The standoff, triggered by disputes at the border, halted onion shipments and caused significant losses for traders. It also led to shortages and rising prices for onions across parts of West Africa. Regional interventions helped ease tensions and restore the vital trade route.
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Nigeria-Ghana onion trade resumes after weeks of disruption
The standoff, triggered by disputes at the border, halted onion shipments and caused significant losses for traders. It also led to shortages and rising prices for onions across parts of West Africa. Regional interventions helped ease tensions and restore the vital trade route.
Nigeria may lose U.S. security aid as lawmakers move to impose strict conditions
Nigeria could face tighter scrutiny over its security operations after U.S. lawmakers advanced a funding bill that places new conditions on American assistance to the country.
The legislation, approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, ties future security support to measurable progress in addressing violence, particularly in regions affected by attacks on Christian communities.
U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, a key backer of the bill, accused the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to adequately respond to what he described as escalating violence, especially in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The country has seen persistent clashes involving ethnic militias, criminal gangs, and jihadist groups.
“This bill takes serious steps to address this crisis,” Moore said, adding that the United States would not ignore the situation.
The legislation, approved by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, ties future security support to measurable progress in addressing violence, particularly in regions affected by attacks on Christian communities.
U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, a key backer of the bill, accused the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu of failing to adequately respond to what he described as escalating violence, especially in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The country has seen persistent clashes involving ethnic militias, criminal gangs, and jihadist groups.
“This bill takes serious steps to address this crisis,” Moore said, adding that the United States would not ignore the situation.
U.S.–Nigeria Military Aid and Security Cooperation Over the Years
U.S. security assistance has long supported Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), mainly through training, intelligence sharing, and limited military support.
The U.S.–Nigeria relationship is one of Washington’s most important in sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting Nigeria’s strategic role as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy.
Between FY2019 and FY2023, the U.S. provided about $5 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funding, alongside roughly $500,000 under the Africa Military Education Program (AMEP) since FY2016 to strengthen Nigeria’s military institutions.
Under Donald Trump’s recent-term approach, U.S. policy toward Nigeria became more forceful, with heightened focus on insecurity and allegations of Christian persecution.
His administration combined pressure - warning of aid cuts and potential military action - with limited intelligence and counterterrorism coordination.
The relationship later shifted toward cooperation, with the U.S. supporting Nigerian-led operations through intelligence sharing, training, and advisory assistance rather than direct intervention.
However, engagement has become more cautious overall due to concerns over civilian harm, human rights, and accountability.
Some U.S. officials have framed aspects of it as religiously driven, contributing to a gradual shift toward conditional aid tied to civilian protection, governance reforms, and humanitarian support.
U.S. security assistance has long supported Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), mainly through training, intelligence sharing, and limited military support.
The U.S.–Nigeria relationship is one of Washington’s most important in sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting Nigeria’s strategic role as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy.
Between FY2019 and FY2023, the U.S. provided about $5 million in International Military Education and Training (IMET) funding, alongside roughly $500,000 under the Africa Military Education Program (AMEP) since FY2016 to strengthen Nigeria’s military institutions.
Under Donald Trump’s recent-term approach, U.S. policy toward Nigeria became more forceful, with heightened focus on insecurity and allegations of Christian persecution.
His administration combined pressure - warning of aid cuts and potential military action - with limited intelligence and counterterrorism coordination.
The relationship later shifted toward cooperation, with the U.S. supporting Nigerian-led operations through intelligence sharing, training, and advisory assistance rather than direct intervention.
However, engagement has become more cautious overall due to concerns over civilian harm, human rights, and accountability.
Some U.S. officials have framed aspects of it as religiously driven, contributing to a gradual shift toward conditional aid tied to civilian protection, governance reforms, and humanitarian support.
Stricter conditions and deeper oversight
The proposed legislation sets out clear benchmarks Nigeria must meet before accessing U.S. security assistance.
These include effectively responding to violence, holding perpetrators accountable, prioritising resources for internally displaced persons, and facilitating their safe return to ancestral communities.
It also directs that U.S. support prioritise atrocity prevention, the advancement of religious freedom, prosecution of armed groups including Fulani militias, criminal gangs, and jihadist networks, as well as improved accountability for police and security forces.
Additional provisions emphasise humanitarian assistance and support for faith-based organisations operating in conflict-affected areas, alongside efforts to disarm armed groups.
Beyond the conditions, the bill introduces heightened oversight.
Nigeria would be added to a list of countries requiring enhanced monitoring, with the U.S. Secretary of State mandated to submit detailed plans outlining how every dollar of assistance is allocated and spent, subject to direct congressional review.
"The bill we passed out of committee also adds Nigeria to the list of countries requiring much higher levels of oversight. The Secretary is required to submit a plan for every dollar appropriated to Nigeria, and every dollar spent will have direct Congressional oversight." Rep Moore added.
The move signals a shift toward more conditional engagement between Washington and Abuja.
If enacted, it could reshape bilateral security cooperation, placing increased pressure on Nigeria to demonstrate measurable progress in addressing violence, protecting vulnerable communities, and restoring stability in affected regions.
The proposed legislation sets out clear benchmarks Nigeria must meet before accessing U.S. security assistance.
These include effectively responding to violence, holding perpetrators accountable, prioritising resources for internally displaced persons, and facilitating their safe return to ancestral communities.
It also directs that U.S. support prioritise atrocity prevention, the advancement of religious freedom, prosecution of armed groups including Fulani militias, criminal gangs, and jihadist networks, as well as improved accountability for police and security forces.
Additional provisions emphasise humanitarian assistance and support for faith-based organisations operating in conflict-affected areas, alongside efforts to disarm armed groups.
Beyond the conditions, the bill introduces heightened oversight.
Nigeria would be added to a list of countries requiring enhanced monitoring, with the U.S. Secretary of State mandated to submit detailed plans outlining how every dollar of assistance is allocated and spent, subject to direct congressional review.
"The bill we passed out of committee also adds Nigeria to the list of countries requiring much higher levels of oversight. The Secretary is required to submit a plan for every dollar appropriated to Nigeria, and every dollar spent will have direct Congressional oversight." Rep Moore added.
The move signals a shift toward more conditional engagement between Washington and Abuja.
If enacted, it could reshape bilateral security cooperation, placing increased pressure on Nigeria to demonstrate measurable progress in addressing violence, protecting vulnerable communities, and restoring stability in affected regions.
By Solomon Ekanem, Business Insider Africa
President Tinubu nominates new oil regulator in second leadership change in four months
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has nominated Rabiu Abdullahi Umar as chief executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the second leadership change at the petroleum regulator in four months, the presidency said on Tuesday.
Umar replaces Saidu Mohammed who was appointment in December after their predecessors abruptly quit, amid a high stakes clash between one agency and Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote.
Wednesday's nomination comes as Nigeria grapples with rising domestic energy prices, partly driven by higher global oil prices following the escalation of conflict involving Iran, which has heightened concerns about supply disruptions and increased volatility in international energy markets.
The presidency said the decision was made in the public interest and aimed at strengthening regulatory effectiveness in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
Pending Senate confirmation, the most senior official at the NMDPRA will oversee the agency in an acting capacity.
Umar has more than 25 years of experience across the energy, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. He previously worked at Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s largest cement producer, and has held senior roles involving operational management and large-scale project delivery.
The NMDPRA was established under a new law in 2021 to regulate Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations, a critical segment of Africa’s largest oil-producing economy.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
Umar replaces Saidu Mohammed who was appointment in December after their predecessors abruptly quit, amid a high stakes clash between one agency and Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote.
Wednesday's nomination comes as Nigeria grapples with rising domestic energy prices, partly driven by higher global oil prices following the escalation of conflict involving Iran, which has heightened concerns about supply disruptions and increased volatility in international energy markets.
The presidency said the decision was made in the public interest and aimed at strengthening regulatory effectiveness in the midstream and downstream petroleum sector.
Pending Senate confirmation, the most senior official at the NMDPRA will oversee the agency in an acting capacity.
Umar has more than 25 years of experience across the energy, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors. He previously worked at Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s largest cement producer, and has held senior roles involving operational management and large-scale project delivery.
The NMDPRA was established under a new law in 2021 to regulate Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations, a critical segment of Africa’s largest oil-producing economy.
Nigeria races to contain deadly meningitis outbreak
As Nigeria’s dry season peaks, health authorities have placed 11 states on high alert. Despite years of vaccination campaigns, meningitis continues to claim lives. A new vaccine offers hope — but is it enough to finally break the cycle?
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Nigeria cuts airline debts to ease jet fuel crisis
Nigeria is stepping in to stabilize its aviation sector as airlines face soaring jet fuel prices that threaten operations. The government has approved a 30 percent debt relief for domestic carriers following warnings of possible flight disruptions or shutdowns. Officials say the intervention aims to ease financial pressure on airlines while preventing wider economic fallout linked to rising transport costs.
Related story: Nigeria caps jet fuel prices to avert airline disruptions
UK launches fund to boost production in Nigeria’s creative sector
The UK-Nigeria Technology Hub has launched its Creative Fund, a first-phase grants initiative designed to address critical technical capacity gaps across Nigeria’s film, fashion, and music industries.
The fund will support the development of local digital production capacity, encourage the adoption of modern creative technologies, and promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen Nigeria’s creative value chain.
The initiative, announced yesterday, directly supports the priorities of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership (ETIP) Creative Working Group launched in March 2025 and delivers on commitments made during President Bola Tinubu’s State visit to the UK in March 2026. It is designed to ensure that high-potential creative projects can access the technical talent, tools, and resources required to produce, scale and complete their work locally.
Funded by the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev, the Creative Fund responds directly to evidence gathered through the State of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria, a study in 2024. Drawing on over 1,700 survey responses and fieldwork across seven states, the research showed that Nigeria’s creative economy employs approximately 4.2 million people and contributes around $3 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) yearly.
Despite this scale, the sector continues to face structural constraints, as over 80 per cent of practitioners are self-taught, fewer than 10 per cent have access to formal financing, and high-value technical work is routinely outsourced outside the country. The Creative Fund is a direct response to these gaps and is central to the work of the ETIP Creative Working Group.
Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, said: “Nigeria’s creative sector already delivers real economic value, and both governments have committed under the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership to supporting its growth.
Through the ETIP Creatives Working Group, we are moving from ambition to action. The Creative Fund is a practical first-phase intervention that addresses critical gaps in skills, infrastructure, and access to advanced tools, enabling Nigerian creatives to produce and scale high-quality work locally.”
The Fund will support high-potential creative projects covering three industries: Film, Fashion, and Music and will focus on initiatives that demonstrate strong potential for impact, scalability, and job creation. It will subsidise projects that need to close technical gaps, including critical specialists like VFX artists, sound engineers, post-production editors, and design professionals, or the digital tools and resources that make professional-quality work possible locally, for example, digital asset management systems, content delivery tools, Digital Rights Management solutions, and AI-driven production technologies. The aim is straightforward: Nigeria’s best creative work should be made in Nigeria.
By Adeyemi Adepetun, The Guardian
The fund will support the development of local digital production capacity, encourage the adoption of modern creative technologies, and promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen Nigeria’s creative value chain.
The initiative, announced yesterday, directly supports the priorities of the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership (ETIP) Creative Working Group launched in March 2025 and delivers on commitments made during President Bola Tinubu’s State visit to the UK in March 2026. It is designed to ensure that high-potential creative projects can access the technical talent, tools, and resources required to produce, scale and complete their work locally.
Funded by the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, under the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme and implemented by Tech4Dev, the Creative Fund responds directly to evidence gathered through the State of the Creative Innovation Ecosystem in Nigeria, a study in 2024. Drawing on over 1,700 survey responses and fieldwork across seven states, the research showed that Nigeria’s creative economy employs approximately 4.2 million people and contributes around $3 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) yearly.
