Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos, launched a health insurance plan to make access to care affordable for its more than 20 million residents, the second state to do so since July.
Under the plan, residents will have access to care in any hospital of their choice for 8,500 naira ($22) per year, while a family of six will pay 40,000 naira, the Lagos State government said in a statement on Twitter. Benefits include treatment for common diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, diabetes and hypertension, and access to family planning services, laboratory tests and ultrasounds.
The state government will ensure that treatments and other services “will be of high quality,” Emmanuella Zamba, general manager of the Lagos State Health Management Agency, said in Tuesday’s statement. Lagos residents can enroll immediately, she said.
The southwestern state of Ekiti rolled out a similar plan in July.
Bloomberg
Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Nigeria doctors on strike over coronavirus allowance
Doctors in Nigeria's capital Abuja have started an "indefinite strike" due to non-payment of a special coronavirus allowance, local media reported on Tuesday.
The Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced the decision following a meeting on Saturday, according to the Premium Times news website.
"The association would embark on a strike action with effect from 8 am 1st September 2020 until the payment of the COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance is received," their statement said.
Hazard pay or inducement allowance is paid to employees to encourage them to work on a particular project, especially under dangerous conditions. Health care workers are constantly at risk of exposure to the novel virus.
Roland Aigbovo, head of the group's Abuja chapter, said: "We have not received any hazard allowance since April and that is one of the major reasons we are embarking on a strike."
Their members have been suffering financial distress, he said, adding that despite repeated ultimatum and warnings, authorities have done nothing to help them.
In June, doctors called off a week-long strike over welfare and inadequate protective equipment.
The group said that the decision, after assurance from officials, was to give them time to fulfill the outstanding demands.
Strikes by medics are common in the country – Africa’s most populous – where the health sector has been underfunded for years.
Since March, Nigerian health authorities have confirmed 54,008 COVID-19 infections, including 1,013 virus-linked deaths.
Anadolu Agency
The Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) announced the decision following a meeting on Saturday, according to the Premium Times news website.
"The association would embark on a strike action with effect from 8 am 1st September 2020 until the payment of the COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance is received," their statement said.
Hazard pay or inducement allowance is paid to employees to encourage them to work on a particular project, especially under dangerous conditions. Health care workers are constantly at risk of exposure to the novel virus.
Roland Aigbovo, head of the group's Abuja chapter, said: "We have not received any hazard allowance since April and that is one of the major reasons we are embarking on a strike."
Their members have been suffering financial distress, he said, adding that despite repeated ultimatum and warnings, authorities have done nothing to help them.
In June, doctors called off a week-long strike over welfare and inadequate protective equipment.
The group said that the decision, after assurance from officials, was to give them time to fulfill the outstanding demands.
Strikes by medics are common in the country – Africa’s most populous – where the health sector has been underfunded for years.
Since March, Nigerian health authorities have confirmed 54,008 COVID-19 infections, including 1,013 virus-linked deaths.
Anadolu Agency
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Nigeria's 'Kannywood' films soar online thanks to virus
At a time when the coronavirus is wreaking havoc on businesses around the world, the film industry in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north is going from strength to strength.
The region's movie machine -- dubbed Kannywood after its largest city Kano -- has become the dominant source of entertainment for West Africa's 80 million Hausa speakers.
Since springing up in 1992 with just seven production companies, the industry has grown to include 502 production outfits and 97 editing studios.
It now employs more than 30,000 people, according to the Kano chapter of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria.
While Kannywood films have the same themes of love, revenge and betrayal as those churned out by the prolific Nollywood film industry in the predominantly Christian south, the content must adhere to strict Islamic rules.
Northflix, Kannywood's fledgling online streaming platform, has seen its client base soar since authorities imposed lockdowns to contain the coronavirus pandemic in March.
Its subscriber base of 40,000 has nearly doubled, while revenue has tripled, CEO and co-founder Jamil Abdussalam told AFP.
"Coronavirus has been a blessing to us business-wise, despite the disruptions it has caused to the global economy," he said.
"It was not by chance, but a result of a conscious and concerted business strategy".
Kabiru Sufi, a Kano-based economist who follows trends in Kannywood, attributed the success of streaming platforms to their astute business sense and technology.
Abdussalam said Northflix formerly used the pay-per-view system but quickly switched to flat-rate subscriptions after the virus emerged in Asia and Europe, knowing that it "would reach all corners of the world".
The fee is just 1,500 naira ($4) a month in addition to subscribers' smartphone and internet costs.
The lockdown, which saw cinemas, hotels, bars and other recreational outlets shut down, was a boon for Northflix as idle Nigerians turned to their mobile phones to stream their favourite movies.
That opportunity also came as producers were desperately seeking an alternative market for their films with cinemas and DVD stores shuttered.
- 'A lifesaver' -
Northflix was the answer.
"It was a lifesaver for film producers who would not have had the avenue of making money from their movies," said Kano-based filmmaker Abdulkarim Mohammed.
And subscribers have stuck to the platform despite the easing of the lockdown, according to Abdussalam, because of the convenience it offers as well as the fact that pirated copies can no longer be found on the streets.
