Nigeria continued a turbulent period as they slumped to a dramatic 3-2 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat against Congo on Saturday.
The hosts took a 13th-minute lead in Calabar through Efe Ambrose, only for Prince Oniangue to level the score.
Thievy Bifouma put the visitors ahead five minutes before half-time and the U.J Esuene Stadium was left shocked as the forward extended the advantage to 3-1 from the penalty spot.
Substitute Gbolahan Salami set up a grandstand finish with an 89th-minute goal, but Congo were able to hold on for a famous triumph.
Stephen Keshi's deal as Nigeria coach was allowed to run down after the 2014 World Cup, but the 52-year-old remains in charge and took the reins for Saturday's game.
Nigeria's last-16 defeat to France in Brazil was preceded by a dispute between the players and the country's football association over bonuses, and the ruling body are currently facing a possible ban due to political interference.
Congo lost to Rwanda in the previous round of qualifying and only reached this stage after their conquerors were found guilty of selecting an ineligible player.
They did not seem like such lucky losers when Ambrose nodded in from an Ahmed Musa free-kick but Oniangue restored parity on the end of a powerful run by Sagesse Babele.
Bifouma put his team ahead when Nigeria were hesitant in dealing with a corner and there was further defensive woe in the 53rd minute when Ogenyi Onazi felled the Almeria man and the referee awarded a penalty.
Bifouma made no mistake before Lazio's Onazi passed up a glorious opportunity to atone for his error at the other end.
Emmanuel Emenike, a surprise omission from Keshi's starting line-up, came on to draw a fine saw from Chancel Massa as Nigeria piled on the pressure.
Salami's strike in a goalmouth melee was their only reward and attentions can now only tentatively turn towards next week's match against South Africa, as a Fifa suspension hangs over the Nigerian FA unless it can agree to terms from world football's governing body by Monday.
Goal
Related story: FIFA planning on suspending Nigeria again
Monday, September 8, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
Boko Haram now threatens state capital
From a ragtag band of fighters conducting sporadic raids and bombings from its hideouts, Nigeria’s Boko Haram is fast evolving into a force able to take and hold territory. In attacks on September 1st its jihadist militants overran Bama, the second-largest town in Borno state.
Armed with rocket-launchers and armoured vehicles stolen from the demoralised Nigerian army, Boko Haram (its name translates loosely as “Western education is forbidden”) has moved beyond its established lairs in the Sambisa forest and the Mandara Mountains. In recent weeks it has taken several towns close to the Cameroonian border, among them Gwoza, Gamboru Ngala and Banki.
The seizure of Bama could provide a launch-pad for an attack on parts of Maiduguri, the state’s capital, about 65km (40 miles) away, with a population of more than 1m people. It was the birthplace of the insurgency. Two areas seized by the group in recent weeks form a strategic crescent around the city. Boko Haram has destroyed a series of bridges, including several close to Maiduguri, in an attempt to thwart military access and isolate parts of the state.
The grab for territory signals a change from Boko Haram’s hit-and-run tactics. This may be in keeping with pronouncements by its firebrand leader, Abubakar Shekau, that chunks of Borno state are “Muslim territory” in what appears to be an imitation of the caliphate proclaimed in parts of Iraq and Syria by Islamic State. Boko Haram has erected flags over the towns it has invaded, forcing any remaining residents to follow its strict version of sharia (Islamic law) or be killed.
Further territorial gains by the group could worsen a dire humanitarian situation. Thousands of refugees have sought sanctuary in Maiduguri, and the UN reckons that 9,000 people fleeing violence have arrived in Cameroon in the past ten days, with another 2,000 crossing into Niger, a desert nation already buckling under the pressure of taking in 50,000 refugees since May 2013.
Nigeria’s security forces have only slim prospects of rolling back the insurgency. Government soldiers are said to have fled Bama, as they did in earlier attacks on other towns; a whole battalion fled to Cameroon last month. Nigeria’s army claimed it had repelled the attack on Bama, then extended a curfew in Maiduguri. A recent report by Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, points out that soldiers in the north-east are suffering from malfunctioning equipment, low morale, desertions and mutinies. Despite a large increase in government spending on the army, little of this largesse has found its way to the front lines: many of the troops fighting against Boko Haram have been paid late, or sometimes not at all.
A change in tactics is also called for. The report argues that the army needs first of all to protect civilians. It was a little over a year ago that Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, who is expected to run for re-election in February, made the somewhat embarrassing admission that parts of Borno state were no longer under the government’s control. Mr Jonathan’s promise to end a “serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity” looks increasingly empty. Conditions in north-eastern Nigeria are deteriorating, soldiers are breaking ranks and an emboldened terror group is gaining momentum.