Despite this scale, the sector continues to face structural constraints, as over 80 per cent of practitioners are self-taught, fewer than 10 per cent have access to formal financing, and high-value technical work is routinely outsourced outside the country. The Creative Fund is a direct response to these gaps and is central to the work of the ETIP Creative Working Group.
Director of the UK-Nigeria Tech Hub, Oyinkansola Akintola-Bello, said: “Nigeria’s creative sector already delivers real economic value, and both governments have committed under the UK-Nigeria Economic Transformation and Investment Partnership to supporting its growth.
Through the ETIP Creatives Working Group, we are moving from ambition to action. The Creative Fund is a practical first-phase intervention that addresses critical gaps in skills, infrastructure, and access to advanced tools, enabling Nigerian creatives to produce and scale high-quality work locally.”
The Fund will support high-potential creative projects covering three industries: Film, Fashion, and Music and will focus on initiatives that demonstrate strong potential for impact, scalability, and job creation. It will subsidise projects that need to close technical gaps, including critical specialists like VFX artists, sound engineers, post-production editors, and design professionals, or the digital tools and resources that make professional-quality work possible locally, for example, digital asset management systems, content delivery tools, Digital Rights Management solutions, and AI-driven production technologies. The aim is straightforward: Nigeria’s best creative work should be made in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s military backs local defense technology startup
Nigerian defense-tech startup Terra Industries unveiled its latest autonomous defense systems including interceptor drones, mine-detection vehicles and battlefield intelligence software.
Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos bets on local power as grid falters
Lagos is betting that Nigeria's chronic electricity shortages can be addressed outside the national grid, scaling up state-backed power generation and distribution after securing 400 megawatts of new supply, the state's energy commissioner said.
Africa’s largest city is pressing ahead under reforms that allow sub-national governments to regulate power as Nigeria’s grid struggles. At least 22 other states are also setting up electricity markets to reduce reliance on the centralised system in Abuja, according to data from the power regulator.
"We are seeking to move beyond a single point of failure," Lagos Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Biodun Ogunleye said at a conference organised by BusinessDay newspaper on Tuesday.
Nigeria's grid delivers about 3,000 MW on a good day, far short of estimated demand of more than 30,000 MW, according to government power plans, forcing businesses and households to rely on diesel generators.
Lagos activated its electricity regulatory regime in June 2025 and transferred oversight of intrastate electricity matters from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission. By the end of the year, it had assumed full regulatory control of its electricity market, becoming the first Nigerian state to do so, officials said.
In a circular last year, NERC said state regulators would oversee intrastate electricity matters, while it would retain responsibility for interstate electricity transactions, national grid operations and industry standards.
Lagos has signed power purchase agreements with Fenchurch Power, Mainland Power and Viathan Engineering Limited to supply up to 400 MW to public facilities over three years.
"These are not business-as-usual PPAs," Ogunleye said. "They represent a fundamental shift in how Lagos procures and pays for power."
Lagos has scrapped "take-or-pay" and "deemed energy" provisions, which required payments even when power was not delivered, and will instead pay only for metered electricity supplied, officials said.
Analysts said state-level power markets could improve reliability but would not remove constraints including gas supply, foreign exchange exposure, affordability, transmission bottlenecks and weak technical capacity.
"Capital is available, but revenue assurance is a problem," said Bola Adigun, a partner at Deloitte Nigeria.
By Isaac Anyaogu, Reuters
Africa’s largest city is pressing ahead under reforms that allow sub-national governments to regulate power as Nigeria’s grid struggles. At least 22 other states are also setting up electricity markets to reduce reliance on the centralised system in Abuja, according to data from the power regulator.
"We are seeking to move beyond a single point of failure," Lagos Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources Biodun Ogunleye said at a conference organised by BusinessDay newspaper on Tuesday.
Nigeria's grid delivers about 3,000 MW on a good day, far short of estimated demand of more than 30,000 MW, according to government power plans, forcing businesses and households to rely on diesel generators.
Lagos activated its electricity regulatory regime in June 2025 and transferred oversight of intrastate electricity matters from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission. By the end of the year, it had assumed full regulatory control of its electricity market, becoming the first Nigerian state to do so, officials said.
In a circular last year, NERC said state regulators would oversee intrastate electricity matters, while it would retain responsibility for interstate electricity transactions, national grid operations and industry standards.
Lagos has signed power purchase agreements with Fenchurch Power, Mainland Power and Viathan Engineering Limited to supply up to 400 MW to public facilities over three years.
"These are not business-as-usual PPAs," Ogunleye said. "They represent a fundamental shift in how Lagos procures and pays for power."
Lagos has scrapped "take-or-pay" and "deemed energy" provisions, which required payments even when power was not delivered, and will instead pay only for metered electricity supplied, officials said.
Analysts said state-level power markets could improve reliability but would not remove constraints including gas supply, foreign exchange exposure, affordability, transmission bottlenecks and weak technical capacity.
"Capital is available, but revenue assurance is a problem," said Bola Adigun, a partner at Deloitte Nigeria.
Stock market in Nigeria surges as industrial stocks power a strong rally
Nigeria’s equities market extended its strong run on Tuesday, with a sharp rise in industrial and energy stocks lifting the benchmark index to new highs and reinforcing one of the world’s best-performing market trends this year.
The NGX All-Share Index climbed 2.24% to close at 228,602.00 points, gaining 4,999.71 points in a single session. The move pushes the market’s return to 46.9% so far in 2026, underlining sustained investor appetite despite macroeconomic uncertainties.
Trading activity was robust. A total of 907.9 million shares worth N68.2 billion were exchanged in 72,697 deals.
Compared with the previous session, volume rose 34% and turnover jumped 55%, even as the number of deals declined by 12%, suggesting larger ticket trades dominated the session.
Market capitalisation stood at about N147.3 trillion, equivalent to roughly $107 billion.
Gains were broadly distributed, with 39 stocks gaining and 39 declining, showing a balanced but active market.
Industrial names led the rally. Lafarge Africa posted the maximum daily gain of 10% to close at N324.50, alongside Industrial & Medical Gases and FTN Cocoa Processors, which also rose by the daily limit. Austin Laz & Company followed closely with a 9.71% increase.
The strong performance in industrial counters helped push the NGX Industrial Index up 4.86% on the day and nearly 80% year-to-date, highlighting renewed investor interest in infrastructure-linked and manufacturing plays.
The NGX All-Share Index climbed 2.24% to close at 228,602.00 points, gaining 4,999.71 points in a single session. The move pushes the market’s return to 46.9% so far in 2026, underlining sustained investor appetite despite macroeconomic uncertainties.
Trading activity was robust. A total of 907.9 million shares worth N68.2 billion were exchanged in 72,697 deals.
Compared with the previous session, volume rose 34% and turnover jumped 55%, even as the number of deals declined by 12%, suggesting larger ticket trades dominated the session.
Market capitalisation stood at about N147.3 trillion, equivalent to roughly $107 billion.
Gains were broadly distributed, with 39 stocks gaining and 39 declining, showing a balanced but active market.
Industrial names led the rally. Lafarge Africa posted the maximum daily gain of 10% to close at N324.50, alongside Industrial & Medical Gases and FTN Cocoa Processors, which also rose by the daily limit. Austin Laz & Company followed closely with a 9.71% increase.
The strong performance in industrial counters helped push the NGX Industrial Index up 4.86% on the day and nearly 80% year-to-date, highlighting renewed investor interest in infrastructure-linked and manufacturing plays.
Banking stocks weigh on losers’ chart
On the downside, banking and mid-tier names faced selling pressure. United Bank for Africa declined 10% to N44.55, while Trans-Nationwide Express, Jaiz Bank and Berger Paints also recorded steep losses.
Despite the declines, banking stocks still dominated trading volumes, reflecting continued liquidity and investor positioning in the sector.
Access Holdings led activity with 220 million shares traded, followed by Fidelity Bank, Wema Bank and Linkage Assurance.
Sector performance remained strong across the board. The NGX Oil & Gas Index rose 4.66%, taking its year-to-date return above 100%, while the Consumer Goods and Main Board indices also posted solid gains.
The NGX Top 30 and Premium indices, which track large-cap stocks, continued to trend higher, reinforcing the role of heavyweight companies in driving the rally.
Nigeria’s stock market has attracted increased attention in 2026 as investors seek protection against inflation and currency volatility, while also rotating into equities with strong earnings outlooks.
Reforms in the foreign exchange market and improving corporate profitability have also helped restore confidence, drawing both local institutional funds and foreign portfolio investors back into equities.
With returns nearing 50% this year, the Nigerian market is emerging as one of the standout performers globally, though analysts warn that volatility could increase as valuations rise and profit-taking sets in.
On the downside, banking and mid-tier names faced selling pressure. United Bank for Africa declined 10% to N44.55, while Trans-Nationwide Express, Jaiz Bank and Berger Paints also recorded steep losses.
Despite the declines, banking stocks still dominated trading volumes, reflecting continued liquidity and investor positioning in the sector.
Access Holdings led activity with 220 million shares traded, followed by Fidelity Bank, Wema Bank and Linkage Assurance.
Sector performance remained strong across the board. The NGX Oil & Gas Index rose 4.66%, taking its year-to-date return above 100%, while the Consumer Goods and Main Board indices also posted solid gains.
The NGX Top 30 and Premium indices, which track large-cap stocks, continued to trend higher, reinforcing the role of heavyweight companies in driving the rally.
Nigeria’s stock market has attracted increased attention in 2026 as investors seek protection against inflation and currency volatility, while also rotating into equities with strong earnings outlooks.
Reforms in the foreign exchange market and improving corporate profitability have also helped restore confidence, drawing both local institutional funds and foreign portfolio investors back into equities.
With returns nearing 50% this year, the Nigerian market is emerging as one of the standout performers globally, though analysts warn that volatility could increase as valuations rise and profit-taking sets in.
By Ayodeji Adegboyega, Business Insider Africa
Kenya's leader backtracks after comments mocking Nigerians' English
His clarification came at a mining conference in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, attended by Nigeria's Minerals Minister Henry Dele Alake, who told the gathering: "President Ruto, the people of Nigeria have mandated me to inform and assure you that Nigerians speak good English."
To much laughter, Ruto took to the stage to explain his comments to Kenyans living in Italy last week were intended to be private and had been "taken out of context".
"The fact is that I was talking about how we in Africa speak very good English, all of us," he said.
"In fact, in some countries like Nigeria, if you do not speak excellent English like the one we speak in Kenya, you may need a translator to understand the excellent English of Nigeria. So that was the comparison. But somebody misrepresented the facts."
President Ruto reminded the audience at the mining development conference that Nigerians were his in-laws - one of his daughters, June, is married to a Nigerian.
"I want to send my regards to my brothers and sisters in Nigeria… my in-laws."
He told Alake to pass on his greetings his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu: "Tell President Tinubu that I said, 'Hi'. And tell him I said that in good English… so that there will be no consequences."
Following an explanation about how he felt he had been mispresented, the president ended by saying: "It is as well that we can have this conversation - my in-laws I hope there will be no consequences for whatever was done," he said.
The good-natured banter was in sharp contrast to barrage of criticism President Ruto has faced online.
Last week, he had boasted about how Kenya's education system was producing some of the best human capital in the world, with strong English proficiency.
"We speak some of the best English in the world, that is true. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don't know what they are saying. You need a translator even when they are speaking English."
The condemnation that followed was widespread - fuelling an online cyber rivalry between the two nations.
Kenya and Nigeria are both former British colonies and share English as an official language but have distinct spoken varieties with different phonetic structures.
