overhauling the tax code.
The president's chances of re-election were enhanced after an opposition pact to field a single candidate against Tinubu collapsed earlier this month.
Tinubu came into office in 2023 after winning against his two main rivals, who unsuccessfully challenged the result in court, alleging the vote was rigged. Tinubu said he won fairly.
Nigeria Military Issues Security Alert Ahead of Eid-el-Kabir Celebrations
Nigerian military has warned of possibility of attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on civilian targets using suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices during next Wednesday’s Eid-el-Kabir celebrations across the North East.
The Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) gave the warning in a security advisory ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration on Monday in Maiduguri.
In the security advisory signed by its spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) said the terrorists may target areas of high population concentration during the celebrations.
But the Theatre Command assured the public that these threats have been thoroughly anticipated, hence, troops have been forward deployed to critical and vulnerable locations across all sectors of the Theatre ahead of the celebrations.
It also assured that surveillance and ISR assets have been fully activated, patrols have been intensified, and security forces are operating in close coordination with sister agencies, the CJTF, and community vigilance groups to forestall any threat and guarantee a secure festive period for all residents.
The Theatre Command also listed security guidance that members of the public should observe in the days leading up to and throughout the celebrations
The secirity guidance include conduct of Eid prayers and festivities as close to their homes and familiar localities as possible, avoiding large open gatherings where practicable while exercing heightened vigilance in crowded public spaces such as markets, motor parks, banking halls, and prayer grounds.
The Command also urged members of the public to report any suspicious persons, unattended objects, or unusual movements to the nearest military checkpoint, police station, or civil-military liaison point immediately and to cooperate fully with security personnel during patrols and screening operations.
In addition, members of the public are advised to avoid unnecessary movement, particularly at night or in areas with limited security presence.
The Command also urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information or rumours capable of causing public panic and instead, rely on official information from verified government and security channels.
“The Theatre Command calls on traditional rulers, religious leaders, media organisations and community stakeholders to actively engage their communities and encourage the timely reporting of credible security information ahead of and during the celebration period. Your cooperation with security forces remains invaluable to the success of ongoing operations.
“Operation HADIN KAI reassures all residents of the North East that troops are on standby, fully prepared, and firmly in control. The Command remains resolute in its determination to deny terrorists any freedom of action and ensure that the Eid El Kabir celebrations proceed in an atmosphere of peace, safety, and dignity for all. The Theatre Command wishes the entire Muslim community a peaceful and rewarding Eid El Kabir celebration,” the statement concluded.
By Ayorinde Oluokun, PM News
The Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) gave the warning in a security advisory ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration on Monday in Maiduguri.
In the security advisory signed by its spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) said the terrorists may target areas of high population concentration during the celebrations.
But the Theatre Command assured the public that these threats have been thoroughly anticipated, hence, troops have been forward deployed to critical and vulnerable locations across all sectors of the Theatre ahead of the celebrations.
It also assured that surveillance and ISR assets have been fully activated, patrols have been intensified, and security forces are operating in close coordination with sister agencies, the CJTF, and community vigilance groups to forestall any threat and guarantee a secure festive period for all residents.
The Theatre Command also listed security guidance that members of the public should observe in the days leading up to and throughout the celebrations
The secirity guidance include conduct of Eid prayers and festivities as close to their homes and familiar localities as possible, avoiding large open gatherings where practicable while exercing heightened vigilance in crowded public spaces such as markets, motor parks, banking halls, and prayer grounds.
The Command also urged members of the public to report any suspicious persons, unattended objects, or unusual movements to the nearest military checkpoint, police station, or civil-military liaison point immediately and to cooperate fully with security personnel during patrols and screening operations.
In addition, members of the public are advised to avoid unnecessary movement, particularly at night or in areas with limited security presence.
The Command also urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information or rumours capable of causing public panic and instead, rely on official information from verified government and security channels.
“The Theatre Command calls on traditional rulers, religious leaders, media organisations and community stakeholders to actively engage their communities and encourage the timely reporting of credible security information ahead of and during the celebration period. Your cooperation with security forces remains invaluable to the success of ongoing operations.
“Operation HADIN KAI reassures all residents of the North East that troops are on standby, fully prepared, and firmly in control. The Command remains resolute in its determination to deny terrorists any freedom of action and ensure that the Eid El Kabir celebrations proceed in an atmosphere of peace, safety, and dignity for all. The Theatre Command wishes the entire Muslim community a peaceful and rewarding Eid El Kabir celebration,” the statement concluded.
By Ayorinde Oluokun, PM News
Related story: Boko Haram kill 33 fishermen, loggers in Nigeria
Friday, May 22, 2026
Massive Drug Bust: Nigeria Smashes Meth Cartel and Captures Kingpin
Nigeria's anti-drug agency said it had dismantled a methamphetamine syndicate in the largest seizure of its kind in the country, seizing drugs and chemicals worth about $363 million and arresting 10 suspects, including three Mexicans.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said late on Wednesday that coordinated raids on a farm in Ogun state and linked properties in Lagos state, southwest Nigeria, uncovered an industrial-scale clandestine laboratory and yielded 2.4 tons of methamphetamine and chemical materials.
NDLEA chief Mohamed Buba Marwa said the operation, carried out over 48 hours after months of intelligence work, exposed a network importing foreign "technical expertise" to produce drugs locally.
Seven suspects, including three Mexicans described as meth "cooks", were arrested at the farm used as a lab in Ogun state's Abidagba forest, while the alleged mastermind, Anochili Innocent, a Nigerian, was detained at his Lagos residence. Follow-up operations brought total arrests to 10, the agency said.
The agency said the scale of the haul, equivalent to millions of street doses, highlighted a shift by drug cartels towards setting up production bases in Nigeria.
The crackdown underscores Nigeria's growing role as both a transit and manufacturing hub in the global illegal drugs trade.
Illegal trade has been growing in Nigeria and West Africa, where porous borders allow cartels to expand logistics networks and links to Latin American trafficking groups.
Marwa said the agency will step up its crackdown on local and transnational networks across the country.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said late on Wednesday that coordinated raids on a farm in Ogun state and linked properties in Lagos state, southwest Nigeria, uncovered an industrial-scale clandestine laboratory and yielded 2.4 tons of methamphetamine and chemical materials.
NDLEA chief Mohamed Buba Marwa said the operation, carried out over 48 hours after months of intelligence work, exposed a network importing foreign "technical expertise" to produce drugs locally.
Seven suspects, including three Mexicans described as meth "cooks", were arrested at the farm used as a lab in Ogun state's Abidagba forest, while the alleged mastermind, Anochili Innocent, a Nigerian, was detained at his Lagos residence. Follow-up operations brought total arrests to 10, the agency said.
The agency said the scale of the haul, equivalent to millions of street doses, highlighted a shift by drug cartels towards setting up production bases in Nigeria.
The crackdown underscores Nigeria's growing role as both a transit and manufacturing hub in the global illegal drugs trade.
Illegal trade has been growing in Nigeria and West Africa, where porous borders allow cartels to expand logistics networks and links to Latin American trafficking groups.
Marwa said the agency will step up its crackdown on local and transnational networks across the country.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
Chinese investors may take control of Nigeria’s refineries in massive NNPC shake-up
Nigeria may soon hand majority control of two of its most strategic oil assets to Chinese investors as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited pushes a new plan to revive the country’s troubled refineries after years of failed rehabilitation efforts.
The proposal, which insiders say is being modelled on the successful Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas structure, could see Chinese firms acquire up to 51 per cent of the equity in the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries under a long-term technical and commercial partnership with NNPC.
The development marks one of the most significant shifts yet in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector and could deepen China’s influence in Africa’s largest oil-producing economy at a time when the country is struggling to end decades of refinery inefficiency, fuel imports, and mounting public frustration.
The proposed arrangement emerged after NNPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese firms Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co., Ltd. during a meeting in Jiaxing City, China, on April 30, 2026.
The agreement was signed by NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, alongside the chairman of Sanjiang Chemical Company, Guan Jianzhong, and the chairman of Xinganchen Industrial Park Operation and Management Co., Ltd, Bill Bi.
Although officially described as a “potential technical equity partnership,” findings indicate the discussions go far beyond a traditional refinery rehabilitation contract.
The proposal, which insiders say is being modelled on the successful Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas structure, could see Chinese firms acquire up to 51 per cent of the equity in the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries under a long-term technical and commercial partnership with NNPC.
The development marks one of the most significant shifts yet in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector and could deepen China’s influence in Africa’s largest oil-producing economy at a time when the country is struggling to end decades of refinery inefficiency, fuel imports, and mounting public frustration.
The proposed arrangement emerged after NNPC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese firms Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co., Ltd. during a meeting in Jiaxing City, China, on April 30, 2026.
The agreement was signed by NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, alongside the chairman of Sanjiang Chemical Company, Guan Jianzhong, and the chairman of Xinganchen Industrial Park Operation and Management Co., Ltd, Bill Bi.
Although officially described as a “potential technical equity partnership,” findings indicate the discussions go far beyond a traditional refinery rehabilitation contract.
NNPC adopts NLNG-style model
According to The Punch, sources familiar with the negotiations said the framework under consideration resembles the ownership structure of Nigeria LNG Limited, in which investors hold a majority stake, participate in governance, and remain actively involved in operations over the long term.
