Nigeria's 'Special Economic Zones' earnings hit $500m

Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones generated more than $500 million in export revenues and created over 20,000 direct jobs last year, underlining their growing contribution to the government’s strategy to shift the economy away from oil and towards export-led growth, according to a new government review document.

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment said the performance of the zones reflected broad reforms implemented in 2025 to deepen industrial capacity, expand exports, attract investment, and restore confidence among global investors.

The findings were outlined in a document titled 2025: A Defining Year for Nigeria’s Industry, Trade and Investment.

“Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones generated over $500m in export revenues and created more than 20,000 direct jobs, reinforcing their role as engines of export-led growth, industrialisation and employment generation,” the report said, noting coordinated work by the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority and the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority.

The figures arrive amid broader gains in Nigeria’s trade landscape, with non-oil exports rising by about 21 per cent to $12.8 billion in the first half of 2025, nearly double the government’s internal target of $6.5 billion for that period.

This growth helped produce a trade surplus worth roughly N12 trillion, driven by stronger export performance and improvements in trade facilitation and logistics.

According to the review, the rise in non-oil exports was supported by increased value addition in key agricultural and manufactured products.

Nigeria’s top export earners included cocoa and cocoa derivatives, sesame seeds, cashew nuts, shea butter, ginger, hibiscus flowers, rubber, processed palm oil, fertilisers, cement, and liquefied natural gas. Efforts to build exporter capacity were also highlighted.

Working with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the ministry said it trained more than 27,000 exporters, certified 200 micro, small, and medium enterprises for international markets, and supported over 3,000 farmers by distributing hybrid seedlings. One inclusive trade initiative, the Women Export Fund, attracted more than 67,000 applications and awarded grants to 146 women-led businesses.

On investment flows, the ministry pointed to a recovery in foreign interest in Nigeria’s economy, reporting that four priority projects worth a combined $13.7 billion had advanced from the memorandum of understanding stage towards implementation.

These commitments stemmed from a larger pipeline of deals originally valued at more than $50.8 billion.

The review credited structured engagement with investors and high-level trade missions for helping to reshape perceptions of Nigeria’s business environment and improve deal quality. It said these engagements laid the groundwork for stronger investment pipelines and positioned Nigeria as a credible destination for long-term capital.

Analysts say the performance of the special economic zones and the wider export boom are part of efforts to diversify the economy, reduce reliance on crude oil earnings, and build more resilient sources of foreign exchange.

Nigeria’s recent trade and export momentum is seen as a sign of gradual progress in structural economic reforms, even as challenges in infrastructure and competitiveness remain on policymakers’ agenda.

The government said it plans to build on the gains of 2025 by accelerating export execution and sustaining investment flows, aiming to create jobs and foster more inclusive growth in the coming years.

By Segun Adeyemi, Business Insider Africa

Nigerian stars dominate All Africa Music Awards

 

Nigerian artists secured a string of victories at the 9th All Africa Music Awards (Afrima), which concluded in Lagos on Sunday night.

Global superstar Burna Boy claimed the prestigious Album of the Year award for his latest work No Sign of Weakness.

He also shared the award for Best African Collaboration with fast-rising compatriot Shallipopi, who separately won the coveted Song of the Year for his hit single Laho, which made waves on social media.

The week-long event, which had a diverse group of music experts from across Africa and the diaspora as jurors, brought together industry professionals, culminating in a ceremony where Nigeria's current musical prowess was firmly on display.

Leading the tally for the evening was Rema, who took home three awards: Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste in Western Africa, and Best African Artiste in RnB and Soul.

Other notable Nigerian winners included Yemi Alade, who won Best Soundtrack in a Movie, Series or Documentary for her song You Are from the animated series Iyanu, and veteran rapper Phyno, named Best African Artiste in African Hip-Hop.

The awards also celebrated emerging talent. Qing Madi was crowned Most Promising Artiste of the Year, while Chella earned the title of African Fans' Favourite.

While Nigerian stars dominated, the ceremony celebrated talent from across Africa.

Senegal's Bakhaw Dioum won Song Writer of the Year and Algeria's DJ Moh Green who scooped DJ of the Year award ahead of some notable South African DJs.

