Nigeria’s government is working to calm fears that the country’s current security challenges are religiously motivated. This follows the abduction of 163 Christians during coordinated attacks on two churches in the northwest earlier this month. The assaults drew global attention and reignited concerns about the safety of religious groups across the country.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Nigerian government acts to dispel religious targeting concerns
Nigeria’s government is working to calm fears that the country’s current security challenges are religiously motivated. This follows the abduction of 163 Christians during coordinated attacks on two churches in the northwest earlier this month. The assaults drew global attention and reignited concerns about the safety of religious groups across the country.
Music legend Fela Kuti becomes first African to get Grammys Lifetime Achievement Award
The Nigerian star will posthumously receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys - almost three decades after his death at the age of 58.
"Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it's a double victory," his musician son Seun Kuti tells the BBC.
"It's bringing balance to a Fela story," he adds.
Rikki Stein, a long-time friend and manager of the late musician, says the recognition by the Grammys is "better late than never".
"Africa hasn't in the past rated very highly in their interests. I think that's changing quite a bit of late," Stein tells the BBC.
Following the global success of Afrobeats, a genre inspired by Fela's sound, the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024.
This year, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy also has a nomination in the Best Global Music Album category.
But Fela Kuti will be the first African to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, albeit posthumously. The award was first presented in 1963 to American singer and actor Bing Crosby.
Other musicians who will receive the award this year include Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, the American singer known as the Queen of Funk, and Paul Simon.
Fela Kuti's family, as well friends and colleagues, will be attending the Grammys to receive his award.
"The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it's my father," Seun Kuti tells the BBC.
"So it would be impossible to ignore that aspect of Fela's legacy," he tells the BBC.
For Fela Anikulapo Kuti was not simply a musician, but also a cultural theorist, political agitator and the undisputed architect of Afrobeat - which is distinct from, but ultimately led to, the modern sound of Afrobeats.
He pioneered the Afrobeat genre alongside drummer Tony Allen, blending West African rhythms, jazz, funk, highlife, extended improvisation, call-and-response vocals and politically charged lyricism.
Across a career spanning roughly three decades until his death in 1997, Fela Kuti released more than 50 albums and built a body of work that fused music with ideology, rhythm with resistance, and performance with protest.
His music incurred the wrath of Nigeria's then-military regimes.
In 1977, after the release of the album Zombie, which satirised government soldiers as obedient, brainless enforcers, his compound in the main city, Lagos, was raided.
Rather than retreat, Fela Kuti responded through music and defiance. He took his mother's coffin to government offices and released the song Coffin for Head of State, turning grief into protest.
The musician's ideology was a blend of pan-Africanism, anti-imperialism, and African-rooted socialism.
Fela Kuti's mother was hugely influential in his life, helping shape his political consciousness, while the US-born singer and activist Sandra Izsadore helped sharpen his revolutionary outlook
He was born Olufela Olusegun Oludoton Ransome-Kuti, but dropped Ransome because of its Western roots.
In 1978, he married 27 women in a highly publicised ceremony, bringing together partners, performers, organisers and co-architects of the cultural and communal vision of Kalakuta Republic.
Fela Kuti endured repeated arrests, beatings, censorship and surveillance by the security forces. Yet repression only amplified his influence.
"He wasn't doing what he was doing to win awards. He was interested in liberation. Freeing the mind," Stein tells the BBC.
"He was fearless. He was determined."
Its melodic guitar lines, horn sections, dance rhythms, and cosmopolitan identity deeply influenced Fela Kuti's early musical direction.
He spent time in Ghana absorbing highlife's structure, horn phrasing, and dance-oriented arrangements before fusing it with jazz, funk, the rhythms of his own Yoruba people, and political storytelling.
The DNA of highlife can be heard in Afrobeat's melodic sensibility and its balance between groove and sophistication.
In this sense, Afrobeat is not only Nigerian. It is West African, pan-African, and diasporic in origin, carrying Ghana's musical imprint at its foundation.
On stage, Fela Kuti cut an unmistakable figure. Often bare-chested or draped in the wax-printed fabric popular across West Africa, hair shaped into a crisp Afro, saxophone in hand, eyes alert with intensity, he commanded a large band of more than 20 musicians.
His performances at the Afrika Shrine in Lagos were legendary, part concert, part political rally, part spiritual ceremony.
Stein recalls that performances at the Shrine were immersive rather than conventional.
"When Fela played, nobody applauded," he tells the BBC. "The audience wasn't separate. They were part of it."
Music was not spectacle. It was communion.
"Fela has been an ancestor for 28 years. His legacy is growing by the day. This is immortality," Ghariokwu tells the BBC, welcoming the posthumous award.
Today, Fela Kuti's music is still popular with millions around the world, and his influence is audible in modern artists such as Burna Boy, Kendrick Lamar and Sir Idris Elba.
Elba is a huge fan - the award-winning actor and DJ has curated an official vinyl box set, Fela Kuti Box Set 6, and has publicly compared him to icons such as Sade and Frank Sinatra to illustrate the point that Fela Kuti has his own unique sound.
Fela Kuti performed at major international festivals in Europe and North America, introducing global audiences to a bold and politically charged version of modern Africa.
"Fela never made me feel like I was a child," he recalls. "He didn't hide anything from me. He talked about everything openly."
There was no myth-building.
"I didn't even realise my dad was famous," he says. "That's credit to him. He kept me grounded."
What stayed with him most was not spectacle, but discipline, clarity and humanity.
"The human part of him, leadership, musicianship, fatherhood, that was the epitome of who he was."
One of Seun Kuti's most revealing reflections speaks to independence and identity.
"Fela was our dad, but you didn't own him. Fela belonged to himself. But we all belonged to him."
Fela Kuti insisted on being addressed by name, not by title, even by his children. Seun recalls having his pocket money docked after calling him "Pops", a moment that carried a lesson in respect.
"He always reminded us that he was in service to others more than himself."
That ethic shaped Seun's evolution from youthful ambition toward cultural responsibility.
"I used to make music to make money. But as I've grown, I lean more toward working for my people as well as my art."
Fela Kuti led multiple ensembles, most famously Africa 70 and later Egypt 80, the latter now carried forward by his son.
These were not conventional backing bands. They were musical militias, trained in discipline, endurance, and ideological purpose.
Stein recalls Fela Kuti's obsessive attention to detail.
"He tuned every instrument personally. Music wasn't entertainment to him. It was his mission."
Emotional Anthony Joshua speaks for the first time since Nigeria crash
British heavyweight and two-time champion of the world Anthony Joshua speaks for the first time since the car crash that killed two of his close friends in Nigeria.
Related story: Police arrest Joshua’s driver after boxer discharged
Deadly jihadist attack kills dozens in northeast Nigeria, including soldiers
A jihadist attack blamed on Islamic State-aligned militants killed dozens of people in northeast Nigeria on Thursday, including soldiers, local sources told AFP, in the latest violence in the region.
The attack happened overnight in Sabon Gari in remote Borno state, which has been the epicentre of an Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) offshoot rival since 2009.
More than 40,000 people have been killed and nearly two million others forced to flee their homes.
"The death toll runs into dozens," said Ibrahim Liman, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force militia that helps the Nigerian military against the militants.
"More bodies are still at the base while many soldiers are missing," he added.
Liman said 20 bodies, including those of five soldiers and 15 construction workers, and local hunters were taken to the general hospital in the nearby town of Biu.
Bukar Yamta Ali, secretary of a local hunters' group in Yamarkumi, near Biu, and two nurses at Biu hospital confirmed they had recovered bodies and wounded from Sabon Gari.
The victims were working on a road bridge that was destroyed last year in another jihadist attack, and were returning to their base when they were attacked.
Military and militia sources said on Tuesday that at least nine Nigerian soldiers were killed in an ISWAP ambush near Damasak near the border with Niger last week.
ISWAP emerged from a split with Boko Haram in 2016 and primarily targets Nigerian security forces, although civilians in the region have been caught up in the violence.
The attack happened overnight in Sabon Gari in remote Borno state, which has been the epicentre of an Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram and its Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) offshoot rival since 2009.
More than 40,000 people have been killed and nearly two million others forced to flee their homes.
"The death toll runs into dozens," said Ibrahim Liman, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force militia that helps the Nigerian military against the militants.
"More bodies are still at the base while many soldiers are missing," he added.
Liman said 20 bodies, including those of five soldiers and 15 construction workers, and local hunters were taken to the general hospital in the nearby town of Biu.
Bukar Yamta Ali, secretary of a local hunters' group in Yamarkumi, near Biu, and two nurses at Biu hospital confirmed they had recovered bodies and wounded from Sabon Gari.
The victims were working on a road bridge that was destroyed last year in another jihadist attack, and were returning to their base when they were attacked.
Military and militia sources said on Tuesday that at least nine Nigerian soldiers were killed in an ISWAP ambush near Damasak near the border with Niger last week.
ISWAP emerged from a split with Boko Haram in 2016 and primarily targets Nigerian security forces, although civilians in the region have been caught up in the violence.
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Makoko demolitions leave thousands displaced as Lagos clears floating settlement
Makoko, one of Africa's largest floating settlements on the lagoons of Lagos, has been demolished, leaving thousands of residents without homes or livelihoods. Families say they received no warning before authorities razed the community, citing environmental and public health concerns and the need for development. Many residents, who depended on fishing, sawmilling and informal trades, now sleep in the open with their children, unable to salvage belongings. Schools have been destroyed, disrupting education, whilst no formal resettlement plan has been announced, echoing past forced evictions criticised by human rights groups.
Related story: The Nigerian Government Destroys Orphanage in Makoko
Nigeria implements measures to reduce maternal deaths
The government says it has recruited about 2,500 community health workers to promote basic prenatal and antenatal care. According to the UN, one in every 100 pregnant women in Nigeria dies during labour or shortly thereafter.
Ex-Nigeria oil minister in bribery trial spent £2m at Harrods, court hears
Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, is alleged to have been provided with "a life of luxury in the United Kingdom", including the use of multimillion-pound properties, a chauffeur driven car, travel by private jet, and £100,000 in cash.
Other benefits she allegedly received included £4.6m spent on refurbishing properties in London and Buckinghamshire, the trial at Southwark Crown Court was told.
She denies five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.
Alison-Madueke was minister of petroleum resources between 2010 and 2015 under then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Jurors were told that over £2m was spent on behalf of Alison-Madueke at Harrods using the payment cards of Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko and the debit card of his company Tenka Limited.
The defendant had her own personal shopper at the store, only available to Harrods Rewards Black Tier members who must spend over £10,000 a year, the court heard.
Jurors were also told she lived some of the time in the UK where she was provided with a housekeeper, nanny, gardener and window cleaner.
The salaries and other running costs were paid for by the owners of energy companies who had lucrative contracts with the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the court was told.
"This case is about bribery in relation to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria during the period 2011 to 2015," said Alexandra Healy KC, prosecuting.
"During that time those who were interested in the award and retention of lucrative oil and gas contracts with the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation or its subsidiaries the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company and the Pipelines Product Marketing Company, provided significant financial or other advantages to Alison-Madueke."
Healy added: "It might seem strange to be dealing here in the UK with a case that concerns bribery in relation to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
"We live in a global society. Bribery and corruption undermine the proper functioning of the global market.
"There is an important public interest in ensuring that conduct in our country does not further corruption in another country."
Jurors were also shown photographs inside a property called The Falls in Gerrard's Cross, Buckinghamshire, which was bought in 2010 by Nigerian businessman Olajide Omokore, owner of a company called Atlantic Energy.
From late 2011 Alison-Madueke allegedly had exclusive use of the house which has a cinema room. The court heard she stayed there three or four times over two years, and spent six weeks at the property writing a book about the president of Nigeria.
She was assisted by a chef and the driver of car whose role included dropping off shopping for Alison-Madueke, whom he knew as "HM" - short for honourable minister.
It was said that this, along with £300,000 worth of refurbishment, was paid for by Tenka Limited. The court was told Aluko also had contracts with state-owned entities that were in the process of securing new oil contracts.
