Thursday, May 12, 2016
Video - Nigerian boxer Isaac 'Grenade' Ekpo aiming to be world champion
Nigerian boxers used to dominate the ring. But a lack of funding and training facilities have seen the sport's fortunes dwindle. Despite the odds, one boxer is determined to punch his way to the top.
Video - President Buhari not going to demand apology from PM David Cameron
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that he was not seeking an apology from British Prime Minister David Cameron during an anti-corruption conference in London, Wednesday, after the British leader branded Nigeria "fantastically corrupt."
New militant group Niger Delta Avengers disrupting oil supply in Nigeria
Chevron shut down an offshore oil facility after "unidentified attackers" bombed it last week, causing an oil spill.
And a new militant group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the WSJ.
Notably, this attack is not an isolated incident, but rather reflects the deteriorating political and security dynamics posing an immediate threat to Nigeria's oil output.
Since the government ordered an arrest warrant for members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), including the ex-leader Government Ekpemupolo, the country has seen a spike in attacks this year, including one on the Forcados export pipeline operated by Shell. (The Avengers have taken credit for this attack, too, according to reports cited by Bank of America analysts.)
The Niger Delta Avengers reportedly want locals in the Niger Delta to have more control over the oil resources in the region, as well as higher living standards for those living there and the continuation of the Niger Delta amnesty program, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Oyin Anubi.
(Although, Anubi cited local press reports noting that Ekpemupolo has tried to distance himself from the Niger Delta Avengers, who aren't part of the existing Niger Delta Amnesty program.)
The Avengers' agenda seems to parallel the situation back in the 2000s, when armed militant groups, including MEND, routinely kept hundreds of barrels of oil off the market.
At the time, MEND portrayed "itself as political organization that wants a greater share of Nigeria's oil revenues to go to the impoverished region that sits atop the oil," according to The Economist.
In 2009, the government signed an amnesty agreement pledging to provide monthly cash payments and vocational training programs to the nearly 30,000 former militants in exchange for cooperation.
But although the arrangement was a pretty good band-aid, it failed to address the fundamental drivers of instability in the region, such as poverty, corruption, and the proliferation of weapons.
Moreover, Nigeria's current economic slump adds more pressure to the situation, and the current administration under Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to reduce corruption and excessive government spending.
Notably, the recent attacks have taken a toll on oil output in Nigeria. According to data cited by Anubi, oil production is now down to mid-1990s lows, with unplanned supply outages ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 b/d.
And although the country has previously delt with similar threats, Anubi argues that there are three major reasons to be more concerned now than in previous years:
The large-scale attack on an offshore facility — as opposed to an onshore one — shows that the scale of militancy has increased.
And a new militant group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the WSJ.
Notably, this attack is not an isolated incident, but rather reflects the deteriorating political and security dynamics posing an immediate threat to Nigeria's oil output.
Since the government ordered an arrest warrant for members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), including the ex-leader Government Ekpemupolo, the country has seen a spike in attacks this year, including one on the Forcados export pipeline operated by Shell. (The Avengers have taken credit for this attack, too, according to reports cited by Bank of America analysts.)
The Niger Delta Avengers reportedly want locals in the Niger Delta to have more control over the oil resources in the region, as well as higher living standards for those living there and the continuation of the Niger Delta amnesty program, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Oyin Anubi.
(Although, Anubi cited local press reports noting that Ekpemupolo has tried to distance himself from the Niger Delta Avengers, who aren't part of the existing Niger Delta Amnesty program.)
The Avengers' agenda seems to parallel the situation back in the 2000s, when armed militant groups, including MEND, routinely kept hundreds of barrels of oil off the market.
At the time, MEND portrayed "itself as political organization that wants a greater share of Nigeria's oil revenues to go to the impoverished region that sits atop the oil," according to The Economist.
In 2009, the government signed an amnesty agreement pledging to provide monthly cash payments and vocational training programs to the nearly 30,000 former militants in exchange for cooperation.
But although the arrangement was a pretty good band-aid, it failed to address the fundamental drivers of instability in the region, such as poverty, corruption, and the proliferation of weapons.
Moreover, Nigeria's current economic slump adds more pressure to the situation, and the current administration under Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to reduce corruption and excessive government spending.
