Nigerian billionaire Dangote launches $2.5 billion fertilizer plant as prices soar

Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote opened a 3-million-tonne fertilizer plant at a cost of $2.5 billion on Tuesday to target African and foreign markets even as the war in Ukraine has driven up prices for natural gas, a key ingredient for making urea.

Dangote said exports from the plant will go to Brazil, which relies heavily on Russia for imports of fertilizer. Shipments will also go to the United States, India and Mexico, he said at the launch.

Fertilizer prices have been rising at a time when planting usually picks up around the world, especially after Russia, the world's biggest exporter of fertilizer, invaded Ukraine last month. The war has also disrupted shipping.

The plant, commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari and located at the Lekki Free Zone in Lagos State, is designed to produce 3 million tonnes of urea per year and supply all the major markets in sub-Saharan Africa.

Many in Nigeria hope the Dangote plant will help alleviate chronically low crop yields in Africa's most populous country, partly due to insufficient access to fertilizer.

Agriculture accounts for 20% of Nigeria's gross domestic product, with crop production contribution the highest with the farming subsector.

However, low fertilizer production and the high cost of importing fertilisers has reined in seed production. Fertilizer consumption in Nigeria ranks below its African peers.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria consumed around 20 kg of fertiliser per hectare of arable land in 2018, compared with 73 kg in South Africa and 393 kg in China.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has barred the use of its foreign exchange for fertiliser imports as part of a raft of controls aimed at boosting domestic production.

Other producers in Nigeria include Notore (NOTORE.LG), which has the capacity to produce 500,000 metric tonnes per annum of urea, and Singapore-owned Indorama Eleme Petrochemicals Ltd, which plans to double its annual output of urea fertilizer to 2.8 million tonnes.

Reuters

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Video - Aljazeera speaks with Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote

 

 

 

 

Video - Nigeria bans foreigners from buying farm produce directly from local famers

 

Nigeria has banned foreigners from purchasing agricultural products directly from local farmers. This means that only registered local buyers can purchase from farm gates - and then sell to foreigners. The government says the policy is geared towards mitigating the exploitation of local farmers. CGTN's Kelechi Emekalam reports.

Video - Nigeria plans to spend tens of billions to modernise railway network

 

Nigeria is planning to spend tens of billions of US dollars to modernise its railway network. The overhaul could give remote parts of the country a huge economic boost. Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Lagos.

Al Jazeera

Increased Power Shortages Compounds Nigeria’s Fuel Scarcity Woes

Nigerians are experiencing even less reliable electricity supply than usual amid gasoline scarcity that has caused long queues at gas stations for over a month in the West African nation.

In recent weeks, provision of power to Nigerian homes and businesses has been especially patchy, leaving them ever more reliant on expensive and polluting generators that run on gasoline and diesel.

The deterioration in the electricity supply is due to “very low power generation” by the nation’s power plants, the state-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria, or TCN, said last week. More than a dozen gas-powered facilities were either not operating or producing limited output at various points during the past two months, it said.

Nigerians are already contending with shortages of gasoline that have resulted in long queues outside filling stations for more than a month since the authorities rejected imported cargoes of the fuel for containing too much methanol.

More than 40% of the country’s approximately 200 million people don’t have access to grid electricity, according to the World Bank. Those that are connected to the grid endure frequent outages forcing them to rely on self-generated backup power with an estimated capacity of 40,000 megawatts.


The generation companies acknowledge they are struggling but attribute their current difficulties to the dilapidation of Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure -- the national grid collapsed twice in two days this week -- and years of being underpaid for their power. While the electricity plants could produce an average of about 7,100 megawatts between 2016 and 2021, the grid was able to receive less than 3,800 megawatts over the same period, according to the Association of Power Generation Companies, or APGC.


The power stations have lost out on 1.7 trillion naira ($4.1 billion) since 2015 by being unable to dispatch this “stranded capacity,” APGC Executive Secretary Joy Ogaji told reporters on March 13. The state-owned Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Co., or NBET, also owes the generation companies “huge sums” for electricity that was sent out to the grid and supplied to customers.

While data about the outstanding arrears owed to the generation firms wasn’t available, Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies paid NBET, which buys power from generating firms and sells it on, less than 30% of invoices worth 730 billion naira in 2020. This leaves NBET unable to remit full payment to its suppliers.