These differences reflect the influence of indigenous languages - Nigeria has more than 500 languages which shape its cadence and intonation, while Kenya's Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic mix give rise to its own accents.
Suspected members of Nigeria-linked Black Axe crime gang arrested in Switzerland
Suspected members of the Nigerian-linked Black Axe crime gang have been arrested in Switzerland accused of involvement in romance scams and cyberfraud, Europol said on Tuesday.
Black Axe grew out of a student fraternity in the late 1970s called the Neo Black Movement of Africa, and it has since evolved into a structured, violent criminal organisation often dealing in financial cybercrime.
"The suspects are accused of numerous crimes. This includes romance scams and other cyberfraud offences causing millions of Swiss francs in damages, as well as money laundering," said Europol, which is headquartered in The Hague, in a statement.
The pan-European police body said 10 people - most of whom are of Nigerian origin - had been arrested in the operation that also involved German police.
The Swiss operation against the Black Axe crime gang follows a similar operation carried out by Spanish police in January, while global police body Interpol had also targeted it in 2023.
Black Axe grew out of a student fraternity in the late 1970s called the Neo Black Movement of Africa, and it has since evolved into a structured, violent criminal organisation often dealing in financial cybercrime.
"The suspects are accused of numerous crimes. This includes romance scams and other cyberfraud offences causing millions of Swiss francs in damages, as well as money laundering," said Europol, which is headquartered in The Hague, in a statement.
The pan-European police body said 10 people - most of whom are of Nigerian origin - had been arrested in the operation that also involved German police.
The Swiss operation against the Black Axe crime gang follows a similar operation carried out by Spanish police in January, while global police body Interpol had also targeted it in 2023.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Ubuy and the rise of borderless shopping in Nigeria
Nigeria’s e-commerce conversation is often framed around infrastructural, logistical and payment challenges. But beneath those familiar talking points, a quieter shift is taking place, one driven not by systems, but by people.
At the centre of this shift is a fast-growing segment of consumers who are young, digitally fluent and globally aware. Often described as Nigeria’s “digital middle class,” this group is redefining what access, value and choice mean in a connected economy and, in the process, reshaping how global commerce interacts with one of Africa’s largest markets.
Unlike previous generations of consumers, today’s Nigerian shopper is not limited by geography as traditional retail models once dictated. Exposure to global culture happens in real time, whether through social media, streaming platforms or online communities. Trends are no longer imported slowly; they are experienced instantly and increasingly, and acted on just as quickly.
A Different Kind of Demand
What defines this new consumer segment is not just spending power, but expectation.
There is a growing preference for specificity, particular brands, product lines and even formulations that are often unavailable in local retail channels. Whether it is niche skincare from South Korea, specialised fitness supplements from the United States or consumer electronics released first in Asia, demand is becoming more precise and less flexible.
This shift has created a clear gap between what Nigerian consumers want and what the local market can consistently provide. And it is within this gap that cross-border platforms have begun to scale.
Platforms Built for a Borderless Consumer
Rather than navigating multiple international websites, payment systems and delivery processes, many Nigerian consumers are turning to aggregation platforms that simplify access to global products.
Ubuy is one of the platforms operating within this space, positioning itself around a simple idea of giving consumers access to products from multiple international markets through a single interface.
With a catalogue spanning millions of products across categories such as electronics, beauty, fashion, home appliances and wellness, the platform reflects the diversity of Nigerian demand. More importantly, it mirrors how consumers already think globally.
What differentiates Ubuy is not just access, but how that access is structured. Organising products by country storefronts, from the US and UK to Japan, Korea and Europe, allows users to shop with a level of intentionality that goes beyond generic browsing. A consumer looking for Korean skincare or Japanese electronics is not just searching for a product, but shopping within a specific global context.
Meeting Expectations in a Complex Market
For Nigeria’s digital middle class, access alone is not enough; experience matters. Concerns around authenticity, pricing transparency and delivery reliability have historically shaped how Nigerians approach international shopping. Platforms that succeed in this space tend to be those that address these concerns directly, rather than treating them as secondary issues.
Ubuy’s model leans into this by offering visibility into pricing, including shipping and import costs, before checkout, alongside tracked delivery and multiple payment options that align with what Nigerian consumers already use. Its operations, supported by a network of international warehouses, are designed to make cross-border shopping feel less fragmented and more predictable.
These details may seem operational, but they play a critical role in building repeat behaviour. For many consumers, the decision to shop internationally is not just about access—it’s about confidence.
Beyond Lagos: A Broader Consumer Base
One of the more significant developments in Nigeria’s e-commerce landscape is how demand is expanding beyond Lagos.
Cities such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, and Enugu are seeing increasing levels of digital adoption, with consumers in these locations participating more actively in online shopping. Mobile-first usage has made it easier for Ubuy to reach these audiences without the need for a physical retail presence.
This shift suggests that the opportunity for cross-border e-commerce in Nigeria is not only deep but wide. It is no longer concentrated in a single urban centre, but distributed across a growing network of digitally connected consumers.
The Influence of Global Culture
The rise of this consumer class is closely tied to the influence of digital culture. Social media has effectively collapsed the distance between markets. A product trending in Los Angeles or Seoul can gain visibility in Nigeria within hours, creating immediate demand. In many cases, consumers are discovering products long before they become available locally, if they become available at all.
This dynamic makes Ubuy increasingly relevant, not just as a shopping destination, but as an enabler of access. The platform sits at the intersection of discovery and purchase, allowing consumers to act on global trends in real time.
A Market Still Taking Shape
Nigeria’s e-commerce market continues to expand, supported by strong mobile penetration and a young, tech-savvy population. But beyond the growth metrics, what stands out is the pace at which consumer expectations are evolving.
The digital middle class is not waiting for traditional retail systems to catch up. It is actively reshaping the market, prioritising choice, quality, and global access over proximity.
For platforms like Ubuy, the opportunity lies in aligning with this shift, not by changing how Nigerians shop, but by supporting how they already want to shop.
In that sense, the story of cross-border e-commerce in Nigeria is not just about platforms or infrastructure. It is about a consumer base that is increasingly global in outlook and the systems that are emerging to meet it.
At the centre of this shift is a fast-growing segment of consumers who are young, digitally fluent and globally aware. Often described as Nigeria’s “digital middle class,” this group is redefining what access, value and choice mean in a connected economy and, in the process, reshaping how global commerce interacts with one of Africa’s largest markets.
Unlike previous generations of consumers, today’s Nigerian shopper is not limited by geography as traditional retail models once dictated. Exposure to global culture happens in real time, whether through social media, streaming platforms or online communities. Trends are no longer imported slowly; they are experienced instantly and increasingly, and acted on just as quickly.
A Different Kind of Demand
What defines this new consumer segment is not just spending power, but expectation.
There is a growing preference for specificity, particular brands, product lines and even formulations that are often unavailable in local retail channels. Whether it is niche skincare from South Korea, specialised fitness supplements from the United States or consumer electronics released first in Asia, demand is becoming more precise and less flexible.
This shift has created a clear gap between what Nigerian consumers want and what the local market can consistently provide. And it is within this gap that cross-border platforms have begun to scale.
Platforms Built for a Borderless Consumer
Rather than navigating multiple international websites, payment systems and delivery processes, many Nigerian consumers are turning to aggregation platforms that simplify access to global products.
Ubuy is one of the platforms operating within this space, positioning itself around a simple idea of giving consumers access to products from multiple international markets through a single interface.
With a catalogue spanning millions of products across categories such as electronics, beauty, fashion, home appliances and wellness, the platform reflects the diversity of Nigerian demand. More importantly, it mirrors how consumers already think globally.
What differentiates Ubuy is not just access, but how that access is structured. Organising products by country storefronts, from the US and UK to Japan, Korea and Europe, allows users to shop with a level of intentionality that goes beyond generic browsing. A consumer looking for Korean skincare or Japanese electronics is not just searching for a product, but shopping within a specific global context.
Meeting Expectations in a Complex Market
For Nigeria’s digital middle class, access alone is not enough; experience matters. Concerns around authenticity, pricing transparency and delivery reliability have historically shaped how Nigerians approach international shopping. Platforms that succeed in this space tend to be those that address these concerns directly, rather than treating them as secondary issues.
Ubuy’s model leans into this by offering visibility into pricing, including shipping and import costs, before checkout, alongside tracked delivery and multiple payment options that align with what Nigerian consumers already use. Its operations, supported by a network of international warehouses, are designed to make cross-border shopping feel less fragmented and more predictable.
These details may seem operational, but they play a critical role in building repeat behaviour. For many consumers, the decision to shop internationally is not just about access—it’s about confidence.
Beyond Lagos: A Broader Consumer Base
One of the more significant developments in Nigeria’s e-commerce landscape is how demand is expanding beyond Lagos.
Cities such as Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kano, and Enugu are seeing increasing levels of digital adoption, with consumers in these locations participating more actively in online shopping. Mobile-first usage has made it easier for Ubuy to reach these audiences without the need for a physical retail presence.
This shift suggests that the opportunity for cross-border e-commerce in Nigeria is not only deep but wide. It is no longer concentrated in a single urban centre, but distributed across a growing network of digitally connected consumers.
The Influence of Global Culture
The rise of this consumer class is closely tied to the influence of digital culture. Social media has effectively collapsed the distance between markets. A product trending in Los Angeles or Seoul can gain visibility in Nigeria within hours, creating immediate demand. In many cases, consumers are discovering products long before they become available locally, if they become available at all.
This dynamic makes Ubuy increasingly relevant, not just as a shopping destination, but as an enabler of access. The platform sits at the intersection of discovery and purchase, allowing consumers to act on global trends in real time.
A Market Still Taking Shape
Nigeria’s e-commerce market continues to expand, supported by strong mobile penetration and a young, tech-savvy population. But beyond the growth metrics, what stands out is the pace at which consumer expectations are evolving.
The digital middle class is not waiting for traditional retail systems to catch up. It is actively reshaping the market, prioritising choice, quality, and global access over proximity.
For platforms like Ubuy, the opportunity lies in aligning with this shift, not by changing how Nigerians shop, but by supporting how they already want to shop.
In that sense, the story of cross-border e-commerce in Nigeria is not just about platforms or infrastructure. It is about a consumer base that is increasingly global in outlook and the systems that are emerging to meet it.
By Adekunle Agbetiloye, Business Insider Africa
Nigeria turns to local startup as insurgents escalate drone and bomb attacks
Local startup Terra Industries on Monday unveiled interceptor drones, mine-clearing unmanned vehicles and battlefield intelligence software that officials said could help troops confronting insurgents who have increasingly used roadside bombs and drones in recent attacks.
The launch shows a growing effort by Africa’s most populous nation to reduce dependence on imported military hardware and build domestic defence manufacturing capacity.
Nigeria has spent years buying aircraft, armoured vehicles and surveillance systems from countries including China, Turkey, Pakistan and the United States.
But procurement delays, maintenance bottlenecks and rising foreign exchange costs have strengthened the case for local production.
Terra Industries had previously focused on civilian drones and security technology before expanding into defence systems.
“We are unveiling new defence systems such as our interceptor UAVs, our minesweepers, ground vehicles that can detect IEDs on the ground, and our battlefield intelligence software,” Reuters quoted chief executive Nathan Nwachukwu as saying.
The timing is significant. Nigeria has battled Islamist insurgency in the northeast for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remaining active despite repeated military offensives.
Violence linked to banditry and kidnappings has also spread across other parts of the country.
This year, militants have stepped up attacks on military positions using improvised explosive devices, ambush tactics and low-cost drones, showing how tools once associated mainly with advanced militaries are becoming more accessible to armed groups.
