One such community dealing with the impact of rising sea levels is Ayetoro in the southwest Ordo state. A substantial part of the land has now been washed away. Scientists say climate change is primarily responsible.
Friday, May 19, 2023
Video - Rising sea waters in Nigeria threaten coastal communities
Video - $12 billion needed by Nigeria to clean up decades-old oil spills
Nigeria says it needs 12 billion dollars to clean up decades-old oil spills in southern Bayelsa state over a 12-year period. The Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission says in a report that it started an investigation in 2019 on the impact of spills and looked at evidence from forensic scientists, blood samples from people in affected areas and company data.
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Video - Gymnastics seeks to grow in Nigeria
Gymnastics is admittedly not a popular sport in Nigeria and not many people take part in it. The country only made its Olympics debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games with just one U.S.-based male athlete. Now, the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria is taking steps to get more people involved in the discipline.
Video - Oil output slumps in Nigeria
Nigeria's oil output slumped in April, which made it lose its status as Africa's largest oil producer to Angola. Data from the organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries indicates the country's oil output declined the most last month among its peers in the Organization, as it dipped below 1 million barrels per day.
Four killed in attack on US convoy in Nigeria
Gunmen in south-eastern Nigeria have attacked a US convoy, killing four people, local police say.
They say two of the victims of Tuesday's attack in the Anambra state were US consulate employees, while the other two were police officers.
The attackers kidnapped three other people, and set their vehicle on fire.
Washington says no US citizens were in the convoy, which was travelling in the state plagued by violence and a separatist insurgency.
Nigerian police say the attack happened on the Atani-Osamale road in Ogbaru region.
Police spokesperson DSP Ikenga Tochukwu says security forces were currently carrying out a rescue and recovery operation.
In a statement to the BBC, the US confirmed that "there was an incident on 16 May in Anambra state", adding that Washington was working with Nigerian security services to investigate the attack.
"The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organising trips to the field," the US state department said.
The Nigerian authorities often blame violent attacks in the region on the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) movement, which is fighting for a breakaway state in the south-east of the country.
Anambra and other parts of the south-east have seen a sharp rise in attacks on security forces since Ipob launched an armed wing in December 2020.
The group has so far made no public comments on the issue.
By Chris Ewokor, BBC
Related stories: 1,603 killed, 1,774 abducted in violent attacks across Nigeria in three months
Video - Is Nigeria's security crisis out of control?
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Video - Nigeria to boost wheat production to 6 million tonnes by 2032
The West African nation has for years relied on imports to get over 90 percent of its wheat supply, however, the conflict in Ukraine has caused disruptions, leading to a price surge as it affected the wheat supply chain negatively.
29 villagers killed by gunmen in Nigeria
Gunmen attacked villages in troubled north-central Nigeria, killing 29 people and razing houses, survivors and authorities said Tuesday.
Many villagers remained unaccounted for Tuesday evening after the attack in Plateau state, residents said. It was the latest incident in a spiral of violence mainly targeting remote communities in the West African nation.
The gunmen targeted three villages in Plateau state’s Mangu local government area late Monday night and killed several people either with gunfire or after setting their houses ablaze, resident Philip Pamshak said.
“As I am talking to you, they are still attacking people. The tension is still high and there are places the bandits still control, so people are not able to go and check if there are others killed,” Pamshak said.
Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong said he was disturbed by the attack and directed security forces to search for the suspects and prosecute them, according to a statement issued by his spokesman.
“He (the governor) describes this as yet another attempt by crises merchants and criminals to return the state to the dark days of pain and agony,” said Makut Macham, Lalong's spokesman.
Such attacks have become rampant in many parts of Nigeria’s northern region, where several armed groups target villages with inadequate security, either killing or abducting residents and travelers for ransom.
Arrests are rare in such attacks, for which no group typically takes responsibility. However, authorities have in the past identified many of the attackers as former pastoralists who took up arms after decades of conflict with farmers over limited access to land and water.
The security crisis has led to thousands of deaths and defied several government and security measures in the last year.