Under the proposed structure, the Chinese firms would not only help complete outstanding engineering and rehabilitation work at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, but could also become strategic co-owners with operational responsibilities tied directly to profitability and performance.
For years, Nigeria has spent billions of naira attempting to restore its state-owned refineries with little success. Despite repeated rehabilitation announcements, the facilities have continued to operate below expectations, forcing Africa’s top crude producer to depend heavily on imported refined petroleum products.
Industry analysts say the latest move suggests growing concerns within NNPC that previous refinery repair arrangements may not be sustainable without technically competent investors with financial stakes in the assets.
According to officials familiar with the agreement, the partnership would cover refinery operations and maintenance services to improve efficiency, reliability, and safety standards, while expanding refining capacity and producing cleaner fuels.
The discussions also include plans for petrochemical integration and gas-based industrial projects around the refinery complexes, potentially transforming the facilities into broader industrial hubs rather than standalone refineries.
“The scope includes capacity expansion, yield optimisation, petrochemical integration, and compliance with clean fuel standards, alongside exploration of gas-based industrial projects in Nigeria,” an NNPC official familiar with the discussions said.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Ojulari described the agreement as a major milestone following months of negotiations between both parties.
“All parties recognise mutually beneficial opportunities for the development and long-term sustainable profitability of NNPC’s refining assets in Nigeria and the collective weight required for success,” he said.
He added that the partnership represents an important step toward identifying technical equity partners capable of restarting and expanding the country’s struggling refineries.
However, officials stressed that the agreement remains non-binding and subject to extensive technical, financial, operational, legal, and regulatory due diligence before any final commercial arrangement can be executed.
The Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, said the model could help solve longstanding operational inefficiencies that have plagued Nigeria’s refining sector for decades.
According to him, the critical difference in the new arrangement is that the Chinese partners would become equity holders rather than ordinary contractors, giving them stronger incentives to ensure the facilities work efficiently and profitably.
“This is an innovative way of getting the assets to work in an efficient and sustainable way. The third party they have brought is taking equity. He’s a part-owner of the refinery and so would want the refinery to work so he can get returns on his investment,” Isong said.
The Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation project was previously awarded to Italian engineering company Maire Tecnimont, while separate rehabilitation work had also commenced at the Warri refinery.
If the talks progress into binding agreements, the deal could significantly reshape Nigeria’s downstream oil industry while expanding Chinese participation in the country’s refining, petrochemical, and gas sectors.
According to The Punch, sources familiar with the negotiations said the framework under consideration resembles the ownership structure of Nigeria LNG Limited, in which investors hold a majority stake, participate in governance, and remain actively involved in operations over the long term.
Under the proposed structure, the Chinese firms would not only help complete outstanding engineering and rehabilitation work at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, but could also become strategic co-owners with operational responsibilities tied directly to profitability and performance.
For years, Nigeria has spent billions of naira attempting to restore its state-owned refineries with little success. Despite repeated rehabilitation announcements, the facilities have continued to operate below expectations, forcing Africa’s top crude producer to depend heavily on imported refined petroleum products.
Industry analysts say the latest move suggests growing concerns within NNPC that previous refinery repair arrangements may not be sustainable without technically competent investors with financial stakes in the assets.
According to officials familiar with the agreement, the partnership would cover refinery operations and maintenance services to improve efficiency, reliability, and safety standards, while expanding refining capacity and producing cleaner fuels.
The discussions also include plans for petrochemical integration and gas-based industrial projects around the refinery complexes, potentially transforming the facilities into broader industrial hubs rather than standalone refineries.
“The scope includes capacity expansion, yield optimisation, petrochemical integration, and compliance with clean fuel standards, alongside exploration of gas-based industrial projects in Nigeria,” an NNPC official familiar with the discussions said.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Ojulari described the agreement as a major milestone following months of negotiations between both parties.
“All parties recognise mutually beneficial opportunities for the development and long-term sustainable profitability of NNPC’s refining assets in Nigeria and the collective weight required for success,” he said.
He added that the partnership represents an important step toward identifying technical equity partners capable of restarting and expanding the country’s struggling refineries.
However, officials stressed that the agreement remains non-binding and subject to extensive technical, financial, operational, legal, and regulatory due diligence before any final commercial arrangement can be executed.
The Executive Secretary of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Clement Isong, said the model could help solve longstanding operational inefficiencies that have plagued Nigeria’s refining sector for decades.
According to him, the critical difference in the new arrangement is that the Chinese partners would become equity holders rather than ordinary contractors, giving them stronger incentives to ensure the facilities work efficiently and profitably.
“This is an innovative way of getting the assets to work in an efficient and sustainable way. The third party they have brought is taking equity. He’s a part-owner of the refinery and so would want the refinery to work so he can get returns on his investment,” Isong said.
The Port Harcourt refinery rehabilitation project was previously awarded to Italian engineering company Maire Tecnimont, while separate rehabilitation work had also commenced at the Warri refinery.
If the talks progress into binding agreements, the deal could significantly reshape Nigeria’s downstream oil industry while expanding Chinese participation in the country’s refining, petrochemical, and gas sectors.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
With ‘Clarissa,’ Two Nigerian Brothers Are Forging an Arthouse Alternative to Nollywood
Twin brothers Chuko Esiri and Arie Esiri grew up in Nigeria but left the country for their education, and until recently, both seemed headed toward careers abroad. The brothers — now pioneers of a new wave of Nigerian arthouse cinema — premiered their acclaimed new film “Clarissa” at the Cannes Film Festival and stopped by the American Pavilion, presented by IndieWire, to discuss how writing their 2020 debut feature “Eyimofe” became a turning point in their careers.
“The genesis of — the kernel that led to — the writing of the first feature was I had moved from New York back to Nigeria to do my National Youth Service,” said Chuko. “My first instinct was to go back to New York. It’s a great city, but the longer I stayed at home, the more I was rediscovering and falling in love with [Nigeria], wanting to tell a story of [it], learning eventually that maybe the thing you want is in front of you, no matter how challenging or difficult it may seem.”
Nigeria is not just the setting for “Eyimofe” and “Clarissa,” but the films’ subject. One of the unifying threads across both films — from the wealthy social circles of “Clarissa,” loosely adapted from “Mrs. Dalloway,” to the poverty-stricken characters of “Eyimofe” — is how deeply their lives are shaped by Nigerian history and politics. The country has undergone a turbulent three decades since transitioning to democracy after years of successive military coups.
“We say often [Nigerians] talk about politics like the British talk about the weather,” said Arie. “I think that speaks to the consideration of Nigeria as a place, how we are evolving as a society, and it’s hard to remove ourselves from that dialogue.”
Nigeria, of course, has a successful film business known as Nollywood, which pumps out thousands of films a year. Most are for the direct-to-streaming market and defined by their brisk pacing and blending of comedy and religion into heightened melodramas, all of which are an escape from the realities of modern-day Nigerian society. It is the antithesis of the neorealistic instincts of the Esiri brothers, who never contemplated a filmmaking career in their home country.
“I’m on the side of the fence that sees Nollywood as a genre and not an industry, because a healthy industry should be welcoming, it should encompass every type of filmmaker, and every type of story,” said Arie. “I can’t speak to other Nigerian filmmakers, but I think Nollywood has different concerns, which are very liberating in many ways, but it’s something that I am not really interested in engaging with. On a societal level, I think we engage with Nigeria in very physical, material, and ideological ways, which makes its way into our films.”
From a filmmaking perspective, the Esiri brothers are far more at home in the world of Cannes than Nollywood. Growing up, the first African arthouse film they saw was Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s 2006 “Daratt (Dry Season),” and that the masterworks of African pioneer Ousmane Sembène were not readily available as they are now.
There was no model for the filmmaking careers they wanted, so pursuing their dreams in New York and Europe was a given — the more visually minded Arie coming up in the camera and lighting department in Paris before attending the film grad program at Columbia University, while Chuko first became a lawyer (a career he hated) before attending NYU’s graduate film school.
But when their return home lit a desire to tell Nigerian stories, the brothers believed their biggest accomplishment wasn’t necessarily making their well-reviewed feature debut. It was the funding: Nigerian institutions and companies fully backed the production costs of both “Eyimofe” and “Clarissa.”
“I think it’s about proving to the market back home and financiers that there are audiences for this type of film,” said Arie. “Making something viable investment-wise doesn’t necessarily have to mean commercial success; it can be cultural impact and exposure to other markets. That was a big thing for our first film. Our investors were a newspaper when they wanted to move into media and our little film got them exposed to 30 different markets across the world just by appearing at festivals.”
The brothers are extremely hopeful that Neon, which signed on to distribute “Clarissa” weeks before shooting commenced, will significantly expand that reach, but they see themselves as being part of something larger. Last year, director Akinola Davies Jr’s “My Father’s Shadow” became the first Nigerian film to play at Cannes; one year later, “Clarissa” is the second. They want this to be the start of a new wave for Nigerian cinema.
“I think with the generation of filmmakers behind us, you see a film festival has started that showcases short films [in Nigeria],” said Chuko. “and y”You now have artistically minded shorts being made by local filmmakers, and obviously the internet and streaming has changed everything, so we have filmmakers that are exposed to all sorts of movies.”