That has changed military planning worldwide. Cheap commercial drones modified for surveillance or attack roles have been widely used in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East, forcing armies to invest in counter-drone systems, electronic warfare and autonomous ground equipment.
For Nigeria, the challenge is acute, securing a vast territory while facing multiple threats and budget constraints.
Major General Babatunde Alaya, head of the state-owned Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), said collaboration with Terra Industries was necessary given troop casualties caused by hidden explosives and roadside bombs.
DICON has long been central to Nigeria’s ambition to produce more of its own defence equipment, but progress has historically been slow. Partnerships with private firms are increasingly seen as a faster route to innovation and scale.
Terra Industries has also announced plans to expand beyond Nigeria, including a manufacturing facility in Ghana, signalling ambitions to serve a wider African market and position itself in the region’s growing security technology industry.
As it is, defense innovation is no longer dominated only by global arms giants. Smaller local firms are beginning to compete in markets shaped by speed, adaptability and lower-cost technology.
The launch shows a growing effort by Africa’s most populous nation to reduce dependence on imported military hardware and build domestic defence manufacturing capacity.
Nigeria has spent years buying aircraft, armoured vehicles and surveillance systems from countries including China, Turkey, Pakistan and the United States.
But procurement delays, maintenance bottlenecks and rising foreign exchange costs have strengthened the case for local production.
Terra Industries had previously focused on civilian drones and security technology before expanding into defence systems.
“We are unveiling new defence systems such as our interceptor UAVs, our minesweepers, ground vehicles that can detect IEDs on the ground, and our battlefield intelligence software,” Reuters quoted chief executive Nathan Nwachukwu as saying.
The timing is significant. Nigeria has battled Islamist insurgency in the northeast for more than a decade, with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) remaining active despite repeated military offensives.
Violence linked to banditry and kidnappings has also spread across other parts of the country.
This year, militants have stepped up attacks on military positions using improvised explosive devices, ambush tactics and low-cost drones, showing how tools once associated mainly with advanced militaries are becoming more accessible to armed groups.
That has changed military planning worldwide. Cheap commercial drones modified for surveillance or attack roles have been widely used in conflicts from Ukraine to the Middle East, forcing armies to invest in counter-drone systems, electronic warfare and autonomous ground equipment.
For Nigeria, the challenge is acute, securing a vast territory while facing multiple threats and budget constraints.
Major General Babatunde Alaya, head of the state-owned Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), said collaboration with Terra Industries was necessary given troop casualties caused by hidden explosives and roadside bombs.
DICON has long been central to Nigeria’s ambition to produce more of its own defence equipment, but progress has historically been slow. Partnerships with private firms are increasingly seen as a faster route to innovation and scale.
Terra Industries has also announced plans to expand beyond Nigeria, including a manufacturing facility in Ghana, signalling ambitions to serve a wider African market and position itself in the region’s growing security technology industry.
As it is, defense innovation is no longer dominated only by global arms giants. Smaller local firms are beginning to compete in markets shaped by speed, adaptability and lower-cost technology.
By Ayodeji Adegboyega, Business Insider Africa
Nigeria arrests suspected pangolin trafficking kingpin on the run
Shamsideen Abubakar was linked to a September 2021 case in which authorities seized 1,009.5 kilograms (2,226 pounds) of scales in Lagos, estimated to have come from at least 5,451 pangolins. Two of his associates, Sunday Ebenyi and Salif Sandwidi, were arrested at the time, but Abubakar himself remained on the run until now.
The arrest was the result of a collaboration between Nigerian authorities and Netherlands-based NGO the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC).
“The arrest sends a strong signal to Nigeria’s illegal wildlife trafficking network that arrest warrants will be strongly pursued,” Nigeria’s National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) said in a press release.
Abubakar’s arrest follows two high-profile busts in Nigeria over the last two years. Each resulted in the seizure of several tons of pangolin scales and the arrest of suspected wildlife trafficking kingpins, including Chinese and Vietnamese nationals.
Pangolin scales are coveted in East Asia for use in traditional medicine, and the meat is eaten in Nigeria. Selling pangolins is banned in the country and internationally, but they continue to be sold on the black market for a hefty price.
Trafficking has driven all eight known pangolin species to the brink of extinction: three are listed as critically endangered, three as endangered and two as vulnerable.
The high profits and low risks involved in such wildlife crime attract transnational criminal gangs to Nigeria, a major illegal wildlife trade hub in West Africa.
To disrupt wildlife trafficking networks, Nigerian agencies partnered with WJC in 2021 to conduct long-term investigations. By 2025, that partnership had resulted in seizures of more than 25 metric tons of pangolin scales, more than a ton of elephant ivory, and the arrests of 42 suspected traffickers, with 12 convictions, according to WJC data.
“What we are seeing in Nigeria is the result of sustained, intelligence-led enforcement and strong institutional commitment,” Olivia Swaak-Goldman, WJC’s executive director, said in a press release. “The suspect thought he could evade justice, but our investigators never give up.”
Mark Ofua, West Africa representative for WildAfrica, called the arrest a “landmark victory for conservation” in an email to Mongabay. He added such high-level arrests can help authorities probe further into financial records and trafficking networks. Moreover, the coordinated arrest across multiple agencies is “a model that must be emulated at all levels,” he said.
Nigeria says it has resolved to weed out wildlife trafficking. NESREA head Innocent Barikor said in a press release his agency is “determined to ensure that Nigeria is not a safe haven for wildlife crime.” He added they will ensure “every seizure, every arrest, and every conviction is pursued with unrelenting commitment until this illicit trade is eradicated from our shores.”
By Spoorthy Raman, Mongabay
Related stories: Video - Nigeria enforces measures to curb wildlife trafficking
Nigeria caps jet fuel prices to avert airline disruptions
Nigeria's government is capping jet fuel prices and allowing airlines to buy supplies on credit, according to a government document seen by Reuters, as it tries to avert flight disruptions caused by soaring fuel costs.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said in the document that aviation fuel should sell for 1,760 naira to 1,988 naira ($1.29 to $1.46) per litre in Lagos and 1,809 naira to 2,037 naira in Abuja, based on benchmarks from April 17 to April 23.
It warned that prices could still rise due to market volatility linked to the U.S.–Iran conflict and higher supplier costs.
The NMDPRA and aviation ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision follows emergency talks after airlines warned that jet fuel prices had jumped by more than 270%, forcing fare increases and raising the risk of capacity cuts.
President Bola Tinubu last week approved 30% relief on airlines' debts to aviation agencies and ordered fuel marketers, airlines and regulators to agree on a "fair" fuel price within 72 hours to prevent a sector-wide shutdown.
The talks also agreed to grant airlines a 30-day credit window to pay for fuel and tasked the aviation ministry with mediating debt disputes between operators and oil marketers, according to the document.
A technical committee convened by the NMDPRA recommended that fuel marketers sell directly to airlines within the indicated price range to cut costs and improve supply-chain transparency, the document said.
The committee also urged regulators to engage Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals over recently increased premiums applied to international benchmarks used to price jet fuel.
Other recommendations include validating airside fuel distributors with adequate infrastructure - potentially reducing the number of authorised suppliers at airports - and considering jet fuel for Nigeria's naira-for-crude initiative to limit airlines' foreign exchange exposure.
By Isaac Anyaogu, Reuters
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) said in the document that aviation fuel should sell for 1,760 naira to 1,988 naira ($1.29 to $1.46) per litre in Lagos and 1,809 naira to 2,037 naira in Abuja, based on benchmarks from April 17 to April 23.
It warned that prices could still rise due to market volatility linked to the U.S.–Iran conflict and higher supplier costs.
The NMDPRA and aviation ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision follows emergency talks after airlines warned that jet fuel prices had jumped by more than 270%, forcing fare increases and raising the risk of capacity cuts.
President Bola Tinubu last week approved 30% relief on airlines' debts to aviation agencies and ordered fuel marketers, airlines and regulators to agree on a "fair" fuel price within 72 hours to prevent a sector-wide shutdown.
The talks also agreed to grant airlines a 30-day credit window to pay for fuel and tasked the aviation ministry with mediating debt disputes between operators and oil marketers, according to the document.
A technical committee convened by the NMDPRA recommended that fuel marketers sell directly to airlines within the indicated price range to cut costs and improve supply-chain transparency, the document said.
The committee also urged regulators to engage Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals over recently increased premiums applied to international benchmarks used to price jet fuel.
Other recommendations include validating airside fuel distributors with adequate infrastructure - potentially reducing the number of authorised suppliers at airports - and considering jet fuel for Nigeria's naira-for-crude initiative to limit airlines' foreign exchange exposure.
Gunmen kill at least 29 in northeast Nigeria after targeting young people at football pitch
Gunmen have killed at least 29 people in northeastern Nigeria, a state governor said Monday, with locals saying the attackers targeted young people gathered at a football pitch, the latest bout of deadly unrest in Africa's most populous nation.
The attack on Sunday occurred in Adamawa state, which borders Cameroon and is a hotspot for violence by jihadists and local criminal gangs. Communal violence over land is also rife in the state.
The latest attack comes as Nigeria's security crisis is increasingly under scrutiny – both abroad and at home as general elections are less than a year away.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri visited the scene of the Sunday attack and "confirmed that no fewer than 29 people were killed in a deadly attack on Guyaku community in Gombi Local Government Area", his spokesman said in a post on social media.
Locals also gave a similar toll.
Resident Philip Agabus told AFP that the attack occurred when "our people converged at a football pitch in Guyaku community ... [and] were attacked by insurgents who entered with guns and began shooting randomly".
The dead were "youths, including some ladies that were watching football", another local, Joshua Usman, said.
"They also burnt places of worship, houses and motorcycles," added Usman.
The state governor's office wrote that "the attackers operated for several hours, killing dozens of residents, burning places of worship, and destroying property including motorcycles", citing a local community leader, Aggrey Ali.
Local television showed footage of a burned church and several charred motor cycles.
The governor blamed the Boko Haram militants who are active in the northeast of Nigeria.
But a rival group, the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it "killed at least 25 ... Christians", and "torched a church and nearly 100 motorcycles", in a statement reported by the SITE monitoring group.
Fintiri condemned the attack, saying "it will not go unpunished" while he vowed "intensifying security operations immediately to restore peace".
Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency in Nigeria, led primarily by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the ISWAP, has left tens of thousands of people dead and millions displaced in the country's northeast, according to the United Nations.
The jihadist conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Nigeria is now looking to the United States for technical and training support for its troops fighting the jihadists after a resurgence of violence strained relationships between the two countries.
US President Donald Trump said last October that Christianity was facing an "existential threat" in the West African nation. Security experts say that both Muslim and Christian communities are targeted by armed groups.
A separate attack occurred Sunday in a another district more 100 kilometres away which a local community blamed on communal clashes over farmland disputes in several villages in Lamurde area.
"Lives were lost, properties were also lost," Bulus Daniel, local government council chairman for Lamurde area told AFP.
The attack on Sunday occurred in Adamawa state, which borders Cameroon and is a hotspot for violence by jihadists and local criminal gangs. Communal violence over land is also rife in the state.
The latest attack comes as Nigeria's security crisis is increasingly under scrutiny – both abroad and at home as general elections are less than a year away.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri visited the scene of the Sunday attack and "confirmed that no fewer than 29 people were killed in a deadly attack on Guyaku community in Gombi Local Government Area", his spokesman said in a post on social media.
Locals also gave a similar toll.
Resident Philip Agabus told AFP that the attack occurred when "our people converged at a football pitch in Guyaku community ... [and] were attacked by insurgents who entered with guns and began shooting randomly".
The dead were "youths, including some ladies that were watching football", another local, Joshua Usman, said.
"They also burnt places of worship, houses and motorcycles," added Usman.