Ghana's Wendy Shay won Best Female Artiste in West Africa, South Africa's Nontokozo Mkhize won Best Female Artiste in Southern Africa and Tanzania's Juma Jux was named Best Male Artiste in Eastern Africa.

The success of Nigerian artists underscores the continued global appeal of Afrobeats.

The genre, which fuses African rhythms with Western influences, has seen explosive international growth in recent years.

Burna Boy, a defining figure in this movement since its breakthrough, remains one of its most prominent ambassadors, with his album win cementing his influential status.

By Mansur Abubakar, BBC

Video - Algeria vs Nigeria | Victor Osimhen was UNSTOPPABLE in the AFCON quarterfinals

The difference made by Victor Osimhen—with one goal and one assist—ultimately defined Nigeria national football team’s clear superiority over Algeria national football team. Nigeria won with authority and merit, creating more chances and finishing better, and returned to the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face Morocco—the host nation—on Wednesday in Rabat.

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Anthony Joshua issues emotional first remarks since car accident in Nigeria that killed two close friends

 

Former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua issued his first public remarks after a tragic car accident in Nigeria took two lives.

Anthony Joshua suffered the loss of two of his longtime team members in a car accident last month in Nigeria. Joshua, who defeated Jake Paul just days before the crash, suffered minor injuries and received treatment at a local hospital.

It was a scary and tragic moment for Joshua, the victims, and their families. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and a 46-year-old man was charged with death by dangerous driving, according to police.

Joshua recently video-called with former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, a fellow Nigerian, after the accident. But Joshua has remained relatively quiet on social media since the accident as he begins his grieving process.

Anthony Joshua makes first public statement since fatal car accident

In a recent social media post, Joshua spoke about the accident and paid tribute to his two teammates.

“Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” Joshua said. “I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100 percent it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Joshua is considered one of the top heavyweight fighters on the planet and is reportedly set to fight Tyson Fury in a heavyweight match later this year. Fury hasn’t fought since suffering back-to-back losses to Joshua’s former foe Oleksandr Usyk.

In the meantime, Joshua and his family are dealing with the aftermath of the horrific car accident. This is a developing story and we’ll continue to update you as new details become available.

By Curtis Calhoun, BJPENN.COM

Related story: Police arrest Joshua’s driver after boxer discharged

Trump Says There Could Be More US Strikes In Nigeria

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could carry out further military strikes in Nigeria if Christians continue to be killed, reigniting a sensitive debate over religious violence and foreign intervention in Africa’s most populous nation.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with The New York Times, published on Thursday, while responding to questions about a US military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day. At the time, the US military said the operation targeted Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria and was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.

Nigeria, however, described the operation as a joint counterterrorism effort, stressing that it was aimed at armed groups designated as terrorists and “had nothing to do with a particular religion”.

“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump was quoted as saying. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”

Pressed on comments by his own Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims but insisted that Christians were being targeted disproportionately.

“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly raised alarms about the safety of Christians in Nigeria, beginning in late October when he warned that Christianity faced what he described as an “existential threat” in the country. He has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to adequately protect Christian communities and has openly threatened US military intervention if the violence continues.

Nigeria has firmly rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians. The government maintains that the country’s security challenges are complex and largely driven by insurgency, banditry and criminal violence rather than religious targeting.

With a population of more than 230 million people, Nigeria is almost evenly divided between Christians, who are concentrated mainly in the south, and Muslims, who predominate in the north. Islamist insurgencies, particularly Boko Haram and its offshoots, have plagued parts of northern Nigeria for more than a decade, killing thousands and displacing millions.

Nigerian authorities have repeatedly pointed out that militant attacks have claimed the lives of both Muslims and Christians, arguing that framing the violence along religious lines oversimplifies the crisis and risks inflaming tensions.

Following Trump’s earlier threats, the Nigerian government said it was willing to continue cooperating with Washington in combating terrorism but rejected language suggesting that Christians alone were under threat.

The latest comments are likely to strain diplomatic relations further, as Nigeria balances its partnership with the United States against concerns over sovereignty, security cooperation and the portrayal of its internal conflicts on the global stage.

By Melissa Enoch, Arise News