The government transferred most of Nigeria’s generation and distribution assets to private ownership in 2013, while retaining the transmission network and NBET under state control. The country’s privatization agency said last year it would propose the unbundling and sale of the TCN.

ByWilliam Clowes

Bloomberg

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Nigerian woman produce eco-friendly sanitary towels to help girls stay in school.

Video - Meet Nigeria's first female Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilot

 

First Nigerian female pilot to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Across the Atlantic, First Officer Adeola Ogunmola talks about her background and how she kept her dream alive with little or no resources.

Nigerian parliament rescinds decision on gender equality bills

Nigeria’s lower house of parliament has rescinded its decision on three bills that it discarded at a constitutional amendment session.

The decision, announced by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, was a volte-face on parliament’s March 1 decision to reject the proposed bills. It will now reconsider the bills in a month when it reconvenes for another parliamentary session.

One of the amendments was to grant citizenship to foreign-born husbands of Nigerian women; the Nigerian constitution already confers automatic citizenship on foreign-born wives of Nigerian men. Another would have given a woman the right to become indigenes of their husband’s state after five years of marriage.

The third provision was to assign 35 percent of legislative seats to women, as well as reserve 35 percent of political party leadership, for women.

The parliamentary decision came hours after women protested across three states and the commercial capital of Lagos, on International Women’s Day. It was the second such protest within a week.
“A slap to the face of Nigerian women”

Tuesday morning’s protests, the second in a week, came on the heels of the federal parliament’s rejection of five bills to promote gender equality. The demonstrations were also a call for justice after recent reports of sexual violence and ritual killings targeting women

In Lagos, women had gathered at the government secretariat at Ikeja, the city’s seat of power, singing loudly and chanting multiple grievances against society and government.

‘’It was a march organised to create awareness that women are no longer sitting on the sidelines to demand to be included in government,’’ Stephanie Etiaka, a Lagos-based tech operations manager, told Al Jazeera. “The recent bills that have been turned [down] by the legislative arm of government are a slap to the face of Nigerian women, saying we know that the system is rigged against you and we are not doing anything to create inclusivity.”

Experts and activists have pointed to a lack of women’s participation in government as a factor responsible for the downscaling of women’s rights, as well as a high rate of gender-based violence and economic inequality in Nigeria.

“There is a reason this country is not working,” Kadaria Ahmed, director of Radio Now 95.3 FM, told Al Jazeera at the Lagos protest. ‘’One of them is the lack of female participation. You cannot deny 50 percent of your population the chance to govern themselves to make laws and policies for themselves and expect that the country will make progress.’’

Womanifesto, a coalition of pro-gender equality women organisations in Nigeria, sent a petition to the state and federal parliaments stressing that “women decry this denial and consider [it] a death knell for everything female and for women’s rights.”

The petition demanded the “urgent re-convening, reconsideration and immediate passage of the five women/gender-related bills’’, among other requests.
“Retrogression”

In Lagos, a plot twist ensued after a march to the governor’s office. Politician after politician gave speeches about their lobbying efforts within government to ensure equality. And then the crowd began booing the speakers, mostly male members of the state parliament and a few female politicians.

Ireti Bakare, a member of the Womanifesto group and lead organiser of the Lagos rally, expressed disappointment at what she considered a hijacking of the protest by the political elite, for posturing.

‘’It is ridiculous,’’ she said. “[The protest] has been taken over by Lagos state.”

Protesters on the ground said the change in dynamics highlighted the struggle between civil organisations working towards gender equality and the political class. The protest ended with the civil organisations staging a walkout.

Half of Nigeria’s population is female but women’s representation in politics and government is still very low. Despite years of lobbying and activism, political spaces for women continue to shrink. Female legislators currently make up 4 percent of the legislature, a decrease from 5.8 percent in 2015.

At the rally, public officers including the state commissioner for women affairs called for patience, but those present insisted that they had reached the tipping point.

‘’Nigeria has been independent since 1960 and that is a long time to be patient,” Ahmed said. “What we have seen in the last 10 years is retrogression.”