The state governor's office wrote that "the attackers operated for several hours, killing dozens of residents, burning places of worship, and destroying property including motorcycles", citing a local community leader, Aggrey Ali.
Local television showed footage of a burned church and several charred motor cycles.
The governor blamed the Boko Haram militants who are active in the northeast of Nigeria.
But a rival group, the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it "killed at least 25 ... Christians", and "torched a church and nearly 100 motorcycles", in a statement reported by the SITE monitoring group.
Fintiri condemned the attack, saying "it will not go unpunished" while he vowed "intensifying security operations immediately to restore peace".
Since 2009, the jihadist insurgency in Nigeria, led primarily by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the ISWAP, has left tens of thousands of people dead and millions displaced in the country's northeast, according to the United Nations.
The jihadist conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Nigeria is now looking to the United States for technical and training support for its troops fighting the jihadists after a resurgence of violence strained relationships between the two countries.
US President Donald Trump said last October that Christianity was facing an "existential threat" in the West African nation. Security experts say that both Muslim and Christian communities are targeted by armed groups.
A separate attack occurred Sunday in a another district more 100 kilometres away which a local community blamed on communal clashes over farmland disputes in several villages in Lamurde area.
"Lives were lost, properties were also lost," Bulus Daniel, local government council chairman for Lamurde area told AFP.
Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children
Eight children are still missing after gunmen raided an unregistered orphanage in Nigeria's north-central Kogi State and kidnapped 23, authorities have said.
Kogi's information commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said 15 children were rescued due to the "prompt and coordinated response" of security agencies.
Sunday's attack also saw the owner of the facility taken, he added.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources say the state has a functional Boko Haram cell, and that there have been several violent attacks in the area.
Nigeria is also grappling with a kidnap crisis in many parts of the country, with criminal gangs abducting people for ransoms. The government has made paying ransoms illegal but this has not prevented the kidnappings.
"The government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all the victims," Fanwo said.
His statement on Monday also highlighted that the orphanage was "operating illegally" in a "bushy environment" without the knowledge of relevant authorities.
Fanwo urged operators of orphanages, schools, and similar institutions to always engage appropriately with the appropriate government agencies "especially in the current security climate".
Mass kidnappings in schools are not uncommon in Nigeria, especially in the country's northern region which is currently plagued by insecurity. This is the first time an orphanage has been targeted.
In November 2025, more than 300 students and their teachers were abducted from one Catholic Secondary School in Niger State, also in the north central region of Nigeria.
They were released in two batches with the last group regaining freedom more than one month after.
The government denied reports that any ransom had been paid, or that two Boko Haram commanders had been freed as part of the deal.
By Chukwunaeme Obiejesi, BBC
Kogi's information commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said 15 children were rescued due to the "prompt and coordinated response" of security agencies.
Sunday's attack also saw the owner of the facility taken, he added.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources say the state has a functional Boko Haram cell, and that there have been several violent attacks in the area.
Nigeria is also grappling with a kidnap crisis in many parts of the country, with criminal gangs abducting people for ransoms. The government has made paying ransoms illegal but this has not prevented the kidnappings.
"The government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all the victims," Fanwo said.
His statement on Monday also highlighted that the orphanage was "operating illegally" in a "bushy environment" without the knowledge of relevant authorities.
Fanwo urged operators of orphanages, schools, and similar institutions to always engage appropriately with the appropriate government agencies "especially in the current security climate".
Mass kidnappings in schools are not uncommon in Nigeria, especially in the country's northern region which is currently plagued by insecurity. This is the first time an orphanage has been targeted.
In November 2025, more than 300 students and their teachers were abducted from one Catholic Secondary School in Niger State, also in the north central region of Nigeria.
They were released in two batches with the last group regaining freedom more than one month after.
The government denied reports that any ransom had been paid, or that two Boko Haram commanders had been freed as part of the deal.
Monday, April 27, 2026
Jet fuel crisis: a boon for Nigeria's Dangote, but not for local airlines
Nigeria's giant Dangote refinery is benefiting from record margins for producing jet fuel that it is mostly selling abroad, while the domestic airlines it also supplies have threatened to stop flying because of the surge in fuel prices.
The refinery, the largest on the continent, was built to turn Africa's biggest oil producing country into a net exporter of refined products, end Nigeria's reliance on fuel imports, and shield its economy from global energy shocks.
It became fully operational at the start of this year and is producing at its maximum capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
That has improved local fuel availability but domestic fuel prices are still among the highest in Africa as Nigeria's market is fully deregulated, meaning fuel prices are not subsidised by the government as they are in most African countries.
The issue is further complicated by the state oil company's long-standing debt repayment agreements that mean Dangote has to import most of its crude oil, making it easier to balance its books if it sells abroad.
CLASH WITH THE NEEDS OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY
Industry body the Airline Operators of Nigeria said prices, taking logistics and storage costs into account, have climbed to 3,300 naira ($2.44) per litre, nearly triple the level in February before the start of the Iran war.
Nigeria's energy regulator said Dangote was selling jet fuel at 1,879 naira ($1.39) per litre, little changed from imported fuel prices of about 1,900 naira ($1.41) per litre delivered to Lagos earlier this month.
The Middle Eastern conflict has led to unprecedented energy disruption and the risk of jet fuel shortages is pressing. Airlines around the world have hiked prices, added fuel surcharges and grounded planes.
Nigerian airlines last week threatened to halt all flights, prompting the government on Thursday to approve measures including some relief on debts owed by local airlines and ordering talks to try to agree lower prices.
DANGOTE'S MARGINS COULD BE EVEN BETTER?
Dangote, meanwhile, as a new, highly efficient refinery, has been able to take advantage of record margins for producing jet fuel from crude.
Its profits could be even higher if it could rely on Nigerian crude and avoid almost all freight costs.
State oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s joint‑venture crude, however, is tied to oil-backed loans and pre‑export deals.
That means much of Nigeria's roughly 1.5 million barrels per day of production goes to paying debts to international oil majors, banks and traders. The NNPC does not disclose its obligations, but analysts estimate they amount to about 400,000 bpd.
Alan Gelder, senior vice president for refining, chemicals and oil markets at Wood Mackenzie, said European refiners had earned about $15 per barrel.
He estimated Dangote's margins at more than double that as a result of access to Nigerian crude and the plant's scale and sophistication. Edwin did not disclose figures, but the profits from producing jet fuel hit a record on international markets in March.
Dangote, as a private refinery, prices its products in response to global markets, Gelder said, and that building a big refinery "does not automatically mean fuel prices fall".
Dangote plans to list shares in the coming months and is expanding the complex to 1.4 million bpd capacity, which could make it the world's largest refinery by the end of the decade.
By Macdonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
The refinery, the largest on the continent, was built to turn Africa's biggest oil producing country into a net exporter of refined products, end Nigeria's reliance on fuel imports, and shield its economy from global energy shocks.
It became fully operational at the start of this year and is producing at its maximum capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.
That has improved local fuel availability but domestic fuel prices are still among the highest in Africa as Nigeria's market is fully deregulated, meaning fuel prices are not subsidised by the government as they are in most African countries.
The issue is further complicated by the state oil company's long-standing debt repayment agreements that mean Dangote has to import most of its crude oil, making it easier to balance its books if it sells abroad.
CLASH WITH THE NEEDS OF THE AVIATION INDUSTRY
Industry body the Airline Operators of Nigeria said prices, taking logistics and storage costs into account, have climbed to 3,300 naira ($2.44) per litre, nearly triple the level in February before the start of the Iran war.
Nigeria's energy regulator said Dangote was selling jet fuel at 1,879 naira ($1.39) per litre, little changed from imported fuel prices of about 1,900 naira ($1.41) per litre delivered to Lagos earlier this month.
The Middle Eastern conflict has led to unprecedented energy disruption and the risk of jet fuel shortages is pressing. Airlines around the world have hiked prices, added fuel surcharges and grounded planes.
Nigerian airlines last week threatened to halt all flights, prompting the government on Thursday to approve measures including some relief on debts owed by local airlines and ordering talks to try to agree lower prices.
DANGOTE'S MARGINS COULD BE EVEN BETTER?
Dangote, meanwhile, as a new, highly efficient refinery, has been able to take advantage of record margins for producing jet fuel from crude.
Its profits could be even higher if it could rely on Nigerian crude and avoid almost all freight costs.
State oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s joint‑venture crude, however, is tied to oil-backed loans and pre‑export deals.
That means much of Nigeria's roughly 1.5 million barrels per day of production goes to paying debts to international oil majors, banks and traders. The NNPC does not disclose its obligations, but analysts estimate they amount to about 400,000 bpd.
Dangote Group Vice President Davekumar Edwin said Dangote imported most of its crude from the U.S., as well as some from other African producers and Brazil. He did not give precise figures.
He said the bulk of the 24 million litres of jet fuel it produces daily was shipped to Europe, although he also said the refinery largely supplied the needs of Nigerian airlines, which the aviation industry estimates at about 2.1 million litres per day.
EUROPEAN BUYERS ARE WILLING TO PAY UP
EUROPEAN BUYERS ARE WILLING TO PAY UP
As European buyers are willing to pay a premium ahead of the peak demand summer travel season, European imports from Nigeria have averaged 78,000 to 96,000 barrels per day in April so far, data from Kpler and LSEG showed, the highest on record.
Alan Gelder, senior vice president for refining, chemicals and oil markets at Wood Mackenzie, said European refiners had earned about $15 per barrel.
He estimated Dangote's margins at more than double that as a result of access to Nigerian crude and the plant's scale and sophistication. Edwin did not disclose figures, but the profits from producing jet fuel hit a record on international markets in March.
Dangote, as a private refinery, prices its products in response to global markets, Gelder said, and that building a big refinery "does not automatically mean fuel prices fall".
Dangote plans to list shares in the coming months and is expanding the complex to 1.4 million bpd capacity, which could make it the world's largest refinery by the end of the decade.
Dangote plans world’s largest refinery expansion, targeting 95,000 jobs
Africa’s largest industrial project is set to scale further, with Aliko Dangote announcing plans to expand the Dangote Refinery to a production capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day, a move expected to create up to 95,000 skilled jobs at peak construction.
Dangote made the disclosure in Lagos during his induction as an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, framing the expansion as a significant step in Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.
“This award is particularly meaningful because it recognises what we are doing in the industry,” he said, adding that the project would employ “about 95,000 skilled workers on site” at its peak.
Once completed, the upgraded facility is projected to surpass India’s Jamnagar Refinery to become the world’s largest refinery by capacity. The development is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s domestic refining capability, reduce reliance on imported fuel, and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
Dangote said the expansion would rely heavily on local expertise, creating opportunities for engineers, technicians, and artisans, while also driving technology transfer and supporting the broader oil and gas value chain.
“The scale of this expansion reflects our confidence in Nigerian capacity and our belief that Africa can build world-class infrastructure,” he said.
Call for deeper Dangote investments
Industry observers note that the refinery has already been positioned as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s efforts to become a net exporter of refined petroleum products, with potential spillover effects across manufacturing and logistics.
In a separate development, Abdullahi Sule called on the Dangote Group to deepen its investments in Nasarawa State, citing its untapped mineral resources.
Speaking at the Nasarawa Trade Fair, Governor Sule, represented by a state official, said existing collaboration with the conglomerate could be expanded to support industrial growth.
He also referenced the group’s long-term investment ambitions, including a $100 billion target under its Vision 2030 strategy, suggesting such commitments could bolster small businesses and stimulate broader economic activity.
While the refinery expansion signals growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s industrial base, analysts say its long-term impact will depend on regulatory stability, infrastructure support, and global oil market dynamics.