After the latest killings in Plateau, Lalong directed the emergency response agency to visit the affected communities “to bring succor” to victims and their families, many of whom have either fled the area or have lost their homes, adding to Nigeria’s worsening humanitarian crisis.
By Chinedu Asadu, AP
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Video - Aid groups warn of children in danger of malnutrition in Nigeria
Attacks by armed groups, high food prices and natural disasters are pushing Nigeria's most vulnerable to the brink of starvation. The World Food Programme says cases of severe acute malnutrition in children have quadrupled in less than a year. Al Jazeera's Ahmed Idris reports from Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria.
Two soldiers from Nigeria killed by Islamist insurgents
Three soldiers from Nigeria and Niger were killed and at least 12 others were injured on Sunday after attacks by Islamist fighters in northeastern Nigeria, two military sources said on Monday.
The troops were part of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) made up of forces from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria that are seeking to end an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions more.
A Nigerian military source said that two Nigerian soldiers of the MNJTF were killed when their vehicle set off an improvised explosive device while they were pursuing insurgents in the Arege area in northeastern Borno state, the heartland of the insurgency.
Ten troops, including the commanding officer, were injured and another two civilians working with the troops were also wounded, the source added.
A Nigerien soldier was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in detonated another explosive device in a separate part of Arege, while the number of wounded was not immediately known, a source with the Nigerien army said.
An MNJTF situation report seen by Reuters confirmed the attacks.
MNJTF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kamarudeen Adegoke was not reachable for comment.
By MacDonald Dzirutwe, Reuters
Afrobeats star Seun Kuti Arrested in Nigeria Over Alleged Police Assault
Nigerian Afrobeats star Seun Kuti was arrested Monday (May 15) after being accused of assaulting a police officer in the commercial hub of Lagos.
Kuti was detained at the Lagos State police headquarters after turning himself in, according to police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, who tweeted photos of the celebrity in handcuffs.
The son of Nigerian musical icon and political agitator Fela Kuti, who himself was serially detained by Nigerian military regimes, Seun Kuti was “captured on video assaulting a police officer in uniform,” the police said.
Videos posted online appeared to show an agitated Kuti pushing a police officer as the officer stood beside a police vehicle along a major road in Lagos on Saturday.
It was unclear what led to the confrontation, though Kuti tweeted that the officer in question “tried to kill me and my family.” He suggested the officer tried to ram their car.
Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali Baba ordered an investigation into the incident. The inspector general “assures Nigerians that acts of contempt/disdain for symbols of authority will not be tolerated while offenders of such hideous crimes will be surely brought to book,” the police said.
“I welcome the investigation and will give my full cooperation!” Kuti responded on Twitter.
Related story: 'The system is rigged': Seun Kuti on reviving Fela's political party
Election-related visa restrictions imposed on citizens of Nigeria
The United States has imposed entry restrictions on more Nigerians for undermining the democratic process during the African nation's 2023 election cycle, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.
"These individuals have been involved in intimidation of voters through threats and physical violence, the manipulation of vote results, and other activity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process," Blinken said in a statement.
Additional details were not provided.
The action is the latest in a series of visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian individuals in recent years.
Nigeria's election tribunal this month was to begin hearing opposition petitions challenging president-elect Bola Tinubu's victory in the disputed February presidential vote, court records showed.
Tinubu, from the ruling All Progressives Congress party, defeated his closest rivals Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party and the Labour Party's Peter Obi, who have alleged fraud and have launched a court challenge.
Atiku and Obi want the tribunal to invalidate Tinubu's victory, arguing that the vote was fraught with irregularities, among other criticisms. Tinubu, who is set to be sworn in on May 29, says he won fairly and wants the petitions dismissed.
There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of previous Nigerian presidential elections but none has succeeded.
By Doina Chiacu, Reuters
Monday, May 15, 2023
Video - Government of Nigeria says cow skin or "ponmo" should be worn, not eaten
The Nigerian government is trying to ban the consumption of cow skin in the country. Ponmo, as it's popularly known, is widely enjoyed across the West African nation, especially by those who might otherwise struggle to afford meat. But the government says it has no nutritional value, and the skins would be much better used in the leather industry.