By Ope Adetayo and Eromo Egbejule

Al Jazeera

Video - Fourth Batch of Nigerian Evacuees Arrives Nigeria

 

Another set of Nigerians fleeing the crisis in Ukraine, have been successfully evacuated by the Nigerian Government. The 306 Nigerians arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport this morning bringing the total number of Nigerians returned to the country to 1,149.

Agriculture Remains Backbone of Nigeria's Economy, Says CBN

Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, says agriculture remains a strong pillar and saving grace for the Nigerian economy. Emefiele said this at the weekend while addressing journalists during an inspection tour of a palm plantation at Odighi Village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The CBN governor expressed satisfaction with the level of interest shown in agriculture and the tremendous impact the sector had had in the last six years. He wondered how the country could have coped with the rising prices of food and commodity items across the world without the foresight to revamp agriculture.

Emefiele said the central bank had assumed a pivotal role in agriculture since 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari directed that "we produce what we eat and eat what we produce". The apex bank had come up with several initiatives aimed towards repositioning the sector with a view to creating employment opportunities as well as growing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he said.

Shortly after the assessment of farm, Emefiele attested to the giant strides already being recorded in the production of maize and cassava and expressed optimism that in the next 12 months, palm produce harvests would have commenced. He acknowledged the significant role played by Edo State Government, under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who he said had matched words with action by making sure that arable land was made available to those genuinely interested in agriculture.

He appealed to other state governors to emulate Edo State, which had so far made available about 70 per cent of the promised arable land.

On the socio-economic impact of the CBN interventions, Emefiele mentioned the Anchor Borrowers' Programme (ABP), among other interventions schemes, which revolutionised agricultural practice whereby smallholder farmers, who hitherto could not approach commercial banks for loans. He said the farmers were now being granted credit facilities in the form of inputs, like seedlings, fertiliser, and herbicides.

He said the smallholder farmers could now cultivate and produce enough for their families and sell produce for loan repayment with ease.

Emefiele also commended the efforts of the promoting company, Agri-Allied Resources and Processing Limited and its parent company, Tolaram Limited, for heeding the clarion by the CBN to source their critical raw materials locally. He pointed out that the company had painstakingly embraced backward integration principle by acquiring farmland, measuring about 18,000 hectares, for the cultivation of oil palm, cassava, and maize - the critical raw materials used by the group.

Earlier, Managing Director of Agri-Allaied Resources, Mr. Madhukar Khetan, said the company had so far accessed a 10-year loan in the sum of N15 billion at single-digit interest rate with two-year moratorium, under the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS), for the project.

The farm currently has a workforce of about 1,000.

By James Emejo

This Day

‘5G to create deals for digitally inclined Nigerians, firms’

Airtel supports families of Nigerians in Ukraine with free calls

Indications have emerged that businesses and corporations in Nigeria are warming up to leverage the high-speed, capacity and low latency features of the impending Fifth-Generation (5G) network rollout in Nigeria to strike beneficial and useful partnership between their organisations and digitally-inclined Nigerians.

This notion resonated at the weekend at the concluding sessions of the 2022 edition of AfricaNXT conference in Lagos.
Panel discussants from different organisations expressed optimism to drastically reduce unemployment in Nigeria by partnering with willing Internet-compliant Nigerians on various projects ahead of the deployment of 5G being driven by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

At a panel session titled: Built to Last: Hardcoding Resilience Into the DNA of Your Business, discussants revealed that the organisation created digital work tools and employment opportunities by partnering with result-oriented individuals on various financially rewarding technology projects, products and solutions.

It was also noted that this was a way to retain talents, who wish to leave the organisation but can still be partners delivering results remotely by leveraging the world of possibilities that will be unleashed by extant and next-gen technologies and remunerated for work done. They believe that, these smart contracts will reduce unemployment and ensure continuous socio-economic development in Nigeria.

At another panel session on Disruptive Public Relations in the Imminent Metaverse Era, discussants noted that although not completely developed and fully deployed, the Metaverse (a metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection) would allow its users to engage in shared experiences.

Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, noted that Nigerians should expect a lot of amazing things with the deployment of 5G services in the country, which he said, would positively impact Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

MEANWHILE, Airtel Nigeria has said that customers on its network could now call their loved ones, family members and friends in Ukraine for free and without any conditions attached, noting that it is important to provide unhindered access to everyone who needs to reach out to their loved ones in Ukraine.