“The genesis of — the kernel that led to — the writing of the first feature was I had moved from New York back to Nigeria to do my National Youth Service,” said Chuko. “My first instinct was to go back to New York. It’s a great city, but the longer I stayed at home, the more I was rediscovering and falling in love with [Nigeria], wanting to tell a story of [it], learning eventually that maybe the thing you want is in front of you, no matter how challenging or difficult it may seem.”
Nigeria is not just the setting for “Eyimofe” and “Clarissa,” but the films’ subject. One of the unifying threads across both films — from the wealthy social circles of “Clarissa,” loosely adapted from “Mrs. Dalloway,” to the poverty-stricken characters of “Eyimofe” — is how deeply their lives are shaped by Nigerian history and politics. The country has undergone a turbulent three decades since transitioning to democracy after years of successive military coups.
“We say often [Nigerians] talk about politics like the British talk about the weather,” said Arie. “I think that speaks to the consideration of Nigeria as a place, how we are evolving as a society, and it’s hard to remove ourselves from that dialogue.”
Nigeria, of course, has a successful film business known as Nollywood, which pumps out thousands of films a year. Most are for the direct-to-streaming market and defined by their brisk pacing and blending of comedy and religion into heightened melodramas, all of which are an escape from the realities of modern-day Nigerian society. It is the antithesis of the neorealistic instincts of the Esiri brothers, who never contemplated a filmmaking career in their home country.
“I’m on the side of the fence that sees Nollywood as a genre and not an industry, because a healthy industry should be welcoming, it should encompass every type of filmmaker, and every type of story,” said Arie. “I can’t speak to other Nigerian filmmakers, but I think Nollywood has different concerns, which are very liberating in many ways, but it’s something that I am not really interested in engaging with. On a societal level, I think we engage with Nigeria in very physical, material, and ideological ways, which makes its way into our films.”
From a filmmaking perspective, the Esiri brothers are far more at home in the world of Cannes than Nollywood. Growing up, the first African arthouse film they saw was Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s 2006 “Daratt (Dry Season),” and that the masterworks of African pioneer Ousmane Sembène were not readily available as they are now.
There was no model for the filmmaking careers they wanted, so pursuing their dreams in New York and Europe was a given — the more visually minded Arie coming up in the camera and lighting department in Paris before attending the film grad program at Columbia University, while Chuko first became a lawyer (a career he hated) before attending NYU’s graduate film school.
But when their return home lit a desire to tell Nigerian stories, the brothers believed their biggest accomplishment wasn’t necessarily making their well-reviewed feature debut. It was the funding: Nigerian institutions and companies fully backed the production costs of both “Eyimofe” and “Clarissa.”
“I think it’s about proving to the market back home and financiers that there are audiences for this type of film,” said Arie. “Making something viable investment-wise doesn’t necessarily have to mean commercial success; it can be cultural impact and exposure to other markets. That was a big thing for our first film. Our investors were a newspaper when they wanted to move into media and our little film got them exposed to 30 different markets across the world just by appearing at festivals.”
The brothers are extremely hopeful that Neon, which signed on to distribute “Clarissa” weeks before shooting commenced, will significantly expand that reach, but they see themselves as being part of something larger. Last year, director Akinola Davies Jr’s “My Father’s Shadow” became the first Nigerian film to play at Cannes; one year later, “Clarissa” is the second. They want this to be the start of a new wave for Nigerian cinema.
“I think with the generation of filmmakers behind us, you see a film festival has started that showcases short films [in Nigeria],” said Chuko. “and y”You now have artistically minded shorts being made by local filmmakers, and obviously the internet and streaming has changed everything, so we have filmmakers that are exposed to all sorts of movies.”
By Chris O'Falt, Indie Wire
Pushback in Nigeria over ex-Boko Haram fighter reintegration
Communities in Nigeria's northeast, particularly in Borno state, are grappling with a difficult question: Can those who once took up arms against them truly return and be accepted?
Nigerian officials hope to reintegrate more than 700 former Boko Haram fighters into civilian life under its deradicalization program, Operation Safe Corridor. Authorities say the initiative is key to ending a decade-long conflict. But in communities that have borne the brunt of extremist violence, the policy is reopening wounds that have yet to heal.
The program has been running for years, but each new wave of reintegration continues to spark debate.
Nigeria bets on deradicalization program in North West
Nigerian officials hope to reintegrate more than 700 former Boko Haram fighters into civilian life under its deradicalization program, Operation Safe Corridor. Authorities say the initiative is key to ending a decade-long conflict. But in communities that have borne the brunt of extremist violence, the policy is reopening wounds that have yet to heal.
The program has been running for years, but each new wave of reintegration continues to spark debate.
What is Nigeria's Operation Safe Corridor?
Operation Safe Corridor, launched in 2016, is Nigeria's deradicalization program for former Boko Haram fighters who surrender to the military.
Authorities say it is aimed at encouraging defections and reducing recruitment. Participants undergo screening, deradicalization, psychological counselling and vocational training before being cleared for reintegration.
Over 2,000 individuals have passed through the initiative, according to Nigerian authorities. Officials say only those assessed as "low risk" are released back into society.
Usman Tar, former commissioner for information and internal security in Borno state, which this year saw renewed a violence, told local media: "When they return, there is a screening by the Department of State Services and they're screened by the community leaders."
Authorities say the scheme is working.
"We did not receive any negative report from anybody from any one of them," Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq, special assistant on security to the Borno state government, told local media.
"They were accepted by the community, and we hope this one will also be accepted."
Operation Safe Corridor, launched in 2016, is Nigeria's deradicalization program for former Boko Haram fighters who surrender to the military.
Authorities say it is aimed at encouraging defections and reducing recruitment. Participants undergo screening, deradicalization, psychological counselling and vocational training before being cleared for reintegration.
Over 2,000 individuals have passed through the initiative, according to Nigerian authorities. Officials say only those assessed as "low risk" are released back into society.
Usman Tar, former commissioner for information and internal security in Borno state, which this year saw renewed a violence, told local media: "When they return, there is a screening by the Department of State Services and they're screened by the community leaders."
Authorities say the scheme is working.
"We did not receive any negative report from anybody from any one of them," Abdullahi Sabi Ishaq, special assistant on security to the Borno state government, told local media.
"They were accepted by the community, and we hope this one will also be accepted."
Concerns for violence-weary Nigerian communities
But on the ground, acceptance is far from guaranteed.
In Borno state, some residents like Muhammad Sharif told DW the idea of living alongside former fighters is very unsettling. He suggests former fighters should be relocated away from communities they once attacked and describes the arrangement as "improper."
"If you forgive somebody and you want to integrate him, take him to another local government where the offended people will not see that person at their midst. They will not bring us peace," he told DW.
Abraham Philip said communities are still dealing from trauma, even as the government pushes ahead with the program.
"Yes, peace is taking place also but destruction is also taking place," he told DW, referencing recent attacks, including the Monday Market, the post office and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) bomb blast in Maiduguri.
Philip says communities have questions for the government, because "a lot of things have been happening. There are some people saying these are the results of the reintegration that has been taking place."
But on the ground, acceptance is far from guaranteed.
In Borno state, some residents like Muhammad Sharif told DW the idea of living alongside former fighters is very unsettling. He suggests former fighters should be relocated away from communities they once attacked and describes the arrangement as "improper."
"If you forgive somebody and you want to integrate him, take him to another local government where the offended people will not see that person at their midst. They will not bring us peace," he told DW.
Abraham Philip said communities are still dealing from trauma, even as the government pushes ahead with the program.
"Yes, peace is taking place also but destruction is also taking place," he told DW, referencing recent attacks, including the Monday Market, the post office and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) bomb blast in Maiduguri.
Philip says communities have questions for the government, because "a lot of things have been happening. There are some people saying these are the results of the reintegration that has been taking place."
Could reintegrated Boko Haram members relapse?
Others say the issue is not just about reintegration — but whether former fighters have truly changed. For Maiduguri resident Usman Abubakar, the distinction between theory and reality is key.
"In principle, it is a very good idea," he said.
But he adds: "We have had instances where repentant Boko Haram threatened to go back to the bushes when the promises the state government made to them were not fulfilled. That is why I don't want to call them repentant. I want to call them surrendered because you cannot see their mind."
Some Nigerians outside the conflict-affected northeast also remain divided. In Abuja, civil servant Hauwa Ajeje told DW: "It's going to be a vicious cycle. We'll be recycling the same individuals."
Raphael Ogbaji, a student at the University of Abuja, had a more optimistic take: "If they have chosen the path of peace and the path of repentance, why not give them the benefit of the doubt? Every human being can change."
Others say the issue is not just about reintegration — but whether former fighters have truly changed. For Maiduguri resident Usman Abubakar, the distinction between theory and reality is key.
"In principle, it is a very good idea," he said.
But he adds: "We have had instances where repentant Boko Haram threatened to go back to the bushes when the promises the state government made to them were not fulfilled. That is why I don't want to call them repentant. I want to call them surrendered because you cannot see their mind."