Related story: Video - Nigeria’s ponmo cuisine under threat as the leather sector seeks growth
Hilda Baci from Nigeria breaks Guinness world record for longest cooking time
Nigerian chef, Hilda Bassey Effiong, popularly known as Hilda Buci has broken the Guinness World Record for longest cooking hours.
Hilda broke the record which was previously held by Indian chef, Lata Tondon on Monday morning at 7:45 am.
Tondon had made meals for 87 hours, 45 minutes and 00 seconds.
However, as of the time of filing this report, Hilda has cooked for 88 hours, 19 minutes.
She aims to cook for 96 hours.
She is expected to complete the task at 5pm on Monday.
The chef has been getting massive support, especially from Nigerians, celebrities and politicians in the country.
Nollywood actor, Charles Okocha; actress, Kate Henshaw; singer, Tiwa Savage; media personality, Enioluwa, and many others appeared at the event.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu also visited the venue on Sunday to cheer up Baci.
Baci is not new to cooking competitions, she was a participant in the maiden edition of the Jollof Face-off Competition in 2021. The talented chef made Nigeria proud by winning the competition and walking away with a grand prize of $5000.
Friday, May 12, 2023
Naira hits record low after central bank adjusts spot rate
The Nigerian naira hit a record low of 466 per dollar on the official market on Thursday, after the central bank weakened the currency on the spot market and at its foreign exchange auction as it tries to address a backlog of demand for foreign currency, traders said.
Nigeria's central bank has been adjusting rates to manage demand for foreign currency against its level of foreign reserves while at the same time intervening on the foreign exchange market to keep the currency stable after it has weakened.
The central bank adjusted rates on Wednesday to 465 naira from 460 naira per dollar, traders said, while it sold hard currency to businesses for raw materials and other imports at 630 naira at its last auction on Friday.
"Generally, the market impression is that (FX) rates are moving up," one currency trader said.
The naira, which trades within a range on the official market, has fallen to successive lows due to dollar scarcity, coupled with the central bank's adjustments to manage the backlog of demand for foreign exchange.
The currency later recovered some ground to trade at 463 naira per dollar on the official market on Thursday.
"At the current level, clients are not getting funds," the trader said. "The appetite is to seek more dollars to meet obligations."
The naira eased to 748 against the dollar on the black market as individuals and firms channel unmet currency demand to informal sources.
By Chijioke Ohuocha, Reuters
Related stories: Cash shortage in Nigeria due to redesigned currency push
Video - New currency in Nigeria to affect small businesses according to World Bank
Nigeria overtaken by Angola as top African crude oil producer
Angola has now emerged the topmost crude oil producer in Africa, upstaging Nigeria as the latter’s output level hits a new low.
The direct communication data in the April 2023 monthly oil market report (MOMR) of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) shows that Angola recorded 1.06 million barrels per day (mbpd) crude production in April 2023.
Despite initial optimism, Nigeria’s oil output dropped 23 per cent, month-on-month, MoM, to 999,999 barrels per day, bpd, in April 2023, from 1.3 million bpd in the preceding month of March 2023.
Also, on year-on-year, YoY, Nigeria’s output level indicated a drop of 16.7 per cent to 999,999 bpd in April 2023, from 1.2 million bpd recorded in the corresponding period of 2022.
After a steady decline to about 1.1 mbpd in the second half of 2022, due majorly, to oil theft, Nigeria’s oil output began to recover after a nationwide outcry in the fourth quarter of 2022 hovering at 1.3 million bpd in the first quarter of 2023.
At less than 1.0mbpd, this is the lowest production rate Nigeria has recorded in the year 2023 while Angola’s output shows steady increases.
The OPEC figure is close to that of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the regulatory authority in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, which shows that Nigeria produced 998,602 barrels per day during the period.
The OPEC report further stated that total OPEC-13 crude oil production averaged 28.60 million barrels per day in April 2023, lower by 191,000 barrels per day, month-on-month. Overall, the report showed that crude oil output increased mainly in Saudi Arabia, Angola and Iran, while production in Iraq and Nigeria declined.