Commenting on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil, said: “Airtel understands that many Nigerians are anxious about the safety and whereabouts of their friends, family members and loved ones in Ukraine and want to stay connected real time with them.”

By Adeyemi Adepetun

The Guardian

Nigerians blocked from volunteering to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia

The Nigerian government on Monday said it will not tolerate the recruitment of its citizens as mercenaries to support Ukraine fighting Russia.

Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry spokesman Francisca Omayuli in a statement said Nigeria is in talks with Ukrainian counterparts to forestall such an occurrence.

“As a responsible member of the international community and consistent with our obligations under international law, Nigeria discourages the use of mercenaries anywhere in the world and will not tolerate the recruitment, in Nigeria, of Nigerians as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine or anywhere in the world,” Omayuli said.

“The Federal Government will continue to engage with the Embassy of Ukraine in Nigeria and other relevant authorities to prevent this possibility.”

Nigeria’s opposition to hiring its citizens to fight Russia in Ukraine comes days after media reports suggested that Nigerian volunteers were being drafted for the ongoing war.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky last week called on foreign nationals who are “friends of peace and democracy” to travel to the country to fight against the Russian invasion.

“Anyone who wants to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world can come and fight side by side with the Ukrainians against the Russian war criminals,” Zelensky said.

About 115 Nigerians volunteered to join the Ukrainian forces after Zelensky made the call.

But Omayuli said Nigeria will prevent Nigerians from volunteering as mercenaries in the European country despite media reports that Nigerians were asked to pay $1000 for visas and travel tickets before they could be allowed to volunteer.

The Nigerian official, however, said the Ukraine Embassy refuted the reports that any money was demanded from Nigerian volunteers.

“Furthermore, the Embassy clarified that the Ukrainian government is not admitting foreign volunteer fighters and as such dissociated itself from the claim that it is requesting $1,000 from each Nigerian volunteer for air ticket and visa,” Omayuli said.

By Dennis Erezi

The Guardian

Nigerian volunteer ‘fighters’ besiege Ukraine embassy

At a time Nigerians in Ukraine are struggling to return home, about 115 young men, yesterday, offered to join Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

The men, who besieged the Ukraine Embassy in Abuja, also put down their names in a register provided by the embassy.

Although, The Guardian was barred from taking their photographs, the Second Secretary, Ukraine Embassy, Bohdan Soltys, confirmed the development, adding that no step had yet been taken to that effect.

The volunteers may have been responding to a recent call by Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, urging people around the world to join the fight.

In a statement released last Sunday, the President accused the Russian army of killing civilians and praised Ukrainians for having the courage to defend themselves.

He said that the assault by Russia was not just “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” but also the beginning of a war against democracy and basic human rights.

Zelensky had called on anyone who wished to join the defense of Ukraine, Europe and the world to come and fight side by side with Ukrainians.

This came as rights group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), faulted the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for its response to the evacuation of Nigerians in Ukraine.

In a statement by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said:

“Like other aspects, President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency fumbled again. This time, woefully, because it failed to effectively and timeously evacuate Nigerians from Ukraine many weeks before the eventual war started, following the needless invasion of Ukraine by Russia on the illegal orders of President Vladimir Putin.”

In another development, the Federal Government expressed readiness to solidify bilateral ties with the state of Israel, especially in the areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) and socio-economic development.

Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Ogbonnaya Onu, stated this when he received the new Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, in his office in Abuja, yesterday.

Onu informed the newly appointed envoy of the Federal Government’s desire to make Nigeria’s economy more diversified and knowledge-based.

He said: “Nigeria is blessed with natural resources and we have some of the most intelligent people in the world. We want to diversify our economy because we believe, with the huge human capital, we can add value to our raw materials and create jobs for our youths.”

The minister hailed the historical diplomatic ties between both nations, adding that the relationship has yielded positive fruits over the years.

Earlier, Freeman said his country is willing to collaborate further with Nigeria on many socio-economic areas, especially challenges that can be solved using STI.

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Sodiq Omolaoye and Ernest Nzor, Abuja 

The Guardian

Video - Nigeria encourages family planning to curb population explosion

 

The Nigerian government is urging its citizens to use contraceptives as a way of controlling the expanding population. Health workers say a lack of education and religious beliefs are the main reasons hampering the widespread use of family planning methods in the most populous country in Africa.

