Nigeria's Tinubu approves up to 80% pay rise for soldiers

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has approved salary increases of up to 80% for members of the armed forces, benefiting about 250,000 personnel as the government seeks to boost troop morale amid persistent insurgency, banditry and kidnapping.

The new salary structure, announced on Tuesday, will take effect on September 1 and increase the armed forces' annual wage bill from 660 billion naira to 924 billion naira.

Under the package, personnel from private to staff sergeant will receive the highest increase of 80%, while those from colonel to warrant officer will get a 50% raise.

Officers above the rank of colonel, including generals, will receive a 30% increase.

Government cites security challenges

The salary review comes as Nigeria continues to battle multiple security threats, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents in the northeast, armed bandits in the northwest and widespread kidnappings across several regions.

President Tinubu said the pay increase recognises the sacrifices made by military personnel and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to improving troop welfare while modernising the armed forces with better equipment and technology.

Lawmakers welcome decision

Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, described the salary increase as a timely morale booster that would strengthen the fighting spirit of troops confronting insecurity across the country.

Senator Ahmad Lawan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, also praised the move, calling it a strategic investment in national security. He urged the armed forces to respond with greater professionalism and closer cooperation between the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Welfare and modernisation

The government said about 250,000 military personnel will benefit from the revised pay structure, which adds 264 billion naira to the annual military wage bill.

The salary adjustment forms part of broader efforts to improve troop welfare and strengthen operational effectiveness as security forces continue operations against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes across the country.

By Dominic Wabwireh, AP

Nigeria cannot build safe schools in unsafe communities

“I am profoundly happy,” Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said after security forces rescued 39 pupils and six teachers who had spent 56 days in captivity. Gunmen had abducted them from three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15.

Their rescue brought immense relief. But it also exposed a deeper failure: More than 12 years after the Chibok abduction prompted Nigeria to make schools safer, dozens of pupils and teachers could still be seized from their schools and held for nearly two months.

On April 14, 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. The attack captured the world’s attention and became a defining moment in Nigerian history. It led the United Nations, global business leaders and the Nigerian government to launch the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) the following month, initially covering 500 schools in the northeastern states.

The Oyo abduction, therefore, did more than bring school safety back to the top of the national agenda. It raised serious questions about what the initiative has achieved and whether protecting school grounds alone can keep children safe while a lack of security continues beyond them.

On paper, SSI provides for school perimeter fencing, access control and enhanced security infrastructure as well as local guards and security personnel, community-based early-warning systems, the relocation of at-risk students to safer schools, psychosocial support for survivors and temporary learning centres in camps for internally displaced people.

Since then, Nigeria’s safe-schools framework has been expanded to include all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Some states, such as Lagos and Ogun, have adapted and strengthened its implementation by introducing safety audits and establishing safety committees.

Yet nationally, the initiative has fallen far short of its promise. In June, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project called for an investigation into allegations that funds allocated to SSI had been mismanaged or diverted amid scrutiny of the 145-billion-naira ($106m) financing plan.

According to data in Nigeria’s National Plan on Financing Safe Schools, more than 42,000 primary and secondary schools across northern Nigeria lacked perimeter fencing. The gap between the initiative’s funding commitments and conditions on the ground has raised questions about how SSI has been managed. In July, the Nigerian House of Representatives ordered a comprehensive assessment of the initiative and the national plan, including the use of funds allocated to school-safety measures.

Despite the initiative, attacks on schools and abductions of students and teachers have continued. Thousands of Nigerian students have been abducted by armed groups since 2014. A media tally recorded the abduction of at least 603 students and teachers in seven mass attacks from March 2024 to May 2026 alone.

The consequences extend beyond those directly abducted. In many affected areas, a persistent lack of security has forced schools to remain closed, depriving children of their educations. On July 9, the Kebbi State government reiterated that schools in communities affected by banditry would remain closed until security improved, about seven months after the policy was introduced.