The Economist
Related stories: Another Northern Nigerian town falls to Boko Haram
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Armed with rocket-launchers and armoured vehicles stolen from the demoralised Nigerian army, Boko Haram (its name translates loosely as “Western education is forbidden”) has moved beyond its established lairs in the Sambisa forest and the Mandara Mountains. In recent weeks it has taken several towns close to the Cameroonian border, among them Gwoza, Gamboru Ngala and Banki.
The seizure of Bama could provide a launch-pad for an attack on parts of Maiduguri, the state’s capital, about 65km (40 miles) away, with a population of more than 1m people. It was the birthplace of the insurgency. Two areas seized by the group in recent weeks form a strategic crescent around the city. Boko Haram has destroyed a series of bridges, including several close to Maiduguri, in an attempt to thwart military access and isolate parts of the state.
The grab for territory signals a change from Boko Haram’s hit-and-run tactics. This may be in keeping with pronouncements by its firebrand leader, Abubakar Shekau, that chunks of Borno state are “Muslim territory” in what appears to be an imitation of the caliphate proclaimed in parts of Iraq and Syria by Islamic State. Boko Haram has erected flags over the towns it has invaded, forcing any remaining residents to follow its strict version of sharia (Islamic law) or be killed.
Further territorial gains by the group could worsen a dire humanitarian situation. Thousands of refugees have sought sanctuary in Maiduguri, and the UN reckons that 9,000 people fleeing violence have arrived in Cameroon in the past ten days, with another 2,000 crossing into Niger, a desert nation already buckling under the pressure of taking in 50,000 refugees since May 2013.
Nigeria’s security forces have only slim prospects of rolling back the insurgency. Government soldiers are said to have fled Bama, as they did in earlier attacks on other towns; a whole battalion fled to Cameroon last month. Nigeria’s army claimed it had repelled the attack on Bama, then extended a curfew in Maiduguri. A recent report by Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, points out that soldiers in the north-east are suffering from malfunctioning equipment, low morale, desertions and mutinies. Despite a large increase in government spending on the army, little of this largesse has found its way to the front lines: many of the troops fighting against Boko Haram have been paid late, or sometimes not at all.
A change in tactics is also called for. The report argues that the army needs first of all to protect civilians. It was a little over a year ago that Nigeria’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, who is expected to run for re-election in February, made the somewhat embarrassing admission that parts of Borno state were no longer under the government’s control. Mr Jonathan’s promise to end a “serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity” looks increasingly empty. Conditions in north-eastern Nigeria are deteriorating, soldiers are breaking ranks and an emboldened terror group is gaining momentum.
The Economist
Related stories: Another Northern Nigerian town falls to Boko Haram
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Thursday, September 4, 2014
MTN to transfer ownership of 9,000 towers in Nigeria
MTN says it has reached an agreement with IHS Holding for the transfer of its towers business, comprising of up to 9,151 of MTN’s mobile network towers in Nigeria.
The transaction is expected to reduce MTN Nigeria’s operating costs, drive network efficiencies and further expand MTN’s voice and data capacity, the operator said.
Under the terms of the transaction and subject to requisite regulatory approvals, the 9,151 towers will be transferred to a new company which will be owned jointly by MTN and IHS.
IHS will have full operational control of the underlying business.
The new towers company will market independent infrastructure sharing services to other mobile operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria.
The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2014.
Sifiso Dabengwa, Group President and CEO of MTN Group, said: “We are delighted to have entered into a further transfer transaction with IHS, in our largest African market. IHS’ deep knowledge and considerable experience in the sector will help drive efficiencies and enhance our network uptime, allowing us to concentrate on further raising our own service levels, improving the customer experience and ensuring we remain the number one operator in Nigeria.”
This is the ninth tower transaction for IHS and its fifth with MTN following the transactions in Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Rwanda and Zambia that took place in 2012 and 2013. On completion of this transaction, IHS will manage over 20,000 towers in Africa.
As part of the deal, the new towers company has committed more than US$500 million of additional investment over four years into tower upgrades and a maintenance programme to improve quality of service and enhance the customer experience on the MTN Nigeria network.
In addition, further investments will be made into IHS’ centralised Network Operations Centre (NOC) in Nigeria to optimise operations and increase IHS’ market leading network uptimes of over 99%.
IHS said it anticipates creating a ‘considerable number’ of technical and engineering direct and indirect employment opportunities to be sourced locally in Nigeria.