OPEC noted in the MOMR that Nigeria’s economy faced challenges in gaining momentum in the first quarter of 2023, with business activity and consumer spending remaining subdued, in addition to high input-cost inflation and lower employment levels compared with 2022.
By Udeme Akpan & Yinka Kolawole, Reuters
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Video - University in Nigeria uses climate-smart methods to increase meat production
The process involves cross-breeding and adaptation of goats and sheep from different parts of Nigeria to come up with a unique breed that's disease resistant, larger, and thus provides more meat, and can survive in difficult environments.
Video - Taxes hiked for telecoms, large motor vehicles and alcohol in Nigeria
Beginning June 1, Nigerians will have to pay a little more for imported goods, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, single-use plastics, and telecommunication services. And imported vehicles, whether new or used, will be subject to an import adjustment tax of 2 or 4 percent.
Gunmen free 25 people from Baptist church kidnapping
Heavily armed gangs known locally as bandits frequently carry out mass abductions for ransom in northwest and central Nigeria, holding their captives in camps hidden in forests that stretch across the region.
Armed attackers on Sunday stormed into the Bege Baptist Church in Kaduna State during morning mass and abducted 40 people.
Fifteen managed to escape, while the gunmen left with 25, Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State said.
Eleven more hostages were released by their captors, bringing the number still detained to 14, Hayab told AFP on Wednesday.
"The number of those kidnapped from the church has reduced 14 after the gunmen set free 11 out of the 25 they took away," said Hayab, who is also a Baptist priest.
"They abandoned or released those they found difficult to manage due to health challenges, fatigue or age," he said.
The latest was a woman who was so exhausted that the abductors mistook her for dead and abandoned her in the bush along with her baby.
The woman regained consciousness, found her baby and returned home, Hayab said.
"To them, it is not the number of the hostages they take that matters because they know even if they take one person they will receive ransom in exchange."
He said they were waiting for the abductors to make their demands.
Kaduna police have confirmed the incident but are yet to provide details.
Abductions for ransom and intercommunal attacks have been on the rise again in the last few weeks after a brief calm period during February and March elections for the presidency and governorship posts.
Nine people, including a local chief, were also kidnapped late on Wednesday in Idon Gida community in nearby Kajuru district of Kaduna State, according to Hayab and a local official.
Bandits burst into the Christian village around 2000 GMT, taking away seven women and two men, they said.
Mass kidnappings and bandit gangs in the northwest are just one of several security challenges facing president-elect Bola Tinubu when he takes the helm of Africa's most populous nation later this month.
Nigeria's military is also battling a grinding jihadist conflict in the northeast that has killed 40,000 since 2009 as well as simmering separatist tensions in the southeast of the country, where gunmen often target police.
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
Video - Nigeria leads in adoption of forex trading in Africa
Despite forex trading being viewed as a high-risk venture, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians are diving in every year, as they explore new ways to earn a living.
Video - Court in Nigeria starts hearing petitions challenging Bola Tinubu's win
Opposition political parties and their candidates filed challenges against Bola Tinubu's win in the February 25th election back in March. Nigeria's Presidential Election Petition Court has roughly until September to issue a judgment. However, that judgment can then be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Related story: President-Elect Bola Tinubu Leaves Nigeria to Rest in Europe After Campaign
Video - Clip from President-elect Bola Tinubu's acceptance speech
Video - Real estate sector shifts to renewable energy to power homes in Nigeria
In Nigeria, real estate developers are building more properties that use renewables as sources of energy. Despite huge investments in the sector, Nigeria suffers from an acute electricity shortage as capacity stands at an average of just 4,000 megawatts.
15 children dead and 25 more missing in boat accident in Nigeria
Fifteen children drowned and 25 others were left missing when a boat capsized in a river in northwest Nigeria's Sokoto state, a local official told AFP Wednesday. The children were on their way to collect firewood in the bush on Tuesday on the other side of Shagari river when their overloaded boat capsized, Aliyu Abubakar, political administrator of Shagari district said.
"We woke up to a tragedy yesterday morning, where a boat carrying children capsized mid-river," Abubakar told AFP.
