Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Video - Hundreds displaced by Boko Haram return home
Hundreds of Nigerian refugees are returning to their homes after fleeing Boko Haram. The devastation is widespread - homes and farmlands destroyed by the Islamic militants. Many people returning home have to start from scratch. Kelechi Emekalam speaks to one family.
Video - Lagos state government tightens grip on mile-to-mile system
Nigeria's Lagos state government has reiterated its commitment to regulate the mile-to-mile taxi system. This is in a bid to ensure safety and security for passengers. A franchise system has already been developed to ensure control and regulation within the sector. The terms of taxi operations are contained in the Road Traffic Law of 2012 and subsequent regulation approved and released in January 2016. But the new rules are facing resistance from some groups who want to pull out of the franchise. The Lagos state government insists that groups hold a franchise and by implication a licence.
Nigeria leading in Africa's medal wins at 2016 Paralympics
Team Nigeria yesterday toppled Tunisia on Africa’s medal haul at the ongoing Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil after Lauritta Onye and Ndidi Nwosu claimed gold medals.
Prior to Monday’s feat by Onye and Nwosu, Tunisia was leading the continent’s medal haul with four gold medals but Nigeria overtook the North Africa with Onye setting a new world record in the women’s shot put F40 of athletic event.
It was Onye fourth throw of 8.40 metre that set a new world record for her ahead of Tunisia’s Rima Abdelli (7.37m) and Netherlands’ Lara Baars (7.12m) that both claimed silver and bronze medals respectively. Onye first throw of 7.83m had erased her own world record of 7.72m set at the 2015 IPC world athletics championships in Doha but the Nigerian went further to set the best record in the history of the event.
Also, Nwosu claimed the fifth gold medal for Nigeria when she lifted 140kg in the women’s -73kg of the Powerlifting event.
The first bronze medal for Nigeria was won by Nnamdi Innocent in the men’s -72kg of Powerlifting.
Apart from the medal won in athletics by Onye, all the medals won by Team Nigeria came from Powerlifting with hope for more medals in the event.
So far, Team Nigeria is placing nine on the medal table with five gold, two silver and one bronze medals, while China is topping with 40gold, 31silver and 24 bronze medals.
Prior to Monday’s feat by Onye and Nwosu, Tunisia was leading the continent’s medal haul with four gold medals but Nigeria overtook the North Africa with Onye setting a new world record in the women’s shot put F40 of athletic event.
It was Onye fourth throw of 8.40 metre that set a new world record for her ahead of Tunisia’s Rima Abdelli (7.37m) and Netherlands’ Lara Baars (7.12m) that both claimed silver and bronze medals respectively. Onye first throw of 7.83m had erased her own world record of 7.72m set at the 2015 IPC world athletics championships in Doha but the Nigerian went further to set the best record in the history of the event.
Also, Nwosu claimed the fifth gold medal for Nigeria when she lifted 140kg in the women’s -73kg of the Powerlifting event.
The first bronze medal for Nigeria was won by Nnamdi Innocent in the men’s -72kg of Powerlifting.
Apart from the medal won in athletics by Onye, all the medals won by Team Nigeria came from Powerlifting with hope for more medals in the event.
So far, Team Nigeria is placing nine on the medal table with five gold, two silver and one bronze medals, while China is topping with 40gold, 31silver and 24 bronze medals.
Nokia Blocked From Doing Business In Nigeria
Nokia Corp. (NOK) may be committed to the Nigerian market, but its operations in the country have been blocked by the Nigerian Communications Commission. The commission in Nigeria said Nokia’s operations were halted, because the company doesn’t have a license to operate there.
“‘They need a sales and installations license,” Tony Ojobo, spokesman of the regulator, told Bloomberg News. “They had started the process about three weeks ago but stopped somewhere.” Ojobo did say Nokia and the commission are in talks about how to resolve the matter. Nokia is required to pay $6,354 for the license, according to the report. In an emailed statement to Bloomberg, Nokia said the administrative office in Lagos is temporarily closed and that Nokia is working to rectify the situation.
For years Nokia had been a big supplier of mobile phones in Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populated country. The company lost its prominence a few years ago as other smartphone makers, namely Apple and Samsung Electronics, rose in popularity. Now it is attempting to become a big player in Nigeria again. The country is an attractive market to telecom companies, because Nigerians are buying more smartphones than ever before, which is prompting a build out of mobile networks that are faster. According to Statista, in 2016 the number of smartphone users in Nigeria is expected to hit 15.5 million and grow to 23.3 million by 2019.
The situation in Nigeria is just the latest blow to Nokia in recent weeks as the once dominate mobile phone maker tries to regain some of its luster. Recently, the company has lost two top executives in its technology division, which is charged with bringing Nokia handsets into the market (See, also: Nokia’s Tech Unit Sees Another Top Executive Leave.); has made acquisitions to increase its presence in the Internet of Things market; it acquired Alcatel-Lucent, adopting a huge patent of different technologies and has inked partnerships to get back into the handset market. Its acquisition of Withings, which it announced in April, is also a play in the Internet of Things.
“‘They need a sales and installations license,” Tony Ojobo, spokesman of the regulator, told Bloomberg News. “They had started the process about three weeks ago but stopped somewhere.” Ojobo did say Nokia and the commission are in talks about how to resolve the matter. Nokia is required to pay $6,354 for the license, according to the report. In an emailed statement to Bloomberg, Nokia said the administrative office in Lagos is temporarily closed and that Nokia is working to rectify the situation.
For years Nokia had been a big supplier of mobile phones in Nigeria, which is Africa’s most populated country. The company lost its prominence a few years ago as other smartphone makers, namely Apple and Samsung Electronics, rose in popularity. Now it is attempting to become a big player in Nigeria again. The country is an attractive market to telecom companies, because Nigerians are buying more smartphones than ever before, which is prompting a build out of mobile networks that are faster. According to Statista, in 2016 the number of smartphone users in Nigeria is expected to hit 15.5 million and grow to 23.3 million by 2019.
The situation in Nigeria is just the latest blow to Nokia in recent weeks as the once dominate mobile phone maker tries to regain some of its luster. Recently, the company has lost two top executives in its technology division, which is charged with bringing Nokia handsets into the market (See, also: Nokia’s Tech Unit Sees Another Top Executive Leave.); has made acquisitions to increase its presence in the Internet of Things market; it acquired Alcatel-Lucent, adopting a huge patent of different technologies and has inked partnerships to get back into the handset market. Its acquisition of Withings, which it announced in April, is also a play in the Internet of Things.
Flights to Nigeria forced to refuel elsewhere
Foreign airlines flying to Nigeria have started to refuel abroad to bypass pricey, and increasingly scarce, jet fuel as the oil producer battles a hard currency shortage that has made fuel available only at a very high price.