Business Tech
Related stories: Wande Adalemo - From University drop out to Nigerian tech giant
PayPal signs "tens of thousands" in first week of launch in Nigeria
The transaction is expected to reduce MTN Nigeria’s operating costs, drive network efficiencies and further expand MTN’s voice and data capacity, the operator said.
Under the terms of the transaction and subject to requisite regulatory approvals, the 9,151 towers will be transferred to a new company which will be owned jointly by MTN and IHS.
IHS will have full operational control of the underlying business.
The new towers company will market independent infrastructure sharing services to other mobile operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria.
The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2014.
Sifiso Dabengwa, Group President and CEO of MTN Group, said: “We are delighted to have entered into a further transfer transaction with IHS, in our largest African market. IHS’ deep knowledge and considerable experience in the sector will help drive efficiencies and enhance our network uptime, allowing us to concentrate on further raising our own service levels, improving the customer experience and ensuring we remain the number one operator in Nigeria.”
This is the ninth tower transaction for IHS and its fifth with MTN following the transactions in Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Rwanda and Zambia that took place in 2012 and 2013. On completion of this transaction, IHS will manage over 20,000 towers in Africa.
As part of the deal, the new towers company has committed more than US$500 million of additional investment over four years into tower upgrades and a maintenance programme to improve quality of service and enhance the customer experience on the MTN Nigeria network.
In addition, further investments will be made into IHS’ centralised Network Operations Centre (NOC) in Nigeria to optimise operations and increase IHS’ market leading network uptimes of over 99%.
IHS said it anticipates creating a ‘considerable number’ of technical and engineering direct and indirect employment opportunities to be sourced locally in Nigeria.
Business Tech
Related stories: Wande Adalemo - From University drop out to Nigerian tech giant
PayPal signs "tens of thousands" in first week of launch in Nigeria
FIFA planning on suspending Nigeria again
Nigeria have until Monday to restore to power Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president Aminu Maigari, deposed in an election last week while he was detained by police in a second attempt to oust him from office since the World Cup.
FIFA said in a statement it had sent a letter to the NFF confirming that Nigeria will be suspended "should there still be persons claiming to have been elected to NFF positions on 26 August 2014 and occupying their offices on Monday, 8 September 2014 at 08.00 (Central European Time)".
NFF elections last week saw Chris Giwa take over as president but his election has been widely disputed within Nigerian football and rejected by FIFA.
Maigari was arrested at the same time as the poll, in an unsubtle attempt to keep him from the vote, and held by police but not questioned and later released.
The involvement of security forces led Nigerian media to speculate the giant west African country’s government were seeking to unseat Maigari but wary of FIFA’s policy of no government interference in the running of its member associations.
Maigari had also been held for a brief period after arriving home from Brazil in July following Nigeria's elimination in the World Cup last 16 when a first bid to sweep him from power was made by rivals.
A court order was obtained by a rival faction ordering an immediate election in July but world football's governing body rejected this too, suspending Nigeria for seven days before the status quo was restored.
FIFA’s latest threat means Nigeria could be stopped from playing their scheduled Nations Cup qualifier in South Africa next Wednesday which would effectively see them out of the competition and unable to defend the title they won in 2013.
They can however go ahead with the opening Group A qualifier against Congo in Calabar on Saturday.
"Should the new deadline not be respected, the NFF will be automatically suspended until the board claiming to be elected vacates the premises of the NFF and the NFF General Secretary is able to perform his work without interference," FIFA said.
"The NFF Executive Committee as it was composed on 25 August 2014, meaning under the presidency of Aminu Maigari, should then convene as soon as possible a first extraordinary general assembly to elect the members of the electoral committee and a second extraordinary general assembly in the shortest time possible allowed by law in order to proceed with the elections of new NFF office-bearers."
Reuters
Related stories: FIFA suspends Nigeria from all international football
FIFA threaten to sanction Nigeria over sacked NFF board
FIFA to lift ban on Nigeria participating in international football
Another Northern Nigerian town falls to Boko Haram
Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has captured the town of Banki, which borders Cameroon, after government troops fled, residents say.
The military has not yet commented on the latest town to reportedly fall to the insurgents in recent weeks.
Fears have been raised that their main target is Maiduguri, the capital of north-eastern Borno state.
Boko Haram's "lightning territorial gains" could lead to Nigeria breaking up like Iraq, a think-thank has warned.