The court heard that between May 2011 and January 2014, £500,000 was also paid in rent for two flats in a block in central London where Alison-Madueke and her mother lived.
Records seized at the Tenka offices in Nigeria show the company settled the bill, it was claimed.
Alison-Madueke sat in the dock besides oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, who is charged with one count of bribery relating to Alison-Madueke and a separate count of bribery of a foreign public official.
Alison-Madueke's brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and joined the trial by video link for medical reasons.
Ayinde and Agama also deny the charges against them.
The trial – expected to last about 12 weeks - continues.
Oil plays a significant role in Nigeria's economy, but the population at large has not seen the benefits.
It is one of the 13 members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), set up to deal with the worldwide supply of oil and its price.
By Steve Swann, BBC
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Nigeria’s oil demand-supply imbalance raises questions about energy transition
Despite being one of Africa’s top oil producers, Nigeria remains heavily reliant on imported petrol. Even with increased domestic refining capacity driven by the Dangote Refinery, over half of the country’s fuel consumption is still sourced from abroad. This mismatch is raising renewed concerns about supply chains, pricing pressures, and the pace of Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy.
Nigeria's non-oil exports surge to record high of $6.1 billion in 2025
Efforts by the Nigerian government to boost non-oil exports appear to be paying off as new data from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council shows non-oil exports climbed to a record $6.1 billion in 2025. Authorities say the figure marks an 11.5 percent increase from the $5.4 billion recorded in 2024.
Nigerian Army rescues 11 kidnapped persons after 92 days in captivity, foils terrorist escape
The Nigerian Army yesterday said it rescued 11 kidnapped persons during a late-night operation along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway after foiling an attempt by terrorists to move their captives through a bush route.
The army said the operation, carried out on January 26, 2026, was executed by troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Doka, following intelligence obtained through surveillance.
In a statement, the army said its troops detected armed terrorists attempting to transport their captives through the Gidan Duna–Amale bush track under the cover of darkness.
It added that soldiers launched a swift pursuit using tactical vehicles and motorcycles, forcing the terrorists to abandon the victims and flee into nearby scrubland.
Five adult males, three adult females and three children were rescued during the operation. The army said the victims had been in captivity for 92 days, having been abducted from Gada Mallam Maman Community on October 26, 2025.
“The operation resulted in the successful rescue of five adult males, three adult females, and three children, who had been held in captivity since their abduction from Gada Mallam Maman Community on 26 October 2025,” the statement added.
The army described the operation as a demonstration of its effective use of modern surveillance technology combined with agile ground operations, stressing its commitment to denying criminal elements freedom of movement.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, yesterday announced a renewed alliance between the Nigerian Army and the Taraba State Government in an all-out push against terrorism and other forms of insecurity.
He spoke while receiving the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, alongside federal lawmakers and members of the Executive Council of the International Institute for African Defence, Security and Governance during a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Lieutenant General Shaibu said the army remained resolute in its constitutional mandate to support civil authorities in maintaining peace and security, noting that Taraba State occupies a strategic position within Nigeria’s security architecture because of its terrain and security dynamics.
He commended Governor Kefas for what he described as decisive leadership and effective coordination with security agencies, adding that the state government’s support — including the donation of land and provision of operational equipment — had served as critical force multipliers, significantly enhancing the tempo, reach and effectiveness of military operations in the region.
By Victor Gbonegun, The Guardian
The army said the operation, carried out on January 26, 2026, was executed by troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Doka, following intelligence obtained through surveillance.
In a statement, the army said its troops detected armed terrorists attempting to transport their captives through the Gidan Duna–Amale bush track under the cover of darkness.
It added that soldiers launched a swift pursuit using tactical vehicles and motorcycles, forcing the terrorists to abandon the victims and flee into nearby scrubland.
Five adult males, three adult females and three children were rescued during the operation. The army said the victims had been in captivity for 92 days, having been abducted from Gada Mallam Maman Community on October 26, 2025.
“The operation resulted in the successful rescue of five adult males, three adult females, and three children, who had been held in captivity since their abduction from Gada Mallam Maman Community on 26 October 2025,” the statement added.
The army described the operation as a demonstration of its effective use of modern surveillance technology combined with agile ground operations, stressing its commitment to denying criminal elements freedom of movement.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, yesterday announced a renewed alliance between the Nigerian Army and the Taraba State Government in an all-out push against terrorism and other forms of insecurity.
He spoke while receiving the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, alongside federal lawmakers and members of the Executive Council of the International Institute for African Defence, Security and Governance during a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Lieutenant General Shaibu said the army remained resolute in its constitutional mandate to support civil authorities in maintaining peace and security, noting that Taraba State occupies a strategic position within Nigeria’s security architecture because of its terrain and security dynamics.
He commended Governor Kefas for what he described as decisive leadership and effective coordination with security agencies, adding that the state government’s support — including the donation of land and provision of operational equipment — had served as critical force multipliers, significantly enhancing the tempo, reach and effectiveness of military operations in the region.
By Victor Gbonegun, The Guardian
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Nigeria urges value-driven growth as Davos Forum concludes
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar outlined the country’s foreign policy priorities and efforts to deepen regional and global engagement.
PayPal Goes Live In Nigeria Through Paga, Enabling Global Payments And Local Withdrawals
Paga, Nigeria’s pioneering fintech company, and PayPal, the global payments and commerce platform, today announced the availability of live account linking for customers in Nigeria. The integration enables users to access PayPal-supported cross-border payments directly through Paga’s digital wallet, allowing them to receive international payments and withdraw funds locally in Naira.
With this integration, users in Nigeria can link their PayPal accounts directly to their Paga wallets to receive cross-border payments from PayPal supported markets, shop with global PayPal merchants, and access their funds locally. The service also enables Nigerian merchants and entrepreneurs to reach PayPal’s global network of over 400 million users worldwide, and grow their businesses internationally.
Through Paga, users can easily access their PayPal balances and withdraw funds across everyday financial needs, including spending via card, transferring to local bank accounts, or paying bills and merchants within the Paga ecosystem, providing a seamless bridge between global earnings and local use. The collaboration strengthens Nigeria’s financial services ecosystem by promoting cross-border commerce, empowering merchants and small business growth, and supporting the country’s digital economic infrastructure.
“We are proud to make this integration live and available to users across Nigeria,” said Tayo Oviosu, Founder and Group CEO of Paga. “Whether you’re a freelancer receiving international payments, a business selling online, or a consumer shopping globally, this collaboration makes it easier to access and use global funds locally, in a way that’s simple, secure, and built for our markets.”
“We’ve been intentional about partnering with local innovators like Paga and developing solutions that help Nigerians earn, spend, and grow,” said Otto Williams, Senior Vice President, Regional Head and General Manager of PayPal Middle East and Africa. “This collaboration helps strengthen the broader payments ecosystem by supporting local innovation, expanding financial inclusion, and enabling more consumers and businesses to participate confidently in the digital economy.”
Nigeria’s digital payments market continues to expand rapidly, with transaction values reaching ₦657.8 trillion in 2023 and more than 30 million active mobile wallet users (Novatia Consulting, 2024). With over 21 million users and a fast-growing API infrastructure, Paga is uniquely positioned to scale PayPal’s services to both consumers and businesses across the country, leveraging its local settlement network, digital wallet, and Visa card integrations positioning it as a secure and trusted local partner for cross-border digital payments.
To access PayPal services through Paga, users can log in to the Paga app or www.paga.com, link their PayPal account, and start receiving international payments into their Paga wallet and use those funds to pay bills, transfer to bank accounts, or shop online.
With this integration, users in Nigeria can link their PayPal accounts directly to their Paga wallets to receive cross-border payments from PayPal supported markets, shop with global PayPal merchants, and access their funds locally. The service also enables Nigerian merchants and entrepreneurs to reach PayPal’s global network of over 400 million users worldwide, and grow their businesses internationally.
Through Paga, users can easily access their PayPal balances and withdraw funds across everyday financial needs, including spending via card, transferring to local bank accounts, or paying bills and merchants within the Paga ecosystem, providing a seamless bridge between global earnings and local use. The collaboration strengthens Nigeria’s financial services ecosystem by promoting cross-border commerce, empowering merchants and small business growth, and supporting the country’s digital economic infrastructure.
“We are proud to make this integration live and available to users across Nigeria,” said Tayo Oviosu, Founder and Group CEO of Paga. “Whether you’re a freelancer receiving international payments, a business selling online, or a consumer shopping globally, this collaboration makes it easier to access and use global funds locally, in a way that’s simple, secure, and built for our markets.”
“We’ve been intentional about partnering with local innovators like Paga and developing solutions that help Nigerians earn, spend, and grow,” said Otto Williams, Senior Vice President, Regional Head and General Manager of PayPal Middle East and Africa. “This collaboration helps strengthen the broader payments ecosystem by supporting local innovation, expanding financial inclusion, and enabling more consumers and businesses to participate confidently in the digital economy.”
Nigeria’s digital payments market continues to expand rapidly, with transaction values reaching ₦657.8 trillion in 2023 and more than 30 million active mobile wallet users (Novatia Consulting, 2024). With over 21 million users and a fast-growing API infrastructure, Paga is uniquely positioned to scale PayPal’s services to both consumers and businesses across the country, leveraging its local settlement network, digital wallet, and Visa card integrations positioning it as a secure and trusted local partner for cross-border digital payments.
To access PayPal services through Paga, users can log in to the Paga app or www.paga.com, link their PayPal account, and start receiving international payments into their Paga wallet and use those funds to pay bills, transfer to bank accounts, or shop online.
By Grace Ashiru, Tech In Africa
Nigerian military officers to face trial over alleged coup plot
A group of Nigerian military officers are set to face trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the West African nation’s government.
The Nigeria Defence Headquarters confirmed the news on Monday, citing an investigative panel’s findings.
At least 16 officers were initially arrested in October over what military authorities termed “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations”.
The arrests, alongside local media reports of a failed coup, had already fuelled regional tensions amid a spate of military takeovers across West Africa.
The investigation into the officers' conduct has now concluded, revealing a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu's administration, Nigerian military spokesman Samaila Uba said on Monday.
“The findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government which is inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Mr Uba said.
The officers found culpable will be arraigned before a military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with military procedures, he added.
It was not clear how many of the 16 officers who were arrested will face trial and authorities did not provide their names.
Further measures were also being taken to preserve order, discipline and the effectiveness of the military, Mr Uba said.
The coup plot comes on the heels of a surge in coups and attempted coups in West and Central Africa.
The latest took place in Benin and Guinea-Bissau late in 2025.
The military takeovers follow a pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent, experts said.
Nigeria became independent from the United Kingdom in 1960 and was ruled by a military government from 1966, following which five military coups took place.
The most recent coup occurred in 1993 and multi-party democracy was restored in 1999.
Concerns have grown recently over worsening hardship, due in part to the government's austerity measures.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, Independent
The Nigeria Defence Headquarters confirmed the news on Monday, citing an investigative panel’s findings.
At least 16 officers were initially arrested in October over what military authorities termed “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations”.
The arrests, alongside local media reports of a failed coup, had already fuelled regional tensions amid a spate of military takeovers across West Africa.
The investigation into the officers' conduct has now concluded, revealing a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu's administration, Nigerian military spokesman Samaila Uba said on Monday.
“The findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government which is inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Mr Uba said.
The officers found culpable will be arraigned before a military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with military procedures, he added.
It was not clear how many of the 16 officers who were arrested will face trial and authorities did not provide their names.
Further measures were also being taken to preserve order, discipline and the effectiveness of the military, Mr Uba said.
The coup plot comes on the heels of a surge in coups and attempted coups in West and Central Africa.
The latest took place in Benin and Guinea-Bissau late in 2025.
The military takeovers follow a pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent, experts said.
Nigeria became independent from the United Kingdom in 1960 and was ruled by a military government from 1966, following which five military coups took place.
The most recent coup occurred in 1993 and multi-party democracy was restored in 1999.
Concerns have grown recently over worsening hardship, due in part to the government's austerity measures.