This worsening crisis exposes the failure to implement SSI fully and effectively. Many targeted schools remain outside the programme’s protection or have received upgrades only on paper. Even where physical security measures are in place, they cannot work in isolation.

Building a wall around a school does not prevent armed groups from operating, recruiting or expanding in the surrounding area. Nor does it protect students on their journeys to and from school. Without the initiative’s broader early-warning and community-security measures, fortification leaves the threat intact beyond the school walls.

That wider threat is sustained by economic and governance failures. Armed groups and their local collaborators have different motives, but they thrive under many of the same conditions: high unemployment, extreme poverty, the absence of state authority and the rule of law in rural and border areas, corruption within local government and the security apparatus, and perceived political, economic and social marginalisation.

Effective implementation of SSI also requires sustained funding. In a country where the education sector is already severely underfunded, SSI can succeed only if governments budget not merely for walls, gates and surveillance systems but also for trained personnel, maintenance and emergency response. Without sustained funding, these systems will deteriorate and leave schools vulnerable once again.

Fortification can also carry psychological and educational costs. A school, at its core, is an open community space for learning and growth. Transforming schools into something resembling “fortified prisons” or miniature military barracks can create an environment of constant fear and apprehension among students, negatively affecting their academic performance and mental health and weakening the schools’ role as centres of community life.

The answer is not to abandon SSI but to place it within a broader strategy. Schools cannot be protected in isolation from the roads, forests and communities surrounding them.

A sustainable solution to a lack of security at schools lies in comprehensive community security. This means reforming Nigeria’s security sector, integrating schools into local early-warning networks, improving relations between security forces and citizens, and extending effective state protection into areas where armed groups operate. It also requires economic development to address the entrenched poverty and unemployment that armed groups exploit, alongside efforts to combat terrorism and extremist recruitment.

Nigeria’s schools cannot be secure while the communities around them remain unsafe.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

By Hakeem Najimdeen, CEO of Alafarika for Studies and Consultancy, Nigeria, Al Jazeera

Nigeria’s 14-year-old Ekunke Odey Goodness wins FIDE World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship 2026

 

History was made in Abuja as Nigeria’s 14-year-old Ekunke Odey Goodness emerged as the inaugural champion of the FIDE World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship 2026, scoring an impressive 9/11.

The young Nigerian produced a remarkable performance against a strong field to claim the historic title, finishing ahead of two experienced compatriots, FM Eugene Ekpoikong Unwana and FM Bomo Lovet Kigigha, who were second and third, respectively, with 8½ points each.

The championship, organised by FIDE and the Nigeria Chess Federation in Abuja, was played over 11 rounds with the time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment.

Sambo’s sensational rise and dramatic fall

One of the most compelling stories of the championship was the rise of 17-year-old Joseph Sambo, who produced a series of outstanding results to establish himself as a serious contender for the title.

Sambo’s campaign reached its high point in the eighth round when he defeated the tournament’s teenage leader, Ekunke Goodness. The victory came after he had already defeated Ekunke’s coach and mentor, FM Bomo Kigigha, making his run through the championship an extraordinary story of overcoming both teacher and student.

The 17-year-old continued his charge in Round 9, scoring a win over AIM Sahil Sanjay Shejal, and headed into the final two rounds with a genuine chance for the title.

However, the title slipped away in the final stretch. In Round 10, Sambo fell to Eugene Unwana, and his hopes of winning the championship suffered another decisive blow in the final round when he lost to Lanre Seye Oluwalasinu.

Joseph eventually finished fourth with 7½ points, just half a point outside the podium.

Eugene Unwana emerges from the shadows

If Ekunke’s triumph was the headline story, FM Eugene Ekpoikong Unwana was undoubtedly the championship’s late sensation.

After quietly building his position through the tournament, Eugene announced himself emphatically on the final day. He defeated FM Bomo Kigigha in Round 9 and then notched up another crucial victory over Sambo Joseph in Round 10, suddenly finding himself within touching distance of the championship title.