"Fifteen bodies, 13 girls and two boys, were recovered by local rescue teams and buried in the village," said the official, who supervised the rescue operation.
River accidents are frequent in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, poor maintenance, heavy flooding in rainy season and disregard of safety regulations.
Divers were working in the Shagari river late on Tuesday searching for more of the children.
In April last year, 29 children from nearby Gidan Magana village in Sokoto drowned in the same river when their vessel capsized while they were also on their way to fetch firewood for their families.
During massive flooding in rainy season in December, at least 76 people drowned when their boat went down in a swollen river in southeast Anambra State.
In one of the country's worst river disasters in May 2021, only 20 people were rescued and more than 150 went missing when a boat transporting people to market broke apart while travelling between Kebbi and Niger states.
Nigeria's waterways authority has tried to ban night-time sailing on rivers to stop accidents, and overloading vessels is a criminal offence, but skippers and crews often flout the rules.
River transport and market trade are common in Nigeria, where roads are often poor. The Niger, West Africa's main river travelling through Guinea to Nigeria's Niger Delta, is a key local trade route.
Shell wins court case related to oil spills in Nigeria
The United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has ruled that it was too late for a group of Nigerian claimants to sue two Shell subsidiaries over a 2011 offshore oil spill.
On December 20, 2011, an estimated 40,000 barrels of crude oil leaked when a tanker was loaded at Shell’s Bonga oilfield, 120km (75 miles) off the coast of Nigeria’s Niger Delta.
Shell disputed the allegations and said the Bonga spill was dispersed offshore and did not impact the shoreline.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld rulings by two lower courts that found the plaintiffs had brought their case after the six-year legal expiry date.
A panel of five Supreme Court justices unanimously rejected the claimants’ argument that the ongoing consequences of the pollution represented a “continuing nuisance”.
According to the Reuters news agency, the court did not look at the evidence supporting either side’s assertions or make a ruling on the issue. It only decided the legal point of nuisance.
“The Supreme Court rejects the claimants’ submission. There was no continuing nuisance in this case,” Justice Andrew Burrows said as he delivered the ruling.
“The leak was a one-off event or an isolated escape. The oil pipe was no longer leaking after six hours,” he said.
A group of 27,800 people and 457 communities living in the delta have been trying to sue Shell, saying the leftover oil slick polluted their lands and waterways and damaged farming, fishing, drinking water, mangrove forests and religious shrines.
The average life expectancy in the region is 41 years, 10 years lower than the national average.
UK courts have previously ruled against Shell in another case involving pollution in the Niger Delta.
In February 2021, the Supreme Court allowed a group from the Ogale and Bille communities to sue Shell over spills, and that case is currently through the High Court.
At that time, Shell said it was not responsible for most of those spills and said they were caused by illegal third-party interference.
“We believe litigation does little to address the real problem in the Niger Delta: oil spills due to crude oil theft, illegal reining and sabotage, with which SPDC [Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary] is constantly faced and which cause the most environmental damage,” a Shell spokesperson said.
In a separate case in 2015, Shell agreed to pay 55 million pounds ($70m) to the delta’s Bodo community in compensation for two spills after a legal battle in London.
Related stories: The Criminals Undercutting Nigeria’s Oil Industry
Nigeria Shell employees causing oil leaks for profit: Dutch TV
Monday, May 8, 2023
Video - Nigeria battles to contain match fixing across all age groups
Match fixing is not only a global problem in football but common in Nigeria. Authorities in the West African football giants are facing a tough fight to eradicate the scourge.
Video - Artist aims to popularize African classical music in Nigeria
Nigerian music has gained wide acceptance both across the continent and around the world. Genres like afrobeat and highlife have remained popular. However, African classical music isn't as well-known. But one Nigerian musician is looking to change that. Struggling Kenya 7s in desperate battle to avoid relegation.
Dangote refinery set to be commissioned by the president of Nigeria in 2 weeks
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will commission the multi-billion dollar Dangote oil refinery in two weeks, a presidency spokesperson said on Sunday, setting up the plant for its first production since construction started in 2016.
Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, sees the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery - being built by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote's Dangote Group - as a solution to ending the country's reliance on imports for nearly all of its refined petroleum products.