Monday, January 26, 2026
Nigeria moves to address income tax imbalance
Nigeria is implementing significant personal income tax reforms aimed at correcting a system that has long placed a heavier burden on low-income earners. The new rules are designed to broaden the tax base, shift more responsibility to wealthier individuals, and create a fairer taxation system.
US to step up coordination with Nigeria to pursue Islamic State group militants
The US military is increasing materiel deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, Africom's deputy commander said, as part of a broader American push to work with African militaries to go after Islamic State group-linked militants.
The Pentagon has also kept open lines of communication with militaries in the junta-led Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, Lieutenant General John Brennan said.
The increased cooperation with Abuja follows Washington's diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country, but also as the US military is becoming "more aggressive" in pursuing IS group-linked targets on the continent.
Under the Trump administration, "we've gotten a lot more aggressive and (are) working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats, mainly ISIS," Brennan said in an interview on the sidelines of a US-Nigeria security meeting in the Nigerian capital last week.
"From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So we're trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need," he added.
"It's been about more enabling partners and then providing them equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful."
Last week's inaugural US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting came roughly a month after the US announced surprise Christmas Day strikes on IS group-linked targets in northwest Nigeria.
The Pentagon has also kept open lines of communication with militaries in the junta-led Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, Lieutenant General John Brennan said.
The increased cooperation with Abuja follows Washington's diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence in the country, but also as the US military is becoming "more aggressive" in pursuing IS group-linked targets on the continent.
Under the Trump administration, "we've gotten a lot more aggressive and (are) working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats, mainly ISIS," Brennan said in an interview on the sidelines of a US-Nigeria security meeting in the Nigerian capital last week.
"From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So we're trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need," he added.
"It's been about more enabling partners and then providing them equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful."
Last week's inaugural US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting came roughly a month after the US announced surprise Christmas Day strikes on IS group-linked targets in northwest Nigeria.
Diplomatic clash
Though both militaries seem keen on increased cooperation after the joint strikes, hanging over it all is diplomatic pressure by Washington over what Trump claims is the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Abuja and independent analysts reject that framing of Nigeria's myriad, overlapping conflicts, which has long been used by the US religious right.
Charged politics were on display at the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, where Allison Hooker, the number three at the State Department, pushed the Nigerian government "to protect Christians" in a speech that did not mention Muslim victims of armed groups.
Africa's most populous country is roughly evenly split between a mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south. Though millions live peacefully side by side, religious and ethnic identity remains a sensitive topic in a country that has seen sectarian violence throughout its history.
Brennan said that US intelligence would not be limited to protecting Christians.
He also said that following the US strikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support going forward would focus on intelligence sharing to aid Nigerian air strikes there, as well as the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP has raged since 2009.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is "our most concerning group", he said.
Analysts have been tracking US intelligence flights over the country in recent months, though some have questioned whether air support alone can push back armed groups that thrive amid widespread poverty and state collapse in rural areas.
Though both militaries seem keen on increased cooperation after the joint strikes, hanging over it all is diplomatic pressure by Washington over what Trump claims is the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Abuja and independent analysts reject that framing of Nigeria's myriad, overlapping conflicts, which has long been used by the US religious right.
Charged politics were on display at the Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, where Allison Hooker, the number three at the State Department, pushed the Nigerian government "to protect Christians" in a speech that did not mention Muslim victims of armed groups.
Africa's most populous country is roughly evenly split between a mostly Muslim north and mostly Christian south. Though millions live peacefully side by side, religious and ethnic identity remains a sensitive topic in a country that has seen sectarian violence throughout its history.
Brennan said that US intelligence would not be limited to protecting Christians.
He also said that following the US strikes in northwestern Sokoto state, American support going forward would focus on intelligence sharing to aid Nigerian air strikes there, as well as the northeast, where a jihadist insurgency by Boko Haram and rival breakaway ISWAP has raged since 2009.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is "our most concerning group", he said.
Analysts have been tracking US intelligence flights over the country in recent months, though some have questioned whether air support alone can push back armed groups that thrive amid widespread poverty and state collapse in rural areas.
'Still collaborate' with AES militaries
US-Nigerian cooperation going forward will involve "the whole gamut of intel sharing, sharing... tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as enabling them to procure more equipment," Brennan said.
The initial strikes targeted militants linked to the Islamic State Sahel Province group, typically active in neighbouring Niger, Brennan said.
Analysts have voiced concerns about ISSP's spread from the Sahel into coastal west African countries like Nigeria.
The impact of those strikes so far has been unclear, however, with local and international journalists unable to confirm militant casualties.
Asked about their effectiveness, Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris said last week it was "still a work in progress".
In the Sahel more widely, Brennan said "we still collaborate" with the junta-led governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have broken away from their west African neighbours and largely shunned the West.
Security cooperation has been curtailed since coups toppled civilian governments across the three countries from 2020 to 2023.
"We have actually shared information with some of them to attack key terrorist targets," he said. "We still talk to our military partners across the Sahelian states, even though it's not official."
Brennan also said the US is not seeking to replace its bases in Niger after its troops were pushed out by the ruling junta.
"We're not in the market to create a drone base anywhere," he said, referencing the shuttered US drone operations in Agadez.
"We are much more focused on getting capability to the right place at the right time and then leaving. We don't seek long-term basing in any of the western African countries."
US-Nigerian cooperation going forward will involve "the whole gamut of intel sharing, sharing... tactics, techniques, and procedures, as well as enabling them to procure more equipment," Brennan said.
The initial strikes targeted militants linked to the Islamic State Sahel Province group, typically active in neighbouring Niger, Brennan said.
Analysts have voiced concerns about ISSP's spread from the Sahel into coastal west African countries like Nigeria.
The impact of those strikes so far has been unclear, however, with local and international journalists unable to confirm militant casualties.
Asked about their effectiveness, Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris said last week it was "still a work in progress".
In the Sahel more widely, Brennan said "we still collaborate" with the junta-led governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have broken away from their west African neighbours and largely shunned the West.
Security cooperation has been curtailed since coups toppled civilian governments across the three countries from 2020 to 2023.
"We have actually shared information with some of them to attack key terrorist targets," he said. "We still talk to our military partners across the Sahelian states, even though it's not official."
Brennan also said the US is not seeking to replace its bases in Niger after its troops were pushed out by the ruling junta.
"We're not in the market to create a drone base anywhere," he said, referencing the shuttered US drone operations in Agadez.
"We are much more focused on getting capability to the right place at the right time and then leaving. We don't seek long-term basing in any of the western African countries."
Friday, January 23, 2026
The Nigerian Government Destroys Orphanage in Makoko
This is an emergency situation, please consider donating here:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpsavemakoko
This video is about the horrific actions taken by the Nigerian government. Without warning, they moved into Nigeria’s largest slum and began indiscriminately destroying homes, schools, churches, a hospital and even an orphanage that we previously fundraised for on this channel and built.
Right now, children are sleeping rough. Families have nowhere safe to stay but with your help today, we can start rebuilding Makoko in a new, safer location.
The people of Makoko truly need your support.
If you’re able to donate, it would mean the world and make a real, immediate difference. If you’re not in a position to give, I completely understand. even sharing this campaign can go a long way.
All donations are given freely and will be passed directly to support rebuilding efforts in Nigeria. I do not personally profit from this fundraiser.
Thank you for being here, and thank you for caring.
This is an emergency situation, please consider donating: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpsavemakoko
Related story: 200 homeless after demolition of Makoko slum in Lagos
US visa bond scuttles travel plans for Nigerians
Travelers from over 20 African countries must now pay refundable bonds of up to $15,000 for US business and tourist visas, a policy aimed at reducing overstays. Uche Ohiri, a Nigerian visa applicant, says she has delayed her US plans and is now uncertain about reapplying due to the new financial requirement. Travel consultant Precious Okafor says that the policy is deterring hardworking Nigerians from pursuing short vacations, with many now looking to countries like Canada or the UK instead.
'Blood was all over' - victim of Nigeria church abduction describes escape
There was a huge plaster on Sarah Peter's head to staunch the bleeding caused by the blow of a gunman's weapon.
Sarah, not her real name, was in church in a village in northern Nigeria on Sunday morning when attackers raided the compound to abduct the worshippers and take them away on foot.
The 60-year-old was whacked on the skull with a rifle to encourage her to move.
"Blood was all over," she said, her fingers brushing the area where the wound was.
"I suffered," she added, clearly still traumatised by what happened three days earlier.
"They kept dragging me even when I told them I couldn't walk. Then I hid somewhere until I couldn't see them any more. I was so weak I had to crawl back to the village."
Dozens of others were taken away from her branch of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church and two other churches in Kurmin Wali, a village 135km (84 miles) north of the capital, Abuja.
Although 11 people managed to escape, including Sarah, more than 160 people are still unaccounted for, according to the local branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The remaining villagers have been left devastated and fear more attacks.
Authorities have not released any figures for those missing.
Kurmin Wali is near Kaduna state's Rijana forest, a hideout for armed gangs, known here as "bandits", who have been carrying out raids and abductions in the region.
No group has said it was behind Sunday's raid, but the attack is part of a wider security crisis in Nigeria, with kidnapping for ransom becoming more common.
Paying kidnappers is illegal in Nigeria but it is often suspected that money has been handed over to free those who have been abducted. In this case, no ransom demand has been reported.
There has been an increasing international focus on the issue after US President Donald Trump alleged last year that Christians were being targeted and killed in record numbers. Last month, the US military carried out air strikes on camps of suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria's north-west.
Nigerian officials have denied that Christians were being singled out because of their faith, and have said Muslims, Christians and those with no religion have all been affected by the insecurity.
There is an air of tension and anger in Kurmin Wali.
The village head said people had been living in fear for a while. Local residents have been urging authorities to improve security and have accused them of trying to suppress information in the wake of Sunday's raid.
Forty-eight hours of confusion followed the attack as officials initially denied anything had happened, despite eyewitness reports, only to finally confirm events on Tuesday evening.
"They told us not to give out any information, they want to intimidate us but we must tell our story. They have also been stopping some journalists from coming to the town," said a young man in his 20s, who wished to remain anonymous.
It is not clear why the authorities may have been reluctant for news to get out, but Kaduna state governor Uba Sani told the BBC that officials wanted to confirm details first before making any statements.
However, that does not explain why the local police chief and a state official initially denied there had been any attack, describing the reports as a "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".
The BBC also faced difficulties reaching Kurmin Wali, after a politician and security personnel attempted to block access to the village.
But we managed to get through and once inside, we found a scene of chaos in the building of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church. Colourful plastic chairs were on their sides, prayer books scattered on the floor and musical instruments broken, as if the moment after the attack had been frozen in time.
Nearby, Christopher Yohanna was looking forlornly at his two-year-old daughter. He said he managed to escape from the attackers with his child.
"We were in the church when we heard shouting. When we came out and tried to run, we saw that gunmen had already surrounded the village."
He was lucky not to be caught, but he is devastated because his two wives and other children were not so lucky.
"If my family is not with me then my life is worthless and free of any joy," he said.
Governor Sani was in Kurmin Wali three days after the attack, pledging to establish a military base, a hospital and a road in the area. He also announced relief measures for affected residents, including medical support.
"We cannot relocate them because they have to farm… but to ensure that we protect them going forward, we need to have a military base around that area between that village and Rijana forest," he told the BBC.
He also said efforts were under way to work with security agencies to rescue those still in captivity.
"When we met [the villagers] I affirmed that we are with them and… we will not let any of them down."
As the residents of Kurmin Wali wait anxiously for the return of their family members, they are hoping the governor keeps to his word.
By Madina Maishanu, BBC
Sarah, not her real name, was in church in a village in northern Nigeria on Sunday morning when attackers raided the compound to abduct the worshippers and take them away on foot.
The 60-year-old was whacked on the skull with a rifle to encourage her to move.
"Blood was all over," she said, her fingers brushing the area where the wound was.
"I suffered," she added, clearly still traumatised by what happened three days earlier.
"They kept dragging me even when I told them I couldn't walk. Then I hid somewhere until I couldn't see them any more. I was so weak I had to crawl back to the village."