Video - Nigeria board game aims to help preserve traditional language

It is "International Mother Language Day" - the annual United Nations commitment to promoting the preservation and protection of dialects worldwide. Nigeria is one of the most linguistically diverse countries which is pushing to keep traditional languages alive. Helping that happen is the inventor of a board game - who says the key to his success is simply having fun. Al Jazeera's Jillian Wolf reports.

Video - Nigeria university lecturers strike threatens graduation plans

 

A strike by university lecturers in Nigeria is threatening graduation plans for final year students. As Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports, the academics are warning that they will continue the disruption until the government implements an agreement reached 13 years ago.

Video - Motorists agonise as fuel queues emerge In Lagos, Persists In Abuja and more

 

Explosion at Nigerian oil vessel sparks fears of major spill

A vessel with a storage capacity of two million barrels of oil has exploded off the coast of southern Nigeria’s Delta state, raising fears of an environmental disaster and concerns about the fate of its crew.

Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) said on Thursday that flames had engulfed the Trinity Spirit following the blast a day earlier. The floating production, storage and offloading vessel can process up to 22,000 barrels of oil a day, according to the operator’s website.

The vessel was located at the Ukpokiti Terminal, along the coast of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

Joe Sunday, an assistant boat driver, said he was in one of the two speedboats out at sea on Wednesday morning to pick some crew who were due to take time off from work but could not reach the vessel because it was consumed by fire.

“We drove round to see if we could see people but we did not see anybody and the fire was still blazing,” Sunday told Reuters news agency at a port in Warri.

Tiby Tea, chairman of Maritime Union for Nigerian Ports Authority in Warri, confirmed that two boats sent out to the vessel could not find anyone.

“At this time there are no reported fatalities but we can confirm that there were 10 crewmen on board the vessel prior to the incident,” SEPCOL Chief Executive Ikemefuna Okafor said in a statement.

An investigation was under way to determine the cause of the accident, he said, adding that the company was working to “contain the situation”.
 

Oil spill fears

Nigeria’s regulatory agency for upstream operations, NUPRC, said the explosion had led to a “major fire” and that it had “commenced investigations into the incident”.

“The commission will take necessary measures to ensure that all safety and environmental measures … to safeguard lives and the environment are put in place,” spokesman Paul Osu said.

Idris Musa, director of Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), told the AFP news agency they were also on site responding to the incident.

Environmental activists were, however, worried about the potential impact.

“There will definitely be a spill,” said Mike Karikpo of the local NGO, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria.

“This is a facility that handles over 20,000 barrels per day … the oil will reach the surrounding communities.”


Since the 1970s, the oil-rich Niger Delta region has accounted for an overwhelming majority of Nigeria’s earnings.

But the region continues to suffer the multiplier effect of decades of environmental degradation, which has eroded livelihoods and deprived residents of basic essentials such as access to clean drinking water. The area’s mangroves and swamps have become uninhabitable for many species and the average human life expectancy is also 10 years lower in the Delta than elsewhere in Nigeria.

Although Nigeria is Africa’s largest crude producer, operating costs are high due to frequent accidents and widespread insecurity, although most accidents take place on land.

There have also been attacks on oil installations in the past, piercing pipelines to take crude oil and increasing kidnappings to obtain a ransom.

Nigerian pirates are also active across the wider and resource-rich Gulf of Guinea region, disrupting shipping in a vast area stretching from Senegal to Angola.

Al Jazeera

Video - Those who burnt my farmland will be fished out, prosecuted - Obasanjo

 

Video - Ikeja bomb blast: Victims, witnesses recount experience 20 years after

 

On 27 January 2002, Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, witnessed one of the biggest disasters that have ever hit the state and country. 20 years after, the memory is still fresh. A continued blast at the military cantonment in Ikeja left many dead. The bulk of the victims did not die under the exploding shells. Most were hauled from canals into which they jumped or were driven - some still in their cars - by the huge crowds fleeing the shrapnel descending from the sky.

Nigeria seeks to extend fuel subsidy program

The Nigerian government had previously planned to phase out the gasoline subsidy program, calling it "unsustainable." Despite being Africa's main oil exporter, the country relies on importing petroleum products.

