Video - Nigeria's senate set to pass 2018 budget

The Nigerian senate is set to pass the country's 2018 budget after receiving a report from its committee on appropriation. This is coming six months after President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2018 Budget to a joint session of the National Assembly. The budget is expected to consolidate on the gains of the 2017 budget to help actualize the economic growth recovery plan of President Buhari's administration.

Video - Nigeria's senior women's team gears up for AWCON qualifier against Gambia

Nigeria's senior women football team, the Super Falcons, have commenced preparations for the 2018 African Women Cup of Nations qualifiers against The Gambia. The two-leg fixture will take place between 4th - 12th June, with the Gambians hosting the opening leg in capital Banjul while Nigeria will host the return leg in Calabar - in the South East.

Video - Nigeria's Inspector General of Police struggles to read own speech

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Monday in Kano, inaugurated a Technical Intelligence Unit at the Kano State Command as part of renewed effort to curb crimes in the country.
Speaking at the occasion, Idris said that the facility, code named ‘COBWEB Solutions Intelligence Platform’ was established to enhance the Nigeria Police capacity for effective and responsiveness in the art of policing.

He said: “We are going to train our officers in the area of technical intelligence to enhance their capacity to address the intelligence challenges we are having in the country.
“The TIU in Kano for North West Zone, will aid police efficiency, effectiveness and their capacity to detect crime.”

Idris called on police commands in the zone to utilize the opportunity provided by the four technical intelligence platforms in Abuja, Lagos, Owerri and Kano to boost policing.
He said: “I will not relent on my efforts to ensure that the challenges of crime faced in the country, be it kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy and terrorism among others will soon be resolved with the use of TIU.

“The technical intelligence unit in line with international best practices will link all state police commands with technical intelligence COBWEB platform as soon as funds are made available.”
Idris said that the fight against insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and other heinous crimes had systematically been won by 70 per cent.

He said that thousands of arms and ammunition have been recovered therefore making it difficult for criminals to access illegal arms for their criminal activities.

Idris said: “These achievements would not have been possible without the use of technical intelligence unit in Abuja managed by the Special Intelligence and Tactical Response teams.

“I have kept faith with the promise despite efforts at various quarters to distract me. Nigeria Police have recorded breakthroughs in crime prevention, detection, and prosecution among others.”

The IG assured Nigerians that the Police was doing everything possible to protect lives and properties in the country.

He appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Police saying they are doing everything possible to tackle the challenges.

Speaking, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State command, Rabiu Yusuf, commended the Inspector General of Police for making the command one of the pilot states for the project.

He said the unit was saddled with the responsibilities of detecting and tracking down hoodlums as well as unfolding their heinous agenda.

Yusuf said: “The tracking system will reduce crime and criminality in the state, with a view to boosting economic activities.

In his remarks, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, expressed gratitude to the IGP for establishing the facility in Kano.

Ganduje said that establishing the unit in Kano, which is a mega city, would improve commercial activities and reduce the rate of crime in the state.

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Video - Nigeria Trade Minister Says Corruption Fight a 'Top Priority'

Nigeria Industry, Trade and Investment Minister Okechukw Enelamah discusses investment opportunities and efforts to reduce corruption in his country. He speaks with Bloomberg's Shery Ahn and David Westin on "Bloomberg Markets: Balance of Power."

Young Nigerians turning to drugs

A growing number of young Nigerians are addicted to drugs, officials and police say, turning to cheap narcotics like codeine, tramadol, and other chemical substances in search of a high.

The government this month have banned the production of codeine-based cough syrup and, in the wake of a recent BBC investigation, temporarily shuttered three pharmaceutical firms for allegedly failing to cooperate with federal inspectors. 

Now, drug-reform policy advocates, such as RISE Nigeria's Adeolu Ogunrombi, fear the problem will worsen and are pushing authorities to be more proactive about tackling corruption and closing loopholes they say still exist in the public health system. 

"There is still a huge demand, and a criminal market is going to spring up to meet the needs of the users who are in need of the substances", he said. "We don't even consider that someone who is dependent on drugs is still a human being." 

In this episode, The Stream explores the depth of Nigeria's opioid problem to learn how the government is working to prevent abuse and the distribution of drugs on the black market, and what needs to be done next.