NAIJAFEED

Monday, May 18, 2026

Latest militant attacks on schools in Nigeria leave more than 80 children missing, officials say

A wave of militant attacks on schools in Nigeria over the last week has resulted in more than 80 children gone missing, local officials and a rights group said Sunday, the latest in school abductions in the West African country where the government is battling an array of jihadi and other armed groups.

The attackers targeted a primary school in the war-torn state of Borno, in Nigeria’s northeastern corner, sometime between Wednesday and Thursday. The militants abducted 42 children there, in the Askira Uba and Chibok areas.

Amnesty International said that attack took place in the village of Mussa near Sambisa Forest, a stronghold of militants from Boko Haram and its splinter group, an Islamic State affiliate known as the Islamic State West Africa Province.

Across the country, two secondary schools in the southwestern Oyo state were attacked hours apart Friday, and at least 40 children were abducted there, according to Amnesty’s Nigeria branch. Such abductions are rare in that area.

The rights group warned Sunday that the threat of abduction is forcing many children out of school, while underage girls are being pulled out of classrooms and forced into marriage by families seeking to protect them from school attacks.

Peter Wabba, a government official from Mussa, said Sunday that he was told that 48 children had been abducted in Oyo.

“The government is assuring us that they are doing their ... best to see that these children are rescued, but up till now, we are still waiting,” he told the Associated Press.

Amnesty also said that the authorities “never fulfill promises to investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

“Victims and their families continue to be denied access to justice,” it said.

On Saturday, police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka told the AP that three gunmen were detained in connection with the Oyo attack, which took place in the Oriire area, about 135 miles from Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.

The suspects were identified by the community and arrested, Olayinka said. Police did not say whether they were searching for more suspects.

Abductions of schoolchildren are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, especially in the country’s north. Last year, two mass abductions from schools rocked the nation, with more than 300 children taken in the northern region.

School kidnappings have come to define the lack of security in Nigeria, and analysts say it’s often because armed gangs see schools as strategic targets they can exploit to draw attention.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children

US military carries out more strikes against ISIL fighters in Nigeria

The ⁠United States military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) says it has carried out additional air strikes ‌against ISIL (ISIS) fighters in northeastern Nigeria in ⁠coordination with the Nigerian ⁠government.

The “additional kinetic” strikes happened on Sunday, AFRICOM said in a statement on Monday, adding that no US or ⁠Nigerian forces ⁠were ⁠harmed during the strikes.

“The removal of these terrorists diminishes the group’s capacity to plan attacks that threaten the safety and security of the US and our partners,” the statement said. “AFRICOM remains committed to leveraging specialized US capabilities in support of our partners to defeat shared security threats.”

The US attack in coordination with Nigeria came two days after the presidents of both countries announced the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second in command of ISIL. He was targeted “along with several of his lieutenants” in a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said on Saturday.

US President Donald Trump first made the announcement in a social media post on Friday without disclosing when or where the joint Nigerian-US military operation happened.

Before pledging allegiance to ISIL in 2015, al-Minuki was a prominent Boko Haram leader, according to the Nigerian army, which said al-Minuki oversaw key ISIL operations in the Sahel and West African regions for the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Dennis Amachree, former director of the US Department of State Services in Nigeria, told Al Jazeera that the killing of al-Minuki “is going to create a huge vacuum in the leadership and financing of ISWAP as many top officers were decimated with him”.

This latest wave of US-Nigeria coordinated attacks comes as dozens of US soldiers have been deployed to Nigeria in recent months to help fight against armed groups, engage in intelligence sharing and provide technical support.

Samaila Uba, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesman, has said US soldiers will not play a direct combat role but will share technical expertise under the full command authority of Nigerian forces.

Last Christmas, US forces launched air strikes on ISIL-affiliated fighters in northwestern Nigeria. Speaking about whether this incident was part of a broader military campaign, Trump told The New York Times: “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”

The Nigerian government has rejected Trump’s accusation of mass killings of Christians in the West African country. Analysts said people across all faiths, not just Christians, are victims of armed groups.