The Nigerian government on Tuesday said it intended to extend a costly fuel subsidy program, in a reversal of policy for the oil-rich African country.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva told reporters that the government "was not removing subsidies" after meeting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
What do we know so far?

The program, known as the Premium Motor Spirit subsidy, artificially keeps everyday gas prices low for Nigerian consumers.

The government has previously sought to phase out the program by this summer, with Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed calling it "unsustainable." She said the program cost $7 billion (€6.2 billion) a year in revenue. According to research by Eurasia Group, Nigeria's government spent more on subsidizing fuel at the pumps between January and August 2021 than it did on its entire health or education budgets in 2020.

In 2021, Ahmed proposed replacing the program with an initiative to give 5,000 naira (€10.70, $12) directly to the poorest Nigerian families instead of providing cheaper fuel for all.

Yet any attempt to end the program has been met with fierce opposition from labor unions and working-class Nigerians. Protests against the potential phaseout of the program were expected on Thursday.

Unions have also urged the government to expedite work on upgrading Nigeria's four major oil refineries, with the oil-rich country currently dependent on foreign imports of refined petroleum products.

Ahmed has acknowledged that cutting the program at this time could put an additional financial burden on Nigerians.

"It's become clear that the timing is problematic, that practically there is still heightened inflation and also the removal of subsidies would further worsen the situation and thereby imposing more difficulties on the citizens," Ahmed told Nigerian senators earlier this week.
Subsidy program phaseout could influence upcoming election

Cutting the subsidy program could exacerbate tensions ahead of Nigeria's presidential election in February 2023, with Nigerians voting to replace incumbent President Buhari.

Previous President Goodluck Jonathan also toyed with ending the costly policy, only to back down when facing public and military protests.

Nigeria is the largest oil and gas producer on the African continent. Oil is a major engine of the Nigerian economy, with the industry also at the center of corruption scandals in recent years. 

DW

Video - Nigeria eliminated from AFCON 2021 by Tunisia - Highlights

 

Video - Nigerians react to lifting of Govt’ ban on Twitter

 

The Nigerian government on Wednesday lifted the ban on Twitter after the social media company agreed to conditions, including opening a local office. The news came as a welcome relief to Nigerian users of the social media platform, who had been locked out for close to seven months. From the ability to use the platform to air one's views to promoting local businesses, Nigerians from all walks of life had mixed reactions to the lifting of the ban.

Video - The Fall of the World's Flashiest Scammer Hushpuppi

Ramon Abbas perfected a simple internet scam that helped him launder millions of dollars, riches he shamelessly flaunted on Instagram. Better known as @Hushpuppi, the young Nigerian became a fixture among the global elite as fashion houses showered him with gifts. But his fame would ultimately be his downfall.

Related stories: Video - Joe Rogan and Zuby talk about scammers from Nigeria

Nigeria suspends 'Hushpuppi-linked' police officer Abba Kyari 

 

 

 

 

Gunmen kill more than 50 in Nigeria's northwest, residents say

Dozens of gunmen on motorbikes ransacked a village and killed more than 50 people in the latest violence in northwest Nigeria, residents said on Sunday.

Gangs have been terrorising areas of the northwest in recent years, forcing thousands to flee and gaining global notoriety through mass kidnappings at schools for ransom.

Local elder Abdullahi Karman Unashi told Reuters that the men entered Dankade village in Kebbi state on Friday night and exchanged gunfire with soldiers and policemen.

Security forces were forced to retreat, leaving the attackers to burn shops and grain silos and take cattle into the early hours of Saturday, he said.

"They killed two soldiers and one police officer and 50 villagers. (They) kidnapped the community leader of Dankade and many villagers, mostly women and children," Karman said.

It came a week after armed men killed 200 people in the nearby state of Zamfara.

Didzi Umar Bunu, son of the abducted community leader, said the gunmen had returned early on Sunday and torched more houses.

"They have not called or made any ransom demand. Dankade village is littered with dead bodies," he said on the phone.

Nafiu Abubakar, police spokesperson for Kebbi, did not respond to calls and messages to his phone.

Kebbi shares a border with Zamfara, where the government in September started a military offensive and imposed a telecoms blackout to rid the state of gangs it calls terrorists.