Industry observers note that the refinery has already been positioned as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s efforts to become a net exporter of refined petroleum products, with potential spillover effects across manufacturing and logistics.
In a separate development, Abdullahi Sule called on the Dangote Group to deepen its investments in Nasarawa State, citing its untapped mineral resources.
Speaking at the Nasarawa Trade Fair, Governor Sule, represented by a state official, said existing collaboration with the conglomerate could be expanded to support industrial growth.
He also referenced the group’s long-term investment ambitions, including a $100 billion target under its Vision 2030 strategy, suggesting such commitments could bolster small businesses and stimulate broader economic activity.
While the refinery expansion signals growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s industrial base, analysts say its long-term impact will depend on regulatory stability, infrastructure support, and global oil market dynamics.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
Nigeria stocks hit fresh record as $107 billion market extends one of world’s top rallies
Nigeria’s stock market closed at another record on Friday, extending one of the world’s strongest equity rallies this year as gains in banking and industrial shares lifted the Nigerian Exchange Limited’s total value to N145.3 trillion ($107.2 billion).
The benchmark NGX All-Share Index rose 1.3% to 225,724.33 points, taking gains to 3.94% over the past week, 12.34% over the past month, and 45.05% year-to-date.
A total of 627.4 million shares worth N44.39 billion ($32.7 million) were traded in 55,081 deals. Compared with the previous session, turnover rose 17%, while trading volume fell 6%.
Nigeria has become one of the standout frontier markets of 2026, helped by stronger corporate earnings, bank recapitalisations, domestic pension-fund demand and investor bets that economic reforms will improve long-term growth.
Banking shares dominated volumes, with Access Holdings, United Bank for Africa, Wema Bank and Zenith Bank among the most actively traded stocks.
Investors are now watching whether the market can cross the N150 trillion ($110.6 billion) milestone in coming sessions.
The benchmark NGX All-Share Index rose 1.3% to 225,724.33 points, taking gains to 3.94% over the past week, 12.34% over the past month, and 45.05% year-to-date.
A total of 627.4 million shares worth N44.39 billion ($32.7 million) were traded in 55,081 deals. Compared with the previous session, turnover rose 17%, while trading volume fell 6%.
Nigeria has become one of the standout frontier markets of 2026, helped by stronger corporate earnings, bank recapitalisations, domestic pension-fund demand and investor bets that economic reforms will improve long-term growth.
Banking shares dominated volumes, with Access Holdings, United Bank for Africa, Wema Bank and Zenith Bank among the most actively traded stocks.
Investors are now watching whether the market can cross the N150 trillion ($110.6 billion) milestone in coming sessions.
By Ayodeji Adegboyega, Business Insider Africa
Despite US troops and killer drones, Islamic State terrorizing Nigeria
Earlier this month, the United States, citing heightened risk of terror attacks, pulled all non-essential staff and their families from its embassy in Nigeria’s political capital, Abuja.
Nigeria responded in a typical fashion, issuing a statement acknowledging that American concerns are well intentioned but do “not reflect the overall security situation” in the country. Yet within days, a confidential memo emerged from Nigeria’s border security which has proven Washington’s assessment to be true.
According to the leaked memo, sleeper cells linked to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram are planning coordinated attacks targeting key facilities in the country’s capital. The list of targets reportedly includes a prison, a military detention centre and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Caught flat-footed, Nigeria has neither confirmed nor denied the alert, but there are now noticeable security deployments and heavy fortifications at the respective target areas.
The significance of a possible terrorist attack on Abuja cannot be overstated. Apart from being the seat of government, Abuja is home to several diplomatic missions and corporate headquarters. As a result, it has a significant population of foreigners and members of the diplomatic community.
In 2011, Boko Haram detonated a car bomb at the office of the United Nations in Abuja, killing at least 18 people. Another suicide bombing at the headquarters of the Nigerian Police Force in June of the same year killed at least six people. Similar attacks continued in succeeding years, causing sustained anxiety within the diplomatic community even as foreign missions intensified security measures to protect staff and buildings. Indeed, the U.S. ordered a similar evacuation in October 2022 due to heightened risk of terror attacks on the capital.
Since 2009, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has been battling a complex and overlapping security crisis characterized by widespread kidnappings, banditry, and terrorist attacks across the country’s north. The crisis caught the attention of President Donald Trump last year, prompting him to redesignate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for tolerating the slaughter of Christians — an accusation Nigeria fervently rejected.
Trump also threatened military action if Nigeria’s government failed to act to protect Christians. On Christmas Day last year, he followed up on the threat by authorizing an airstrike against ISIS-affiliated targets in North Western Sokoto state.
The diplomatic row that ensued prompted Nigeria to launch a desperate public relations effort and hire Washington-based DCI Group for $9 million to manage its image on Capitol Hill. Also hired was Valcour Global Public Strategy, a Washington-based lobbying firm, for the “purpose of strengthening the bilateral relationship” between Nigeria and the U.S.
Tensions cooled in January when Washington began to tone down its harsh criticism, preferring instead to work jointly with Nigeria’s government to tackle the crisis. In February, Washington deployed 200 troops alongside multiple MQ-9 reaper drones to assist the country with training and intelligence gathering.
But neither the increased U.S. support nor the extensive PR on Capitol hill has stopped the killings — be it of Christians or Muslims. In early February, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram or the ISIS-affiliated Lakurawa group attacked Woro and Nuku, two Muslim-majority villages in Kwara state, killing between 170 and 200 people.
Survivors reported that the community was targeted because residents refused to join the jihadists or accept their extremist interpretation of Islam. Attackers reportedly bound victims' hands and executed them, while others were trapped and burned alive inside shops. Likewise on Palm Sunday, March 29, at least 20 people were killed during an attack by the Fulani militia on Angwan Rukuba, a Christian community in Nigeria’s North Central state of Plateau.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, promised grieving Nigerians in Jos, Plateau state, that “this experience will not repeat itself,” but in the meantime more than five other states notably Nasarawa, Zamfara, Borno, Benue and Kaduna have recorded fresh massacres of Christians, signaling a breakdown of public order.
At the same time, large-scale abductions are gradually becoming normalized across the country, with Amnesty International estimating over 1,100 people kidnapped between January and April this year. According to UNHCR, over 3.7 million Nigerians are internally displaced as of early 2026 because of the expanding violence.
The resurgence of jihadist operations in Nigeria fits into a regional pattern where groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) have carried out mass fatality attacks and laid siege on cities and towns across the Sahel, especially in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Indeed, the planned Jihadist attack in Abuja mimics a dramatic operation by the Islamic State Sahel Province earlier in January in neighboring Niger Republic. During that incident on January 30, militants armed with explosives launched a major attack on Diori Hamani International Airport and the adjacent Base 101 in Niamey injuring four soldiers while several passenger planes and military hangars were destroyed.
A similar attack on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the only airport in Nigeria’s capital catering for between 3 and 5 million passengers annually, could be catastrophic.
But thwarting one single attack is not the same as decisively winning the war on terror. While the U.S. has poured about $1.8 billion in weapons sales into Nigeria over the last decade, the operational challenges of an overstretched army deployed across a region that is far larger than France remain unresolved. The immediate consequence is that, even when troops dislodge fighters and retake territory, they are often unable to hold it long enough to guarantee long-term success.
Meanwhile the fast-moving security crisis continues to deteriorate and expand rapidly, leaving the current counter-terrorism approach dangerously lagging behind. According to the Institute of Security Studies, the resilience of jihadist groups in Nigeria derives partly from the existence of vast ungoverned spaces that serve as ecosystems for them to regroup and re-arm.
For Nigeria to win the war on terror, military force must be combined with urgent governance reforms to expand state presence to every nook and cranny of the country through services and accountability. Only this can enhance local resilience and deny terrorists the vacuum they exploit for recruitment and control.
By Taiwo Hassan, Responsible Statecraft
US drones deployed to Nigeria alongside troops for intelligence, training
Boko Haram violence: Abuja buries senior army officers killed in attacks
Nigeria responded in a typical fashion, issuing a statement acknowledging that American concerns are well intentioned but do “not reflect the overall security situation” in the country. Yet within days, a confidential memo emerged from Nigeria’s border security which has proven Washington’s assessment to be true.
According to the leaked memo, sleeper cells linked to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram are planning coordinated attacks targeting key facilities in the country’s capital. The list of targets reportedly includes a prison, a military detention centre and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Caught flat-footed, Nigeria has neither confirmed nor denied the alert, but there are now noticeable security deployments and heavy fortifications at the respective target areas.
The significance of a possible terrorist attack on Abuja cannot be overstated. Apart from being the seat of government, Abuja is home to several diplomatic missions and corporate headquarters. As a result, it has a significant population of foreigners and members of the diplomatic community.
In 2011, Boko Haram detonated a car bomb at the office of the United Nations in Abuja, killing at least 18 people. Another suicide bombing at the headquarters of the Nigerian Police Force in June of the same year killed at least six people. Similar attacks continued in succeeding years, causing sustained anxiety within the diplomatic community even as foreign missions intensified security measures to protect staff and buildings. Indeed, the U.S. ordered a similar evacuation in October 2022 due to heightened risk of terror attacks on the capital.
Since 2009, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has been battling a complex and overlapping security crisis characterized by widespread kidnappings, banditry, and terrorist attacks across the country’s north. The crisis caught the attention of President Donald Trump last year, prompting him to redesignate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for tolerating the slaughter of Christians — an accusation Nigeria fervently rejected.
Trump also threatened military action if Nigeria’s government failed to act to protect Christians. On Christmas Day last year, he followed up on the threat by authorizing an airstrike against ISIS-affiliated targets in North Western Sokoto state.
The diplomatic row that ensued prompted Nigeria to launch a desperate public relations effort and hire Washington-based DCI Group for $9 million to manage its image on Capitol Hill. Also hired was Valcour Global Public Strategy, a Washington-based lobbying firm, for the “purpose of strengthening the bilateral relationship” between Nigeria and the U.S.
Tensions cooled in January when Washington began to tone down its harsh criticism, preferring instead to work jointly with Nigeria’s government to tackle the crisis. In February, Washington deployed 200 troops alongside multiple MQ-9 reaper drones to assist the country with training and intelligence gathering.
But neither the increased U.S. support nor the extensive PR on Capitol hill has stopped the killings — be it of Christians or Muslims. In early February, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram or the ISIS-affiliated Lakurawa group attacked Woro and Nuku, two Muslim-majority villages in Kwara state, killing between 170 and 200 people.
Survivors reported that the community was targeted because residents refused to join the jihadists or accept their extremist interpretation of Islam. Attackers reportedly bound victims' hands and executed them, while others were trapped and burned alive inside shops. Likewise on Palm Sunday, March 29, at least 20 people were killed during an attack by the Fulani militia on Angwan Rukuba, a Christian community in Nigeria’s North Central state of Plateau.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, promised grieving Nigerians in Jos, Plateau state, that “this experience will not repeat itself,” but in the meantime more than five other states notably Nasarawa, Zamfara, Borno, Benue and Kaduna have recorded fresh massacres of Christians, signaling a breakdown of public order.
At the same time, large-scale abductions are gradually becoming normalized across the country, with Amnesty International estimating over 1,100 people kidnapped between January and April this year. According to UNHCR, over 3.7 million Nigerians are internally displaced as of early 2026 because of the expanding violence.
The resurgence of jihadist operations in Nigeria fits into a regional pattern where groups such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) have carried out mass fatality attacks and laid siege on cities and towns across the Sahel, especially in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Indeed, the planned Jihadist attack in Abuja mimics a dramatic operation by the Islamic State Sahel Province earlier in January in neighboring Niger Republic. During that incident on January 30, militants armed with explosives launched a major attack on Diori Hamani International Airport and the adjacent Base 101 in Niamey injuring four soldiers while several passenger planes and military hangars were destroyed.