It is the second blow for airlines operating in Africa's recession-hit biggest economy in a year that first saw the central bank make it almost impossible to repatriate profits from ticket sales as it tried to prevent a currency collapse.
The crash in the naira since a devaluation in June has led firms who market jet fuel locally, such as Total, Sahara and ConocoPhillips, to double the price to 220 naira a litre in August, and to as much as 400 naira this month, an airline executive said.
Even at the higher costs, marketers' lack of dollars has made fuel scarce. Some carriers have had aircraft stuck, or were forced to cancel planned journeys, after frantic last-minute calls from ground staff warned there was no fuel available.
"The economy is crying out for investment, and now it is going to be even harder for anyone to visit," said John Ashbourne, economist with Capital Economics. "Who is going to want to park a billion dollars in a country that you can't even easily fly to? It sends the worst possible signal."
A spokesman for state oil company NNPC did not answer calls for comment.
The central bank hoped floating the naira would attract dollar inflows, but the naira sunk by 50 percent, forcing oil firms to charge airlines, stuck with piles of naira, in dollars for jet fuel.
"It's an impossible situation. The oil marketers don't want to sign long-term agreements anymore so we have to accept whatever prices they demand," one airline executive said. "We sell tickets in naira and now they want us to come with dollars."
Spain's Iberia and United Airlines cancelled their Nigeria services earlier this year, and two local carriers also halted operations. Other international airlines responded by boosting ticket prices within Nigeria, charging its globe-trotting elite as much as $2,000 for an economy class ticket to Europe to cut losses - more than double the cost of a Lagos ticket bought abroad.
WELL-HEELED PASSENGERS
Dubai-based Emirates has started a detour to Accra, Ghana, to refuel its daily Abuja-bound flight, a spokesman said. The airline already cut its twice-daily flights to Lagos and Abuja to just one.
The move was aided by a substantial drop in Ghana's jet prices amid tax reform last month, according to the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors.
Air France-KLM said it had refueled abroad in "very exceptional cases" by juggling suppliers and stomaching extra costs.
Germany's Lufthansa is loading more fuel in Frankfurt for its Lagos flight, where the ground staff doubt their ability to refuel for the final destination of Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, an executive said. The airline did not respond to official requests for comment.
The scarcity has even pitted airlines against local consumers; a surge in demand for cooking and heating kerosene during the rainy season, when households cannot easily burn wood or charcoal, means if the airlines do not pay up, marketers will sell to locals.
Airlines met with transport ministry officials last week in Abuja to press for fuel at lower prices, industry sources said.
Nigeria used to be one of the most profitable markets for foreign airlines, landing planes with plenty of first and business class to cater to executives and officials jetting around under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari cut air travel allowances for officials in a bid to tackle graft; others simply have less spending power with consumer inflation running at an 11-year high of 17 percent.
British Airways, a popular choice for well-heeled Nigerians, said it is using smaller aircraft on its Lagos-London route, as did Air France-KLM.
Turkish Airlines' use of smaller planes has added another inconvenience: passengers complained there is not always space for luggage on the smaller aircraft, delaying it for days. The airline did not respond to requests for comment.
It is the second blow for airlines operating in Africa's recession-hit biggest economy in a year that first saw the central bank make it almost impossible to repatriate profits from ticket sales as it tried to prevent a currency collapse.
The crash in the naira since a devaluation in June has led firms who market jet fuel locally, such as Total, Sahara and ConocoPhillips, to double the price to 220 naira a litre in August, and to as much as 400 naira this month, an airline executive said.
Even at the higher costs, marketers' lack of dollars has made fuel scarce. Some carriers have had aircraft stuck, or were forced to cancel planned journeys, after frantic last-minute calls from ground staff warned there was no fuel available.
"The economy is crying out for investment, and now it is going to be even harder for anyone to visit," said John Ashbourne, economist with Capital Economics. "Who is going to want to park a billion dollars in a country that you can't even easily fly to? It sends the worst possible signal."
A spokesman for state oil company NNPC did not answer calls for comment.
The central bank hoped floating the naira would attract dollar inflows, but the naira sunk by 50 percent, forcing oil firms to charge airlines, stuck with piles of naira, in dollars for jet fuel.
"It's an impossible situation. The oil marketers don't want to sign long-term agreements anymore so we have to accept whatever prices they demand," one airline executive said. "We sell tickets in naira and now they want us to come with dollars."
Spain's Iberia and United Airlines cancelled their Nigeria services earlier this year, and two local carriers also halted operations. Other international airlines responded by boosting ticket prices within Nigeria, charging its globe-trotting elite as much as $2,000 for an economy class ticket to Europe to cut losses - more than double the cost of a Lagos ticket bought abroad.
WELL-HEELED PASSENGERS
Dubai-based Emirates has started a detour to Accra, Ghana, to refuel its daily Abuja-bound flight, a spokesman said. The airline already cut its twice-daily flights to Lagos and Abuja to just one.
The move was aided by a substantial drop in Ghana's jet prices amid tax reform last month, according to the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors.
Air France-KLM said it had refueled abroad in "very exceptional cases" by juggling suppliers and stomaching extra costs.
Germany's Lufthansa is loading more fuel in Frankfurt for its Lagos flight, where the ground staff doubt their ability to refuel for the final destination of Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, an executive said. The airline did not respond to official requests for comment.
The scarcity has even pitted airlines against local consumers; a surge in demand for cooking and heating kerosene during the rainy season, when households cannot easily burn wood or charcoal, means if the airlines do not pay up, marketers will sell to locals.
Airlines met with transport ministry officials last week in Abuja to press for fuel at lower prices, industry sources said.
Nigeria used to be one of the most profitable markets for foreign airlines, landing planes with plenty of first and business class to cater to executives and officials jetting around under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
President Muhammadu Buhari cut air travel allowances for officials in a bid to tackle graft; others simply have less spending power with consumer inflation running at an 11-year high of 17 percent.
British Airways, a popular choice for well-heeled Nigerians, said it is using smaller aircraft on its Lagos-London route, as did Air France-KLM.
Turkish Airlines' use of smaller planes has added another inconvenience: passengers complained there is not always space for luggage on the smaller aircraft, delaying it for days. The airline did not respond to requests for comment.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Video - Nigerian refugees in Niger struggle amid scarce resources
People in parts of Nigeria are struggling to get help after being displaced by Boko Haram.
Two years of violence by the armed group has forced 2.5 million people from their homes.
Video - Nigeria government accuses NGOs of using rescued Chibok girls to get donations
Only 5 out of 15 Chibok girls who escaped from captivity last year are currently being sponsored in school in the US. The Nigerian Government and parents of the children are accusing NGOs of using the girls to get donations there.
Nigeria Ebola movie gets resounding applause at TIFF
Apart from telling a global story from a Nigerian perspective, many were enthralled that 93 Days, the Ebola virus drama by Steve Gukas, was as gripping as the true account of the happenstances that held Lagos and other Nigerian cities by the jugular in 2014.