The new business environment has challenges both old and new.
Nigerian telecom services are notoriously poor, with frequent signal disruptions, coupled with exorbitant data costs which affect online-based firms.
But Northflix has been coping, the owners say.
"With a single (reception signal) bar, you can watch a movie without disruption, it doesn't freeze and our network is capable of buffering the video," Abdussalam said.
Other issues include censorship, criticism on religious grounds and piracy.
Muslim clerics and government officials say the platform promotes foreign values by mimicking Hollywood and Bollywood productions at the expense of the regional Hausa culture.
The industry has also come under state-imposed restrictions and scrutiny which filmmakers say are killing creativity.
Under the law, every film must be cleared by the censorship board which requires strict adherence to Islamic injunctions, including a ban on touching between men and women.
Defaulters are usually sanctioned.
But Northflix's location in the capital Abuja puts it beyond the jurisdiction of the Kano censoring agency.
"It has helped us bypass the restrictions... and fight piracy," said Sani Danja, a leading Kannywood actor and producer.
France24
The region's movie machine -- dubbed Kannywood after its largest city Kano -- has become the dominant source of entertainment for West Africa's 80 million Hausa speakers.
Since springing up in 1992 with just seven production companies, the industry has grown to include 502 production outfits and 97 editing studios.
It now employs more than 30,000 people, according to the Kano chapter of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria.
While Kannywood films have the same themes of love, revenge and betrayal as those churned out by the prolific Nollywood film industry in the predominantly Christian south, the content must adhere to strict Islamic rules.
Northflix, Kannywood's fledgling online streaming platform, has seen its client base soar since authorities imposed lockdowns to contain the coronavirus pandemic in March.
Its subscriber base of 40,000 has nearly doubled, while revenue has tripled, CEO and co-founder Jamil Abdussalam told AFP.
"Coronavirus has been a blessing to us business-wise, despite the disruptions it has caused to the global economy," he said.
"It was not by chance, but a result of a conscious and concerted business strategy".
Kabiru Sufi, a Kano-based economist who follows trends in Kannywood, attributed the success of streaming platforms to their astute business sense and technology.
Abdussalam said Northflix formerly used the pay-per-view system but quickly switched to flat-rate subscriptions after the virus emerged in Asia and Europe, knowing that it "would reach all corners of the world".
The fee is just 1,500 naira ($4) a month in addition to subscribers' smartphone and internet costs.
The lockdown, which saw cinemas, hotels, bars and other recreational outlets shut down, was a boon for Northflix as idle Nigerians turned to their mobile phones to stream their favourite movies.
That opportunity also came as producers were desperately seeking an alternative market for their films with cinemas and DVD stores shuttered.
- 'A lifesaver' -
Northflix was the answer.
"It was a lifesaver for film producers who would not have had the avenue of making money from their movies," said Kano-based filmmaker Abdulkarim Mohammed.
And subscribers have stuck to the platform despite the easing of the lockdown, according to Abdussalam, because of the convenience it offers as well as the fact that pirated copies can no longer be found on the streets.
The new business environment has challenges both old and new.
Nigerian telecom services are notoriously poor, with frequent signal disruptions, coupled with exorbitant data costs which affect online-based firms.
But Northflix has been coping, the owners say.
"With a single (reception signal) bar, you can watch a movie without disruption, it doesn't freeze and our network is capable of buffering the video," Abdussalam said.
Other issues include censorship, criticism on religious grounds and piracy.
Muslim clerics and government officials say the platform promotes foreign values by mimicking Hollywood and Bollywood productions at the expense of the regional Hausa culture.
The industry has also come under state-imposed restrictions and scrutiny which filmmakers say are killing creativity.
Under the law, every film must be cleared by the censorship board which requires strict adherence to Islamic injunctions, including a ban on touching between men and women.
Defaulters are usually sanctioned.
But Northflix's location in the capital Abuja puts it beyond the jurisdiction of the Kano censoring agency.
"It has helped us bypass the restrictions... and fight piracy," said Sani Danja, a leading Kannywood actor and producer.
France24
Friday, August 28, 2020
Nigeria Delays Saturday's Planned Restart of International Flights
Nigeria on Thursday postponed the resumption of international flights for another week. The flights had been set to resume Saturday.
The flights have been suspended for five months as part of anti-coronavirus efforts. The Aviation Ministry posted a tweet Thursday expressing regret for delaying the flight restart, but no explanation was given for the move.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said earlier this week that the resumption of international flights was justified after there were no in-flight infections following the July 8 restoration of domestic flights.
Sirika said the recommencement of flights comes with steps to make sure progress in containing the virus is not comprised at airports.
The country wants passengers to take a coronavirus test on departure and pay for another on entering the country.
The government said it would put travelers managing to skip the tests on a travel watch list.
The federal government also intends to impose a $3,500 fine on airlines allowing coronavirus patients onto planes.
Since its first case, an Italian arriving in February, Nigeria has recorded about 50,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths.