Last month, Boko Haram leader declared an Islamic caliphate in areas under the group's control, following a similar declaration by the Islamic State (IS) group, previously known by the acronym Isis, after it captured parts of Iraq and Syria.
"Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of Isis's lightning advances in Iraq," the Nigeria Security Network (NSN) said in a special report released on Tuesday entitled North-East Nigeria On The Brink.
"If Maiduguri falls, it will be a symbolic and strategic victory unparalleled so far in the conflict," it said.
"A successful attack could be followed by a take over of the whole of Borno state and possibly parts of Adamawa, Yobe, and neighbouring Cameroon."
The UN refugee agency has said the fighting has forced more than 10,000 people to flee to neighbouring Cameroon and Niger in the past week, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Meanwhile, regional foreign ministers have held talks in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to discuss the growing security threat.
Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Benin and Niger agreed to step up security co-operation, including intelligence-gathering, to defeat the militants, a statement issued after the meeting said.
'Hiding in bush'
Residents from Banki say that government troops abandoned their posts as the militants advanced on the small border town on Tuesday.
Most of the people remaining in the town were women and children, as many of the men had fled, one man who was hiding in the bush nearby told the BBC Hausa service.
The militants have not harmed anyone in the town, residents said.
The capture of Banki gives Boko Haram leverage as it tries to secure territory beyond north-eastern Nigeria, says BBC Nigeria analyst Jimeh Saleh.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram seized Bama, the biggest town in Borno after Maiduguri, which is about 70km (45 miles) away.
Meanwhile, Cameroon's army has said that militants crossed into Cameroonian territory on Monday night.
The militants were pushed back after a three-hour battle, it said in a statement.
About 40 militants were killed and an army corporal was seriously wounded in the fighting, it added.
Boko Haram's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.
The military has denied that Nigeria's territorial integrity is threatened.
But Nigerian soldiers say they do not have enough resources to curb the insurgency.
In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.
Countries such as China, France, the UK and US have sent military assistance to help find the girls but they have not yet been rescued.
BBC
Related stories: Boko Haram seize town in Borno, Nigeria
Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
The military has not yet commented on the latest town to reportedly fall to the insurgents in recent weeks.
Fears have been raised that their main target is Maiduguri, the capital of north-eastern Borno state.
Boko Haram's "lightning territorial gains" could lead to Nigeria breaking up like Iraq, a think-thank has warned.
Last month, Boko Haram leader declared an Islamic caliphate in areas under the group's control, following a similar declaration by the Islamic State (IS) group, previously known by the acronym Isis, after it captured parts of Iraq and Syria.
"Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of Isis's lightning advances in Iraq," the Nigeria Security Network (NSN) said in a special report released on Tuesday entitled North-East Nigeria On The Brink.
"If Maiduguri falls, it will be a symbolic and strategic victory unparalleled so far in the conflict," it said.
"A successful attack could be followed by a take over of the whole of Borno state and possibly parts of Adamawa, Yobe, and neighbouring Cameroon."
The UN refugee agency has said the fighting has forced more than 10,000 people to flee to neighbouring Cameroon and Niger in the past week, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Meanwhile, regional foreign ministers have held talks in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to discuss the growing security threat.
Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Benin and Niger agreed to step up security co-operation, including intelligence-gathering, to defeat the militants, a statement issued after the meeting said.
'Hiding in bush'
Residents from Banki say that government troops abandoned their posts as the militants advanced on the small border town on Tuesday.
Most of the people remaining in the town were women and children, as many of the men had fled, one man who was hiding in the bush nearby told the BBC Hausa service.
The militants have not harmed anyone in the town, residents said.
The capture of Banki gives Boko Haram leverage as it tries to secure territory beyond north-eastern Nigeria, says BBC Nigeria analyst Jimeh Saleh.
Earlier this week, Boko Haram seized Bama, the biggest town in Borno after Maiduguri, which is about 70km (45 miles) away.
Meanwhile, Cameroon's army has said that militants crossed into Cameroonian territory on Monday night.
The militants were pushed back after a three-hour battle, it said in a statement.
About 40 militants were killed and an army corporal was seriously wounded in the fighting, it added.
Boko Haram's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.
The military has denied that Nigeria's territorial integrity is threatened.
But Nigerian soldiers say they do not have enough resources to curb the insurgency.
In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.
Countries such as China, France, the UK and US have sent military assistance to help find the girls but they have not yet been rescued.
BBC
Related stories: Boko Haram seize town in Borno, Nigeria
Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Nigeria falls to 127 in Global Competitive Index
Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, continued its downward spiral on the Global Competitive Index (GCI) as the country fell seven places to 127th position this year, from the 120th position it was last year.