Incidentally, it is one of the films that celebrate Lagos State for its conquest of the virus within 93 days, despite a precarious compact population.
During the curtain call, Gukas shed more light on the essence of the film, which he said is a celebration of Lagos for its proactiveness in containing the virus as well as to immortalize the legendary doctors and nurses who put their lives in the line.
He said: “In this film, we did two things: challenging the perception about Nigeria and presenting it to outsiders to see. The other one is to ask very challenging questions about government. Because the truth of the matter is that government did a lot at that time but the health defense infrastructure in Nigeria is still very weak, to the extent that if this were to happen again, we would be struggling again. We have six different regions in Nigeria that are the key to how Nigeria is structured, and Lagos was the most prepared to be able to take care of this, so we were lucky it happened in Lagos. Had it happed somewhere in the North, somewhere in the East, or somewhere farther in the North East, the story we would be telling will be different. So the question we are asking our government is how prepared are we for next time?”
Responding, Lagos State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde noted that the state was indeed prepared for Ebola having invested hugely in health services and infrastructure. He said there was the need to archive reality; hence he was glad a film like ’93 Days’ was produced to tell the story. What is government doing? He asked rhetorically. “There are quite a lot. Lagos is a state of 21 million people, and that calls for pro-activeness. Our government in particular is investing in emergency health services and all I can say is that we deal with issues as they come and Lagos is ever prepared for any emergencies.”
After its successful screening at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the world premiere of 93 Days took place on Friday, 9th September 2016 at the Isabel Bader Theatre.
The event which started with the arrival of the cast, producers and director had the movie introduced by Cameron Bailey, Creative Director of TIFF.
The premiere was attended by some members of the cast, including Danny Glover, Bimbo Akinkola, Keppy Ekpenyong, Somkele Iyamah-Idlahama, Sola Oyebode, Associate Producer of 93 Days, Kemi DaSilva-Ibru as well as the Producers/Executive Producers; Bolanle Austen-Peters, Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas.
Also speaking during the Q&A, Glover emphasized how he was so proud to be a part of the film.
“It was important for me to be in this film because of the message. Nigeria is a dynamic great country; it’s a country where the people are challenging themselves. This is an example of how they challenged themselves and succeeded. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
Scheduled for another premiere in Lagos on September 13 at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, the movie will be showing in cinemas nationwide from September 16.
Incidentally, it is one of the films that celebrate Lagos State for its conquest of the virus within 93 days, despite a precarious compact population.
During the curtain call, Gukas shed more light on the essence of the film, which he said is a celebration of Lagos for its proactiveness in containing the virus as well as to immortalize the legendary doctors and nurses who put their lives in the line.
He said: “In this film, we did two things: challenging the perception about Nigeria and presenting it to outsiders to see. The other one is to ask very challenging questions about government. Because the truth of the matter is that government did a lot at that time but the health defense infrastructure in Nigeria is still very weak, to the extent that if this were to happen again, we would be struggling again. We have six different regions in Nigeria that are the key to how Nigeria is structured, and Lagos was the most prepared to be able to take care of this, so we were lucky it happened in Lagos. Had it happed somewhere in the North, somewhere in the East, or somewhere farther in the North East, the story we would be telling will be different. So the question we are asking our government is how prepared are we for next time?”
Responding, Lagos State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde noted that the state was indeed prepared for Ebola having invested hugely in health services and infrastructure. He said there was the need to archive reality; hence he was glad a film like ’93 Days’ was produced to tell the story. What is government doing? He asked rhetorically. “There are quite a lot. Lagos is a state of 21 million people, and that calls for pro-activeness. Our government in particular is investing in emergency health services and all I can say is that we deal with issues as they come and Lagos is ever prepared for any emergencies.”
After its successful screening at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the world premiere of 93 Days took place on Friday, 9th September 2016 at the Isabel Bader Theatre.
The event which started with the arrival of the cast, producers and director had the movie introduced by Cameron Bailey, Creative Director of TIFF.
The premiere was attended by some members of the cast, including Danny Glover, Bimbo Akinkola, Keppy Ekpenyong, Somkele Iyamah-Idlahama, Sola Oyebode, Associate Producer of 93 Days, Kemi DaSilva-Ibru as well as the Producers/Executive Producers; Bolanle Austen-Peters, Dotun Olakunri and Steve Gukas.
Also speaking during the Q&A, Glover emphasized how he was so proud to be a part of the film.
“It was important for me to be in this film because of the message. Nigeria is a dynamic great country; it’s a country where the people are challenging themselves. This is an example of how they challenged themselves and succeeded. I’m so proud to be a part of it.”
Scheduled for another premiere in Lagos on September 13 at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, the movie will be showing in cinemas nationwide from September 16.
Nigerian paralympian brings in 3rd gold and breaks world record
Nigeria has won her third gold medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil through Team Nigeria’s Captain Lucy Ejike who also shattered the Paralympic and world record to dominate the women’s -61kg event in powerlifting.
Power-lifter, Paul Kehinde, in the 65kg men’s category, had earlier on Friday lifted 218kg to outshine his competitors to win the country’s second gold medal after Roland Ezuruike opened the gold haul also in powerlifting on Friday.
Ejike began her campaign at the Riocentro Pavillion 2 on Sunday with a successful attempt at 136.0kg, which was a new Paralympic Record (PR) and World Record (WR). However, that was just the beginning as she went on to set a superior mark of 138.0kg at her next attempt, before culminating with a massive lift of 142.0kg.
Egypt’s Fatma Omar finished in 2nd place with her lift of 140kg. China’s Yan Yang won the Bronze medal with a distant 128kg. China’s Peng Hu (200kg) came second, while Egypt’s Shaaban Ibrahim (193kg) came third. Ejike and Kehinde’s victory take Nigeria’s total medal tally to 5 – three gold and two silver medals which came from Latifat Tijani and Esther Onyema. Already the performances of Nigeria’s physically-challenged athletes has drowned their main Olympics counterparts who only managed a football bronze medal throughout the competition.
Vanguard
Ejike began her campaign at the Riocentro Pavillion 2 on Sunday with a successful attempt at 136.0kg, which was a new Paralympic Record (PR) and World Record (WR). However, that was just the beginning as she went on to set a superior mark of 138.0kg at her next attempt, before culminating with a massive lift of 142.0kg.
Egypt’s Fatma Omar finished in 2nd place with her lift of 140kg. China’s Yan Yang won the Bronze medal with a distant 128kg. China’s Peng Hu (200kg) came second, while Egypt’s Shaaban Ibrahim (193kg) came third. Ejike and Kehinde’s victory take Nigeria’s total medal tally to 5 – three gold and two silver medals which came from Latifat Tijani and Esther Onyema. Already the performances of Nigeria’s physically-challenged athletes has drowned their main Olympics counterparts who only managed a football bronze medal throughout the competition.