A similar attack on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the only airport in Nigeria’s capital catering for between 3 and 5 million passengers annually, could be catastrophic.
But thwarting one single attack is not the same as decisively winning the war on terror. While the U.S. has poured about $1.8 billion in weapons sales into Nigeria over the last decade, the operational challenges of an overstretched army deployed across a region that is far larger than France remain unresolved. The immediate consequence is that, even when troops dislodge fighters and retake territory, they are often unable to hold it long enough to guarantee long-term success.
Meanwhile the fast-moving security crisis continues to deteriorate and expand rapidly, leaving the current counter-terrorism approach dangerously lagging behind. According to the Institute of Security Studies, the resilience of jihadist groups in Nigeria derives partly from the existence of vast ungoverned spaces that serve as ecosystems for them to regroup and re-arm.
For Nigeria to win the war on terror, military force must be combined with urgent governance reforms to expand state presence to every nook and cranny of the country through services and accountability. Only this can enhance local resilience and deny terrorists the vacuum they exploit for recruitment and control.
Friday, April 24, 2026
President Tinubu seeks parliament's approval for $516 million highway loan
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has asked parliament to approve a $516 million foreign loan to help finance the first sections of a new national highway, a major transport corridor linking the country's northwest to its southwest.
In a letter read by the Senate's president during a plenary session on Thursday, Tinubu said the government was seeking approval for the syndicated financing facility from Deutsche Bank, adding the loan was part of the government's medium-term borrowing plan approved by lawmakers.
The loan would have a nine-year tenor, including up to three years' grace, Tinubu said in the letter.
The roughly 1,000-km (600-mile) highway will link Sokoto state, in Nigeria's northwest, through the central Niger and Kwara states to the coastal town of Badagry in Lagos, the commercial capital.
Tinubu said the highway would deepen north–south links, cut travel times and haulage costs, lift trade and food security, and bolster national integration.
Last year, Nigeria raised a $747 million syndicated loan, led by Deutsche Bank, to fund the first phase of a planned 700-km (435-mile) coastal highway.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
In a letter read by the Senate's president during a plenary session on Thursday, Tinubu said the government was seeking approval for the syndicated financing facility from Deutsche Bank, adding the loan was part of the government's medium-term borrowing plan approved by lawmakers.
The loan would have a nine-year tenor, including up to three years' grace, Tinubu said in the letter.
The roughly 1,000-km (600-mile) highway will link Sokoto state, in Nigeria's northwest, through the central Niger and Kwara states to the coastal town of Badagry in Lagos, the commercial capital.
Tinubu said the highway would deepen north–south links, cut travel times and haulage costs, lift trade and food security, and bolster national integration.
Last year, Nigeria raised a $747 million syndicated loan, led by Deutsche Bank, to fund the first phase of a planned 700-km (435-mile) coastal highway.
President Tinubu grants 30% debt relief to airlines, orders fuel price talks
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has approved a 30% relief on debts owed by local airlines to aviation agencies and ordered talks involving fuel marketers, airlines, and regulators to reach a fair jet fuel price within 72 hours, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said on Thursday.
Domestic airlines warned they could no longer continue operations without raising ticket prices after jet fuel prices rose nearly 300%.
Representatives from government, airlines, fuel marketers, and regulators will meet within 48–72 hours to agree on what the minister described as “fair and reasonable” pricing for jet fuel, with any outcome to be made public.
Soaring jet fuel prices have upended the global aviation industry as a consequence of the Iran war, forcing airlines to raise fares, curb growth plans and rethink forecasts.
Domestic airlines warned they could no longer continue operations without raising ticket prices after jet fuel prices rose nearly 300%.
Representatives from government, airlines, fuel marketers, and regulators will meet within 48–72 hours to agree on what the minister described as “fair and reasonable” pricing for jet fuel, with any outcome to be made public.
Soaring jet fuel prices have upended the global aviation industry as a consequence of the Iran war, forcing airlines to raise fares, curb growth plans and rethink forecasts.
Kenyan leader sparks uproar after mocking Nigerians' spoken English
Addressing Kenyans living in Italy on Monday, Ruto said: "If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don't know what they are saying - you need a translator," while boasting that Kenyans spoke "some of the best English in the world".
His remarks drew fierce condemnation from Nigerians and other Africans online who accused the Kenyan leader of demeaning a fellow African nation.
"English is a colonial language, not a measure of intelligence, capability, or national progress," wrote Hopewell Chin'ono, a Zimbabwean journalist.
As former British colonies, both Kenya and Nigeria share English as an official language, but each country has developed distinct spoken varieties with different phonetic structures.
These differences reflect the influence of indigenous languages - Nigeria has more than 500 languages which shape its cadence and intonation, while Kenya's Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic mix give rise to its own accents.
But in his address to the diaspora gathering, Ruto said Kenya's education system produced strong English proficiency and that it was difficult to understand Nigerians when they spoke English.
"Our education is good. Our English is good. We speak some of the best English in the world. If you listen to a Nigerian speaking, you don't know what they are saying. You need a translator even when they are speaking English," he said, sparking laughter in the room.
"We have some of the best human capital anywhere in the world. We just need to sharpen it with more training," Ruto added.
His remarks have led to widespread reactions on social media, with many users criticising the Kenyan leader for showcasing a "deep inferiority complex rooted in colonial conditioning".
"Ruto is mocking the English of the country with a Nobel Prize for literature winner.The Nation of Achebe and Chimamanda," former Nigerian senator Shehu Sani posted on X, referring to Wole Soyinka - the country's only Nobel Prize winner - along with acclaimed authors Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Other social media users urged Ruto to focus on addressing pressing issues facing his citizens - such as the cost of living and unemployment - rather than engaging in what they described as distractions.
Online barbs between Kenya and Nigeria are a frequent occurrence, often marked by intense, humorous and sometimes volatile cyber wars on platforms like X.
These exchanges typically revolve around economic comparisons, pop culture and sport and, more recently, political remarks.
Earlier this month, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu faced a backlash from Kenyans online after stating that Nigerians were "better off than those in Kenya and other African countries" despite rising fuel prices at home.
While Ruto did not make a direct reference to any specific comment, some online interpretations suggested his remarks may be in response to Tinubu's comments.
There has been no official response from Ruto's government, but some Kenyans have defended him online, arguing that critics have misunderstood the intent of his remarks and missed the humour.
Nigeria has more English speakers than any other country in Africa. Over time, the language has evolved locally into what is often described as "Nigerian English" - a distinct and widely recognised variety shaped by the country's history, cultures and everyday usage.
It continues to influence global English, with Nigerian expressions, such as "next tomorrow" (the day after tomorrow), increasingly appearing in mainstream dictionaries.
Nigeria's large and active diaspora, particularly in the UK, has also helped spread and shape these linguistic influences across borders.
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Nigeria EndSars protests: Police dragnet left this innocent man in prison for five years
Not listening to his mother cost 23-year-old Nigerian Rasheed Wasiu dearly – more than five years of his freedom for something he did not do.
Now released from prison, where he was stuck waiting for his trial as the judicial process crawled on, Rasheed has no idea where she is. His mother has gone missing.
In October 2020, she had told him not to go out as widespread anti-police brutality demonstrations, known as the End Sars protests, swept into his area of Lagos, Nigeria's bustling commercial heart.
People's anger was directed towards the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) accused of robbing, attacking and even killing innocent people.
The reaction of the security forces to the 2020 demonstrations was to reach a crescendo on the evening of 20 October, when officers opened fire on a group of protesters in the city.
But the protests had been building over the previous fortnight, with some turning violent, and the police along with a local vigilante group began responding by rounding up anyone they thought might be involved.
On the morning of 20 October, Rasheed, 17 at the time, was trying to get to a painting job with a friend in an area called Amukoko, but on their way they learnt that violence had broken out there and so turned around.
When he arrived home, his mother told him to "stay indoors" and not to "go outside because of the protests" that had by that point reached his neighbourhood.
But as a disobedient teenager he ignored her and stepped out on the street again.
Although he says he did not join the demonstration, members of the vigilante Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) caught him in their dragnet and bundled him into a van alongside weapon‑wielding protesters.
His mother and neighbours remonstrated with the OPC, insisting Rasheed was not part of the group, but their pleas were ignored.
He was first taken to an army barracks and then moved to a prison – Lagos's Kirikiri Correctional Centre – where he waited for his trial to start.
Rasheed says he was initially arrested on allegations that he had been involved in looting "but when I appeared in court, the offence on my charge sheet was 'unlawful possession of firearms'".
His experience and the charges chimed with many who were detained during the protests.
Speaking to the BBC, dressed in worn-out clothes and bathroom slippers, he sounds stressed and bitter as he recalls his incarceration.
"Jail is hell if you do not have money to ease your way through and cater for your needs," he says.
"The food is miserable; we get weak after eating. The space is really congested. They locked up to 70 people in a tiny room at a time. There is no good healthcare, but if you have money, you can have access to good food, a bed and proper medications.
"There was a time a young man died in my cell, his leg was just getting swollen." No-one had gone to help diagnose what was wrong.
Rasheed took on menial jobs to survive like washing clothes for inmates in exchange for a bit of cash or food. He also sold food items on behalf of prison staff, like cow skin, popularly known as "ponmo", and baked snacks. They would give him some of what he was selling or some money.
Months passed without his case being called. On the rare occasions when he was taken to court, his case was not mentioned. One of the lawyers who was representing Rasheed even died while he was in prison.
This state of purgatory continued for nearly six years.
However, at a hearing early last month, a judge at Lagos's high court struck out his case over a lack of evidence and Rasheed was set free.
The judge's ruling came after the intervention of an advocacy group known as the Take It Back Movement (TIB), which provides lawyers for free and fights for the release of people arrested during the End Sars protests as well as other demonstrations.
According to Nigeria's prison authorities, some 50,000 people are currently in detention in the country even though they are still awaiting trial - some 64% of the total prison population.
Human rights groups say that cases like Rasheed's - of people spending years in prison without being convicted of any offence - are not uncommon.
TIB's Lagos coordinator, Adekunle Taofeek, called the ruling on Rasheed's case "a significant milestone".
"This development reinforces our belief that persistence, solidarity and commitment to justice will always yield results."
TIB says it has managed to free 100 people who were detained during the End Sars protests.
Asked whether he planned to pursue legal action for the years he has lost, Rasheed responded: "No, I am leaving everything to God."
But Rasheed's joy at finally being released turned into another nightmare as, on returning home, he was unable to find his mother.
"People in my neighbourhood said they thought I was dead since they couldn't find me. I checked around for my mum but couldn't find her… neighbours told me she left the area because she was being threatened that she would be arrested as well."
He had only seen her once since his arrest, in the immediate aftermath of his detention when she followed him to the barracks where he was initially held.
On the following two days she returned with some food but was denied access.
He did not see her again.
Rasheed's neighbours could offer very little information about her whereabouts.
"When I asked… they said they did not know where she had moved to, but sometimes they see her when she passes by the market. They would greet her but she won't reply.
"They said my arrest caused her so much pain and tears."
Rasheed now lives with his mother's brother in another area of Lagos. They are both actively searching for his mother.
"I pray to God every day that I will see her, let me just come face to face with her," he says.
Rasheed's top priority is finding his mother but he is determined to rebuild his life after losing out on almost six precious years.
He says that before his arrest he was training to become a tailor and would have finished by now and set up his own business.
"Ever since I got out of prison, my neighbours have been the one[s] supporting me with food. But I don't want to be dependent on them, I wish to get a job and be a giver as well. I have two hands and legs, I can work."