Al Jazeera

Friday, May 15, 2026

The Loom Awakens: Nigeria’s Fashion Resurrection

For decades, the rhythmic hum of textile looms in industrial hubs like Kaduna and Kano served as the heartbeat of the Nigerian economy. Over time, that hum faded into silence. Today, the Federal Government is attempting to break that silence with the launch of the National Cotton, Textile, and Garment Industrial Transformation Programme (NCTG-ITP)—an ambitious framework projected to inject over 1.5 million jobs into the economy.

Unveiled at a major stakeholder session in Abuja, this initiative represents a fundamental shift in how Nigeria approaches industrialization. It isn't just a political promise; it's a structural rethink of the entire "Farm-to-Fashion" pipeline.

Moving Beyond the "Coordination Trap"

According to John Owan Enoh, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade, and Investment, the historical failure of the sector hasn't just been a lack of money or power.

“Our biggest challenge has not been finance or infrastructure alone, but coordination across the value chain.” — John Owan Enoh, Minister of State

To bridge these gaps, the new policy framework introduces a unified ecosystem:

Upstream Support: Streamlining policy and financing for cotton farmers through partnerships with the Bank of Agriculture (BoA).
Midstream Infrastructure: Collaborating with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to modernize manufacturing and processing.
Downstream Market Access: Equipping small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) with technology and skills to scale up production.

Proof of Concept: The 10,000 T-Shirt Proof

To prove this isn’t just theoretical, the ministry highlighted the success of its recent six-month pilot project. Led by Eme Bassey, Special Adviser on CTG, the pilot successfully manufactured 10,000 high-quality, made-in-Nigeria T-shirts using 100% locally sourced cotton.

The timeline from raw cotton to finished garment took just six to seven months. The takeaway? Nigerian factories can produce apparel that is completely cost-competitive with cheap foreign imports, proving the local value chain is viable.

The Macro Picture: AfCFTA and Demographic Dividends

With manufacturing activity facing macroeconomic strains, the textile revival is being viewed as a critical lever for broader economic diversification. Chris Osa, the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, and Olumuyiwa Ajayi, Director of Industrial Development, emphasized that the sector holds immense potential for empowering women and youth, who make up the backbone of the fashion and tailoring economy.

Furthermore, a self-sustaining textile industry positions Nigeria to transition from a consumer market to an aggressive exporter under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Backed by international bodies like the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the initiative aims to transform Nigeria into West Africa's garment powerhouse.

Looking Ahead

The blueprint is solid, and the pilot project proves the local capacity is there. The ultimate test will now be whether the government can sustain this level of value-chain coordination while protecting local manufacturers from the persistent threats of smuggling and high operational costs. If the execution matches the ambition, Nigeria’s textile industry could soon become a core engine of its economic future.

Business Day

China confirms that Nigeria is its largest engineering contracting market in Africa

Chinese officials recently highlighted Nigeria’s position within China’s long-term developmental and economic strategies, citing the country’s growing influence in infrastructure projects, investment, and bilateral trade.

During a seminar in the Chinese capital, Beijing, attended by prominent Nigerian government officials and media figures, Nigeria was touted as one of China’s major African partners.

It was also made known during the seminar that Nigeria now stands as one of China's premier market for engineering and construction on the African continent, boasting the title of the largest engineering contracting market in Africa.

“Nigeria is China’s largest engineering contracting market, second-largest export market, third-largest trading partner, and a major investment destination in Africa,” he stated.

Additionally, the West African country also stands as China’s second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner in Africa, according to the Deputy Director at the China International Communications Group, Li Hengtian.

As seen in the Punch newspaper, the Deputy Director began the session by stating that the goal of the seminar was to improve communication and collaboration between the two nations through media cooperation and people-centered storytelling.

“Stories are the highest form of human communication,” he said, quoting Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

“Today, in Beijing at the beginning of summer, we are here precisely for stories, to tell China’s stories, to listen to Nigeria’s stories, and even more so, to together write a new chapter of China-Nigeria friendship,” Li added.