Vanguard
Friday, September 9, 2016
Video - Deadly clashes reported between rival factions of Boko Haram group
Reports have emerged of deadly clashes between rival factions of the Boko Haram militant group. The violence has taken place in Borno State near Lake Chad. Details remain sketchy, though. The dispute is over the leadership of Boko Haram. The group is an affiliate of ISIL. Last month, ISIL declared Abu Musab al-Barnawi the leader of Boko Haram - replacing Abubakar Shekau. Shekau says he is still in charge, though, despite claims by the military that soldiers fatally wounded him. Shekau initially pledged Boko Haram's allegiance to ISIL.
Video - President Buhari urges Nigerians to shun corruption, social vices
Nigeria's President Muhamadu Buhari has kicked off a social change campaign called ‘Change Begins With Me’. He has pledged to get rid of corruption and other social vices. He has also warned Nigerians that they too must change their attitudes. The president has praised his government's efforts to fight corruption, adding that the campaign is a way of getting ordinary Nigerians to join in.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Video - Nigeria's army claims arrest of Avengers militant group leader
The Nigerian army claims it has arrested a suspected leader of the Niger Delta Avengers, as well as other suspected militants accused of attacking oil and gas infrastructure. Isaac Romeo and two others were detained over the weekend in Calabar, the capital of Cross River state in the Delta region. Authorities say they picked up a fourth man on Tuesday in Edo, north of Delta. He's thought to be responsible for last month's attack on a pipeline operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company and energy giant Shoreline.
Video - Nigeria's trade deficit narrows 44% in the second quarter
Nigeria's export trade has increased by over 60% to $5.9 billion in the second quarter of the year. Latest data from the national bureau of statistics shows the the trade deficit narrowed 44% as the value of exports surged after a devaluation of the naira. However, the rise was not enough to help the economy avoid a recession. Low oil prices have hammered vital public finances and the naira -- prompting foreign investors to flee bond and equities markets, causing chronic dollar shortages. Meanwhile, exports were dominated by crude oil, which contributed 79.7 percent of total exports. Imports rose 38.1 percent in the second quarter, with machinery and appliances, vehicles and aircraft parts and petroleum products making up the bulk of the numbers.
80% of Nigerian women in Italy are victims of sex trafficking
About 80 percent of Nigerian women and girls, who arrive Italy, are sex trafficking victims, according to Vatican news agency, Agenzia Fides. “Hundreds of thousands of people fall victim to human trafficking every year in Africa alone,” said Monsignor Ignatius Ayau Kaigama at an international conference against human trafficking organised by Christian Organisations Against Trafficking in Human Beings, COATNET, and Catholic Charity Caritas, Abuja.
"Of the overall number of victims, 79 percent are sexually exploited and the majority are women,” said Kaigama, who is the Archbishop of Jos and President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference.
"Of the overall number of victims, 79 percent are sexually exploited and the majority are women,” said Kaigama, who is the Archbishop of Jos and President of the Nigerian Bishops Conference.
He added: “The remaining 21 percent are coerced into forced labour, and the majority of these are men. “In some parts of West Africa, the majority of trafficking victims are children under 18.
This conference must find a way to put an end to child labour in all its forms.” He also called on the Federal Government “to declare human trafficking a national disgrace, and to take urgent and long-lasting measures to address its root causes. “This, in light of recent reports that 80 percent of Nigerian girls that reach Italy, do so for reasons of sex trafficking.”
Father of former MEND militant killed during military incursion
The father of a former Nigerian militant leader has died from injuries suffered during a government military campaign in the oil-producing Delta region, a family spokesman said, raising the possibility of an inflaming of hostilities.
Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, the 84-year-old father of rebel leader Government Ekpemupolo, died at a hospital in Warri from injuries sustained during military incursions into his community, Paul Bebenimibo, a spokesman for the son, known as Tompolo, said.
Tompolo was a commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a group that spearheaded attacks on oil and gas installations in the Delta region in the early 2000s until a government amnesty program halted clashes by offering contracts to protect pipelines and oil production equipment.
A wave of attacks on oil and gas facilities kicked off not long after an arrest warrant was issued for Tompolo in January on charges of corruption.
Godspower Gbenekama, a community leader in Tompolo's home area, said doctors had tried in vain to save the father by amputating a leg.
"We have appealed for calm but it is very painful considering the circumstances that led to his death," he said.
"His leg was amputated because he could not gain immediate access to hospital and treatment after the injury because of the lock down after and during the period of the invasion," he said, referring to a search of his community by the army hunting Tompolo.
"By the time the military left our area it was too late," he said.
Comment from the government was not immediately available.
The violence has shut down more than 700,000 barrels per day of oil output and exacerbated an economic crisis in a nation reeling from its first recession in two decades. Tompolo has denied any involvement in the attacks on oil and gas infrastructure, as well as the corruption charges. He remains in hiding.
While oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said talks were progressing with militants over a ceasefire, the army is waging a campaign aimed at stamping out attackers. Locals have criticized the efforts as heavy handed, and said they risk fuelling more dissent, while other groups have said they run contrary to the ceasefire talks.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Niger Delta Avengers, the group that has claimed responsibility for bulk of the attacks this year, but recently declared a ceasefire, said the army campaign will "undermine any genuine disposition from your government toward restoration of tranquility in the Niger Delta."
Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo, the 84-year-old father of rebel leader Government Ekpemupolo, died at a hospital in Warri from injuries sustained during military incursions into his community, Paul Bebenimibo, a spokesman for the son, known as Tompolo, said.
Tompolo was a commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a group that spearheaded attacks on oil and gas installations in the Delta region in the early 2000s until a government amnesty program halted clashes by offering contracts to protect pipelines and oil production equipment.
A wave of attacks on oil and gas facilities kicked off not long after an arrest warrant was issued for Tompolo in January on charges of corruption.
Godspower Gbenekama, a community leader in Tompolo's home area, said doctors had tried in vain to save the father by amputating a leg.
"We have appealed for calm but it is very painful considering the circumstances that led to his death," he said.
"His leg was amputated because he could not gain immediate access to hospital and treatment after the injury because of the lock down after and during the period of the invasion," he said, referring to a search of his community by the army hunting Tompolo.
"By the time the military left our area it was too late," he said.
Comment from the government was not immediately available.
The violence has shut down more than 700,000 barrels per day of oil output and exacerbated an economic crisis in a nation reeling from its first recession in two decades. Tompolo has denied any involvement in the attacks on oil and gas infrastructure, as well as the corruption charges. He remains in hiding.
While oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said talks were progressing with militants over a ceasefire, the army is waging a campaign aimed at stamping out attackers. Locals have criticized the efforts as heavy handed, and said they risk fuelling more dissent, while other groups have said they run contrary to the ceasefire talks.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Niger Delta Avengers, the group that has claimed responsibility for bulk of the attacks this year, but recently declared a ceasefire, said the army campaign will "undermine any genuine disposition from your government toward restoration of tranquility in the Niger Delta."
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Video - Third case of polio has been confirmed in Nigeria
A third case of polio has been confirmed in Nigeria, again in the north-eastern state of Borno. The area was recently won back from jihadist group Boko Haram.
Nigeria’s recession may last till 2020
Former President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, yesterday, expressed concerns that Nigeria may continue to experience the current recession cycle till 2020, if the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government fail to immediately bounce the economy massively.
Agbakoba, who spoke in Lagos, lamented that having done a diagnosis of the nation’s current economic woes, it seems to be complicated by inflation, high interest rates, unemployment, weak infrastructure, lower oil price and no growth economy.
In a statement made available to journalists, the human rights and maritime lawyer, who had an analysis of President Buhari’s economic policy pointed that cohesion is needed at this point, noting that there is a need to develop a coherent fiscal, trade and monetary policy.
Agbakoba, who spoke in Lagos, lamented that having done a diagnosis of the nation’s current economic woes, it seems to be complicated by inflation, high interest rates, unemployment, weak infrastructure, lower oil price and no growth economy.
In a statement made available to journalists, the human rights and maritime lawyer, who had an analysis of President Buhari’s economic policy pointed that cohesion is needed at this point, noting that there is a need to develop a coherent fiscal, trade and monetary policy.
According to him, the tight liquidity operated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, where it jerked up its Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to 14 per cent is ridiculous, adding that CBN’s focus on Forex management is rather encouraging round tripping and creating asymmetry in the system.
The legal practitioner advised the CBN to focus on productive value of the economy and not the numerical value of the naira, saying “the full deregulation of the forex market to allow level playing field and removing distortions such as round tripping, will ensure that at least $20 billion inflow will instantly occur.” The former NBA Chairman, who listed a number of solutions for President Buhari to revive the economy said there is an immediate need for “a Presidential Proclamation at the National Assembly, switching from austerity to growth policy.
The Federal Government needs to spend more to boost growth.” Agbakoba, however, pointed that President Buhari doesn’t need the envisaged economic emergency powers, noting that former President Shehu Shagari had it in his time and still failed, adding that the so-called economic emergency powers is also not working in Venezuela. Agbakoba, further said “President Buhari must reverse the anti-austerity and tight money, as the G-20 nations all now agree; use all policy tools and embrace fiscal stimulus; adopt the Keynesian economic model of massive government spending on public works; reducing the raging inflation at 17% in medium term; reduce the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to single digit- 5 per cent Quantitative Easing and effectively implementing the 2016 Budget to reflate the economy.”
He added that to revive the economy, “Nigeria must spend its way out of recession; establish a National Treatment Policy- Fiscal and trade Protection Policy, establish urgently a Development and Guarantee Bank; prepare Public Sector Borrowing Requirement, PSBR and borrow as our debt Ratio can sustain this, as well as develop Assets securitisation.” According to Agbakoba, there is need for the Federal Government to pay-off the country’s domestic debt to inject liquidity in the system. He suggested that FG must give the Treasury Single Account, TSA money back to the banks at single digit rates and supervise the banks, even as he recommended lending base rate of 5 per cent.
Prudential Regulatory Authority Dr. Agbakoba added that to reflate the nation’s economy from recession, the Federal Government must create a Prudential Regulatory Authority, PRA, to supervise commercial banks to lend, as well as create a Financial Conduct Authority, FCA, to get banks to behave. “Consequently, the Federal Government must limit the CBN to Monetary Policy and take away banking supervision to the new Prudential Regulatory Authority, PRA and banking ethics to the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA.
If the banks focus on lending and not trading, money will flood the system for productive value. Moreso, there is need to create a debt factor market to soak up non performing loans of banks now at 12 percent and in excess of N20 trillion. FG must also create a robust mortgage private sector led market, by waking up dead capital trapped in the national housing stock valued at $7 trillion. “Government must get out of business and enable the Private Sector led growth. It must also massively fund small businesses by Development and Guarantee Banks as this is the engine of economic growth.
I have expected the government to by now implement massive social benefits such as the N5,000 it promised Nigerian youths,” said the legal icon. Further suggesting the way forward, Agbakoba advised the current leadership to as a matter of urgency, “begin to communicate and give Nigerians hope with a clear vision, like former America President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR, during the American great Depression; urgently explore alternative income sources-Agriculture, Maritime, Infrastructure Power and support, as well as create efficiency in government and consider re-balancing Federal Power to bring in the States as economic enablers.”
“President Muhammadu Buhari must as a matter of urgency, carefully study Roosevelt’s new deal that got the US out of the Great Recession (Depression) in the 1930s. “Roosevelt communicated hope; created massive public works programmes, especially the momentus Tennesse Valley Authority, a depressed 640, 000 square mile area in the Tennesse Valley; enacted the Glass-Stengall Banking Act, directing banks not to speculate or trade but to lend; enacted the National Industrial Recovery Act, to deal with massive employment and created the Works Progress Administration, putting back millions to work on the public infrastructure,” he said. Recovery Path According to Agbakoba, despite the country’s current state of recession, “a recovery path is possible by the Second Quarter of 2017 (Q2 2017) with vigorous implementation of a new economic model, otherwise, this recession cycle may/will extend up to Fourth Quarter of 2020 (Q4 2020).”
Vanguard
Vanguard
Nigeria's fight against bad health and malnutrition
As world leaders prepare to converge in New York for the 71st United Nations General Assembly, the delegates face an even more diverse set of challenges than usual.
The peace and development paradigm through which the annual meeting is held has a further dynamic to deal with this year, which is the proliferation of multiple humanitarian crises. While some are solvable, the crises in Syria and South Sudan seem intractable.
The situation in northeast Nigeria where the UN has estimated that nearly 4.5 million Nigerians, already threatened by Boko Haram, are now at risk of food insecurity and famine is also a cause for concern (PDF).
That such a situation can arise in Africa's largest economy is a sad indictment of Nigeria's continuing inability to fully protect and provide for some of its most vulnerable citizens. We can and must act now.
Failing healthcare
The food crisis is a result of three factors: conflict with Boko Haram; the need for more aid financing; and, most critically, the lack of state structures and coordination to help those at risk.
The conflict with Boko Haram is showing tentative signs of success. The terrorist group has been pushed out of successive towns and villages it once occupied in northeast Nigeria. The army is, slowly but surely, reasserting control and security over the region.
But this is only one part of puzzle. The conflict has left widespread devastation in its wake, and women and children have borne the brunt. Of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno, Yobe and Gombe, children account for up to 50 percent of those in need of humanitarian assistance.