Notably, the recent attacks have taken a toll on oil output in Nigeria. According to data cited by Anubi, oil production is now down to mid-1990s lows, with unplanned supply outages ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 b/d.
And although the country has previously delt with similar threats, Anubi argues that there are three major reasons to be more concerned now than in previous years:
The large-scale attack on an offshore facility — as opposed to an onshore one — shows that the scale of militancy has increased.
The regulation of Nigeria's oil sector remains a bit unclear as a new bill is intended to split the national oil company into two parts.
The current Nigerian government under Buhari, which aims to reduce corruption and excess expenses in the lower oil environment, is "incompatible with spending large sums of money to appease Niger Delta militants," writes Anubi.
In short, as RBC Capital Markets' Helima Croft noted back in late March, "the government appears to be on course for a head on collision with armed militants in the oil region."
The current Nigerian government under Buhari, which aims to reduce corruption and excess expenses in the lower oil environment, is "incompatible with spending large sums of money to appease Niger Delta militants," writes Anubi.
In short, as RBC Capital Markets' Helima Croft noted back in late March, "the government appears to be on course for a head on collision with armed militants in the oil region."
Trade Union in Nigeria resist 'criminal' fuel price hike
Nigeria's trade union federation has said it will resist what it calls the "criminal" 66% rise in the petrol price, as fuel subsidies are removed.
The government announced on Wednesday that the price was to increase in a bid to ease crippling fuel shortages.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said the rise from 86.5 naira ($0.43) a litre to 145 naira should be reversed.
In 2012, the government was forced to back down on a similar price rise after nationwide protests.
The subsidy, which has kept the price low, costs the government $2.7m a day and there is no provision for it in the recently approved budget for this year, the petroleum ministry said in a statement.
Recent fuel shortages have seen Nigerians paying up to 350 naira a litre on the black market, it added.
Despite being one of Africa's largest oil producers, Nigeria has to import fuel to meet demand as its refineries are dilapidated and work at a fraction of their capacity.
Petroleum Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said that the price rise should stabilise the market and help end the fuel scarcity.
But "even with the new price regime, Nigeria would remain one of the cheapest fuel markets in Africa," he added.
Some fuel stations in Nigeria have already begun to sell petrol at prices dictated by the market.
Many here in the capital, Abuja, started last night after the announcement that the subsidy had been scrapped.
Only filling stations owned by the state-run NNPC firm are selling at the old price until they exhaust their current stock.
And fuel is likely to be even more expensive in northern Nigeria because of the cost of transporting it there.
The government announced on Wednesday that the price was to increase in a bid to ease crippling fuel shortages.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said the rise from 86.5 naira ($0.43) a litre to 145 naira should be reversed.
In 2012, the government was forced to back down on a similar price rise after nationwide protests.
The subsidy, which has kept the price low, costs the government $2.7m a day and there is no provision for it in the recently approved budget for this year, the petroleum ministry said in a statement.
Recent fuel shortages have seen Nigerians paying up to 350 naira a litre on the black market, it added.
Despite being one of Africa's largest oil producers, Nigeria has to import fuel to meet demand as its refineries are dilapidated and work at a fraction of their capacity.
Petroleum Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said that the price rise should stabilise the market and help end the fuel scarcity.
But "even with the new price regime, Nigeria would remain one of the cheapest fuel markets in Africa," he added.
Some fuel stations in Nigeria have already begun to sell petrol at prices dictated by the market.
Many here in the capital, Abuja, started last night after the announcement that the subsidy had been scrapped.
Only filling stations owned by the state-run NNPC firm are selling at the old price until they exhaust their current stock.
And fuel is likely to be even more expensive in northern Nigeria because of the cost of transporting it there.
Related stories: Nigeria to fully deregulate petrol
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Video - Giwa Barracks of Nigeria "A place of death"
A new report by Amnesty International says children are dying in military detention in northeast Nigeria.
The victims and their families are being held in Giwa Barracks, in Maiduguri in Borno State.
Amnesty says more than one hundred children - some as young as five - are being held in over crowded and inhumane conditions.
But the military says most of the detainees are Boko Haram fighters and suspects.
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