The development was largely attributed to what the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2014-2015, which was made available exclusively to THISDAY by WEF, described as the country’s weakened public finances as a result of lower oil exports.
But commenting on the GCR, the Chief Executive Officer, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN), Mr. Chika Mordi, who spoke to THISDAY, faulted the rankings, pointing out that the report, which referred to Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy, used the old GDP figures in its calculations. This, according to him, worsened the nation’s position.
Continuing, the GCR pointed out that institutions in Nigeria remained weak with a ranking of 129 out of 144. Other factors that led to the country’s drop in the GCR were insufficiently protected property rights, high corruption, and undue influence.
In addition, it stated that the deterioration in national security in Nigeria, which was also ranked 139 out of 144, remained dire.
“Nigeria must continue to upgrade its infrastructure (134th) as well as improve its health and primary education (143rd). Furthermore, the country is not harnessing the latest technologies for productivity enhancements, as demonstrated by its low rates of ICT penetration,” it stated.
However, on the upside, the report noted that Nigeria benefits from its relatively large market size (33rd out of 144), which bears the potential for significant economies of scale; a relatively efficient labour market (40th out of 144) driven by its flexibility (20th out of 144).
Furthermore, the GCR also acknowledged the country’s solid financial market (67th out of 144), following its gradual recovery from the 2009 crisis.
“However, poor availability and affordability of finance in general and the difficulties in obtaining loans in particular (137th) remain an important bottleneck to economic growth.
“Ahead of the 2015 election cycle, it will thus be critical to keep the ongoing reform momentum to diversify the economy and increase the country’s long-term competitiveness,” it added.
Overall, Switzerland emerged top on the ranking for the sixth consecutive year, and was closely followed by Singapore, USA, Finland and Germany in that order.
However, in Africa, Mauritius which was ranked 39th in the GCI reaffirmed its position as the continent’s most competitive economy.
But South Africa, Africa’s second largest economy, also dropped to 56th on the index. South Africa, according to the report, is now the third most competitive BRICS economy after China (28th) and Russia (53rd).
African economies enjoyed mixed success in their attempts to become more competitive, according to the GCR.
Other countries ranked on the index were Lesotho (107th), Cape Verde (114th), Botswana (74th), Namibia (88th), Zambia (96th), Ghana (111th), Senegal (112th) and Swaziland (123rd).
Among the oil-exporting economies, Gabon was the highest-ranked economy (106th) followed by Cameroun (116th), Nigeria, Angola (140th) and Chad (143rd).
Among Africa’s low-income economies, the most improved was Ethiopia, which recorded the biggest leap, rising nine places to 118th.
The report stated that despite years of bold monetary policy, global economic growth remained at risk as several countries struggled to implement growth-boosting structural reforms.
Commenting on Nigeria’s ranking, Mordi said the reasons adduced for the deteriorating rankings were Boko Haram and weaker institutions, an assertion he argued was “profoundly rebutted by our Ebola containment relative to countries ranked at par or better than us”.
“Poorer public finance, again a jaundiced opinion, as our public finances are stronger with lower deficit financing, fiscal restraint, a stable currency and single digit inflation, in contrast with Ghana whose currency is in free fall and debt has skyrocketed.
“Yet Ghana has an improved score on the same parameter; and weak health and primary education where we ranked the second worst in the world. Do you truly believe that?,” he asked.
Although he acknowledged that a high GCI ranking was good to have, he said it remains an opinion.
Mordi insisted that the most important opinion was that of the investment community and the reality of the country’s position.
He explained: “In this year’s World Street Journal survey of multinational CEOs, Nigeria ranked first as an emerging market investment destination. Investors vote with their wallet and Nigeria’s FDI remains the highest in Africa.
“Finally, the WEF GCI is a lagging indicator and does not reflect the actions taken this year. We expect an improvement and better allignment with reality in subsequent years as the NCCN, which came into full operations nine months ago has taken fundamental steps and put building blocks in place to improve our competitiveness.
“The most significant of these steps is a brain trust of 56 of the brightest minds and practitioners in Nigeria. They commenced work in April and include leading businessmen, CEOs of large corporates, CEOs and partners of the top multinational consulting firms, leading academics and regulators.”
The GCR’s rankings are based on the GCI, which was introduced by WEF in 2004.
Competitiveness includes the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. GCI scores are calculated by drawing together country-level data in 12 categories – the “pillars of competitiveness” – to create a comprehensive picture of a country’s economic performance.