Dozens of others were taken away from her branch of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church and two other churches in Kurmin Wali, a village 135km (84 miles) north of the capital, Abuja.
Although 11 people managed to escape, including Sarah, more than 160 people are still unaccounted for, according to the local branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The remaining villagers have been left devastated and fear more attacks.
Authorities have not released any figures for those missing.
Kurmin Wali is near Kaduna state's Rijana forest, a hideout for armed gangs, known here as "bandits", who have been carrying out raids and abductions in the region.
No group has said it was behind Sunday's raid, but the attack is part of a wider security crisis in Nigeria, with kidnapping for ransom becoming more common.
Paying kidnappers is illegal in Nigeria but it is often suspected that money has been handed over to free those who have been abducted. In this case, no ransom demand has been reported.
There has been an increasing international focus on the issue after US President Donald Trump alleged last year that Christians were being targeted and killed in record numbers. Last month, the US military carried out air strikes on camps of suspected Islamist militants in Nigeria's north-west.
Nigerian officials have denied that Christians were being singled out because of their faith, and have said Muslims, Christians and those with no religion have all been affected by the insecurity.
There is an air of tension and anger in Kurmin Wali.
The village head said people had been living in fear for a while. Local residents have been urging authorities to improve security and have accused them of trying to suppress information in the wake of Sunday's raid.
Forty-eight hours of confusion followed the attack as officials initially denied anything had happened, despite eyewitness reports, only to finally confirm events on Tuesday evening.
"They told us not to give out any information, they want to intimidate us but we must tell our story. They have also been stopping some journalists from coming to the town," said a young man in his 20s, who wished to remain anonymous.
It is not clear why the authorities may have been reluctant for news to get out, but Kaduna state governor Uba Sani told the BBC that officials wanted to confirm details first before making any statements.
However, that does not explain why the local police chief and a state official initially denied there had been any attack, describing the reports as a "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".
The BBC also faced difficulties reaching Kurmin Wali, after a politician and security personnel attempted to block access to the village.
But we managed to get through and once inside, we found a scene of chaos in the building of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church. Colourful plastic chairs were on their sides, prayer books scattered on the floor and musical instruments broken, as if the moment after the attack had been frozen in time.
Nearby, Christopher Yohanna was looking forlornly at his two-year-old daughter. He said he managed to escape from the attackers with his child.
"We were in the church when we heard shouting. When we came out and tried to run, we saw that gunmen had already surrounded the village."
He was lucky not to be caught, but he is devastated because his two wives and other children were not so lucky.
"If my family is not with me then my life is worthless and free of any joy," he said.
Governor Sani was in Kurmin Wali three days after the attack, pledging to establish a military base, a hospital and a road in the area. He also announced relief measures for affected residents, including medical support.
"We cannot relocate them because they have to farm… but to ensure that we protect them going forward, we need to have a military base around that area between that village and Rijana forest," he told the BBC.
He also said efforts were under way to work with security agencies to rescue those still in captivity.
"When we met [the villagers] I affirmed that we are with them and… we will not let any of them down."
As the residents of Kurmin Wali wait anxiously for the return of their family members, they are hoping the governor keeps to his word.
Related story: Nigeria kidnapping: Residents fear for their safety
Shell Signals $20 Billion Bet on Nigeria’s Deepwater Revival
Shell plans to invest $20 billion in the Bonga South West deepwater project offshore Nigeria, the special adviser to Nigeria’s president said after the government approved investment-linked incentives for the project.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the adoption of targeted, investment-linked incentives to support the proposed Bonga South West deepwater offshore oil project by Shell and its partners, the office of the president said after Tinubu met with the supermajor’s chief executive, Wael Sawan.
Shell has doubled down on the Bonga oilfield after announcing at the end of 2024 the final investment decision for the development of the Bonga North deep-water project—a subsea tie-back to the Shell-operated Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility. Bonga North currently has an estimated recoverable resource volume of more than 300 million barrels of oil equivalent and will reach a peak production of 110,000 bpd, with first oil anticipated by the end of the decade.
However, the Bonga South West project has been stalled, which Nigeria now aims to kickstart with incentives and energy sector reforms to make investments more attractive for foreign firms.
The incentives for Bonga South West “are ring-fenced and investment-linked, focused on new capital and incremental production, strong local content delivery, and in-country value addition,” Tinubu said.
“My expectation is clear: Bonga South West must reach a Final Investment Decision within the first term of this administration.”
Since the current administration took office in 2023, Shell has invested $7 billion in Nigeria, particularly in the Bonga North and HI projects, Olu Arowolo Verheijen, the president’s special energy adviser, said.
Last year, Shell and its partner Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited took a final investment decision on the HI gas project offshore Nigeria, which will supply additional gas volumes to Nigeria LNG.
“During the Meeting Shell informed Mr President of plans to invest an additional $20 billion on the upcoming Bonga South West project,” Verheijen said on X.
Shell has not confirmed the investment amounts.
By Tsvetana Paraskova, Oilprice.com
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the adoption of targeted, investment-linked incentives to support the proposed Bonga South West deepwater offshore oil project by Shell and its partners, the office of the president said after Tinubu met with the supermajor’s chief executive, Wael Sawan.
Shell has doubled down on the Bonga oilfield after announcing at the end of 2024 the final investment decision for the development of the Bonga North deep-water project—a subsea tie-back to the Shell-operated Bonga Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility. Bonga North currently has an estimated recoverable resource volume of more than 300 million barrels of oil equivalent and will reach a peak production of 110,000 bpd, with first oil anticipated by the end of the decade.
However, the Bonga South West project has been stalled, which Nigeria now aims to kickstart with incentives and energy sector reforms to make investments more attractive for foreign firms.
The incentives for Bonga South West “are ring-fenced and investment-linked, focused on new capital and incremental production, strong local content delivery, and in-country value addition,” Tinubu said.
“My expectation is clear: Bonga South West must reach a Final Investment Decision within the first term of this administration.”
Since the current administration took office in 2023, Shell has invested $7 billion in Nigeria, particularly in the Bonga North and HI projects, Olu Arowolo Verheijen, the president’s special energy adviser, said.
Last year, Shell and its partner Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited took a final investment decision on the HI gas project offshore Nigeria, which will supply additional gas volumes to Nigeria LNG.
“During the Meeting Shell informed Mr President of plans to invest an additional $20 billion on the upcoming Bonga South West project,” Verheijen said on X.
Shell has not confirmed the investment amounts.
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Nigeria kidnapping: Residents fear for their safety
Members of a community in northwestern Nigeria say they fear for their safety, days after their village was attacked. Gunmen abducted more than 170 people while they were attending church on Sunday. Officials say they are working to rescue those held captive. Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Kurmin Wali in Kaduna state.
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Google report: Nigeria leading in global AI adoption for learning, entrepreneurship
A new report by Google and Ipsos has revealed that Nigeria is leading in global adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in learning, work and entrepreneurship.
This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa.
Kola-Ogunlade said the report titled: ”Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People”, showed that Nigerians are embracing AI tools at an exceptional rate and are highly optimistic about the technology’s future.
According to the report, 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, representing an 18 point increase from 2024 and significantly higher than the global average of 62 per cent.
“It is inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock opportunities for learning, growth and economic empowerment.
“This report goes beyond high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation actively shaping its future with technology,” he said.
Kola-Ogunlade added that the report findings showed that AI had become a major tool for learning and professional development in Nigeria.
He said that 93 per cent of users rely on it to understand complex topics, compared to 74 per cent globally, and 91 per cent of Nigerians used AI to assist with their work.
Kola-Ogunlade said that the report also indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerians applied it to explore new business ideas or career changes almost double the global average of 42 per cent.
“The report highlighted strong optimism about AI’s role in education, with 91 per cent of Nigerians believing it has a positive impact on learning and access to information, compared to 65 per cent globally.”
According to Kola-Ogunlade, the report shows that 95 per cent of respondents believe university students and educators will benefit from AI tools.
He said Nigerians are significantly more optimistic about AI than their global counterparts, with 80 per cent expressing excitement about its possibilities, against 20 per cent who are concerned.
“This excitement rises to 90 per cent among Nigerians who use AI frequently in their daily lives,” he said.
This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa.
Kola-Ogunlade said the report titled: ”Our Life with AI: Helpfulness in the Hands of More People”, showed that Nigerians are embracing AI tools at an exceptional rate and are highly optimistic about the technology’s future.
According to the report, 88 per cent of Nigerian adults have used an AI chatbot, representing an 18 point increase from 2024 and significantly higher than the global average of 62 per cent.
“It is inspiring to see how Nigerians are creatively and purposefully using AI to unlock opportunities for learning, growth and economic empowerment.
“This report goes beyond high adoption rates; it tells the story of a nation actively shaping its future with technology,” he said.
Kola-Ogunlade added that the report findings showed that AI had become a major tool for learning and professional development in Nigeria.
He said that 93 per cent of users rely on it to understand complex topics, compared to 74 per cent globally, and 91 per cent of Nigerians used AI to assist with their work.
Kola-Ogunlade said that the report also indicated that 80 per cent of Nigerians applied it to explore new business ideas or career changes almost double the global average of 42 per cent.
“The report highlighted strong optimism about AI’s role in education, with 91 per cent of Nigerians believing it has a positive impact on learning and access to information, compared to 65 per cent globally.”
According to Kola-Ogunlade, the report shows that 95 per cent of respondents believe university students and educators will benefit from AI tools.
He said Nigerians are significantly more optimistic about AI than their global counterparts, with 80 per cent expressing excitement about its possibilities, against 20 per cent who are concerned.
“This excitement rises to 90 per cent among Nigerians who use AI frequently in their daily lives,” he said.
Trump recalls US envoys as Ambassador Richard Mills exits Nigeria
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the US Mission in Nigeria confirmed that Mills’ final day in office was Friday, marking an abrupt end to an assignment that began less than a year ago.
Mills was confirmed by the US Senate in May 2024, a timeline that fell well short of the typical three to four years most ambassadors spend at their posts.
The recall forms part of a broader diplomatic shake-up announced in December, as the Trump administration moved to reorganise several foreign missions.
State Department officials said affected ambassadors would retain their foreign service status and could be reassigned to roles in Washington if they chose to continue serving.
Mills’ departure comes at a delicate moment in US-Nigeria relations, which have faced strain in recent months over visa disputes and persistent security concerns.
This has unfolded even as both governments have publicly expressed interest in strengthening cooperation across trade, security, and governance initiatives.
Until a new ambassador is appointed, the US Mission said Keith Heffern, the current deputy chief of mission, will serve as chargé d’affaires in Abuja.
For Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, the transition underscores the uncertainty facing diplomatic ties during a period of policy recalibration in Washington, with observers watching closely to see how the interim leadership shapes the next phase of US-Nigeria engagement.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
Related story: U.S. suspends visa processing for Nigeria, 74 others
Nigerian police confirm gunmen abducted villagers, after initial denials
Police in Nigeria’s Kaduna State said that armed bandits abducted dozens of villagers over the weekend, after initially dismissing the incident.
In a statement late on Tuesday, Nigeria’s national police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, said an “abduction” had indeed occurred on Sunday, and that the police had launched security operations “with a clear focus on locating and safely rescuing the victims and restoring calm to the area”.
Hundeyin said the earlier denials by officers and other officials were “intended to prevent unnecessary panic while facts were being confirmed”. The police statement did not say how many people were abducted.
In an interview with The Associated Press news agency, Kaduna State lawmaker Usman Danlami Stingo put the number of missing people at 168.
The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern part of the country, Reverend John Hayab, told the Reuters news agency by phone on Monday that at least 172 worshippers were kidnapped, and that nine later escaped, leaving 163 still missing.
Sunday’s raid is the latest in a wave of mass kidnappings targeting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
Gangs, known in Nigeria as “bandits”, frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom, and loot villages, mainly in the northern and central parts of Africa’s most populous country.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Kurmin Wali village in Kaduna State, said dozens of gunmen stormed the village on Sunday as people gathered to pray in three churches and abducted a quarter of the village’s residents.
“Two days after the attack, the community received a demand,” Idris said.