Some Nigerians outside the conflict-affected northeast also remain divided. In Abuja, civil servant Hauwa Ajeje told DW: "It's going to be a vicious cycle. We'll be recycling the same individuals."
Raphael Ogbaji, a student at the University of Abuja, had a more optimistic take: "If they have chosen the path of peace and the path of repentance, why not give them the benefit of the doubt? Every human being can change."
Nigerians debate over justice for Boko Haram survivors
Lawyer Ahmed Abubakar told DW reintegration raises serious questions about justice for victims.
"Those that have been affected negatively by the activities of these terrorists, they need restitution," he said, questioning why former fighters are being rehabilitated while many victims are still displaced.
"Some of the victims are still staying in Internally Displaced People's camps. Some have lost their homes and are not getting any form of justice," he said.
While Abubaker acknowledges that international law allows reintegration, he says state authorities have not been clear about who is being reintegrated or their level of involvement in extremist violence.
Lawyer Ahmed Abubakar told DW reintegration raises serious questions about justice for victims.
"Those that have been affected negatively by the activities of these terrorists, they need restitution," he said, questioning why former fighters are being rehabilitated while many victims are still displaced.
"Some of the victims are still staying in Internally Displaced People's camps. Some have lost their homes and are not getting any form of justice," he said.
While Abubaker acknowledges that international law allows reintegration, he says state authorities have not been clear about who is being reintegrated or their level of involvement in extremist violence.
By Chinaza Samuel, DW
Related stories: Video - Nigeria debates reintegration of former Boko Haram fighters
Weatherford selected for Nigeria deepwater work
Weatherford International has secured a deepwater integrated completions contract offshore Nigeria from ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (EEPNL), Weatherford announced on Thursday.
The company will provide upper and lower completions solutions, with equipment prepared through its global supply chain and supported locally in Nigeria. The contract falls under Weatherford’s well construction and completions portfolio.
“This contract reflects our ability to deliver integrated completions solutions for deepwater operations. We will provide technologies designed to support well integrity, reliability, and efficient execution in complex offshore environments,” said Weatherford CEO Girish Saligram.
Weatherford is a global energy services company that provides drilling, completions, production and intervention services.
In Nigeria, ExxonMobil engages in oil and gas exploration and production, petroleum products manufacturing and power generation. The company has said it plans to invest up to USD 1.5 billion in the development of Nigeria’s deepwater acreage, including towards the revitalisation of production in the Erha, Owowo and Usan oilfields.
The company will provide upper and lower completions solutions, with equipment prepared through its global supply chain and supported locally in Nigeria. The contract falls under Weatherford’s well construction and completions portfolio.
“This contract reflects our ability to deliver integrated completions solutions for deepwater operations. We will provide technologies designed to support well integrity, reliability, and efficient execution in complex offshore environments,” said Weatherford CEO Girish Saligram.
Weatherford is a global energy services company that provides drilling, completions, production and intervention services.
In Nigeria, ExxonMobil engages in oil and gas exploration and production, petroleum products manufacturing and power generation. The company has said it plans to invest up to USD 1.5 billion in the development of Nigeria’s deepwater acreage, including towards the revitalisation of production in the Erha, Owowo and Usan oilfields.
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Nigeria launches AI-driven education platform
The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), a centralised AI-powered platform designed to consolidate the country's fragmented education data systems into a single national registry covering more than 240,000 schools.
Speaking at the National Stakeholders' Workshop in Abuja, Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa described NEDI as the government's "single source of truth" for the education sector, enabling real-time, evidence-based planning and governance across the country's sprawling and historically underserved school system.
The platform has already captured records for over 32 million learners and 220,000 schools across 21 states.
The launch is partly a response to a damaging pattern the Ministry says persisted for years undetected. According to Ministry data, nearly 80% of development bank and partner investments over the last decade were concentrated in just two geopolitical zones - yet those same regions continue to record Nigeria's lowest literacy and numeracy rates.
"If we had used data before, we would have known where the investment needed to go," Alausa said. He added that future funding models would shift to results-based allocations tracked directly through the system, cutting off the possibility of capital flowing to areas without demonstrated need or impact.
Speaking at the National Stakeholders' Workshop in Abuja, Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa described NEDI as the government's "single source of truth" for the education sector, enabling real-time, evidence-based planning and governance across the country's sprawling and historically underserved school system.
The platform has already captured records for over 32 million learners and 220,000 schools across 21 states.
The launch is partly a response to a damaging pattern the Ministry says persisted for years undetected. According to Ministry data, nearly 80% of development bank and partner investments over the last decade were concentrated in just two geopolitical zones - yet those same regions continue to record Nigeria's lowest literacy and numeracy rates.
"If we had used data before, we would have known where the investment needed to go," Alausa said. He added that future funding models would shift to results-based allocations tracked directly through the system, cutting off the possibility of capital flowing to areas without demonstrated need or impact.
What the platform does
At the core of NEDI is the Nationwide Learner Identification Number (NLIN), a unique student identifier aligned with Nigeria's existing National Identification Number framework that will track each learner's complete academic journey from basic education through to tertiary level.
The system unifies previously siloed datasets from the Universal Basic Education Commission, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund into a single dashboard. School administrators and policymakers can monitor enrolment figures, infrastructure deficits, teacher qualifications, and facility availability, including water and computer access, from one interface.
AI and data analytics tools embedded in the platform will automate real-time tracking of educational gaps and flag localised system vulnerabilities as they emerge. The government also intends to integrate labour market demand data, enabling the system to actively guide students toward courses aligned with current workforce requirements.
"With this platform, we can know the number of students, teachers' qualifications, available classrooms, computers, and even water facilities in any school from one dashboard," Alausa said.
The initiative represents one of the most ambitious education data overhauls on the African continent, targeting full coverage of Nigeria's estimated 240,000-plus schools once deployment extends beyond the current 21-state footprint. By ensuring no child or vulnerable household remains invisible within Nigeria's development planning, the government says NEDI will directly inform budgeting, donor coordination, and policy prioritisation going forward.
At the core of NEDI is the Nationwide Learner Identification Number (NLIN), a unique student identifier aligned with Nigeria's existing National Identification Number framework that will track each learner's complete academic journey from basic education through to tertiary level.
The system unifies previously siloed datasets from the Universal Basic Education Commission, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund into a single dashboard. School administrators and policymakers can monitor enrolment figures, infrastructure deficits, teacher qualifications, and facility availability, including water and computer access, from one interface.
AI and data analytics tools embedded in the platform will automate real-time tracking of educational gaps and flag localised system vulnerabilities as they emerge. The government also intends to integrate labour market demand data, enabling the system to actively guide students toward courses aligned with current workforce requirements.
"With this platform, we can know the number of students, teachers' qualifications, available classrooms, computers, and even water facilities in any school from one dashboard," Alausa said.
The initiative represents one of the most ambitious education data overhauls on the African continent, targeting full coverage of Nigeria's estimated 240,000-plus schools once deployment extends beyond the current 21-state footprint. By ensuring no child or vulnerable household remains invisible within Nigeria's development planning, the government says NEDI will directly inform budgeting, donor coordination, and policy prioritisation going forward.
Boko Haram kill 33 fishermen, loggers in Nigeria
Boko Haram jihadists have killed 33 fishermen and loggers in two attacks in Nigeria’s restive Borno state in the country’s northeast, two sources told AFP Wednesday.
Monday’s attacks killed 27 fishermen in Mafa district and six loggers in Dikwa district, according to an anti-jihadist militia and a fishermen union official in the region.
“The fishermen were intercepted by Boko Haram fighters on motorcycles two kilometres from Mafa town,” Babakura Kolo, an anti-jihadist militia assisting the military said.
“All the 27 fishermen were shot dead,” Kolo said.
They were returning with a catch of lungfish from a dried up pond, said Abdullahi Sani, an official of a fishermen’s union in the state capital Maiduguri, 52 kilometres (32 miles) away.
Sani gave the same figure of 27.
Earlier, six loggers were shot dead by Boko Haram fighters while collecting firewood in the bush outside Malam Maja village in nearby Dikwa district, Kolo said.
They were displaced by jihadist violence and were living in makeshift camps in Dikwa town, 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, Kolo said.
Boko Haram and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have increasing targeted loggers, farmers, fishermen, herders and metal scrap collectors in the region, accusing them of spying on them and passing on information to the military.
Two weeks ago, Boko Haram fighters shot dead 18 loggers who had gone into the bush outside Abaram village in Borno state’s Bama district, according to anti-jihadist militia and residents.
Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the 17-year-old insurgency.
Most of the displaced live in makeshift camps, relying on food handouts from international charities.
But with the drying up of aid due to funding cuts, the displaced are left to fend for themselves.
Monday’s attacks killed 27 fishermen in Mafa district and six loggers in Dikwa district, according to an anti-jihadist militia and a fishermen union official in the region.
“The fishermen were intercepted by Boko Haram fighters on motorcycles two kilometres from Mafa town,” Babakura Kolo, an anti-jihadist militia assisting the military said.
“All the 27 fishermen were shot dead,” Kolo said.
They were returning with a catch of lungfish from a dried up pond, said Abdullahi Sani, an official of a fishermen’s union in the state capital Maiduguri, 52 kilometres (32 miles) away.
Sani gave the same figure of 27.