The 12 pillars are: institutions; infrastructure; macroeconomic environment; health; primary education, higher education and training; goods market efficiency; labour market efficiency; financial market development; technological readiness; market size; business sophistication; and innovation.
This Day
The development was largely attributed to what the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) 2014-2015, which was made available exclusively to THISDAY by WEF, described as the country’s weakened public finances as a result of lower oil exports.
But commenting on the GCR, the Chief Executive Officer, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria (NCCN), Mr. Chika Mordi, who spoke to THISDAY, faulted the rankings, pointing out that the report, which referred to Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy, used the old GDP figures in its calculations. This, according to him, worsened the nation’s position.
Continuing, the GCR pointed out that institutions in Nigeria remained weak with a ranking of 129 out of 144. Other factors that led to the country’s drop in the GCR were insufficiently protected property rights, high corruption, and undue influence.
In addition, it stated that the deterioration in national security in Nigeria, which was also ranked 139 out of 144, remained dire.
“Nigeria must continue to upgrade its infrastructure (134th) as well as improve its health and primary education (143rd). Furthermore, the country is not harnessing the latest technologies for productivity enhancements, as demonstrated by its low rates of ICT penetration,” it stated.
However, on the upside, the report noted that Nigeria benefits from its relatively large market size (33rd out of 144), which bears the potential for significant economies of scale; a relatively efficient labour market (40th out of 144) driven by its flexibility (20th out of 144).
Furthermore, the GCR also acknowledged the country’s solid financial market (67th out of 144), following its gradual recovery from the 2009 crisis.
“However, poor availability and affordability of finance in general and the difficulties in obtaining loans in particular (137th) remain an important bottleneck to economic growth.
“Ahead of the 2015 election cycle, it will thus be critical to keep the ongoing reform momentum to diversify the economy and increase the country’s long-term competitiveness,” it added.
Overall, Switzerland emerged top on the ranking for the sixth consecutive year, and was closely followed by Singapore, USA, Finland and Germany in that order.
However, in Africa, Mauritius which was ranked 39th in the GCI reaffirmed its position as the continent’s most competitive economy.
But South Africa, Africa’s second largest economy, also dropped to 56th on the index. South Africa, according to the report, is now the third most competitive BRICS economy after China (28th) and Russia (53rd).
African economies enjoyed mixed success in their attempts to become more competitive, according to the GCR.
Other countries ranked on the index were Lesotho (107th), Cape Verde (114th), Botswana (74th), Namibia (88th), Zambia (96th), Ghana (111th), Senegal (112th) and Swaziland (123rd).
Among the oil-exporting economies, Gabon was the highest-ranked economy (106th) followed by Cameroun (116th), Nigeria, Angola (140th) and Chad (143rd).
Among Africa’s low-income economies, the most improved was Ethiopia, which recorded the biggest leap, rising nine places to 118th.
The report stated that despite years of bold monetary policy, global economic growth remained at risk as several countries struggled to implement growth-boosting structural reforms.
Commenting on Nigeria’s ranking, Mordi said the reasons adduced for the deteriorating rankings were Boko Haram and weaker institutions, an assertion he argued was “profoundly rebutted by our Ebola containment relative to countries ranked at par or better than us”.
“Poorer public finance, again a jaundiced opinion, as our public finances are stronger with lower deficit financing, fiscal restraint, a stable currency and single digit inflation, in contrast with Ghana whose currency is in free fall and debt has skyrocketed.
“Yet Ghana has an improved score on the same parameter; and weak health and primary education where we ranked the second worst in the world. Do you truly believe that?,” he asked.
Although he acknowledged that a high GCI ranking was good to have, he said it remains an opinion.
Mordi insisted that the most important opinion was that of the investment community and the reality of the country’s position.
He explained: “In this year’s World Street Journal survey of multinational CEOs, Nigeria ranked first as an emerging market investment destination. Investors vote with their wallet and Nigeria’s FDI remains the highest in Africa.
“Finally, the WEF GCI is a lagging indicator and does not reflect the actions taken this year. We expect an improvement and better allignment with reality in subsequent years as the NCCN, which came into full operations nine months ago has taken fundamental steps and put building blocks in place to improve our competitiveness.
“The most significant of these steps is a brain trust of 56 of the brightest minds and practitioners in Nigeria. They commenced work in April and include leading businessmen, CEOs of large corporates, CEOs and partners of the top multinational consulting firms, leading academics and regulators.”
The GCR’s rankings are based on the GCI, which was introduced by WEF in 2004.