“The bandits want the return of 10 missing motorcycles they hid in the bush. For now, that is the condition for the release of the captives. But Kurmin Wali residents say they don’t know where the bikes are, and they have been robbed to a point where many can hardly afford to feed themselves,” he said.
In November, armed gangs seized more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in the country’s Niger State, with 50 escaping and the rest being released in two batches weeks later.
Roughly evenly split between a mostly Christian south and Muslim-majority north, Nigeria is home to myriad conflicts, which experts say kill both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.
But United States President Donald Trump has latched onto the security situation in Nigeria, focusing on the killing of Christians and putting Abuja under diplomatic pressure.
In late December, the US launched strikes on what it and the Nigerian government said were armed groups in northwestern Sokoto State.
Nigeria said it approved the strikes.
By Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera
In a statement late on Tuesday, Nigeria’s national police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, said an “abduction” had indeed occurred on Sunday, and that the police had launched security operations “with a clear focus on locating and safely rescuing the victims and restoring calm to the area”.
Hundeyin said the earlier denials by officers and other officials were “intended to prevent unnecessary panic while facts were being confirmed”. The police statement did not say how many people were abducted.
In an interview with The Associated Press news agency, Kaduna State lawmaker Usman Danlami Stingo put the number of missing people at 168.
The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the northern part of the country, Reverend John Hayab, told the Reuters news agency by phone on Monday that at least 172 worshippers were kidnapped, and that nine later escaped, leaving 163 still missing.
Sunday’s raid is the latest in a wave of mass kidnappings targeting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
Gangs, known in Nigeria as “bandits”, frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom, and loot villages, mainly in the northern and central parts of Africa’s most populous country.
Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Kurmin Wali village in Kaduna State, said dozens of gunmen stormed the village on Sunday as people gathered to pray in three churches and abducted a quarter of the village’s residents.
“Two days after the attack, the community received a demand,” Idris said.
“The bandits want the return of 10 missing motorcycles they hid in the bush. For now, that is the condition for the release of the captives. But Kurmin Wali residents say they don’t know where the bikes are, and they have been robbed to a point where many can hardly afford to feed themselves,” he said.
In November, armed gangs seized more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in the country’s Niger State, with 50 escaping and the rest being released in two batches weeks later.
Roughly evenly split between a mostly Christian south and Muslim-majority north, Nigeria is home to myriad conflicts, which experts say kill both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.
But United States President Donald Trump has latched onto the security situation in Nigeria, focusing on the killing of Christians and putting Abuja under diplomatic pressure.
In late December, the US launched strikes on what it and the Nigerian government said were armed groups in northwestern Sokoto State.
Nigeria said it approved the strikes.
Nigerian troops free 62 hostages, kill two militants in northwest operations
MADUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 21 - Nigerian troops have rescued 62 hostages and killed two militants in separate operations across Kebbi and Zamfara states as part of an ongoing offensive against armed groups in the northwest, the army said on Wednesday.
The northwest has been hit by a surge in mass kidnappings carried out by armed gangs operating from forest hideouts. These groups have attacked villages, schools and places of worship, including the January 18 abduction of more than 160 worshippers from two churches in Kaduna.
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said troops stormed a known bandit hideout in Zamfara after receiving reports that captives were being held there.
The army said all 62 hostages were rescued and are in safe custody, with efforts underway to reunite them with their families.
In a separate operation, troops ambushed Lakurawa militants near the border between Kebbi’s Augie district and neighbouring Sokoto after receiving intelligence on the group’s movements, Osoba said.
Nigeria has come under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the country of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.
U.S. forces launched strikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day. The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.
The army added that the operations form part of broader efforts to dismantle armed networks responsible for widespread kidnappings and insecurity across the region.
The northwest has been hit by a surge in mass kidnappings carried out by armed gangs operating from forest hideouts. These groups have attacked villages, schools and places of worship, including the January 18 abduction of more than 160 worshippers from two churches in Kaduna.
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said troops stormed a known bandit hideout in Zamfara after receiving reports that captives were being held there.
The army said all 62 hostages were rescued and are in safe custody, with efforts underway to reunite them with their families.
In a separate operation, troops ambushed Lakurawa militants near the border between Kebbi’s Augie district and neighbouring Sokoto after receiving intelligence on the group’s movements, Osoba said.
Nigeria has come under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the country of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.
U.S. forces launched strikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day. The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.
The army added that the operations form part of broader efforts to dismantle armed networks responsible for widespread kidnappings and insecurity across the region.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Global oil price uncertainty cast shadow over Nigeria’s fiscal outlook
Nigeria has projected an oil price of about $64 per barrel and production of 1.84 million barrels per day. Analysts say those targets may be hard to reach. However, officials are more concerned about volatile global prices, which could come under pressure from a potential supply glut, particularly as the United States eases restrictions on Venezuelan oil sales.
NARD Warns Nigeria Could Lose More Doctors In Next Decade After Exit Of 15,000 Doctors
The National President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr. Mohammad Suleiman, has warned that Nigeria’s health sector is approaching a critical breaking point, revealing that more than 15,000 doctors have left the country since 2014, with 4,700 exiting in 2024 alone.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of a five day training on effective policy-making and strategic leadership for NARD leaders at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Suleiman said the trend, if unchecked, could see Nigeria lose another 15,000 doctors within the next decade.
“Facts don’t lie. Figures don’t lie. In 2024, 4,700 doctors left the shores of Nigeria. Every year we produce 2,000 to 3,000 doctors, yet we lost far more than we produced. If this continues, Nigeria cannot survive it,” he argued.
Suleiman painted a stark picture of the country’s doctor to patient ratio, noting that Nigeria currently has fewer than 30,000 doctors serving an estimated 240 million people, a ratio of roughly one doctor to over 10,000 citizens.
“This is not sustainable,” he warned. “In 10 to 15 years, Nigerians will walk into hospitals and find no doctors to attend to them,” he said.
He added that the association’s recent engagements with the federal government were driven by the urgency of preventing a total collapse of the health system. “These decisions are not easy. They are tough. But we take them because we know what lies ahead if nothing changes,” he stressed.
Suleiman emphasised that NARD is not presenting new demands to the government, but simply asking for the implementation of previously agreed policies that require no additional financial burden.
“These are agreements that won’t cost the government a penny,” he said. “Issues like membership certificates, employment processes, workload management, and local training policies — these are measures that strengthen the system, not just resident doctors,” he explained.
He expressed optimism that the renewed commitment between NARD and the government could avert future strikes. “If the understanding we have now is sustained, I don’t foresee any strike in the near future.”
Earlier, the Director General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, commended NARD for prioritising leadership development and policy literacy, describing their presence at the institute as a sign of foresight.
He said the training would equip young medical leaders with the tools needed to engage constructively with policymakers and address the complex challenges facing Nigeria’s health sector.
Nigeria suffering from medical brain drain
Speaking on Monday at the opening of a five day training on effective policy-making and strategic leadership for NARD leaders at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Suleiman said the trend, if unchecked, could see Nigeria lose another 15,000 doctors within the next decade.
“Facts don’t lie. Figures don’t lie. In 2024, 4,700 doctors left the shores of Nigeria. Every year we produce 2,000 to 3,000 doctors, yet we lost far more than we produced. If this continues, Nigeria cannot survive it,” he argued.
Suleiman painted a stark picture of the country’s doctor to patient ratio, noting that Nigeria currently has fewer than 30,000 doctors serving an estimated 240 million people, a ratio of roughly one doctor to over 10,000 citizens.
“This is not sustainable,” he warned. “In 10 to 15 years, Nigerians will walk into hospitals and find no doctors to attend to them,” he said.
He added that the association’s recent engagements with the federal government were driven by the urgency of preventing a total collapse of the health system. “These decisions are not easy. They are tough. But we take them because we know what lies ahead if nothing changes,” he stressed.
Suleiman emphasised that NARD is not presenting new demands to the government, but simply asking for the implementation of previously agreed policies that require no additional financial burden.
“These are agreements that won’t cost the government a penny,” he said. “Issues like membership certificates, employment processes, workload management, and local training policies — these are measures that strengthen the system, not just resident doctors,” he explained.
He expressed optimism that the renewed commitment between NARD and the government could avert future strikes. “If the understanding we have now is sustained, I don’t foresee any strike in the near future.”
Earlier, the Director General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, commended NARD for prioritising leadership development and policy literacy, describing their presence at the institute as a sign of foresight.
He said the training would equip young medical leaders with the tools needed to engage constructively with policymakers and address the complex challenges facing Nigeria’s health sector.
By Yemi Kosoko, Arise
Related story: Doctors are leaving Nigeria in droves
Africa’s largest plastic recycler plans $60m mega plant to process 100,000 tonnes of waste in Nigeria
The new plant, which will be developed in phases, is expected to begin operations by the end of March 2026, with full commissioning scheduled for July 2026.
Once completed, the facility will significantly scale up Nigeria’s capacity to process post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality recycled materials, including food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).
The investment positions Polysmart among Africa’s most ambitious private-sector players in sustainable manufacturing, at a time when governments and multinational brands are under growing pressure to cut plastic pollution and carbon emissions.
According to the company, the facility will be equipped with world-class recycling technologies, including systems from Sorema and Tomra, as well as two Erema Vacunite units. These will enable the processing of multiple polymer streams, producing rPET resin and flakes that meet the standards of the European Food Safety Authority and the United States Food and Drug Administration, as well as non-food-grade HDPE, LDPE, and polypropylene materials.
“This is a transformative moment for Nigeria’s green economy,” said Wasiu Abolaji Balogun, managing director and chief executive of Polysmart Packaging Limited.
He described the $60 million investment as a commitment not only to infrastructure and technology but also to people, adding that the expansion is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs across waste collection, sorting, technical, and operational segments of the value chain.
At full capacity, the plant will process up to 100,000 tonnes of mixed plastics annually, making it the largest of its kind in the region.
Polysmart’s $60m investment could recycle 5.5 billion plastic bottles a year in Nigeria
Polysmart estimates that the expanded facilities could recover and recycle more than 5.5 billion PET bottles every year, diverting vast volumes of plastic waste from landfills, drainage systems, and waterways.
A major strategic goal of the project is import substitution. By producing certified food-grade rPET locally, Polysmart aims to supply a critical raw material to Nigeria’s food, beverage, and fast-moving consumer goods industries, reducing their reliance on imported virgin plastics and easing pressure on foreign exchange demand.
The company says the expansion will also contribute to a significant reduction in Nigeria’s dependence on virgin plastics derived from crude oil. By replacing them with high-quality recycled alternatives, Polysmart positions the project as a step towards a more sustainable manufacturing ecosystem.
From an environmental, social, and governance perspective, the new plant is projected to deliver carbon savings of up to 170,000 tonnes based on its planned capacity. These gains come from lower energy use, reduced emissions, and the reintegration of plastic waste into the production cycle.
Polysmart said it is working closely with federal and state environmental agencies to ensure the facility meets global safety and environmental protection standards.
Industry observers say the scale of the investment could strengthen Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional hub for green technology and sustainable manufacturing.
As plastic pollution continues to pose a growing challenge across Africa, projects of this scale are increasingly viewed as critical to balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility.
Polysmart estimates that the expanded facilities could recover and recycle more than 5.5 billion PET bottles every year, diverting vast volumes of plastic waste from landfills, drainage systems, and waterways.
A major strategic goal of the project is import substitution. By producing certified food-grade rPET locally, Polysmart aims to supply a critical raw material to Nigeria’s food, beverage, and fast-moving consumer goods industries, reducing their reliance on imported virgin plastics and easing pressure on foreign exchange demand.
The company says the expansion will also contribute to a significant reduction in Nigeria’s dependence on virgin plastics derived from crude oil. By replacing them with high-quality recycled alternatives, Polysmart positions the project as a step towards a more sustainable manufacturing ecosystem.
From an environmental, social, and governance perspective, the new plant is projected to deliver carbon savings of up to 170,000 tonnes based on its planned capacity. These gains come from lower energy use, reduced emissions, and the reintegration of plastic waste into the production cycle.