Violent crime has compounded the challenges in northern states, which are typically poorer than in the south.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that the military had started a major military operation in Niger state, next to Kebbi, to clear bandits and Boko Haram insurgents running from a government offensive.

By Garba Muhammad 

Reuters

Video - Aid agencies warn of growing humanitarian crisis in Nigeria

Aid agencies are warning of a growing humanitarian crisis in northwest Nigeria. A decade of fighting over resources has left hundreds of thousands without food, shelter and medicine. This comes amid regular attacks on villages by armed gangs. Al Jazeera's @Ahmed Idris reports from Zamfara state, Nigeria.

Nigeria rescues 26 people from gunmen in north region

The Nigerian air force said on Thursday its troops rescued 26 people from gunmen on a highway in north Nigeria’s Kaduna state on Wednesday.

Edward Gabkwet, a spokesperson for the air force, said in a statement a team of special forces from the air force came across five abandoned vehicles with their doors open while on a fighting patrol along the Birnin Gwari-Kaduna road in the state, which is “an indication of forced removal or evacuation and a likely kidnap scene”.

“Acting on instincts, the special forces began exploiting the general scene of the abduction and extended it for about three kilometers, well into the bushes while clearing the general area,” Gabkwet said.

“Upon sighting the special forces, three victims suddenly came out of the bushes. Further searching by the troops led to the discovery of four different groups of victims hiding in the bushes,” he said.

“After a thorough search further into the hinterland, a total of 26 victims were rescued,” the spokesperson added.

Gabkwet said the victims were travelling in several vehicles when a large number of bandits in three groups suddenly appeared from the bushes and surrounded their vehicles.

“However, on sighting the special forces, the kidnappers fled into the bushes with a handful of the victims, while the other majority took cover and hid in the bushes until they sighted the special forces,” said Gabkwet.

Armed attacks have been a primary security threat in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, resulting in deaths and kidnappings.

CGTN

Nigeria lifts its ban on Twitter after 7 months

The Nigerian government has lifted its ban on Twitter, seven months after the West African country's more than 200 million people were shut out of the social media network.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari directed that Twitter's operations can resume on Thursday, according to the director-general of the country's National Information Technology Development Agency. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said that was only after Twitter agreed to meet some conditions, including opening an office in Nigeria.

Nigeria suspended Twitter's operation on June 4, citing "the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence." The action triggered criticisms as it came shortly after the social media network deleted a post by Buhari in which he threatened to treat separatists "in the language they will understand."

This week's action "is a deliberate attempt to recalibrate our relationship with Twitter to achieve the maximum mutual benefits for our nation without jeopardizing the justified interests of the company. Our engagement has been very respectful, cordial, and successful," Abdullahi said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to registering in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022, Abdullahi said Twitter has also agreed to other conditions including appointing a designated country representative, complying with tax obligations and acting "with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built."

The lifting of the ban, though a good thing, offers little hope because "whether the government likes it or not, one thing they have actually done is that they have gagged Nigerians," said Idayat Hassan, who leads the West Africa-focused Centre for Democracy and Development.

"They have violated the right to receive and impact information," Hassan said, adding that the Nigerian government should instead prioritize "openness and effective information flow."

There are no official estimates of the economic cost of Twitter's shutdown in Africa's most populous country since June 4 when it was announced, but NetBlocks, which estimates the cost of internet shutdowns worldwide, said Nigeria could be losing N103.1 million (US$251,000) in every hour of the blockade.

In the course of the shutdown, many young people have been finding a way around the ban by turning to virtual private network (VPN) apps, but corporate services -- some of which the Nigerian economy relies on -- have remained shut out.

Authorities have also set the ball rolling on regulating other social networks in the West African country. In August 2021, information minister Lai Mohammed told the government news agency that "we will not rest until we regulate the social media, otherwise, nobody will survive it."

But the government's claim it must regulate social networks to fight fake news has been repeatedly contested by many activists. While it is true that "the weaponization of information to spread fake news in Nigeria is quite high," an emphasis on countering fake news just online is actually defeating the purpose because it is both online and offline in Nigeria," said CDD director Hassan.'