The appalling health conditions of camps for the displaced and host cities alike were brought sharply to the public eye last month, when it was reported that only weeks after declaring Nigeria polio-free, this life-threatening illness left two toddlers paralysed in Borno.
The precarious situation in the north has prevented up to half a million children from getting polio vaccinations in the past year, as the weakness of the healthcare system has been compounded by regional instability, which has rendered remote areas increasingly inaccessible to health workers and aid.
Failure to vaccinate can wreak havoc across communities for years to come, making it absolutely vital that everything is done to ensure that all children receive the necessary immunisations, regardless of the challenges that this may pose, and that every immunisation is recorded.
It is hard to quantify in numbers but it is clear that a whole generation of mothers and children have been affected by violence and now by hunger and disease in northeast Nigeria.
Malnutrition is the underlying cause of morbidity and mortality of a large proportion of children under five in the country - in the northeast it is considerably higher.
Equally, in Nigeria mothers have a one in 13 chance of dying in pregnancy and childbirth - that figure jumps massively in the northeast.
Nationwide, Nigeria is actually seeing progress on maternal care even though less than 20 percent of health facilities offer emergency obstetric care and only 35 percent of deliveries are attended by skilled birth attendants.
Those figures are still encouraging when compared with the lack of provision in the war-torn northeast. Many women and children also find their plight compounded by dislocation.
Nigeria has to do better
Nigeria and the international community are starting to act. The Nigerian Senate is pushing to enact a motion to secure an additional $290m in aid for the region, while the international community has begun to ratchet up commitments marked by a four-day visit to northeast Nigeria in late August by the UN Special Rapporteur on human right for IDPs, Chaloka Beyani.
Nigeria has proved that through a concerted and coordinated effort, disasters can be averted. The horrendous Ebola outbreak that caused such devastation throughout Nigeria's west African neighbours was successfully contained in Nigeria.
This is in no small part due to government planning and structures. Equally, there is a precedent for state and non-state collaboration.
For example, on infant and maternal health, the Wellbeing Africa Foundation, has managed to scale its pioneering MamaKits - a birth package containing essential sterile items, facilitating improved birth hygiene and mitigating the risk of infection - across large parts of Nigeria.
If we can replicate such coordination we can stop the risk of famine in Nigeria, it is not simply an issue of money.
It is time to have a frank conversation about how to put the necessary structures and standards in place to ensure ill-health and malnutrition are addressed, before they become endemic as they have in the northeast.
This is not a country-specific problem. Many countries in Africa have adequate foreign aid, and adequate policy initiatives but the process falls apart once implementation begins.
This is at least understandable for some states but for Nigeria - considering the stage it is at and its development journey - the country should be doing better. It has to do better.
The peace and development paradigm through which the annual meeting is held has a further dynamic to deal with this year, which is the proliferation of multiple humanitarian crises. While some are solvable, the crises in Syria and South Sudan seem intractable.
The situation in northeast Nigeria where the UN has estimated that nearly 4.5 million Nigerians, already threatened by Boko Haram, are now at risk of food insecurity and famine is also a cause for concern (PDF).
That such a situation can arise in Africa's largest economy is a sad indictment of Nigeria's continuing inability to fully protect and provide for some of its most vulnerable citizens. We can and must act now.
Failing healthcare
The food crisis is a result of three factors: conflict with Boko Haram; the need for more aid financing; and, most critically, the lack of state structures and coordination to help those at risk.
The conflict with Boko Haram is showing tentative signs of success. The terrorist group has been pushed out of successive towns and villages it once occupied in northeast Nigeria. The army is, slowly but surely, reasserting control and security over the region.
But this is only one part of puzzle. The conflict has left widespread devastation in its wake, and women and children have borne the brunt. Of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Borno, Yobe and Gombe, children account for up to 50 percent of those in need of humanitarian assistance.
The appalling health conditions of camps for the displaced and host cities alike were brought sharply to the public eye last month, when it was reported that only weeks after declaring Nigeria polio-free, this life-threatening illness left two toddlers paralysed in Borno.
The precarious situation in the north has prevented up to half a million children from getting polio vaccinations in the past year, as the weakness of the healthcare system has been compounded by regional instability, which has rendered remote areas increasingly inaccessible to health workers and aid.
Failure to vaccinate can wreak havoc across communities for years to come, making it absolutely vital that everything is done to ensure that all children receive the necessary immunisations, regardless of the challenges that this may pose, and that every immunisation is recorded.
It is hard to quantify in numbers but it is clear that a whole generation of mothers and children have been affected by violence and now by hunger and disease in northeast Nigeria.
Malnutrition is the underlying cause of morbidity and mortality of a large proportion of children under five in the country - in the northeast it is considerably higher.
Equally, in Nigeria mothers have a one in 13 chance of dying in pregnancy and childbirth - that figure jumps massively in the northeast.
Nationwide, Nigeria is actually seeing progress on maternal care even though less than 20 percent of health facilities offer emergency obstetric care and only 35 percent of deliveries are attended by skilled birth attendants.
Those figures are still encouraging when compared with the lack of provision in the war-torn northeast. Many women and children also find their plight compounded by dislocation.
Nigeria has to do better
Nigeria and the international community are starting to act. The Nigerian Senate is pushing to enact a motion to secure an additional $290m in aid for the region, while the international community has begun to ratchet up commitments marked by a four-day visit to northeast Nigeria in late August by the UN Special Rapporteur on human right for IDPs, Chaloka Beyani.
Nigeria has proved that through a concerted and coordinated effort, disasters can be averted. The horrendous Ebola outbreak that caused such devastation throughout Nigeria's west African neighbours was successfully contained in Nigeria.
This is in no small part due to government planning and structures. Equally, there is a precedent for state and non-state collaboration.
For example, on infant and maternal health, the Wellbeing Africa Foundation, has managed to scale its pioneering MamaKits - a birth package containing essential sterile items, facilitating improved birth hygiene and mitigating the risk of infection - across large parts of Nigeria.
If we can replicate such coordination we can stop the risk of famine in Nigeria, it is not simply an issue of money.
It is time to have a frank conversation about how to put the necessary structures and standards in place to ensure ill-health and malnutrition are addressed, before they become endemic as they have in the northeast.
This is not a country-specific problem. Many countries in Africa have adequate foreign aid, and adequate policy initiatives but the process falls apart once implementation begins.
This is at least understandable for some states but for Nigeria - considering the stage it is at and its development journey - the country should be doing better. It has to do better.
By Toyin Saraki
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Video - Nigerian government blames army corruption for heightened insurgency
Nigeria's military is accusing some of its officers of selling arms and ammunition to ISIL's West African affiliate, Boko Haram. The accusation comes just a month after a military tribunal was set up to try 16 soldiers for similar offences.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Video - Nigeria in worst economy recession in decades
Thousands of jobs are under threat as Nigeria officially enters its worst recession in more than a decade.