Spokesperson Bashir Ahmad said Buhari will commission the refinery, near Lagos, on May 22, a week before he is due to leave office after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution.
A spokesperson for Dangote confirmed the timing of the commissioning but did not give details.
The Dangote refinery's cost grew to $19 billion from initial estimates of between $12 billion and $14 billion, after years of delays.
By Felix Onuah, Reuters
Related story: Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote is building the world's largest refinery in Nigeria
Senator from Nigeria jailed for 9 years by UK court for kidney-harvesting plot
A wealthy Nigerian politician, his wife and a doctor were jailed by a London court on Friday for trafficking a street trader from Lagos to Britain to illegally harvest his kidney for a transplant for their seriously ill daughter.
Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Ike Ekweremadu had been sentenced to nine years and eight months in Britain's first illegal organ-harvesting prosecution, while his wife Beatrice, 56, was sentenced to four years and six months.
Nigerian doctor Obinna Obeta, 51 - described by prosecutors as a middle man - was jailed for 10 years, the CPS said. All three were convicted in March of conspiring to arrange the travel of a man in order to harvest his organs.
President of the Nigerian senate Ahmad Lawan said earlier in the week he had written to the British judicial authorities seeking clemency for Ekweremadu - an opposition senator and former deputy president of Nigeria's senate - on behalf of the senate.
He said "it was the first time our colleague is getting involved in this kind of thing".
Prosecutors said the couple had brought the man to Britain in February last year with the offer of a few thousand pounds for his organ and the promise of work in Britain.
The case came to light when the man, who had made a living in Lagos selling telephone parts in a market, went to police saying he had been trafficked and someone was trying to harvest his kidney.
The proposed transplant never went ahead as a consultant at London's Royal Free hospital became suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the proposed donor, aged about 21 who cannot be named for legal reasons, who the family had tried to pass off as their daughter's cousin.
Sonia Ekweremadu, the intended recipient of the organ who has a serious and deteriorating kidney condition and requires dialysis, was found not guilty.
By Muvija M, Reuters
Related story: Nigerian politician Ike Ekweremadu, wife, and a doctor guilty of organ trafficking to UK
Friday, May 5, 2023
Two Chibok girls rescuded by Nigerian Army
The Nigerian Army on Thursday said it had rescued two additional girls from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, nine years after their abduction by Boko Haram in 2014.
The Theatre Commander, North-East Joint Operation, Hadin Kai, Ibrahim Ali, a major general, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri.
Mr Ali said that Hauwa Maltha and Esther Marcus, both serial numbers two and 103 in the list of the missing victims, were rescued on 21 April by troops of 114 Taskforce Battalion Bitta at Lagara, under the 21 armoured Brigade Bama during Operations.
He said that Hauwa Maltha, 26, and Kibaku by tribe from Jila in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, and her three-year-old baby were rescued.
He explained that while in captivity, Hauwa got married at Gulukos, a village in Sambisa forest, to one Salman, a cameraman to Abubakar Shekau.
“Salman later died in Lake Chad. Thereafter, Hauwa Maltha got married to one Mallam Muhammad in Gobara and had 2 children for him who later died due to sickness. Muhammad, her second husband, was killed in Ukuba terrorist enclaves in Sambisa forest during clashes between Boko Haram/ISWAP,” he said.
“Hauwa who was about eight months and two weeks pregnant during the time of her rescue delivered a bouncing baby boy on 28 April 2023 while undergoing thorough medical examination along with her baby Fatima at 7 Div Medical Hospital and Services,” he said.
Mr Ali explained that while in captivity, 26-year-old Esther was forcefully married to one Garba, also known as Garus, a Boko Haram fighter who was killed during troops’ offensive operations on terrorists’ enclaves.
“She was later married off to another insurgent, Abba, in Ukuba terrorist enclaves in Sambisa forest until her rescue by troops of Operation Hadin Kai.
“Since their rescue, they have undergone thorough medical examination along with their babies and are adequately resuscitated and will be handed over to the Borno State Government for further administration.
“These results are evident as troops have rescued about 14 Chibok girls recently.