VOA
The flights have been suspended for five months as part of anti-coronavirus efforts. The Aviation Ministry posted a tweet Thursday expressing regret for delaying the flight restart, but no explanation was given for the move.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said earlier this week that the resumption of international flights was justified after there were no in-flight infections following the July 8 restoration of domestic flights.
Sirika said the recommencement of flights comes with steps to make sure progress in containing the virus is not comprised at airports.
The country wants passengers to take a coronavirus test on departure and pay for another on entering the country.
The government said it would put travelers managing to skip the tests on a travel watch list.
The federal government also intends to impose a $3,500 fine on airlines allowing coronavirus patients onto planes.
Since its first case, an Italian arriving in February, Nigeria has recorded about 50,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths.
VOA
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Unconfiscatable? Using Bitcoin to Resist Police Extortion in Nigeria
Nigerian programmer Adebiyi David Adedoyin hears knocking at his apartment door. He’s just woken up and headed to the bathroom. He decides to take his time. He’ll answer in a minute.
But the knocking grows louder – and more urgent.
Inching open the bathroom door, Adedoyin sees someone clawing open his apartment window.
“Someone’s there,” a voice says.
It’s probably the police trying to break in, he realizes, from all the stories he’s heard.
Adedoyin is sure he hasn’t done anything wrong. But with the Nigerian police, that doesn’t matter. He still might need to brace for trouble.
As he thinks through what to do next, Adedoyin is thankful a chunk of his money is stored in bitcoin. His crypto wallet is in a hiding spot the officers probably won’t think to check. That means they’re less likely to steal it.
Police corruption
While there are many principled police officers in Nigeria who help tackle crimes, police corruption is pervasive. Many Nigerian police are known for extorting and even sometimes torturing citizens rather than helping them solve legal quandaries.
“Right there in the bathroom, where I was in my boxers with just my phone, AirPods and pack of cigarettes, I could hear them shouting for me to come open the door,” Adedoyin told CoinDesk.
This is a well-documented phenomenon in Nigeria. Over the past several years, an online social media movement has emerged against the police. On Twitter, people use the hashtag #EndSARS to publicize the poor treatment they’ve received from police. SARS stands for Special Anti-Robbery Squad, which is a particularly brutal and mistrusted wing of the Nigerian police force.
Human rights research organization Human Rights Watch released a 102-page report outlining the abuses in painful detail in 2010.
“Human Rights Watch’s research revealed that people refusing to pay bribes are routinely subjected to arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention and threats until they or their family members negotiate payment for their release. Extortion-related confrontations between the police and motorists often escalate into more serious abuses. The evidence suggests that police officers have on numerous occasions severely beaten, sexually assaulted, or shot to death ordinary citizens who failed to pay the bribes demanded,” the report reads.
Tricks and strategies
Adedoyin notes that Nigerians have to develop their own tricks to avoid police extortion, especially the younger Nigerians who are the main targets. Some people walk along different routes to avoid walking near the police.
“Now it’s up to each person to prevent oneself from entering such situations,” he said.
The practice is common enough that Adedoyin has been extorted by police officers more than once, and his friends have, too.
Corrupt police officers take their detainee’s phone. They scan through it looking for SMS or email messages signalling how much money the detainee has in the bank.
If the police officer finds the detainee doesn’t have any money, they’re less likely to waste their time.
Locked in the bathroom, Adedoyin rapidly scrolls through his most recent messages, deleting any bank statements or emails showing how much money he has.
The bathroom door lock breaks.
Adedoyin is confronted by four police officers, all carrying guns. One slaps Adedoyin and asks him why he didn’t come open the door. As Adedoyin expected, another officer snatches his phone and scans through for any grain of evidence that Adedoyin has money.
Adedoyin didn’t have time to delete everything. The officer finds some evidence of how much money he makes. They finally let him go once he pays.
Where using bitcoin comes in
It was a bad experience. But Adedoyin is happy that his bitcoin trick worked – most of his money is still safe.
“The money they collected to let me go in that case would have been a lot more if I had more money in my account. But I had most of my money in bitcoin,” Adedoyin said.
Why does using bitcoin help in this situation? Adedoyin’s ploy is to pretend that he doesn’t have much money to extort. His solution is to store his money in a bitcoin wallet instead of in a bricks-and-mortar bank. Since bitcoin’s less common, it’s less likely the police officers find it.
Put another way, he’s not putting his money into bitcoin as a safeguard because of its decentralization properties. Rather, he just thinks police officers are far less likely to look for a crypto balance than a fiat balance to see if he’s ripe for extortion.
“[The officers] don’t think to check [bitcoin] wallet apps, because most of them don’t even know what bitcoin is and even think bitcoin is a scam,” Adedoyin said.
The second reason he has bitcoin is he hopes the price will keep rising. Like many other bitcoiners in the region, he sees it as an investment that might pay off in the future.
But for now, he keeps most of his money in bitcoin as security against the next time the police come banging on his door.
By Alyssa Hertig
Coindesk
Related stories: Nigerians Are Using Bitcoin to Bypass Trade Hurdles With China
Video - Nigerian returns bitcoins worth $80,000
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