Competitiveness includes the set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. GCI scores are calculated by drawing together country-level data in 12 categories – the “pillars of competitiveness” – to create a comprehensive picture of a country’s economic performance.
The 12 pillars are: institutions; infrastructure; macroeconomic environment; health; primary education, higher education and training; goods market efficiency; labour market efficiency; financial market development; technological readiness; market size; business sophistication; and innovation.
This Day
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Nigeria's richest woman Folorunsho Alakija insists success can be achieved without formal education
Alakija, who is worth $2.6 billion by FORBES estimates, reportedly made the disclosure on Thursday, while addressing students at the University of Lagos during a ceremony to mark the 2014 UN International Youths Day.
“So I am 63 and I am not yet done. So what is your excuse? I never went to a University and I am proud to say so because I don’t think I have done too badly,” she said during the motivational talk.
The Nigerian businesswoman explained to the students that while a University degree is important and can significantly improve one’s prospects in life, hard work and persistence were the most crucial tools for success.
“You do not have to have a university education to be able to make it so count yourselves privileged to have that education as part of the feather in your cap,” Alakija said.
Alakija pursued secretarial studies and fashion design as a young woman in London, and then returned to Nigeria to work as a secretary in a Merchant bank. She subsequently founded Supreme Stitches, a tailoring outfit that catered to upscale clientele including Nigeria’s fashionable former first lady Maryam Babangida. In 1993, she acquired an oil prospecting license which granted her a lucrative block in Nigeria’s coastal waters. Her company, Famfa Oil, now holds a 60% stake in the oil field. She is also the founder of The Rose of Sharon Foundation, which provides support to orphans and widows.
Forbes
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How Nigerian students created Nigeria's biggest online-job search site Jobberman
Three students had time on their hands in the summer of 2009 when their university lecturers in Nigeria went on strike.
Instead of slacking off, Ayodeji Adewunmi, Olalekan Olude and Opeyemi Awoyemi started an online job search company.
Five years later their start-up, Jobberman, has got a multi-million dollar valuation, employs 125 people, and is still growing.
While Nigeria is Africa's largest economy it still has massive unemployment problems, in particular among young people who are also more likely to be connected to the internet.
Jobberman has become the single largest job placement website in sub-Saharan Africa, helping over 35,000 people find jobs within the last two years.
The number of companies using the site to find employees has grown from about 40 in 2009 to some 35,000 today.
Carrying between 500 and 1,000 jobs on the site every day, the founders estimate that there are about 1,000 active users searching for a job at any given time.
"The growth has been tremendous, it's at rocket speed. One of the biggest challenges has been to keep up with the volume of work," says Olalekan.
Overcoming fraud fears
However, there have been other challenges along the way.
"In the beginning a lot of people did not trust an internet-based business because at that time a lot of people were using the internet to perpetuate fraud here in Nigeria," he says.
But as other online businesses thrived and became trusted, so Jobberman thrived. Companies would dip their toe in the water with one or two postings and then when they trusted the site they would come back.
In 2012 some of Jobberman's clients wanted to use the site to find workers in Ghana and so the company took its first work outside Nigeria.
Two years later it says it is now the biggest online job site in Ghana as well as Nigeria.
The company is now expanding its reach to Kenya with a partner called Brighter Monday. The partnership also gives it a footprint in Uganda and Tanzania.
Some people find a job through the site without actually applying for one.
Amarachi Apakama uploaded her details and was approached by a company to take the position of executive assistant at a mobile phone content company.
"That really changed my life," she says. "It was a morale booster. It helped my confidence - the fact that my interests and my experience put together such a good fit that I didn't have to apply for the job."
Multiplier effect
"It is incredibly fulfilling helping people to become economically empowered by getting job placements via Jobberman," founder Ayodeji Adewunmi says.
"One company recruited more than 80% of their employees through the site. Another time, a director was able to hire a former colleague in the United States to come and work for his company here in Lagos. All amazing stories."
Olalekan Olude adds: "If you put food on the table by virtue of getting a job for someone, that person also fends for a mother, or a brother and you create a multiplier effect within that household.
"And anytime we get to hear of such stories, we are very, very happy. It motivates us, it makes us look forward into the future and try and get more people to get more jobs."
BBC
Related story: Nigeria's answer to amazon.com
Instead of slacking off, Ayodeji Adewunmi, Olalekan Olude and Opeyemi Awoyemi started an online job search company.
Five years later their start-up, Jobberman, has got a multi-million dollar valuation, employs 125 people, and is still growing.