Nigeria and China’s strategic ties

According to Li Hengtian, Deputy Director at the China International Communications Group, Nigeria also functions as China's second-largest export market and third-largest trading partner in Africa.

Invoking the words of Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, he remarked that stories represent the highest form of human communication.

Li further stated that the gathering in Beijing served to facilitate the exchange of national narratives and to co-author a new chapter in the diplomatic friendship between China and Nigeria.

He described the two countries as civilizational allies, noting a diplomatic relationship that has been maintained since 1971.

“For over half a century, this friendship has been like the Niger River and the Yangtze River: though separated by vast oceans, they each flow ceaselessly, eventually merging into the great sea of a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.

Furthermore, Li underscored Nigeria's strategic significance within China's broader objectives for economic expansion across Africa.

“From the Lagos Light Rail to the Abuja Rail Mass Transit, from the Lekki Deep Sea Port to the Zungeru Hydropower Station, monuments of China-Africa cooperation have risen one after another across the African continent,” he stated.

He remarked that this relationship contributes to a collective future for humanity.

Furthermore, Li emphasized Nigeria's strategic importance within China's broader economic expansion objectives in Africa.

The deputy director noted that several significant projects, including the Lagos Light Rail, the Abuja Rail Mass Transit, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, and the Zungeru Hydropower Station, serve as prominent examples of China-Africa cooperation across the continent.

He further asserted that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative are now significantly dependent upon the bilateral relations between China and Nigeria.

“In the grand narrative of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China-Nigeria cooperation has always been a highlight. More and more Nigerian youth are travelling east to pursue the starlight of knowledge in Chinese institutions; more and more Chinese builders are heading west to Nigeria to sow the seeds of development on its fertile soil,” he said.

“This year, the two countries are working together to build a China-Nigeria community with a shared future. I believe that with the joint efforts of China and Nigeria, mutually beneficial cooperation will progress steadily and yield more fruits on the African continent,” he added.

By Chinedu Okafor, Business Insider Africa

Nigeria, Chinese firm partner to build EV plants with 70,000-unit capacity

Nigeria is set to take a major step in electric vehicle manufacturing after Hybrid Motors Nigeria signed a partnership with a Chinese automotive firm to establish large-scale production facilities in Lagos and Abuja.

The agreement brings together Hybrid Motors Nigeria and Launch Design to jointly develop electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plants with a combined annual capacity of 70,000 units, Daily Trust reported.

The partnership will support the production of “Acely,” an indigenous automobile brand designed specifically for Nigerian roads and driving conditions. Both companies said the collaboration combines local market understanding with global engineering expertise to strengthen Nigeria’s automotive sector.

Chief Executive Officer Jubril Arogundade said the initiative marks a significant step toward building a strong domestic auto industry, adding that the goal is to produce vehicles that meet international standards while remaining tailored for local needs.

His counterpart at Launch Design, Wang Xun, said the partnership offers an opportunity to contribute to Africa’s growing automotive manufacturing landscape, highlighting the role of engineering capabilities in supporting the venture.

Under the agreement, the Lagos facility will serve as the main production and assembly hub with an annual capacity of 50,000 units. Located along the Lekki-Epe corridor, the plant is expected to benefit from proximity to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, supporting exports to markets including Ghana, Benin, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.

The Abuja plant, with a capacity of 20,000 units annually, will function as a secondary production and technology centre, catering to northern Nigeria and neighbouring Sahel countries.

The companies said the dual-location strategy will help reduce logistics costs, improve operational efficiency and create jobs across different regions.

The “Acely” vehicles will focus on energy efficiency and advanced technologies suited to Nigeria’s terrain and climate, while supporting the gradual shift toward electric and hybrid mobility.

The project aligns with the Federal Government’s National Automotive Industry Development Plan, which aims to expand local vehicle production and attract investment into the sector.

Industry observers say the move could play a key role in advancing Nigeria’s clean mobility goals while strengthening its position in Africa’s automotive manufacturing space.

By Vivek Waghmode, BIO Energy Times

Video - Nigeria, China partner to build EV plants