Polysmart said it is working closely with federal and state environmental agencies to ensure the facility meets global safety and environmental protection standards.
Industry observers say the scale of the investment could strengthen Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional hub for green technology and sustainable manufacturing.
As plastic pollution continues to pose a growing challenge across Africa, projects of this scale are increasingly viewed as critical to balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
Nigeria police deny reports of mass church abductions in north
Police in northern Nigeria say reports that worshippers were abducted on Sunday from churches in Kaduna state were false.
In a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, Kaduna state police commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu described the information as "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".
Earlier, a local official in Kurmin Wali had told the BBC that gunmen had kidnapped dozens of people attending different churches.
There has been a series of mass kidnapping in Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims have been targeted. Gangs frequently carry out such attacks to get ransom payments.
But referring to Sunday's alleged abductions Kaduna's police commissioner challenged "anyone to list the names of the kidnapped victims and other particulars".
The chairman of Kajuru local government area, Dauda Madaki, said security forces were sent to Kurmin Wali after reports of an attack, but found "no evidence of the attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack."
Police also quoted the state's commissioner for internal security and home affairs saying religious leaders visited the area.
''They found out that what was pushed out to the public sphere was completely false,'' he reportedly said.
However, a community leader in Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan'azumi Sarkin, had earlier told the BBC that armed men attacked the area on Sunday and kidnapped 177 people from three churches.
He said 11 people escaped, several others were injured, and no deaths were reported.
In November, more than 300 students and teachers were seized from a Catholic school. They were later released in two successive groups. It was among a spate of kidnappings that made international headlines.
Nigeria is facing numerous security challenges - including kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs, an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and a battle between herders and farmers in the centre over access to land and water.
Experts say corruption, poor intelligence sharing and underfunded local policing have hampered efforts to tackle the various crises.
Nigeria's defence minister resigned last month at the height of the kidnapping crisis, officially for health reasons, according to the president's office.
The US has recently become militarily involved in Nigeria - launching airstrikes on Christmas Day on two camps run by an Islamist militant group in north-western Nigeria.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned of more strikes if Christians continued to be killed in the West African nation.
There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle - and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks.
A Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman responded to Trump's warning by saying that Nigeria would continue to engage constructively with partners such as the US.
''Nigeria remains committed to protecting all citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, without discrimination,'' Alkasim Abdulkadir said.
By Makuochi Okafor, BBC
In a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, Kaduna state police commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu described the information as "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".
Earlier, a local official in Kurmin Wali had told the BBC that gunmen had kidnapped dozens of people attending different churches.
There has been a series of mass kidnapping in Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims have been targeted. Gangs frequently carry out such attacks to get ransom payments.
But referring to Sunday's alleged abductions Kaduna's police commissioner challenged "anyone to list the names of the kidnapped victims and other particulars".
The chairman of Kajuru local government area, Dauda Madaki, said security forces were sent to Kurmin Wali after reports of an attack, but found "no evidence of the attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack."
Police also quoted the state's commissioner for internal security and home affairs saying religious leaders visited the area.
''They found out that what was pushed out to the public sphere was completely false,'' he reportedly said.
However, a community leader in Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan'azumi Sarkin, had earlier told the BBC that armed men attacked the area on Sunday and kidnapped 177 people from three churches.
He said 11 people escaped, several others were injured, and no deaths were reported.
In November, more than 300 students and teachers were seized from a Catholic school. They were later released in two successive groups. It was among a spate of kidnappings that made international headlines.
Nigeria is facing numerous security challenges - including kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs, an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and a battle between herders and farmers in the centre over access to land and water.
Experts say corruption, poor intelligence sharing and underfunded local policing have hampered efforts to tackle the various crises.
Nigeria's defence minister resigned last month at the height of the kidnapping crisis, officially for health reasons, according to the president's office.
The US has recently become militarily involved in Nigeria - launching airstrikes on Christmas Day on two camps run by an Islamist militant group in north-western Nigeria.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump warned of more strikes if Christians continued to be killed in the West African nation.
There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle - and the government says people of all faiths have been victims of attacks.
A Nigerian foreign ministry spokesman responded to Trump's warning by saying that Nigeria would continue to engage constructively with partners such as the US.
''Nigeria remains committed to protecting all citizens, Christians and Muslims alike, without discrimination,'' Alkasim Abdulkadir said.
Monday, January 19, 2026
Nigeria aims to court investors at Davos as global capital pulls back
Nigeria will use this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos to press its case as a stable, reforming economy at a time when global investors are pulling back from emerging markets and geopolitical tensions are reshaping capital flows.
Led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s delegation to the January 19–23 meetings includes Wale Edun, the finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, who is attending as a VIP participant, according to a statement signed by Ogho Okiti, special adviser to the minister of finance, on Monday.
The forum’s theme, The Spirit of Dialogue, aligns with Nigeria’s strategy of pairing macroeconomic reforms with sustained engagement with investors, development partners, and global policymakers.
“At a time of heightened uncertainty, the world is looking to Nigeria as a pillar of economic stability in Africa — not only because of its size, but because of the reform choices it has made,” the finance ministry said.
“This positioning places Nigeria firmly within the global dialogue on how emerging markets can navigate volatility while sustaining reform momentum.”
According to the ministry, Nigeria’s message in Davos is straightforward: the country intends to stay the course on market-oriented reforms, maintain macroeconomic discipline, and protect institutional credibility, including the operational independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as a foundation for price stability and investor confidence.
That positioning comes as emerging markets face tightening financial conditions, weaker multilateral cooperation, and rising debt pressures. Nigeria is seeking to distinguish itself by arguing that reforms introduced since May 2023 are beginning to yield tangible results.
Africa’s most populous economy embarked on some market reforms nearly three years ago, including eliminating costly fuel subsidies and floating its currency — the twin policies that have now stabilised the economy and placed it on a more fiscal footing.
According to the finance ministry, Nigeria will use the forum to report progress rather than make new promises. Officials point to more predictable macroeconomic conditions, improving growth performance, moderating inflation trends, stronger external buffers, and renewed international confidence, including Nigeria’s removal from major global financial grey lists.
Beyond signalling reform credibility, Edun’s meetings in Davos will focus on deepening dialogue with global investors, development finance institutions, credit ratings agencies, and multinational companies. The aim is to address lingering concerns around policy consistency, foreign-exchange stability, inflation, and fiscal sustainability, while reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to act as a reform anchor in Africa’s largest economy.
The government says this engagement builds on renewed investor interest, particularly from Europe and the UK, and Nigeria’s gradual reintegration into global financial markets after years of capital controls and policy uncertainty.
A central theme of Nigeria’s Davos strategy this year is shifting discussions from promotion to execution. Officials say Nigeria has opened multiple investment talks over the past two years across energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and financial services. The focus in Davos will be on converting those discussions into firm commitments.
Rather than broad pitches, Edun is expected to push investors on what specific policy assurances, regulatory frameworks, or risk-mitigation tools are required to take projects to financial close. The approach reflects a broader attempt to unlock delayed capital and accelerate project execution in an environment where global funding has become more selective.
Nigeria’s message is shaped by wider global pressures. Trade rules are being rewritten, capital flows to developing economies have tightened sharply, and climate finance remains unevenly distributed. At the same time, rapid technological change is disrupting labour markets faster than new jobs are being created.
Against that backdrop, Nigeria is framing its reform agenda around domestic revenue mobilisation, private-sector-led growth and institutional credibility, with macroeconomic stability positioned as a prerequisite for inclusive development.
By Wasiu Alli, Business Day
Led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s delegation to the January 19–23 meetings includes Wale Edun, the finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, who is attending as a VIP participant, according to a statement signed by Ogho Okiti, special adviser to the minister of finance, on Monday.
The forum’s theme, The Spirit of Dialogue, aligns with Nigeria’s strategy of pairing macroeconomic reforms with sustained engagement with investors, development partners, and global policymakers.
“At a time of heightened uncertainty, the world is looking to Nigeria as a pillar of economic stability in Africa — not only because of its size, but because of the reform choices it has made,” the finance ministry said.
“This positioning places Nigeria firmly within the global dialogue on how emerging markets can navigate volatility while sustaining reform momentum.”
According to the ministry, Nigeria’s message in Davos is straightforward: the country intends to stay the course on market-oriented reforms, maintain macroeconomic discipline, and protect institutional credibility, including the operational independence of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as a foundation for price stability and investor confidence.
That positioning comes as emerging markets face tightening financial conditions, weaker multilateral cooperation, and rising debt pressures. Nigeria is seeking to distinguish itself by arguing that reforms introduced since May 2023 are beginning to yield tangible results.
Africa’s most populous economy embarked on some market reforms nearly three years ago, including eliminating costly fuel subsidies and floating its currency — the twin policies that have now stabilised the economy and placed it on a more fiscal footing.
According to the finance ministry, Nigeria will use the forum to report progress rather than make new promises. Officials point to more predictable macroeconomic conditions, improving growth performance, moderating inflation trends, stronger external buffers, and renewed international confidence, including Nigeria’s removal from major global financial grey lists.
Beyond signalling reform credibility, Edun’s meetings in Davos will focus on deepening dialogue with global investors, development finance institutions, credit ratings agencies, and multinational companies. The aim is to address lingering concerns around policy consistency, foreign-exchange stability, inflation, and fiscal sustainability, while reinforcing Nigeria’s ambition to act as a reform anchor in Africa’s largest economy.
The government says this engagement builds on renewed investor interest, particularly from Europe and the UK, and Nigeria’s gradual reintegration into global financial markets after years of capital controls and policy uncertainty.
A central theme of Nigeria’s Davos strategy this year is shifting discussions from promotion to execution. Officials say Nigeria has opened multiple investment talks over the past two years across energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and financial services. The focus in Davos will be on converting those discussions into firm commitments.
Rather than broad pitches, Edun is expected to push investors on what specific policy assurances, regulatory frameworks, or risk-mitigation tools are required to take projects to financial close. The approach reflects a broader attempt to unlock delayed capital and accelerate project execution in an environment where global funding has become more selective.
Nigeria’s message is shaped by wider global pressures. Trade rules are being rewritten, capital flows to developing economies have tightened sharply, and climate finance remains unevenly distributed. At the same time, rapid technological change is disrupting labour markets faster than new jobs are being created.
Against that backdrop, Nigeria is framing its reform agenda around domestic revenue mobilisation, private-sector-led growth and institutional credibility, with macroeconomic stability positioned as a prerequisite for inclusive development.
Nigeria emerges top Belt and Road beneficiary with China-backed $24.6bn GRIP megaproject
Nigeria has emerged as the largest single beneficiary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2025 following an estimated $24.6 billion construction commitment linked to the Ogidigben Gas Revolution Industrial Park (GRIP) in Delta State, marking one of the biggest China-backed infrastructure deals in Africa this year.
GRIP is a flagship gas-based industrialisation project designed to transform Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves into higher-value products, including petrochemicals, fertilisers, methanol and refined fuels.
The industrial park is expected to anchor multiple downstream industries, supported by new gas processing plants, pipelines, power infrastructure and export facilities, much of which is being delivered by Chinese engineering and construction firms under the BRI framework.
According to Christoph Nedopil Wang, a China energy and finance expert at Griffith University, this deal highlights a broader trend in Beijing’s BRI strategy, which increasingly focuses on fewer but high-value projects tied to energy and industrial infrastructure.
Nedopil notes that Nigeria’s GRIP-related contracts alone accounted for roughly $20 billion of China’s 2025 construction activity in Africa, making the country the continent’s largest BRI construction recipient and a strategic hub for China’s long-term energy engagement.
The scale of the deal places Nigeria at the centre of China’s recalibrated Africa strategy, which is shifting away from smaller, dispersed projects toward fewer, capital-intensive investments tied to energy security and long-term industrial value.
With Africa’s largest gas reserves and a large domestic market, Nigeria offers Beijing both commercial viability and strategic depth in West Africa.
GRIP is a flagship gas-based industrialisation project designed to transform Nigeria’s vast natural gas reserves into higher-value products, including petrochemicals, fertilisers, methanol and refined fuels.