His final-round encounter against Ekunke became the decisive battle of the championship.

Unwana, playing White, entered the last round on 8 points, while Ekunke had 8½ points. With everything at stake, the two Nigerians battled to a draw, securing the 14-year-old the championship with 9 points.

Eugene’s 8½ points were enough to earn him the silver medal, while Bomo Kigigha also finished on 8½ points but took bronze on tie-break.

India makes its mark in Abuja

The championship also featured strong representation from India, adding an important international dimension to the inaugural event.

Leading the Indian challenge was AIM Sahil Sanjay Shejal, who finished an impressive fifth overall with 7½ points. Shejal remained firmly in the mix during the closing stages of the championship and faced 17-year-old Sambo Joseph in Round 9, in a game that formed part of Joseph’s dramatic late push for the title.

Another Indian player who attracted attention was AFM Aryan Raj, who faced 14-year-old Ekunke Goodness in Round 7. Ekunke’s victory over the Indian player became another significant milestone in his championship campaign, coming shortly after his memorable Round 6 draw against his coach and mentor, FM Bomo Kigigha.

The presence and performances of the Indian players added further international flavour to a championship ultimately dominated by a thrilling battle among the leading Nigerian players. With the inaugural title staying in Nigeria, the event nonetheless showcased the competitive strength and global appeal of amateur chess, bringing players from Nigeria, India, and other countries together in Abuja.

Final standings

A championship of generations

The final standings offered a remarkable picture of Nigerian chess: a 14-year-old champion, a 17-year-old challenger who briefly seized control of the tournament, and experienced players who fought through the final rounds for the medals.

The inaugural championship has also produced a compelling narrative for Nigerian chess, one of youthful brilliance, mentorship, rivalry and resilience, while Abuja witnessed the emergence of a new world champion whose name will now be permanently associated with the history of the FIDE World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship.

International Chess Federation

Related story: Bill Clinton praises 8-year old Nigerian chess prodigy seeking refugee status in the U.S.

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Nigeria Becomes Indonesia’s Top Crude Supplier

Indonesia has been buying large numbers of African crude this year, according to official statistics, as Jakarta draws attention for its Russian contracts.

The government-run statistics agency BPS revealed on Monday that Nigeria made up nearly a quarter of Indonesia’s crude oil imports from January to June 2026.

“Nigeria accounted for 24.91% of the crude imports made in the first half. Followed by Angola [15.41%] and Saudi Arabia [13.62%],” BPS deputy Ateng Hartono told reporters in Jakarta.

The monthly crude imports reached $1.20 million in January on cargoes weighing 2.52 million tons. The February shipments weighed less at just 610,000 tons and had a price tag of $280,000. The figures rose to 1.56 million tons and cost just $850,000 in March. Indonesia imported 1.6 million tons of crude at $1.09 million the following month. The May volume totaled 710,000 tons, Ateng said, without disclosing the value. Imports reached $1.72 million in June, although Ateng did not say the volume.

Indonesia has been working to diversify its oil sources by tapping suppliers whose routes do not include the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping flows have ground to a halt in this narrow passage following the US-Iran war that erupted in late February. Amidst the Nigerian crude purchases, Indonesia has also turned to Moscow for fuel.

Just last week, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that the first batch of the Russian crude had already arrived in the country. Local news agencies wrote that the delivery comprised 770,000 barrels. According to initial reports, the order would total 150 million barrels.

“We want to safeguard our energy reserves so we will not face any shortage,” Bahlil said at a press briefing, commenting on the Russian crude.

The overall oil and gas imports had skyrocketed 105.15% year-on-year to $4.56 billion in June 2026, BPS reported. The first-half fuel imports also soared 38.71% compared with the same period last year. Singapore and Malaysia are the leading suppliers.

By Jayanty Nada Shofa, JAKARTA GLOBE