The government announced last week that growth declined for the second consecutive quarter. Many businesses have closed, and more are set to follow.
Video - Nigeria's govt approves a three-year external borrowing plan for the country
Nigeria's government has approved a three-year external borrowing plan for the country after its economy slipped into recession for the first time in more than 20 years. The government says the money will be channeled into badly needed infrastructure and help the country come out of the current recession.The government has so far disbursed more than 400 billion naira in capital expenditure this year but revenue has been short in coming for it meet its budgetary targets.
Video - Nigeria in need of food & aid to cater for the millions of displaced people
Nigeria is pushing for more food and aid to cater for the millions of displaced persons in the country's North Eastern region.There is a growing number of those in need of aid in the the region- which has been ravaged by ISIL's affiliates in West Africa.
Video - Nigerian Paralympian Larita Onye eyeing a medal at the Rio games
Disabled athletes from more than 100 countries will be competing in the Paralympic Games, a ten-day event that follows the Olympic Games. Sophia Adengo reports on the journey of one young woman who will be representing Nigeria in the world-famous sporting showcase.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Video - Q&A with Nigerian football legend Nwankwo Kanu
A selective number of Arsenal fans were fortunate enough to meet the legend Nwankwo Kanu in person at an exclusive Q&A session in Toronto.
Video - Al Jazeera talks with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In conversation with the critically acclaimed author and pop culture icon Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Video - Central Bank of Nigeria lifts ban on nine commercial lenders
The Central Bank of Nigeria says it's lifted the ban placed on nine commercial banks. The ban prevented the lenders from accessing forex through the official interbank forex market. The nine had been suspended for failing to remit funds belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. The ban created tension in the financial system, triggering a crash in the stocks of most of the indicted lenders. The foreign exchange market also reacted negatively with the naira slumping further on the parallel market to close at 420 to the dollar. Industry experts had appealed for leniency to avoid causing a run on the banks.
Nollywood in the spotlight at this year's TIFF
The world’s second-biggest film industry was born in 1992, when a Nigerian trader was pondering how to sell a large shipment of blank Taiwanese videotapes.
He thought the cassettes might sell better if they had some content on them, so he hired a crew to produce a low-budget film about witchcraft and murder in Lagos. The film, Living in Bondage, quickly sold 750,000 copies, mostly through street vendors, and Nollywood was launched.
For more than two decades, Nigeria’s film industry has churned out thousands of movies every year, notorious for their cheap budgets, hasty shooting schedules, lurid plots and melodramatic acting – and they’re wild popularity across Africa. But now, Nollywood is changing. New investors are entering, production values are rising and ambitions are soaring. And this month, Nollywood makes a giant leap toward global respectability when it arrives in Toronto for its first sustained exposure at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Cameron Bailey, artistic director of TIFF, has chosen eight Nigerian films to screen at the festival’s City to City program, where Lagos will be the featured city for the first time. “A new generation of filmmakers is emerging to both advance and challenge Nollywood,” he said in his announcement of the series. “Bigger budgets, greater artistic ambition – the new cinema of Lagos is bold, exciting, and ready to take its place on the international stage.”
Bailey, who visited Lagos earlier this year, says he was besieged by Nigerian producers, directors and actors who told him they will fly to Toronto to attend the festival’s unprecedented showcase of Nigerian films. One of the invited films, the period drama ’76, will have its world premiere at TIFF, with a red-carpet screening at the Isabel Bader Theatre on Sept. 11.
The film’s star, Nollywood icon Rita Dominic, plays a beautiful Nigerian student who becomes romantically involved with a military officer and then sees him accused of involvement in an attempted coup and assassination in 1976. In a socially conservative and often-divided country, the film is a taboo-busting saga of two lovers from very different regions of Nigeria, just a few years after the Biafran War, with Dominic’s character unmarried and pregnant.
“We’re beginning to do films that can play at the international level,” Dominic tells The Globe and Mail in a phone interview from Lagos. “This is the world stage, and it’s rare for us. It means the future is bright for our industry. We want everyone around the world to know about our films. After making films just for people in Nigeria, after going around and around in circles, you want to break outside of that circle and reach an international audience. I’m excited but at the same time I’m very nervous and anxious.”
According to Dominic’s publicists, the 41-year-old actress has appeared in more than 60 films in her career. But a more comprehensive source, the Internet Movie Database, lists her as appearing in 157 films – including a staggering 37 movies in 2006 alone. It’s an astonishing testament to Nollywood’s rapid-fire production standards.
In her early career, Dominic recalls, her films often took only a week to shoot. But her latest film, ’76, required two months of rehearsal and four months of shooting. Its budget is estimated at $3-million (U.S.) – surprisingly high by Nollywood traditions.
“We have more properly trained people coming into our industry, people who are technically trained and understand the art of movie-making,” Dominic says. “We have investors who believe more in Nollywood now. In the past, getting investors interested was difficult. You had to prove that they could make their money back. Now we’ve grown the industry to the point where it can’t be ignored.”
Many investors had shunned Nollywood because 90 per cent of its films are pirated within a few days of their release. Even on typical shoestring budgets of $25,000 to $50,000 a film, it was hard for investors to turn a profit.
But today, there are growing numbers of cinemas in Nigeria’s new shopping malls and rising numbers of online platforms to monetize Nollywood’s work, including Netflix and iTunes and their African equivalents. Some African websites pay as much as $25,000 for the right to stream a Nollywood film. “You can make money in cinemas and online before you release it on DVD, so you’re not losing out so much from piracy any more,” Dominic says.
When Nigeria’s economy was reassessed with a new official survey in 2014, the film industry was included for the first time – and it helped Nigeria gain unprecedented recognition as the biggest economy in Africa. By some estimates, Nollywood contributes $3.3-billion to Nigeria’s economy.
Measured by official revenue, Nollywood is the third-biggest film industry in the world, ranking behind Hollywood and India. But ranked by the number of films produced annually, it is the second-biggest in the world, behind only Bollywood. With an estimated one million employees, Nollywood has become the country’s second-biggest employer.
But for Nollywood queens such as Rita Dominic, the industry is still founded on the power of love stories, even if they have higher budgets and period costumes these days.
“We’re good at telling simple stories and dramas,” she says. “We’re still telling the same simple stories, but at a much higher level of quality now. The idea is to shoot films that everyone in the world can relate to.”
’76 runs at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., Isabel Bader Theatre; Sept. 13, 4:30 p.m., Scotiabank; and Sept. 17, 9:30 p.m., Scotiabank.
Related stories: Video - Nollywood director Kunle Afolayan looking to improve production value for worldwide appeal
Oldest working airline in Nigeria shutting down due to recession
Nigeria’s first recession in decades has claimed its first business casualty. Aero Contractors, the country’s oldest working airline, has grounded its flights. Established in 1959, the airline is suspending operations indefinitely, starting today (Sept. 1).