Earlier, six loggers were shot dead by Boko Haram fighters while collecting firewood in the bush outside Malam Maja village in nearby Dikwa district, Kolo said.
They were displaced by jihadist violence and were living in makeshift camps in Dikwa town, 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, Kolo said.
Boko Haram and the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have increasing targeted loggers, farmers, fishermen, herders and metal scrap collectors in the region, accusing them of spying on them and passing on information to the military.
Two weeks ago, Boko Haram fighters shot dead 18 loggers who had gone into the bush outside Abaram village in Borno state’s Bama district, according to anti-jihadist militia and residents.
Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced in the 17-year-old insurgency.
Most of the displaced live in makeshift camps, relying on food handouts from international charities.
But with the drying up of aid due to funding cuts, the displaced are left to fend for themselves.
Anti-drug agency shut down large meth laboratory in Nigeria
Nigeria’s anti-drug agency said it has busted a transnational organized drug syndicate involving Nigerians and Mexicans in the southwestern region of the country.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said late Wednesday that its special operations unit shut down “an industrial-scale clandestine laboratory” in a remote forest in the Ijebu area of Ogun state, which shares a border with Lagos, the country’s economic capital. The agency added that it is the biggest drug bust ever in the country.
The agency said in a statement that it arrested seven members of the “cartel,” which included four Nigerians and three Mexicans, during the operation, and three more in follow-up arrests.
“This network did not just traffic drugs; they were actively manufacturing industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal illicit substances right on our soil, threatening the national security and public health of Nigeria,” Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa, the agency’s head, said.
According to the statement, the operation resulted in the seizure of 2.4 tons of chemical materials, including methamphetamine, worth 480 billion naira ($363 million) and two vehicles.
In recent years, West and Central Africa have emerged as a hot spot for global trafficking and manufacturing of illicit drugs due to porous borders and corruption, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said late Wednesday that its special operations unit shut down “an industrial-scale clandestine laboratory” in a remote forest in the Ijebu area of Ogun state, which shares a border with Lagos, the country’s economic capital. The agency added that it is the biggest drug bust ever in the country.
The agency said in a statement that it arrested seven members of the “cartel,” which included four Nigerians and three Mexicans, during the operation, and three more in follow-up arrests.
“This network did not just traffic drugs; they were actively manufacturing industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal illicit substances right on our soil, threatening the national security and public health of Nigeria,” Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa, the agency’s head, said.
According to the statement, the operation resulted in the seizure of 2.4 tons of chemical materials, including methamphetamine, worth 480 billion naira ($363 million) and two vehicles.
In recent years, West and Central Africa have emerged as a hot spot for global trafficking and manufacturing of illicit drugs due to porous borders and corruption, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Related story: Growing meth market in Nigeria
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Video - East Africa competes for multibillion-dollar Dangote refinery investment
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has held high-level investment talks with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote as competition intensifies over the location of a proposed multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in East Africa. The debate centers on whether the refinery will be built in Tanga, Tanzania, or in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa. Analysts say the project could strengthen regional energy security by reducing East Africa’s dependence on imported fuel from the Middle East.
Nigeria Lassa Fever Crisis Kills 191 Across 23 States
A severe and rapidly escalating outbreak of Lassa fever has claimed 191 lives across Nigeria since the start of the year, overwhelming regional treatment centers and exposing critical vulnerabilities in the nation's infectious disease surveillance networks. The surging death toll highlights a systemic failure to contain a preventable virus that continues to decimate rural and urban communities alike.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday that the viral hemorrhagic illness has now infiltrated 23 states across 106 local government areas. With the median age of victims hovering at 30, the epidemic is systematically striking down the nation's most productive demographic, triggering urgent calls for international medical intervention and sweeping structural reforms.
A Structural Healthcare Deficit
The primary driver of the soaring fatality rate is the late presentation of cases at medical facilities. Early symptoms of Lassa fever—including fever, general weakness, headache, and muscle pain—are frequently misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. By the time patients exhibit the definitive hemorrhagic symptoms, such as bleeding from the mouth, the virus has often caused irreversible organ damage.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, emphasized the lethal consequences of these diagnostic delays. Experts warn that the high cost of treatment and the sheer geographic distance to specialized clinical management centers deter impoverished citizens from seeking immediate care. The financial burden of intensive antiviral therapy can exceed KES 150,000 equivalent per patient, a catastrophic out-of-pocket expense for rural farming families.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday that the viral hemorrhagic illness has now infiltrated 23 states across 106 local government areas. With the median age of victims hovering at 30, the epidemic is systematically striking down the nation's most productive demographic, triggering urgent calls for international medical intervention and sweeping structural reforms.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The epidemiological data paints a grim picture of a public health apparatus under siege. In its latest situational report covering Epidemiological Week 18, the NCDC revealed that the case fatality rate has skyrocketed to 24.6 percent, a terrifying increase from the 19.2 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The geographic concentration of the virus is equally alarming. A staggering 84 percent of all confirmed infections are isolated within just five states: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue. Bauchi and Ondo alone account for 52 percent of the national caseload, transforming local hospitals into overwhelmed triage centers.
. Total Fatalities: 191 recorded deaths across 23 states in 2026.
. Case Fatality Rate: Surged to 24.6 percent, up from 19.2 percent the previous year.
. Demographic Impact: The 21–30 age group is the most heavily affected, with a median victim age of 30.
. Hotspot Zones: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue account for 84 percent of all infections.
The epidemiological data paints a grim picture of a public health apparatus under siege. In its latest situational report covering Epidemiological Week 18, the NCDC revealed that the case fatality rate has skyrocketed to 24.6 percent, a terrifying increase from the 19.2 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The geographic concentration of the virus is equally alarming. A staggering 84 percent of all confirmed infections are isolated within just five states: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue. Bauchi and Ondo alone account for 52 percent of the national caseload, transforming local hospitals into overwhelmed triage centers.
. Total Fatalities: 191 recorded deaths across 23 states in 2026.
. Case Fatality Rate: Surged to 24.6 percent, up from 19.2 percent the previous year.
. Demographic Impact: The 21–30 age group is the most heavily affected, with a median victim age of 30.
. Hotspot Zones: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue account for 84 percent of all infections.
The primary driver of the soaring fatality rate is the late presentation of cases at medical facilities. Early symptoms of Lassa fever—including fever, general weakness, headache, and muscle pain—are frequently misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. By the time patients exhibit the definitive hemorrhagic symptoms, such as bleeding from the mouth, the virus has often caused irreversible organ damage.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, emphasized the lethal consequences of these diagnostic delays. Experts warn that the high cost of treatment and the sheer geographic distance to specialized clinical management centers deter impoverished citizens from seeking immediate care. The financial burden of intensive antiviral therapy can exceed KES 150,000 equivalent per patient, a catastrophic out-of-pocket expense for rural farming families.
The Agricultural Vector
Lassa fever is primarily transmitted to humans through direct contact with the urine or feces of the infected multimammate rat. The deeply entrenched agricultural practices in Nigeria's middle belt and northern regions inadvertently create perfect breeding grounds for the rodents. Poor post-harvest storage allows rats to contaminate food supplies, bridging the species barrier.
Furthermore, climate change and erratic rainfall patterns are forcing rodent populations closer to human settlements in search of food. Without comprehensive environmental sanitation protocols and aggressive community education regarding safe grain storage, medical interventions remain purely reactive.
Voices From the Frontline
The crisis is taking a severe psychological and physical toll on healthcare professionals. The NCDC report confirmed that an additional healthcare worker contracted the disease during the latest reporting week, underscoring the lethal risks faced by frontline responders operating in under-equipped facilities.
Treatment centers in Owo and Irrua are stretched beyond capacity. Medical personnel report dire shortages of personal protective equipment and ribavirin, the primary antiviral drug used to treat the infection. The constant exposure to highly contagious bodily fluids without adequate biomedical safeguards threatens to precipitate an exodus of specialized infectious disease clinicians.
Lassa fever is primarily transmitted to humans through direct contact with the urine or feces of the infected multimammate rat. The deeply entrenched agricultural practices in Nigeria's middle belt and northern regions inadvertently create perfect breeding grounds for the rodents. Poor post-harvest storage allows rats to contaminate food supplies, bridging the species barrier.
Furthermore, climate change and erratic rainfall patterns are forcing rodent populations closer to human settlements in search of food. Without comprehensive environmental sanitation protocols and aggressive community education regarding safe grain storage, medical interventions remain purely reactive.
Voices From the Frontline
The crisis is taking a severe psychological and physical toll on healthcare professionals. The NCDC report confirmed that an additional healthcare worker contracted the disease during the latest reporting week, underscoring the lethal risks faced by frontline responders operating in under-equipped facilities.
Treatment centers in Owo and Irrua are stretched beyond capacity. Medical personnel report dire shortages of personal protective equipment and ribavirin, the primary antiviral drug used to treat the infection. The constant exposure to highly contagious bodily fluids without adequate biomedical safeguards threatens to precipitate an exodus of specialized infectious disease clinicians.
Global Implications
The Nigerian epidemic reverberates beyond West Africa. Lassa fever is classified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen with pandemic potential. The absence of a licensed vaccine means that containment relies entirely on isolation and rigorous contact tracing.