Nigeria's suspected coup plotters deny treason charges
Six people, including a retired major general and a serving police inspector, have pleaded not guilty to plotting a coup to overthrow Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu.
The defendants appeared at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, where they were ordered to remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria's domestic spy agency.
A seventh person - a former governor and one-time oil minister, Timipre Sylva - has also been named as a conspirator but court documents said he was still at large.
Rumours of the coup plot surfaced when the government abruptly cancelled a planned military parade to mark Nigeria's 65th Independence Anniversary on 1 October 2025.
At the time, officials cited security threats - but speculation quickly linked the cancellation to a possible coup plot.
The military initially denied the reports, but in January it announced that 16 officers were to be tried before a military court for attempting to oust the president.
Those to go on trial at the Federal High Court on charges of treason, terrorism and money laundering are civilians or retired military personnel alleged to have been part of the plot.
Sylva, who served as petroleum minister from 2019 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and was also governor of the oil-rich southern Bayelsa state from 2007 to 2012, denied links to a coup plot after his house was ransacked by investigators last October.
An arrest warrant was issued for him the following month in a separate case launched by the country's anti-corruption agency. At the time his spokesman said the former minister was in the UK for a medical check-up and that the allegations were politically motivated.
The charges were filed by Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi on Tuesday. The six on trial are:
By Mansur Abubakar and Chris Ewokor, BBC
The defendants appeared at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, where they were ordered to remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria's domestic spy agency.
A seventh person - a former governor and one-time oil minister, Timipre Sylva - has also been named as a conspirator but court documents said he was still at large.
Rumours of the coup plot surfaced when the government abruptly cancelled a planned military parade to mark Nigeria's 65th Independence Anniversary on 1 October 2025.
At the time, officials cited security threats - but speculation quickly linked the cancellation to a possible coup plot.
The military initially denied the reports, but in January it announced that 16 officers were to be tried before a military court for attempting to oust the president.
Those to go on trial at the Federal High Court on charges of treason, terrorism and money laundering are civilians or retired military personnel alleged to have been part of the plot.
Sylva, who served as petroleum minister from 2019 to 2023 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and was also governor of the oil-rich southern Bayelsa state from 2007 to 2012, denied links to a coup plot after his house was ransacked by investigators last October.
An arrest warrant was issued for him the following month in a separate case launched by the country's anti-corruption agency. At the time his spokesman said the former minister was in the UK for a medical check-up and that the allegations were politically motivated.
The charges were filed by Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi on Tuesday. The six on trial are:
Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, a retired major general
Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired navy captain
Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector
Zekeri Umoru, an electrician working at the Presidential Villa
Bukar Kashim Goni, a civilian
Abdulkadir Sani, an Islamic cleric based in Zaria in Kaduna state.
The court scheduled 27 April for bail hearings.
During proceedings on Wednesday, defence lawyers complained of restricted access to their clients, claiming they had been unable to meet them since September 2025 - which would mean they had been arrested ahead of the Independence Day parade.
According to the charge sheet, the six defendants "conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe" the president.
The court papers suggest the coup plot was led by Col Mohammed Alhassan Ma'aji, who was arrested along with other alleged accomplices, and is due to go on trial at a military court.
Prosecutors also allege the defendants had prior knowledge of Col Ma'aji's "treasonable act", but failed to inform authorities.
The charges include the suppression of intelligence, with prosecutors alleging the defendants were intent on destabilising the state and had failed to disclose information that could have helped prevent terrorism.
Money-laundering allegations form a significant part of the case - with accusations that money changed hands linked to the financing of terrorism.
Under Nigerian law, treason attracts severe penalties, including life imprisonment.
Nigeria has experienced a period of unbroken civilian rule since 1999.
This case is being closely watched as one of the most significant coup-related prosecutions in recent Nigerian history.
For months, the secrecy and unanswered questions over the alleged coup plot created a fertile ground for rumours, with speculation ranging from wider military involvement to claims of political vendettas.
Journalists and civil society groups repeatedly pressed for clarity, but access to information was limited.
The eventual arraignment of these six men has now brought the matter into open court.
However, questions remain about the scale of the alleged conspiracy and whether more suspects will be charged.
Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired navy captain
Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector
Zekeri Umoru, an electrician working at the Presidential Villa
Bukar Kashim Goni, a civilian
Abdulkadir Sani, an Islamic cleric based in Zaria in Kaduna state.
The court scheduled 27 April for bail hearings.
During proceedings on Wednesday, defence lawyers complained of restricted access to their clients, claiming they had been unable to meet them since September 2025 - which would mean they had been arrested ahead of the Independence Day parade.
According to the charge sheet, the six defendants "conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe" the president.
The court papers suggest the coup plot was led by Col Mohammed Alhassan Ma'aji, who was arrested along with other alleged accomplices, and is due to go on trial at a military court.
Prosecutors also allege the defendants had prior knowledge of Col Ma'aji's "treasonable act", but failed to inform authorities.
The charges include the suppression of intelligence, with prosecutors alleging the defendants were intent on destabilising the state and had failed to disclose information that could have helped prevent terrorism.
Money-laundering allegations form a significant part of the case - with accusations that money changed hands linked to the financing of terrorism.
Under Nigerian law, treason attracts severe penalties, including life imprisonment.
Nigeria has experienced a period of unbroken civilian rule since 1999.
This case is being closely watched as one of the most significant coup-related prosecutions in recent Nigerian history.
For months, the secrecy and unanswered questions over the alleged coup plot created a fertile ground for rumours, with speculation ranging from wider military involvement to claims of political vendettas.
Journalists and civil society groups repeatedly pressed for clarity, but access to information was limited.
The eventual arraignment of these six men has now brought the matter into open court.
However, questions remain about the scale of the alleged conspiracy and whether more suspects will be charged.
Africa’s richest man sees his net worth surge by $3.21 billion
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Dangote is Africa's third best-performing billionaire this year, with a net worth of $33.2 billion and a year-to-date gain of $3.21 billion.
He trails Natie Kirsh, who has added $5.50 billion despite having a lower net worth of $15.2 billion, and fellow Nigerian Abdulsamad Rabiu, whose wealth has increased by $4.64 billion to $14.8 billion.
Dangote began the year with a net worth of $30.4 billion, making him the 80th richest person in the world at the time.
A month later, the Nigerian billionaire, per the Bloomberg index, saw his net worth rise by $2.79 billion to $32.8 billion, making him the 73rd richest person globally, the same spot he currently occupies.
Dangote's recent increase follows a significant milestone in Nigeria's oil sector.
For the first time in decades, the country has become a net fuel exporter, thanks largely to output from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
According to data from energy analytics firm Kpler, Nigeria exported approximately 44,000 barrels of petrol per day in March 2026, slightly exceeding imports and leaving a surplus.
The refinery's rising presence is already felt across the continent.
In March alone, it sent 12 cargoes of refined petroleum products to Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tanzania, Ghana, and Togo, totaling 456,000 tons.
This signifies Nigeria's return to regional fuel markets as a supplier rather than a buyer.
However, issues remain as Nigeria imported an estimated 61.7 million barrels of crude oil from the United States between January 2024 and January 2026, totaling approximately $4.9 billions, most of which were purchased by the country’s only working oil refinery.
Beyond fuel, Dangote is diversifying the products he is offering from his refinery to include other petrochemicals.
A recent report showed that the Dangote Refinery is looking into using Honeywell International Inc. technology to produce 400,000 metric tons of linear alkylbenzene, a major ingredient in detergent manufacturing, in a $11.5 billion venture.
Taken together, these developments demonstrate how Dangote's industrial ventures are not only altering Nigeria's energy scene but also fueling his quick rise in global wealth rankings.
By Chinedu Okafor, Business Insider Africa
Nigeria targets $74bn livestock boom to tackle food crisis and inflation
Nigeria’s federal government has set out plans to expand the country’s livestock industry to $74bn over the next decade, positioning the sector as a key lever to address food insecurity, curb inflation, and support economic stability.
The proposal, outlined at the ninth Vanguard Economic Discourse in Lagos, forms part of a broader strategy to revitalise agriculture, which contributes roughly a quarter of Nigeria’s gross domestic product and employs up to 40 per cent of its workforce.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, adviser Eustace Iyayi said the government aims to grow the sector from its current estimated value of $32bn to $74bn by 2035 through a 10-pillar transformation plan.
“Agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economy… yet the country continues to grapple with persistent food insecurity,” Iyayi said.
The urgency of the reforms reflects mounting strain on Nigeria’s food systems. More than 25 million people are at risk of acute food insecurity, according to figures cited at the event, while food inflation has stayed above 30 per cent in recent periods, eroding household incomes.
Although the livestock sector accounts for between five and eight per cent of GDP and about one-third of agricultural output, officials say it remains underperforming. Average daily animal protein intake stands at 7 to 10 grams per person, well below the recommended minimum of 20 grams.
Nigeria has one of Africa’s largest livestock populations, including tens of millions of cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as nearly 700 million poultry birds. However, productivity has been constrained by limited access to quality feed, weak animal health systems, poor genetics, and inadequate infrastructure.
The government’s reform agenda focuses on improving feed and fodder systems, expanding veterinary services, increasing access to finance, and strengthening market infrastructure. Iyayi highlighted high borrowing costs as a major obstacle, warning that current interest rates of 23 to 25 per cent are unsustainable for agricultural investment.
“There is no viable agricultural business with interest rates at 23 to 25 per cent,” he said, calling for single-digit lending rates.
Officials also identified insecurity in farming regions and post-harvest losses, estimated at up to 40 per cent for perishable goods, as critical challenges to be addressed.
Participants at the forum, including international development agencies and local stakeholders, stressed that food security is increasingly tied to broader economic and national stability.
“Food security is no longer just an agricultural issue. It is a pillar of national security and economic resilience,” Iyayi said.
The proposal, outlined at the ninth Vanguard Economic Discourse in Lagos, forms part of a broader strategy to revitalise agriculture, which contributes roughly a quarter of Nigeria’s gross domestic product and employs up to 40 per cent of its workforce.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, adviser Eustace Iyayi said the government aims to grow the sector from its current estimated value of $32bn to $74bn by 2035 through a 10-pillar transformation plan.
“Agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economy… yet the country continues to grapple with persistent food insecurity,” Iyayi said.
The urgency of the reforms reflects mounting strain on Nigeria’s food systems. More than 25 million people are at risk of acute food insecurity, according to figures cited at the event, while food inflation has stayed above 30 per cent in recent periods, eroding household incomes.
Although the livestock sector accounts for between five and eight per cent of GDP and about one-third of agricultural output, officials say it remains underperforming. Average daily animal protein intake stands at 7 to 10 grams per person, well below the recommended minimum of 20 grams.
Nigeria has one of Africa’s largest livestock populations, including tens of millions of cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as nearly 700 million poultry birds. However, productivity has been constrained by limited access to quality feed, weak animal health systems, poor genetics, and inadequate infrastructure.
The government’s reform agenda focuses on improving feed and fodder systems, expanding veterinary services, increasing access to finance, and strengthening market infrastructure. Iyayi highlighted high borrowing costs as a major obstacle, warning that current interest rates of 23 to 25 per cent are unsustainable for agricultural investment.
“There is no viable agricultural business with interest rates at 23 to 25 per cent,” he said, calling for single-digit lending rates.
Officials also identified insecurity in farming regions and post-harvest losses, estimated at up to 40 per cent for perishable goods, as critical challenges to be addressed.
Participants at the forum, including international development agencies and local stakeholders, stressed that food security is increasingly tied to broader economic and national stability.
“Food security is no longer just an agricultural issue. It is a pillar of national security and economic resilience,” Iyayi said.
By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa
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