The decision is “a result of the current economic situation” as Aero has faced “grave challenges in the past six months,” said Fola Akinkuotu, the airline’s CEO.
Nigeria’s economic woes, mostly down to a dollar crunch and a drop in oil earnings and exports, have been particularly hard on the aviation industry. Because of the dollar shortage, oil marketers say they are unable to import aviation fuel. As a result, local airlines have been hit with severe fuel shortages, causing mass flight delays and cancellations.
Without a solution in sight, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority advised local airlines to “cut down their operations.” International airlines have also been affected. In May, United Airlines canceled its Nigerian flights, citing difficulties repatriating its dollar profits amid the government’s tight currency controls.
Aero’s decision to close shop worsens the gloomy outlook on Africa’s largest economy as the government starts adjusting policies to steer out of the recession. After firing 100 workers in April, the airline’s entire staff, estimated to be more 1,000 people, have now been put on an indefinite leave of absence, adding to the country’s climbing unemployment rates.
The airline will restore operations in the future if conditions permit, Akinkuotu said.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Video - Nigeria's contracting economy causes first recession in two decades
Africa's top economies are going through some challenges at the moment. Nigeria has slipped into a recession. The country will be closely watching talks at the G20 to see how soon it will be able to get out of it.
Video - Nigerian army says will crush Boko Haram soon
The Nigerian army expects to seize militant group Boko Haram's last few strongholds over the next few weeks, according to the commander of the operation. He's been speaking to Reuters, and also provided more information on the fate of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau. The army recently announced it fatally wounded the man.
Video - Zuckerberg's visit to Nigeria giving startups a boost
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's visit to Nigeria, his first to sub-Saharan Africa, has put the country's tech businesses firmly in the world's spotlight.
Zuckerberg staged a surprise visit to the country's economic capital Lagos on Tuesday and his first stop was a local innovation center and tech hub in Yaba, an area on the mainland of Lagos known as Nigeria's Silicon Valley.
There was no fanfare amid tight security and some of those working at the Co-Creation Hub, called CcHUB, didn't even know Zuckberg was coming.
He appeared nervous, a little startled even, as he launched into an impromptu speech about why he was there.
He said: "This is my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa. I'll be meeting with developers and entrepreneurs, and learning about the startup ecosystem in Nigeria. The energy here is amazing and I'm excited to learn as much as I can."
At the CcHUB, he talked to children at a summer coding camp and entrepreneurs who visit the center to build and launch their apps.
Zuckerberg thrilled Nigerians by walking around the streets of Lagos without any signs of armed guards or heavy security. He was also spotted jogging on the Lekki Bridge Wednesday morning.
Figures released Wednesday show Nigeria has officially dipped into recession as its second quarter GDP fell by more than 2% compared to last year.
However, running a business in the country has always been tough for young entrepreneurs such as Bosun Tijani and Femi Longe, who co-founded the hub Zuckerberg visited in 2011.
Successful startups in Nigeria thrive against the odds of weak infrastructure, anemic power supply and general lack of funding and investment.
Tijani told CNN that Zuckerberg's visit would give Nigeria's fledgling startup scene the shot in the arm it desperately needs.
"By coming here first, he's given a lot of hope to young people here," Tijani said.
He added that entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg were inspiring because his approach to Facebook has never been about making a lot of money.
"It's been about creating something that's going to change the world and obviously if you do that, you are bound to reap the benefit," Tijani said.
Idris Ayodeji Bello, an 'afropreneur' and angel investor from Nigeria, said, "Mark's visit was a much needed external validation of the sweat and immense efforts, mostly unsung, of the young Nigerians who have kept at it. And it was heartwarming to see all the attention his visit got, even from some young people who are rarely excited by much beyond music and entertainment."
Like a lot of entrepreneurs on the continent, the founders of CcHUB have been quietly plugging away before catching the attention of one of the world's biggest tech founders.
Zuckerberg singled out their business because of their proven track record in building and incubating startups that tackle the country's myriad social issues such as Lifebank, an app that locates available blood supplies and delivers it to hospitals.
Another entrepreneur who met Zuckerberg was Adebayo Adegbembo, who runs Genii games, a platform to make it easier for kids to learn about African culture both in Nigeria and the diaspora. He said Zuckerberg learned a few words of Yoruba and spoke of his love of languages.
"To have Mark show that kind of interest in us is a huge stamp of approval," Adegbembo said.
Tijani and his business partner had a vision of creating a tech business district and persuaded the government and a local cable provider to install fiber optic cables on their street providing affordable and fast Wi-Fi access to anyone within the hub's vicinity.
When they started there were five tech businesses, now there are 60 and the area attracts an increasing number of entrepreneurs.
During a Q& A streamed live on Facebook on Wednesday, Zuckerberg talked about plans to make the company's tools and apps more affordable for SMEs in the country.
He added that he was proud of recently putting the Hausa language, largely spoken in northern Nigeria, on the platform and revealed plans to expand to other Nigerian languages.
Nigeria is the largest market in Africa for Facebook; 16 million Nigerians using the platform monthly, with 7 million logging onto the site daily: 97% of them on mobile, according to figures from the network.
Zuckerberg has also made no secret of his interest in Nigerian startups and other African tech industries.
In June, he invested millions of dollars in a Lagos-based startup called Andela via the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and in May he launched Free Basics, a partnership with a local telecoms provider, which allows people to browse websites for free, a very appealing prospect in a country where data prices can be prohibitively high.
Although, it is not without controversy as critics have said it violates the central tenets of net neutrality, which stipulate that all Internet content and users should be treated equally. Cherry-picking free content isn't considered fair or right, according to the critics.
But it appears to be more than just the numbers stacking up for Facebook and Zuckerberg. He has said he is in the country to listen and learn and take ideas back to California on how to support businesses across the continent. He's also very interested in the creative partnerships and in exploring where tech and creativity intersect.
While in Lagos, he met with leading figures in Nigeria's Nollywood film industry and talked about how the burgeoning industry could be a huge revenue driver for the country. He said: "One of the things I am most excited about my trip to Lagos is going to check out Nollywood. Nollywood sounds like a national treasure and the ability to produce video content that is moving and emotional transcends boundaries and will help tell stories of the amazing innovation, engineering and culture to the whole world."
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Video - Niger Delta Avengers claim they have halted hostilities, and are ready for talks
The Niger Delta Avengers say they've halted hostilities in southern Nigeria.The group's statement comes just over a week after militants announced that they were ready for a ceasefire and agreed to talks with the Nigerian government. The region -- which produces most of the oil that makes up 70% of government revenue -- has been hit by pipeline attacks since January. Output has dropped by 700,000 barrels a day to 1.56 M bpd. Nigeria's military has recently launched a fresh offensive against militants in the Delta to crack down on criminal activities.
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