The industrial park is expected to anchor multiple downstream industries, supported by new gas processing plants, pipelines, power infrastructure and export facilities, much of which is being delivered by Chinese engineering and construction firms under the BRI framework.
According to Christoph Nedopil Wang, a China energy and finance expert at Griffith University, this deal highlights a broader trend in Beijing’s BRI strategy, which increasingly focuses on fewer but high-value projects tied to energy and industrial infrastructure.
Nedopil notes that Nigeria’s GRIP-related contracts alone accounted for roughly $20 billion of China’s 2025 construction activity in Africa, making the country the continent’s largest BRI construction recipient and a strategic hub for China’s long-term energy engagement.
The scale of the deal places Nigeria at the centre of China’s recalibrated Africa strategy, which is shifting away from smaller, dispersed projects toward fewer, capital-intensive investments tied to energy security and long-term industrial value.
With Africa’s largest gas reserves and a large domestic market, Nigeria offers Beijing both commercial viability and strategic depth in West Africa.
Terror challenges mar early development
Despite its strong fundamentals, GRIP’s early development was stalled by serious security challenges.
Long-standing tensions between the Ijaw and Itsekiri communities resurfaced, leading to violent rivalries and the emergence of armed groups around the project site in 2018.
During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, threats and alleged financial demands of about $30 million reportedly forced authorities to delay the project’s groundbreaking, severely undermining investor confidence.
Saudi-linked investors who had shown interest in the project are reported to have withdrawn, citing concerns over security and the influence of non-state actors.
As a result, Ogidigben fell dormant for years, becoming a cautionary example of how insecurity in the Niger Delta can derail large-scale energy investments, despite their national economic importance.
Despite its strong fundamentals, GRIP’s early development was stalled by serious security challenges.
Long-standing tensions between the Ijaw and Itsekiri communities resurfaced, leading to violent rivalries and the emergence of armed groups around the project site in 2018.
During the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, threats and alleged financial demands of about $30 million reportedly forced authorities to delay the project’s groundbreaking, severely undermining investor confidence.
Saudi-linked investors who had shown interest in the project are reported to have withdrawn, citing concerns over security and the influence of non-state actors.
As a result, Ogidigben fell dormant for years, becoming a cautionary example of how insecurity in the Niger Delta can derail large-scale energy investments, despite their national economic importance.
Why GRIP matters for Nigeria and China
For Nigeria, GRIP represents a critical pillar of its long-term plan to reduce dependence on crude oil exports, curb gas flaring and build a competitive gas-driven manufacturing base. The project is expected to generate thousands of jobs, stimulate industrial growth in the Niger Delta and boost export revenues once operational.
For China, backing GRIP strengthens access to a major gas-producing economy while reinforcing its economic footprint in a region where competition with Western and Gulf partners is intensifying. It also reflects Beijing’s growing preference for projects with clear revenue potential rather than sovereign-funded public works.
However, the scale of Chinese involvement is likely to revive debates around debt sustainability, transparency and local content.
Nigerian authorities face pressure to ensure the GRIP investment delivers long-term economic value, technology transfer and inclusive growth, rather than adding to fiscal strain.
If successfully executed, GRIP could redefine Nigeria’s industrial landscape and stand as one of the most consequential Belt and Road projects on the African continent.
For Nigeria, GRIP represents a critical pillar of its long-term plan to reduce dependence on crude oil exports, curb gas flaring and build a competitive gas-driven manufacturing base. The project is expected to generate thousands of jobs, stimulate industrial growth in the Niger Delta and boost export revenues once operational.
For China, backing GRIP strengthens access to a major gas-producing economy while reinforcing its economic footprint in a region where competition with Western and Gulf partners is intensifying. It also reflects Beijing’s growing preference for projects with clear revenue potential rather than sovereign-funded public works.
However, the scale of Chinese involvement is likely to revive debates around debt sustainability, transparency and local content.
Nigerian authorities face pressure to ensure the GRIP investment delivers long-term economic value, technology transfer and inclusive growth, rather than adding to fiscal strain.
If successfully executed, GRIP could redefine Nigeria’s industrial landscape and stand as one of the most consequential Belt and Road projects on the African continent.
By Solomon Ekanem, Business Insider Africa
Friday, January 16, 2026
Nigeria's northeast faces worst hunger in a decade as aid cuts hit region, UN says
Thousands of people in Nigeria's strife-torn northeast are facing the risk of catastrophic food shortages for the first time in nearly a decade, as aid cuts deepen malnutrition across the region, the U.N. World Food Programme warned on Friday.
Around 15,000 people are at risk in Borno state, the agency said, an area already struggling with years of militant unrest.
Across West and Central Africa, 55 million people are facing severe food shortages, with more than three quarters of the people affected in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, it added.
The U.N. body did not pick out specific funding but agencies have been raising the alarm since the Trump administration started reducing aid as part of its “America First” policy last year, and Britain and others cut aid budgets to boost spending on defence.
More than 13 million children in the region were projected to suffer malnutrition this year, the WFP said.
Conflict, displacement and economic pressures have driven food insecurity for years, but cuts to humanitarian assistance were now pushing vulnerable communities beyond their ability to cope, the statement added.
“The reduced funding we saw in 2025 has deepened hunger and malnutrition across the region,” Sarah Longford, WFP’s deputy regional director for West and Central Africa, said.
Funding shortfalls in 2025 had already forced WFP to scale back nutrition programmes in Nigeria, affecting more than 300,000 children, after the agency warned that nearly 35 million people could go hungry as its resources ran out in December.
Elsewhere, insecurity in Mali has disrupted food supply routes, leaving 1.5 million people facing crisis levels of hunger, while more than half a million people in Cameroon risk being cut off from aid in the coming weeks, the statement said.
The U.N. agency said it needed more than $453 million over the next six months to continue providing humanitarian assistance across the region.
Around 15,000 people are at risk in Borno state, the agency said, an area already struggling with years of militant unrest.
Across West and Central Africa, 55 million people are facing severe food shortages, with more than three quarters of the people affected in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, it added.
The U.N. body did not pick out specific funding but agencies have been raising the alarm since the Trump administration started reducing aid as part of its “America First” policy last year, and Britain and others cut aid budgets to boost spending on defence.
More than 13 million children in the region were projected to suffer malnutrition this year, the WFP said.
Conflict, displacement and economic pressures have driven food insecurity for years, but cuts to humanitarian assistance were now pushing vulnerable communities beyond their ability to cope, the statement added.
“The reduced funding we saw in 2025 has deepened hunger and malnutrition across the region,” Sarah Longford, WFP’s deputy regional director for West and Central Africa, said.
Funding shortfalls in 2025 had already forced WFP to scale back nutrition programmes in Nigeria, affecting more than 300,000 children, after the agency warned that nearly 35 million people could go hungry as its resources ran out in December.
Elsewhere, insecurity in Mali has disrupted food supply routes, leaving 1.5 million people facing crisis levels of hunger, while more than half a million people in Cameroon risk being cut off from aid in the coming weeks, the statement said.
The U.N. agency said it needed more than $453 million over the next six months to continue providing humanitarian assistance across the region.
EU removes Nigeria from financial crime high-risk list
The European Union has officially removed Nigeria from its list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorism financing, a decision expected to ease cross-border transactions and improve investor confidence.
The update was published on the European Commission’s website and follows Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force greylist in 2025, following a series of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing reforms.
Under the new decision, enhanced due diligence requirements applied to transactions involving Nigeria will be lifted from January 29, 2026, subject to procedural approval by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Explaining the move, the European Commission said the update reflects decisions taken by the FATF at its June and October 2025 plenaries, where several countries were removed from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring.
“The EU has added new third-country jurisdictions to the list (Bolivia and the British Virgin Islands) and delisted a number of others (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania),” the Commission stated.
It noted that entities covered by the EU’s anti-money laundering framework are required to apply enhanced vigilance when dealing with countries on the high-risk list, adding that Nigeria’s removal means such heightened scrutiny will no longer apply to Nigerian-related transactions within the bloc once the regulation takes effect.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the decision as a major boost for the country.
In a post on X on Thursday, she said, “Big win for Nigeria! Removed from the EU’s financial ‘high-risk’.” She added, “Congrats to President @officialABAT on this achievement. As Minister of State for Finance, I’m proud of this boost to trade and investor confidence.”
Also commenting on it, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, said Nigeria’s exit from the European Union’s high-risk third-country list is a major boost for investor confidence.
Speaking in Lagos on Thursday at the NESG 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook Presentation, Edun said, “Exiting the EU high-risk list is a landmark achievement for Nigeria. It sends a clear signal to investors that Nigeria is serious about maintaining a stable, credible, and transparent business environment.”
Nigeria’s exit from the EU high-risk list is expected to have significant economic and financial implications. Countries classified as high-risk often face higher transaction costs, delayed payments, tighter correspondent banking relationships, and reduced foreign investment.
With the lifting of enhanced due diligence requirements, Nigerian banks, exporters, fintechs, and other businesses transacting with European partners are expected to face fewer compliance hurdles, a development that could improve trade flows, ease remittances, and support capital inflows.
The decision also reinforces Nigeria’s credibility as it seeks to reform its financial system and curb illicit financial flows, at a time when the government is pushing to attract foreign investment and deepen integration into global financial markets.
Nigeria was removed from the FATF greylist in October last year after implementing reforms to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
The country was delisted alongside South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique, all of which had stepped up efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
South Africa and Nigeria were added to the FATF greylist in February 2023, Mozambique in October 2022, while Burkina Faso was first designated in February 2021.
The update was published on the European Commission’s website and follows Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force greylist in 2025, following a series of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing reforms.
Under the new decision, enhanced due diligence requirements applied to transactions involving Nigeria will be lifted from January 29, 2026, subject to procedural approval by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Explaining the move, the European Commission said the update reflects decisions taken by the FATF at its June and October 2025 plenaries, where several countries were removed from the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring.
“The EU has added new third-country jurisdictions to the list (Bolivia and the British Virgin Islands) and delisted a number of others (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania),” the Commission stated.
It noted that entities covered by the EU’s anti-money laundering framework are required to apply enhanced vigilance when dealing with countries on the high-risk list, adding that Nigeria’s removal means such heightened scrutiny will no longer apply to Nigerian-related transactions within the bloc once the regulation takes effect.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite, described the decision as a major boost for the country.
In a post on X on Thursday, she said, “Big win for Nigeria! Removed from the EU’s financial ‘high-risk’.” She added, “Congrats to President @officialABAT on this achievement. As Minister of State for Finance, I’m proud of this boost to trade and investor confidence.”
Also commenting on it, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun, said Nigeria’s exit from the European Union’s high-risk third-country list is a major boost for investor confidence.
Speaking in Lagos on Thursday at the NESG 2026 Macroeconomic Outlook Presentation, Edun said, “Exiting the EU high-risk list is a landmark achievement for Nigeria. It sends a clear signal to investors that Nigeria is serious about maintaining a stable, credible, and transparent business environment.”
Nigeria’s exit from the EU high-risk list is expected to have significant economic and financial implications. Countries classified as high-risk often face higher transaction costs, delayed payments, tighter correspondent banking relationships, and reduced foreign investment.
With the lifting of enhanced due diligence requirements, Nigerian banks, exporters, fintechs, and other businesses transacting with European partners are expected to face fewer compliance hurdles, a development that could improve trade flows, ease remittances, and support capital inflows.
The decision also reinforces Nigeria’s credibility as it seeks to reform its financial system and curb illicit financial flows, at a time when the government is pushing to attract foreign investment and deepen integration into global financial markets.
Nigeria was removed from the FATF greylist in October last year after implementing reforms to strengthen its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework.
The country was delisted alongside South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique, all of which had stepped up efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
South Africa and Nigeria were added to the FATF greylist in February 2023, Mozambique in October 2022, while Burkina Faso was first designated in February 2021.
Death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s son prompts calls for overhaul of Nigeria’s healthcare sector
Nigerians have called for urgent reforms to the healthcare sector after the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son prompted an outpouring of grief and accounts of negligence and inadequate care.