By Chinedu Asadu

CTV 

Related story: Trump congratulates Nigeria for Twitter ban, says more countries should do the same

Video - Nigeria gov't promises action against bandits after Zamfara killings

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a delegation to northwestern Nigeria after bandits raided villages, shooting people and burning homes. A search is under way for more bodies in Zamfara state after the gangs’ attacks which followed government air raids on their hideaways. An estimated 200 people have been killed and 10,000 displaced in the recent violence. Northwestern Nigeria has seen a sharp rise in violent crimes as the government struggles to maintain law and order. Al Jazeera’s Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris reports from Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria.

Video - AFCON 2021 HIGHLIGHTS Nigeria 1- 0 Egypt

 

Manchester City's International star Kelechi Iheanacho broke the intense scoreless match tournament favorites Nigeria and Egypt were playing. Mo Salah's performance was the opposite to his Man City foe.

Nigeria’s diaspora remittances may beat World Bank’s projection, rise 10% to $14.2bn

Nigeria’s diaspora remittances inflow is set to beat the World Bank’s projection for 2021, as it rose to $14.2 billion in the nine months ending September 2021, up 10 per cent Year-on-Year, YoY, from $12.9 billion in the corresponding period of 2020, reflecting the impact of post-COVID economic recovery measures.

This is contained in a data from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, which also shows that diaspora remittances rose by 5.1 per cent, quarter-on-quarter, QoQ, to $4.28 billion in the first quarter of 2021 (Q1 ’21) from $4.07 billion in Q4’2020. The upward trend continued in Q2 and Q3, when diaspora remittances rose QoQ by 21 per cent and 1.0 per cent to $4.92 billion and $4.97 billion.

Going by the trend, which translates to average quarterly remittances of $4.72 billion, annual diaspora remittances may hit $18 billion, slightly above the $17.6 billion projected by the World Bank for 2021. But observers believe it could be more going by the usual increases on Yuletide activities.

Citing increasing influence of policies intended to channel inflows through the banking system, the World Bank in a report titled, “Migration and Development Brief 35,” released last November, had projected that Nigeria’s diaspora remittances will increase 2.5 per cent to $17.6 billion in 2021 from $17.2 billion in 2020. The 10 per cent, YoY increase in 9M-21 also represents a reversal of the 41 per cent decline recorded in 2020 when diaspora remittances fell to $16.94 billion from $23.45 billion in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19 triggered economic lockdown on the incomes of Nigerians in diaspora.

In a bid to forestall this trend in 2021, the CBN in December 2020 introduced measures to encourage Diaspora Nigerians to send their remittances through the banking system. Among other things, the measures allow beneficiaries to have unfettered access and utilization to foreign currency proceeds, either in foreign exchange cash and/or in their Domiciliary Accounts. Furthermore, the CBN directed payment switching and processing companies to stop local currency transfer of diasporal remittances received through International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs).

The apex bank also directed Mobile Money Operators (MMO) to disable wallets from receipt of funds from IMTOs.

To complement these measures, the CBN in February 2021 introduced the “Naira4Dollar” scheme, which rewards beneficiaries of remittances with N5 for every $1 of remittance sent through the banks. 

By Babajide Komolafe

Vanguard

Video - How can 'bandit' attacks be stopped in northern Nigeria?

 

Armed groups have terrorised people in northern Nigeria for years. The 'bandits' burn down villages, steal cattle and kidnap people for ransom. The government appears to be struggling to stop a rise in attacks. Gunmen killed least 200 people in Zamfara state on Tuesday, in an apparent retaliation against military air strikes on the armed groups' hideouts. So what can be done to stop the assaults? Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom Guests: Mike Ejiofor - Former Director of Nigeria's State Security Service Bulama Bukarti - Analyst, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change Aliyu Musa - Independent researcher on conflict and Nigerian politics

Video - Nigeria labels bandit gangs ‘terrorists’ in bid to stem violence

 

Nigeria's government has labelled criminal gangs as “terrorist” organisations. The gangs are blamed for mass kidnappings. Earlier this week, soldiers rescued 97 hostages, who were abducted more than two months ago. The classification will lead to harsher penalties.

Video - Muhammadu Buhari signs 2022 Budget

 

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday signed the 2022 Appropriation Bill titled “Budget of Economic Growth and Sustainability” into law at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.