Global health organizations, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières, have deployed tactical teams to assist Nigerian authorities. However, relying on foreign medical non-governmental organizations to patch structural deficits in a sovereign nation's healthcare grid is ultimately unsustainable.
As the death toll approaches 200, the Nigerian government faces a stark imperative. Without immediate capital deployment to decentralize testing laboratories and subsidize antiviral treatments, Lassa fever will continue its silent, annual massacre of the nation's youth.
The Nigerian epidemic reverberates beyond West Africa. Lassa fever is classified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen with pandemic potential. The absence of a licensed vaccine means that containment relies entirely on isolation and rigorous contact tracing.
Global health organizations, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières, have deployed tactical teams to assist Nigerian authorities. However, relying on foreign medical non-governmental organizations to patch structural deficits in a sovereign nation's healthcare grid is ultimately unsustainable.
As the death toll approaches 200, the Nigerian government faces a stark imperative. Without immediate capital deployment to decentralize testing laboratories and subsidize antiviral treatments, Lassa fever will continue its silent, annual massacre of the nation's youth.
Dangote plans major Atlantic port project in southwest Nigeria to support oil, fertilizer exports
The project, which spans more than 10,000 hectares across parts of Ogun and Ondo states, forms part of the group’s Vision 2030 strategy aimed at strengthening its position in manufacturing, logistics and export-led industrialisation.
The proposed port would be located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State, extending towards Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State along the Atlantic coastline. Dangote Industries said the facility is intended to serve as a logistics and industrial hub for imports, exports and regional trade.
Dangote Industries, the parent company of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery, as well as fertiliser and cement businesses, said the port would support exports of fertilisers, petrochemicals and refined petroleum products, while also facilitating imports of heavy industrial equipment and potentially future liquefied natural gas exports.
The Lagos refinery, which has been expanding exports of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel across African markets, is projected to double its output to 1.4mn bpd within 30 months.
“The Olokola Port project is a major step in opening up Nigeria’s economic potential, strengthening trade, reducing pressure on existing ports, and supporting industrial growth,” said MD for Infrastructure and Logistics Capt Jamil Abubakar, as quoted by The Punch.
“With its strategic location, Olokola would serve as a key gateway for exports and imports, boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global trade,” he added.
Abubakar said the proposed facility had been designed as part of an integrated industrial and logistics ecosystem intended to strengthen regional commerce and supply chains across Africa. He added that Dangote Industries would maintain engagement with host communities throughout implementation.
Apart from creating jobs and attracting foreign direct investment and, the company said it would support Nigeria’s export diversification strategy and strengthen participation in intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, president of the conglomerate, said last week he is considering Kenya as the preferred location for a proposed 650,000 bpd refinery in East Africa, shifting focus away from an earlier plan centred on Tanzania.
Meanwhile, he is targeting a valuation of around $50bn for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery ahead of a planned stock market listing later in 2026, which could sell up to a 10% stake through the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
Nigerian army says joint US strikes kill 175 ISIL fighters in country’s northeast
Nigerian forces working with the United States claim to have killed 175 ISIL (ISIS) fighters in a series of joint strikes in the country’s northeast in recent days.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday that operations conducted with the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) destroyed checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, military equipment and financing networks used by ISIL and the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has led a years-long struggle in the region.
“As of 19 May 2026, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS terrorists have been eliminated from the battlefield,” Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major-General Samaila Uba said in a statement.
“The joint strikes have further reinforced what the Armed Forces of Nigeria have consistently done over the years – hunt down and kill terrorists anywhere they are in Nigeria,” Uba said.
The announcement comes after AFRICOM said it had carried out attacks on Sunday in coordination with the Nigerian government. It also follows Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reporting that Abu Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIL’s second-in-command and also known as Abu-Mainok, was killed along with “several of his lieutenants” in a joint Nigeria-US strike.
The Nigerian Army said al-Minuki oversaw key ISIL operations in the Sahel and West African region.
After the announcement of al-Minuki’s death, Tinubu thanked US President Donald Trump in a post on social media for his “leadership and unwavering support”.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” Tinubu said.
The Nigerian military on Tuesday also reported the killing of another senior fighter, Abd-al Wahhab, who it said was responsible for coordinating attack planning and propaganda for ISWAP, as well as two senior ISWAP members, identified as Abu Musa al-Mangawi and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir.
Since suffering major setbacks in the Middle East, ISIL has pivoted towards Africa, which accounted for 86 percent of the group’s global activity in the first three months of 2026, according to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.
The US announced it had sent troops to Nigeria in February, in what was deemed a mostly advisory and training role, but the joint operations reported in recent days appear to signal a more active US involvement in the country.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday that operations conducted with the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) destroyed checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, military equipment and financing networks used by ISIL and the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has led a years-long struggle in the region.
“As of 19 May 2026, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS terrorists have been eliminated from the battlefield,” Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major-General Samaila Uba said in a statement.
“The joint strikes have further reinforced what the Armed Forces of Nigeria have consistently done over the years – hunt down and kill terrorists anywhere they are in Nigeria,” Uba said.
The announcement comes after AFRICOM said it had carried out attacks on Sunday in coordination with the Nigerian government. It also follows Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reporting that Abu Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIL’s second-in-command and also known as Abu-Mainok, was killed along with “several of his lieutenants” in a joint Nigeria-US strike.
The Nigerian Army said al-Minuki oversaw key ISIL operations in the Sahel and West African region.
After the announcement of al-Minuki’s death, Tinubu thanked US President Donald Trump in a post on social media for his “leadership and unwavering support”.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” Tinubu said.
The Nigerian military on Tuesday also reported the killing of another senior fighter, Abd-al Wahhab, who it said was responsible for coordinating attack planning and propaganda for ISWAP, as well as two senior ISWAP members, identified as Abu Musa al-Mangawi and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir.
Since suffering major setbacks in the Middle East, ISIL has pivoted towards Africa, which accounted for 86 percent of the group’s global activity in the first three months of 2026, according to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.
The US announced it had sent troops to Nigeria in February, in what was deemed a mostly advisory and training role, but the joint operations reported in recent days appear to signal a more active US involvement in the country.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Video - Nigeria housing crisis worsens amid rising costs
Nigeria’s housing crisis is deepening as rising rents, construction costs and mortgages make decent homes unaffordable for many families. Stakeholders say the country needs over 500,000 new homes annually for the next decade to meet demand.
Video - Gunmen abduct students in Nigeria’s Oyo State
Fear has gripped Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State after gunmen killed a school official and abducted students and a vice principal in coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire. Authorities have ordered temporary school closures as the number of abducted students remains unclear.
Nigeria intensifies surveillance as Ebola outbreak spreads in Central Africa
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has stepped up surveillance and emergency response following an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a confirmed imported case in Uganda.
Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case of Ebola, NCDC emphasised that it is maintaining heightened vigilance due to increasing regional mobility and the risk of cross-border transmission.
In a public health advisory signed by NCDC Director-General Jide Idris, the agency said it is closely monitoring developments in affected countries and coordinating preparedness efforts with the Port Health Services and other stakeholders.
“Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system,” Mr Idris said.
Highlighting preparedness measures that have been activated, Mr Idris said NCDC had strengthened nationwide surveillance systems for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases, while intensifying event-based monitoring and coordination with state health authorities.
Other measures include enhancing laboratory and diagnostic readiness, strengthening infection prevention and control awareness in healthcare settings, and expanding community engagement and public risk communication.
He further said the agency is closely tracking global and regional developments to ensure a rapid response if the situation changes.
Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case of Ebola, NCDC emphasised that it is maintaining heightened vigilance due to increasing regional mobility and the risk of cross-border transmission.
In a public health advisory signed by NCDC Director-General Jide Idris, the agency said it is closely monitoring developments in affected countries and coordinating preparedness efforts with the Port Health Services and other stakeholders.
“Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system,” Mr Idris said.
Highlighting preparedness measures that have been activated, Mr Idris said NCDC had strengthened nationwide surveillance systems for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases, while intensifying event-based monitoring and coordination with state health authorities.
Other measures include enhancing laboratory and diagnostic readiness, strengthening infection prevention and control awareness in healthcare settings, and expanding community engagement and public risk communication.
He further said the agency is closely tracking global and regional developments to ensure a rapid response if the situation changes.
Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal viral infection transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials of infected persons or animals.
According to the NCDC, the disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days.
It typically begins with symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain and sore throat before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
The director-general warned that early detection and isolation are critical in preventing outbreaks from escalating.
Mr Idris advised healthcare workers across the country to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola in patients presenting symptoms consistent with the disease, particularly those with recent travel or exposure history linked to affected areas.
He urged medical personnel to strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols, including hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, early isolation of suspected cases and prompt reporting through established surveillance channels.
Mr Idris appealed to Nigerians to avoid panic or the spread of misinformation, stressing that there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in the country.
“Residents are advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons and refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources.”
He also encouraged members of the public to promptly report unusual illnesses to health facilities and rely only on verified information from official public health authorities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the latest alert has renewed concerns about the potential regional spread, particularly in countries with high levels of border movement and trade.