“The girls rescued so far include; Aisha Grema, serial number 11 on the abducted Chibok girls’ list, Hannatu Musa, number 7 on the list, and Sera Luka, number 38 on the list.
Others are Ruth Bitrus, number 41, Mary Dauda, number 46, Hauwa Joseph, number 18, Falmata Lawan, number 3, Asabe Ali, number 12, Jankai Yamal, number 20, Yana Pogu, number 19, Rejoice Sanki, number 70 and Hassana Adamu, number 35,” he said.
He assured the people of the North-east in particular that Operation Hadin Kai remains resolute and determined in neutralising all vestiges of terrorist elements as well as criminals marauding the North-east and returning total and long lasting peace to the region.
“Our immense appreciation goes to the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, and service chiefs for their strategic guidance and provision of requisite logistics and operational platforms which have spurred the continuous successes,” he said.
Related story: Two kidnapped Chibok girls freed in Nigeria after eight years
Video - Increased investment boosts poultry industry in Nigeria
Nigeria's poultry industry is now worth more than 6.5 billion U.S. dollars thanks to increased investments in the sector. Authorities are seeking to ride on the successes of the poultry industry to drive earnings and boost employment.
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Video - Nigeria approves operations for over 170 digital lending platforms
The move comes as more Nigerians grow more comfortable and knowledgeable in accessing the digital economy. Mobile lending apps have become an easy source of credit in Nigeria, with the country ranked among the fastest-growing markets in Africa.
Video - Indomie Noodles Banned In Nigeria
Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has provided additional clarifications on the issues raised by the allegations that the chicken flavor of Indomie noodles contained carcinogens discovered by Malaysian and Taiwanese health officials. Director General, Mojisola Adeyeye, a professor, confirmed that indomie noodles remain banned in Nigeria.
Related story: Malaysia, Taiwan recall Indomie noodles over cancer-causing substance starts investigation in Nigeria
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Manufacturing activity rebounds in Nigeria as cash crisis eases
Nigeria’s manufacturing activity pulled off a sharp growth last month, shaking off successive contractions in the two months preceding April.
The growth was recorded as the squeeze resulting from the central bank’s push to wean Africa’s largest economy off dependence on physical cash softened.
The country’s Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) came in at 53.8 for the month on increased production level and improvement in new business, according to newly issued factory activity data.
A reading higher than 50 points to growth, while any below that threshold implies a shrinking in PMI, which assesses the overall direction that business condition in the manufacturing industry is headed.
Hiring was restrained and employment consequently slowed as companies still grappled with uncertainty in some way, following the crisis.
“The easing of the cash shortage challenge in April saw improvement in both output and consumer demand,” Muyiwa Oni, Head of Equity Research West Africa at Stanbic IBTC Bank, said.
Stanbic IBTC Bank works alongside S&P Global and Nigeria’s statistics office every month to provide the data.
“While the easier access to cash caused business activities to expand across key sectors (Agriculture, manufacturing, services and wholesales and retails sectors), firms however maintained caution in increasing staff head count,” Mr Oni further stated.
His optimism for activity in the near term is measured, considering that sentiment remains relatively weak and given the signals that access to cash will be steady, not dramatic.
The document highlighted a steep jump in input costs for manufacturers in April, not altogether unanticipated as Nigeria’s inflation climbed to 22 per cent in the preceding month, closing in on its 18-year peak.
Even though firms passed on the increased cost to customers, that was done sensitively in order to attract them, leading to the slightest rate of selling price increase in three years.
“Business sentiment remained subdued in April, despite a slight pick-up from March. In fact, optimism was among the lowest seen since the survey began in January 2014,” the report said.
By Ronald Adamolekun, Premium Times
Related story: Cash shortage in Nigeria due to redesigned currency push
Monday, May 1, 2023
Video - Nigeria targets US$500 million from cashews exports in 2023
Nigeria is looking to increase earnings from the export of cashews to 500 million U.S. dollars this year. The sector is said to have a potential of generating up to 1 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. However, experts say the government needs to ensure it explores all the potential of the cashew market if it is to achieve its goal.
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