In a leaked WhatsApp message, the bestselling author said she had been told by a doctor that the resident anaesthesiologist at the Lagos hospital treating her son Nkanu Nnamdi had administered an overdose of the sedative propofol.
Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have begun legal action against the hospital, accusing it of medical negligence.
For decades, the state of Nigeria’s public health sector has made national headlines with accounts of underpaid doctors carrying out surgeries by candlelight in the absence of power supply, patients paying for gloves and other missing basics, dilapidated facilities and nonexistent research departments. Those who can afford to seek care abroad typically do so.
There is also a dearth of emergency response services. When the former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua survived a car accident in Nigeria in December, he was helped at the scene by bystanders, with no ambulance in sight.
Adichie’s sister-in-law Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, a physician with decades of experience, has called for change.
She told Agence France-Presse: “This is a wake-up call, for we, the public, to demand accountability and transparency and consequences of negligence in our healthcare system.”
An exodus of medical personnel has exacerbated the situation, resulting in a doctor-to-patient ratio at the last count of 1:9,801. According to the health ministry, an estimated 16,000 doctors have left Nigeria in the last seven years.
In a leaked WhatsApp message, the bestselling author said she had been told by a doctor that the resident anaesthesiologist at the Lagos hospital treating her son Nkanu Nnamdi had administered an overdose of the sedative propofol.
Adichie and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have begun legal action against the hospital, accusing it of medical negligence.
For decades, the state of Nigeria’s public health sector has made national headlines with accounts of underpaid doctors carrying out surgeries by candlelight in the absence of power supply, patients paying for gloves and other missing basics, dilapidated facilities and nonexistent research departments. Those who can afford to seek care abroad typically do so.
There is also a dearth of emergency response services. When the former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua survived a car accident in Nigeria in December, he was helped at the scene by bystanders, with no ambulance in sight.
Adichie’s sister-in-law Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, a physician with decades of experience, has called for change.
She told Agence France-Presse: “This is a wake-up call, for we, the public, to demand accountability and transparency and consequences of negligence in our healthcare system.”
An exodus of medical personnel has exacerbated the situation, resulting in a doctor-to-patient ratio at the last count of 1:9,801. According to the health ministry, an estimated 16,000 doctors have left Nigeria in the last seven years.
‘The will of God’
As Nigerians at home and abroad mourned Adichie’s son this week and the Lagos state government ordered an inquiry, stories flooded social media about a crisis of errors by medical personnel.
In Kano state, authorities said they were investigating the case of a woman who died four months after doctors left a pair of scissors in her stomach during surgery. The woman repeatedly visited the hospital complaining of abdominal pain, but was only prescribed painkillers. Scans revealed the scissors just two days before she died.
For Ijoma Ugboma, who lost his wife in 2021, the tragedy felt painfully familiar. Peju Ugboma, a 41-year-old chef, had gone into hospital for fibroid surgery and died due to complications exacerbated by staff putting “the wrong setting of the ventilator [on] for 12 hours”, her husband said.
“Surgery on Friday, ICU on Saturday, dead on Sunday. I asked for the death certificate … but at that point I knew that I wasn’t going to let this thing go like that,” he told the Guardian.
Almost two years after Peju’s death, after a battle Ugboma said had tested him “mentally, emotionally and financially”, three of the four doctors in the operating theatre were indicted for professional misconduct.
The law firm of Olisa Agbakoba, a medical negligence lawyer with two decades’ experience, was one of two that represented the Ugboma family in court. He said in Nigeria there was no rigorous regulatory structure in place in the health sector.
“There is no requirement for routine submission of reports, no systematic inspections, and no effective enforcement of professional standards,” he said.
Agbakoba said his brother had undergone surgery by a physician who was not suitably qualified, resulting in sepsis that required a month-long treatment. “That was absolute incompetence,” he said.
Despite the abundance of medical malpractice claims, formal complaints and lawsuits remain remarkably low, partly because negligence is hard to prove. But many say there is also a cultural and spiritual dimension involved.
“People say it’s the will of God,” said Agbakoba. “They just go home and don’t talk about it … It’s underreported because many people don’t really do anything about it.”
As Nigerians at home and abroad mourned Adichie’s son this week and the Lagos state government ordered an inquiry, stories flooded social media about a crisis of errors by medical personnel.
In Kano state, authorities said they were investigating the case of a woman who died four months after doctors left a pair of scissors in her stomach during surgery. The woman repeatedly visited the hospital complaining of abdominal pain, but was only prescribed painkillers. Scans revealed the scissors just two days before she died.
For Ijoma Ugboma, who lost his wife in 2021, the tragedy felt painfully familiar. Peju Ugboma, a 41-year-old chef, had gone into hospital for fibroid surgery and died due to complications exacerbated by staff putting “the wrong setting of the ventilator [on] for 12 hours”, her husband said.
“Surgery on Friday, ICU on Saturday, dead on Sunday. I asked for the death certificate … but at that point I knew that I wasn’t going to let this thing go like that,” he told the Guardian.
Almost two years after Peju’s death, after a battle Ugboma said had tested him “mentally, emotionally and financially”, three of the four doctors in the operating theatre were indicted for professional misconduct.
The law firm of Olisa Agbakoba, a medical negligence lawyer with two decades’ experience, was one of two that represented the Ugboma family in court. He said in Nigeria there was no rigorous regulatory structure in place in the health sector.
“There is no requirement for routine submission of reports, no systematic inspections, and no effective enforcement of professional standards,” he said.
Agbakoba said his brother had undergone surgery by a physician who was not suitably qualified, resulting in sepsis that required a month-long treatment. “That was absolute incompetence,” he said.
Despite the abundance of medical malpractice claims, formal complaints and lawsuits remain remarkably low, partly because negligence is hard to prove. But many say there is also a cultural and spiritual dimension involved.
“People say it’s the will of God,” said Agbakoba. “They just go home and don’t talk about it … It’s underreported because many people don’t really do anything about it.”
Finding justice
Even when issues are escalated legally, medical personnel are reluctant to give professional opinions in court. Two of the three expert witnesses that testified for the Ugbomas live outside Nigeria.
“People told us they’d read through the case notes, they’d seen all the fault lines … but nobody wanted to talk and that is part of the rot in the system because there’s an unwritten oath of secrecy,” Ugboma said.
Some people are cautiously optimistic that the high-profile death of Adichie’s’s son will trigger an overhaul of the health regulatory framework.
For Ugboma, his long fight for accountability was worth it. “Right now, I can talk to my children and tell them I fought for their mother even in death,’ he said. “There’s justice out there if only one can persevere. It’s a marathon. But we can only have a better system if more people begin to challenge them.”
Even when issues are escalated legally, medical personnel are reluctant to give professional opinions in court. Two of the three expert witnesses that testified for the Ugbomas live outside Nigeria.
“People told us they’d read through the case notes, they’d seen all the fault lines … but nobody wanted to talk and that is part of the rot in the system because there’s an unwritten oath of secrecy,” Ugboma said.
Some people are cautiously optimistic that the high-profile death of Adichie’s’s son will trigger an overhaul of the health regulatory framework.
For Ugboma, his long fight for accountability was worth it. “Right now, I can talk to my children and tell them I fought for their mother even in death,’ he said. “There’s justice out there if only one can persevere. It’s a marathon. But we can only have a better system if more people begin to challenge them.”
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Nigeria's drive to build a digital economy faces major setbacks
Nigeria’s ambition to build a digital economy is facing a major hurdle as the country grapples with cuts, vandalism, and access disputes. This has triggered thousands of network outages, slowing broadband growth, disrupting businesses, raising concerns over the country's digital future.
Amazon Wins Nigeria Satellite Internet License, Challenging Starlink’s Dominance
Nigeria has opened its satellite broadband market to a new global player. Amazon secured a seven-year landing permit from the Nigerian Communications Commission, allowing Project Kuiper to launch internet services in the country from February 2026. The decision supports Nigeria’s strategy to diversify connectivity infrastructure and attract next-generation technology investment.
“The approval aligns with global best practices and reflects Nigeria’s commitment to opening its satellite communications market to next-generation broadband service providers,” the NCC said, highlighting the strategic importance of the authorization amid rising demand for connectivity.
The license allows Amazon Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global low-Earth-orbit constellation of up to 3,236 satellites. The authorization covers fixed satellite services, mobile satellite services, and earth stations in motion. These services target households, businesses, mobility use cases, logistics, aviation, maritime transport, and critical infrastructure.
Amazon’s entry ends Starlink’s quasi-exclusive dominance of Nigeria’s LEO satellite internet market. Starlink benefited from a first-mover advantage and built an estimated base of more than 66,000 subscribers. Kuiper’s arrival introduces direct competition between two global players with large financial, technological, and industrial resources. That rivalry could reshape pricing, service quality, and coverage.
From a technical standpoint, the authorization covers operations in the Ka frequency band, which supports high data transmission capacity. Amazon plans to use 100-MHz channels and deliver speeds of up to 400 Mbps while keeping terminal costs compatible with mass adoption. These features strengthen satellite broadband as a credible alternative to terrestrial networks, including in urban and semi-urban areas.
Nigeria represents a strategic market for Amazon. The country still faces major connectivity gaps despite its large population. According to the NCC, more than 23 million Nigerians live in unserved or underserved areas, while mobile broadband penetration reached 50.58% in November 2025. In that context, LEO satellites, which offer low latency, support advanced digital uses ranging from cloud computing to digital financial services.
Beyond households, Kuiper’s services could meet demand from businesses in oil and gas, mining, ports, and logistics corridors, where fiber deployment remains costly or technically complex. Amazon, which renamed Project Kuiper as Amazon LEO in November 2025, plans to leverage integration with Amazon Web Services to bundle connectivity with cloud services.
With this authorization, Nigeria strengthens its position as one of Africa’s most dynamic satellite broadband markets. Increased competition among LEO operators should gradually improve internet speed, affordability, and resilience, benefiting consumers, businesses, and Nigeria’s digital economy.
“The approval aligns with global best practices and reflects Nigeria’s commitment to opening its satellite communications market to next-generation broadband service providers,” the NCC said, highlighting the strategic importance of the authorization amid rising demand for connectivity.
The license allows Amazon Kuiper to operate its space segment in Nigeria as part of a global low-Earth-orbit constellation of up to 3,236 satellites. The authorization covers fixed satellite services, mobile satellite services, and earth stations in motion. These services target households, businesses, mobility use cases, logistics, aviation, maritime transport, and critical infrastructure.
Amazon’s entry ends Starlink’s quasi-exclusive dominance of Nigeria’s LEO satellite internet market. Starlink benefited from a first-mover advantage and built an estimated base of more than 66,000 subscribers. Kuiper’s arrival introduces direct competition between two global players with large financial, technological, and industrial resources. That rivalry could reshape pricing, service quality, and coverage.
From a technical standpoint, the authorization covers operations in the Ka frequency band, which supports high data transmission capacity. Amazon plans to use 100-MHz channels and deliver speeds of up to 400 Mbps while keeping terminal costs compatible with mass adoption. These features strengthen satellite broadband as a credible alternative to terrestrial networks, including in urban and semi-urban areas.
Nigeria represents a strategic market for Amazon. The country still faces major connectivity gaps despite its large population. According to the NCC, more than 23 million Nigerians live in unserved or underserved areas, while mobile broadband penetration reached 50.58% in November 2025. In that context, LEO satellites, which offer low latency, support advanced digital uses ranging from cloud computing to digital financial services.
Beyond households, Kuiper’s services could meet demand from businesses in oil and gas, mining, ports, and logistics corridors, where fiber deployment remains costly or technically complex. Amazon, which renamed Project Kuiper as Amazon LEO in November 2025, plans to leverage integration with Amazon Web Services to bundle connectivity with cloud services.
With this authorization, Nigeria strengthens its position as one of Africa’s most dynamic satellite broadband markets. Increased competition among LEO operators should gradually improve internet speed, affordability, and resilience, benefiting consumers, businesses, and Nigeria’s digital economy.
By Samira Njoya, wearetech.africa