Nigeria’s extensive travel connections and large population make preparedness essential, especially given the country’s previous experience managing Ebola outbreaks.
Nigeria was internationally praised for containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak after swift tracing and isolation measures prevented widespread transmission following the arrival of an infected traveller from Liberia.
NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning of significant regional and global risks.
The decision, announced on 16 May by the WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus under the International Health Regulations (2005), follows rising infections and deaths, alongside evidence of cross-border transmission.
However, the organisation clarified that the situation did not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency.
Data from WHO showed that as of 16 May, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths have been recorded in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo.
The affected areas include Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, where clusters of unexplained community deaths have raised alarm.
In Uganda, two confirmed cases, including one fatality, were reported in the capital, Kampala, within 24 hours of each other.
Both individuals had recently travelled from DR Congo, marking a confirmed international spread of the virus.
Unlike other strains of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for the Bundibugyo variant, raising concerns among global health authorities.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal viral infection transmitted through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials of infected persons or animals.
According to the NCDC, the disease has an incubation period ranging from two to 21 days.
It typically begins with symptoms such as fever, weakness, headache, muscle pain and sore throat before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, unexplained bleeding.
The director-general warned that early detection and isolation are critical in preventing outbreaks from escalating.
Mr Idris advised healthcare workers across the country to maintain a high index of suspicion for Ebola in patients presenting symptoms consistent with the disease, particularly those with recent travel or exposure history linked to affected areas.
He urged medical personnel to strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols, including hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, early isolation of suspected cases and prompt reporting through established surveillance channels.
Mr Idris appealed to Nigerians to avoid panic or the spread of misinformation, stressing that there is currently no confirmed Ebola case in the country.
“Residents are advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons and refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources.”
He also encouraged members of the public to promptly report unusual illnesses to health facilities and rely only on verified information from official public health authorities.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the latest alert has renewed concerns about the potential regional spread, particularly in countries with high levels of border movement and trade.
Nigeria’s extensive travel connections and large population make preparedness essential, especially given the country’s previous experience managing Ebola outbreaks.
Nigeria was internationally praised for containing the 2014 Ebola outbreak after swift tracing and isolation measures prevented widespread transmission following the arrival of an infected traveller from Liberia.
NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning of significant regional and global risks.
The decision, announced on 16 May by the WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus under the International Health Regulations (2005), follows rising infections and deaths, alongside evidence of cross-border transmission.
However, the organisation clarified that the situation did not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency.
Data from WHO showed that as of 16 May, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths have been recorded in Ituri Province in eastern DR Congo.
The affected areas include Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, where clusters of unexplained community deaths have raised alarm.
In Uganda, two confirmed cases, including one fatality, were reported in the capital, Kampala, within 24 hours of each other.
Both individuals had recently travelled from DR Congo, marking a confirmed international spread of the virus.
Unlike other strains of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments for the Bundibugyo variant, raising concerns among global health authorities.
Nigerian military airstrike kills 100 civilians at a market, rights group claims
Nigeria ‘s military Tuesday denied a rights group’s claim that an airstrike killed 100 civilians in a market over the weekend, as attention turned again to a long-running fight against armed groups in the country’s volatile north.
Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.
“In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.
Nigeria’s military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”
“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.
The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.
Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria’s air force killed 100 people.
Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.
Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.
Amnesty International in a statement Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa in Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and said “multiple civilians” were killed.
“In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,” Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.
Nigeria’s military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but said “no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.”
“Civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,” said a spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, who said military operations continued in the area.
The Amnesty allegation is the latest related to an accidental military airstrike hitting civilians in the West African nation that faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram.
Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria’s air force killed 100 people.
Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups.
Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan and Tunde Omolehin, AP
Gunmen abduct 39 students, 7 teachers in attacks on Nigeria schools
Armed men abducted 39 students and seven teachers in an attack targeting several schools in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo State last week, officials and a Christian association have said.
The attack took place on Friday in Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools, officials said on Monday.
Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Oyo State, said 46 people, mostly children aged between two and 16 years, were taken away following the attacks.
In what police called a “coordinated attack”, armed men simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary in Yawota, and two other schools in Esiele, seizing pupils and teachers.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack as “barbaric”, while promising that the federal government was working with the Oyo State to “rescue all the victims”.
“We expect a breakthrough soon,” he said in a statement released by his office.
Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde said one abducted teacher was killed on Sunday, citing a video. Six suspects have been arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers to the kidnappers, he added.
A joint rescue operation by soldiers, police and local vigilantes was disrupted after they encountered improvised explosive devices planted by the attackers, leaving several wounded, Makinde added. Those injured are receiving treatment, he said.
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such attacks are rare in the southwest of the country.
The attack took place on Friday in Ahoro Esinele community in Oriire district, targeting a secondary school and two primary schools, officials said on Monday.
Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Oyo State, said 46 people, mostly children aged between two and 16 years, were taken away following the attacks.
In what police called a “coordinated attack”, armed men simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary in Yawota, and two other schools in Esiele, seizing pupils and teachers.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack as “barbaric”, while promising that the federal government was working with the Oyo State to “rescue all the victims”.
“We expect a breakthrough soon,” he said in a statement released by his office.
Governor Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde said one abducted teacher was killed on Sunday, citing a video. Six suspects have been arrested, including alleged informants and logistics suppliers to the kidnappers, he added.
A joint rescue operation by soldiers, police and local vigilantes was disrupted after they encountered improvised explosive devices planted by the attackers, leaving several wounded, Makinde added. Those injured are receiving treatment, he said.
Mass kidnappings by armed groups have become a serious security challenge in Nigeria in recent years, with criminal gangs exploiting weak security to target travellers, students, and rural communities for cash payments. Schools are often targeted, although such attacks are rare in the southwest of the country.
Monday, May 18, 2026
Nigeria debates reintegration of former Boko Haram fighters
Nigeria’s de-radicalization program for former Boko Haram fighters has sparked divided opinion. Authorities say it offers structured rehabilitation, combining disarmament, counselling and monitoring, to encourage defections and reduce violence. Supporters insist it is not amnesty but a controlled reintegration process aimed at weakening extremist networks and preventing renewed recruitment, but critics argue that it risks undermining justice for victims of the insurgency in the northeast.
Related story: Nigeria bets on deradicalization program in North West
US., Nigerian forces kill top Islamic State leader
U.S. and Nigerian forces killed Islamic State’s alleged No. 2, a man linked to terrorist attacks against religious minorities and the mass kidnapping of schoolchildren, officials said.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mainuki guided Islamic State “on matters relating to media operations, economic warfare and the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives and drones,” Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s armed forces, said in a release Saturday.
Al-Mainuki, born in Nigeria in 1982, had also led Islamic State fundraising operations, according to a United Nations report issued last year.
The operation that killed him, which took place in the Lake Chad Basin in northeastern Nigeria, was “a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism” regionally and globally, Uba said.
The U.S. and its allies have for years been killing top leaders of Islamic State and al Qaeda. Officials recognize that new militants step up to take their places, but argue that repeated decapitation blows weaken insurgents’ ability to plan, finance and carry out attacks.
Officials were vague about the role played by each country’s troops in this week’s Nigeria operation, which, according to a U.S. official, included both a ground assault and airstrikes. The U.S. has far greater air-attack capabilities than does Nigeria, and the Pentagon released a video of what appeared to be a devastating strike on an Islamic State position.
President Trump said in a social-media post that “brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission.” Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the operation also killed several al-Mainuki lieutenants.
Since establishing a short-lived caliphate in Syria and Iraq in the 2010s, Islamic State has increasingly focused operations in Africa, from the arid expanses of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Defense officials believe a Somali, Abdul Qadir Mumin, is now the group’s global leader.
The U.N. reported last year that there were some 8,000 to 12,000 fighters in Islamic State ranks in West Africa, an area also contested by powerful local al Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin.
From its African bases, Islamic State aspires to conduct terrorist attacks against U.S. and European interests at home and overseas, according to American officials.
Al-Mainuki “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump wrote.
The coordinated operation reflects the significant warming of U.S.-Nigeria relations since last year, when Trump blamed the Nigerian government’s inaction for what he described as “genocide” of Christians committed by Muslim militants.
At the time, Trump threatened to cut aid to Nigeria and send American troops in “guns-a-blazing” to kill Islamist extremists.
In the rapprochement that followed, the U.S. dispatched hundreds of American troops to train Nigerian forces, including in the complicated tactics of coordinated air-and-infantry operations. The U.S. said at the time that the American troops would provide intelligence on militant targets, but wouldn’t be involved in ground combat.
“Africa is the most important area of operations for Islamic State,” said Hans-Jakob Schindler, the former coordinator of the U.N. Security Council’s panel on Islamic State and al Qaeda. But Nigeria is a particular focus because it involves violence against Christians that resonates with Trump’s political base, Schindler said.
Attuned to Trump’s concerns, the Nigerians made a point Saturday of highlighting al-Mainuki’s role in overseeing attacks against ethnic and religious minorities. Trump made a point of thanking the Nigerian government for its role in the operation.
Al-Mainuki’s extremist roots could be traced back to Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group infamous for kidnapping children, and he was linked to a 2018 abduction of more than 100 schoolgirls in Nigeria’s Yobe State.
Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mainuki guided Islamic State “on matters relating to media operations, economic warfare and the development and manufacturing of weapons, explosives and drones,” Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s armed forces, said in a release Saturday.
Al-Mainuki, born in Nigeria in 1982, had also led Islamic State fundraising operations, according to a United Nations report issued last year.
The operation that killed him, which took place in the Lake Chad Basin in northeastern Nigeria, was “a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism” regionally and globally, Uba said.
The U.S. and its allies have for years been killing top leaders of Islamic State and al Qaeda. Officials recognize that new militants step up to take their places, but argue that repeated decapitation blows weaken insurgents’ ability to plan, finance and carry out attacks.
Officials were vague about the role played by each country’s troops in this week’s Nigeria operation, which, according to a U.S. official, included both a ground assault and airstrikes. The U.S. has far greater air-attack capabilities than does Nigeria, and the Pentagon released a video of what appeared to be a devastating strike on an Islamic State position.
President Trump said in a social-media post that “brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission.” Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the operation also killed several al-Mainuki lieutenants.
Since establishing a short-lived caliphate in Syria and Iraq in the 2010s, Islamic State has increasingly focused operations in Africa, from the arid expanses of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Defense officials believe a Somali, Abdul Qadir Mumin, is now the group’s global leader.
The U.N. reported last year that there were some 8,000 to 12,000 fighters in Islamic State ranks in West Africa, an area also contested by powerful local al Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin.
From its African bases, Islamic State aspires to conduct terrorist attacks against U.S. and European interests at home and overseas, according to American officials.
Al-Mainuki “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump wrote.
The coordinated operation reflects the significant warming of U.S.-Nigeria relations since last year, when Trump blamed the Nigerian government’s inaction for what he described as “genocide” of Christians committed by Muslim militants.
At the time, Trump threatened to cut aid to Nigeria and send American troops in “guns-a-blazing” to kill Islamist extremists.
In the rapprochement that followed, the U.S. dispatched hundreds of American troops to train Nigerian forces, including in the complicated tactics of coordinated air-and-infantry operations. The U.S. said at the time that the American troops would provide intelligence on militant targets, but wouldn’t be involved in ground combat.
“Africa is the most important area of operations for Islamic State,” said Hans-Jakob Schindler, the former coordinator of the U.N. Security Council’s panel on Islamic State and al Qaeda. But Nigeria is a particular focus because it involves violence against Christians that resonates with Trump’s political base, Schindler said.
Attuned to Trump’s concerns, the Nigerians made a point Saturday of highlighting al-Mainuki’s role in overseeing attacks against ethnic and religious minorities. Trump made a point of thanking the Nigerian government for its role in the operation.
Al-Mainuki’s extremist roots could be traced back to Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant group infamous for kidnapping children, and he was linked to a 2018 abduction of more than 100 schoolgirls in Nigeria’s Yobe State.
By Benoit Faucon and Michael M. Phillips, WSJ
Dangote refinery sues to halt Nigeria petrol imports amid market battle
Dangote Petroleum Refinery, the $20bn refining complex owned by Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, has intensified its battle with fuel importers and downstream marketers after filing a fresh lawsuit seeking to halt petrol imports into Nigeria, reopening a fierce debate over competition and supply security in Africa’s largest fuel market.
Court documents reviewed by Reuters showed the Lekki-based refinery asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to void import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to several marketers, arguing the approvals violated the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and an earlier court order to maintain the status quo.
The suit targets import permits granted to NIPCO Plc (NGX:NIPCO), AA Rano, Matrix Energy, Shafa, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy, which were collectively authorised to import about 720,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), as petrol is locally known, equivalent to roughly 960mn litres of petrol.
Under the allocations, NIPCO is expected to import 120,000 metric tonnes, AA Rano 150,000 metric tonnes, Matrix Energy 150,000 metric tonnes, Shafa 120,000 metric tonnes, Pinnacle Oil 120,000 metric tonnes and Bono Energy 60,000 metric tonnes.
An NMDPRA official quoted anonymously said the licences were approved to complement local supply and prevent shortages, maintaining the regulator’s long-standing position that imports remain necessary until domestic refining can consistently meet national demand.
The 650,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Dangote refinery, however, argued that continued imports undermine its operations and contradict provisions of the PIA, which it says only permit imports in cases of demonstrated supply shortfall.
The case marks a renewed escalation in tensions between the refinery and downstream marketers after Dangote previously withdrew a similar lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the only entity licensed to operate in the country's petroleum industry.
President Bola Tinubu last week publicly defended the government’s support for the refinery during the Africa CEO Forum in Rwanda, confirming he approved the naira-for-crude arrangement designed to improve domestic crude supply and reduce pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves.
Aliko Dangote recently disclosed that the refinery had processed crude at 661,000 bpd, exceeding its projected installed capacity, while outlining plans to expand capacity to 1.4mn bpd within the next 30 months. It currently sources about 56% of its crude feedstock from Nigeria, with the remainder imported from countries including Angola, Libya and the United States.
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) strongly opposed the lawsuit, warning that attempts to invalidate import licences could destabilise the downstream market and threaten billions of naira invested in storage depots, logistics and fuel distribution infrastructure.
“The import licences at the centre of this lawsuit are not administrative courtesies. They are the legal instruments through which Nigeria’s fuel supply chain functions,” DAPPMAN said in a statement, cited by local outlet The Punch.
The association argued that the PIA gives the regulator discretion to issue import licences where necessary to ensure supply security and warned against allowing “a private refinery’s commercial interests” to override the regulator’s statutory mandate.
Industry participants have increasingly warned that a complete halt to imports could create market concentration risks, while supporters of the refinery argue that continued imports discourage domestic refining investment and undermine efforts to achieve energy self-sufficiency.
Nigeria has historically relied heavily on imported petrol despite being Africa’s largest crude producer, with weak state-owned refining capacity forcing the country to spend billions of dollars annually on fuel imports before Dangote refinery began large-scale operations.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals plans to launch an initial public offering in mid-2026 targeting a valuation of $40bn-$50bn, with between 5% and 10% of the refinery business expected to be offered to investors.
The listing is expected to span multiple African exchanges, including the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), and would rank among the largest capital market transactions in Africa if completed.
Court documents reviewed by Reuters showed the Lekki-based refinery asked the Federal High Court in Lagos to void import licences issued by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to several marketers, arguing the approvals violated the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and an earlier court order to maintain the status quo.
The suit targets import permits granted to NIPCO Plc (NGX:NIPCO), AA Rano, Matrix Energy, Shafa, Pinnacle Oil and Bono Energy, which were collectively authorised to import about 720,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), as petrol is locally known, equivalent to roughly 960mn litres of petrol.
Under the allocations, NIPCO is expected to import 120,000 metric tonnes, AA Rano 150,000 metric tonnes, Matrix Energy 150,000 metric tonnes, Shafa 120,000 metric tonnes, Pinnacle Oil 120,000 metric tonnes and Bono Energy 60,000 metric tonnes.
An NMDPRA official quoted anonymously said the licences were approved to complement local supply and prevent shortages, maintaining the regulator’s long-standing position that imports remain necessary until domestic refining can consistently meet national demand.
The 650,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Dangote refinery, however, argued that continued imports undermine its operations and contradict provisions of the PIA, which it says only permit imports in cases of demonstrated supply shortfall.
The case marks a renewed escalation in tensions between the refinery and downstream marketers after Dangote previously withdrew a similar lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the only entity licensed to operate in the country's petroleum industry.
President Bola Tinubu last week publicly defended the government’s support for the refinery during the Africa CEO Forum in Rwanda, confirming he approved the naira-for-crude arrangement designed to improve domestic crude supply and reduce pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves.
Aliko Dangote recently disclosed that the refinery had processed crude at 661,000 bpd, exceeding its projected installed capacity, while outlining plans to expand capacity to 1.4mn bpd within the next 30 months. It currently sources about 56% of its crude feedstock from Nigeria, with the remainder imported from countries including Angola, Libya and the United States.
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) strongly opposed the lawsuit, warning that attempts to invalidate import licences could destabilise the downstream market and threaten billions of naira invested in storage depots, logistics and fuel distribution infrastructure.
“The import licences at the centre of this lawsuit are not administrative courtesies. They are the legal instruments through which Nigeria’s fuel supply chain functions,” DAPPMAN said in a statement, cited by local outlet The Punch.
The association argued that the PIA gives the regulator discretion to issue import licences where necessary to ensure supply security and warned against allowing “a private refinery’s commercial interests” to override the regulator’s statutory mandate.
Industry participants have increasingly warned that a complete halt to imports could create market concentration risks, while supporters of the refinery argue that continued imports discourage domestic refining investment and undermine efforts to achieve energy self-sufficiency.
Nigeria has historically relied heavily on imported petrol despite being Africa’s largest crude producer, with weak state-owned refining capacity forcing the country to spend billions of dollars annually on fuel imports before Dangote refinery began large-scale operations.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals plans to launch an initial public offering in mid-2026 targeting a valuation of $40bn-$50bn, with between 5% and 10% of the refinery business expected to be offered to investors.
The listing is expected to span multiple African exchanges, including the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), and would rank among the largest capital market transactions in Africa if completed.
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