While Nigeria is Africa's largest economy it still has massive unemployment problems, in particular among young people who are also more likely to be connected to the internet.
Jobberman has become the single largest job placement website in sub-Saharan Africa, helping over 35,000 people find jobs within the last two years.
The number of companies using the site to find employees has grown from about 40 in 2009 to some 35,000 today.
Carrying between 500 and 1,000 jobs on the site every day, the founders estimate that there are about 1,000 active users searching for a job at any given time.
"The growth has been tremendous, it's at rocket speed. One of the biggest challenges has been to keep up with the volume of work," says Olalekan.
Overcoming fraud fears
However, there have been other challenges along the way.
"In the beginning a lot of people did not trust an internet-based business because at that time a lot of people were using the internet to perpetuate fraud here in Nigeria," he says.
But as other online businesses thrived and became trusted, so Jobberman thrived. Companies would dip their toe in the water with one or two postings and then when they trusted the site they would come back.
In 2012 some of Jobberman's clients wanted to use the site to find workers in Ghana and so the company took its first work outside Nigeria.
Two years later it says it is now the biggest online job site in Ghana as well as Nigeria.
The company is now expanding its reach to Kenya with a partner called Brighter Monday. The partnership also gives it a footprint in Uganda and Tanzania.
Some people find a job through the site without actually applying for one.
Amarachi Apakama uploaded her details and was approached by a company to take the position of executive assistant at a mobile phone content company.
"That really changed my life," she says. "It was a morale booster. It helped my confidence - the fact that my interests and my experience put together such a good fit that I didn't have to apply for the job."
Multiplier effect
"It is incredibly fulfilling helping people to become economically empowered by getting job placements via Jobberman," founder Ayodeji Adewunmi says.
"One company recruited more than 80% of their employees through the site. Another time, a director was able to hire a former colleague in the United States to come and work for his company here in Lagos. All amazing stories."
Olalekan Olude adds: "If you put food on the table by virtue of getting a job for someone, that person also fends for a mother, or a brother and you create a multiplier effect within that household.
"And anytime we get to hear of such stories, we are very, very happy. It motivates us, it makes us look forward into the future and try and get more people to get more jobs."
BBC
Related story: Nigeria's answer to amazon.com
Boko Haram seize town in Borno, Nigeria
Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has seized the key north-eastern town of Bama after fierce fighting with government forces, residents say.
Thousands of civilians have fled the town, along with soldiers, they added.
The military has not yet officially commented on the claim that it has lost control of Bama, the second biggest town in Borno state.
Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in areas it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.
If confirmed, the capture of Bama would be an extremely significant development and would raise concerns that Boko Haram's next target will be Maiduguri, the state capital about 70km (45 miles) away, says BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman in the capital, Abuja.
It would be the biggest town under Boko Haram control.
Residents told BBC Hausa that Boko Haram captured Bama after heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.
The military had initially repelled Boko Haram's assault, but the group returned with reinforcements to seize the town, the residents said.
The militants, who travelled in armoured trucks, first took control of the military barracks, they added.
Soldiers and residents fled on foot, many of them walking all the way to Maiduguri, residents told the BBC.
Several security sources said Boko Haram had over-run much of Bama and there were heavy casualties on both sides, Reuters news agency reports.
About 70 militants had been killed, the Associated Press quoted security sources as saying.
On Monday, the military said on its Twitter account that the air force had been used to "repel and dislodge" Boko Haram from Bama.
The most recent census, in 2006, showed the town had a population of about 270,000.
An overnight curfew has been imposed in Maiduguri to prevent "infiltration" by militants, it added.
Boko Haram's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.
In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.
Countries such as China, France, the UK and US have sent military assistance to help find the girls but they have not yet been rescued.
BBC
Related stories: Nigerian government rejects Boko Harams 'caliphate' claim
Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Thousands of civilians have fled the town, along with soldiers, they added.
The military has not yet officially commented on the claim that it has lost control of Bama, the second biggest town in Borno state.
Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in areas it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.
If confirmed, the capture of Bama would be an extremely significant development and would raise concerns that Boko Haram's next target will be Maiduguri, the state capital about 70km (45 miles) away, says BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman in the capital, Abuja.
It would be the biggest town under Boko Haram control.
Residents told BBC Hausa that Boko Haram captured Bama after heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.
The military had initially repelled Boko Haram's assault, but the group returned with reinforcements to seize the town, the residents said.
The militants, who travelled in armoured trucks, first took control of the military barracks, they added.
Soldiers and residents fled on foot, many of them walking all the way to Maiduguri, residents told the BBC.
Several security sources said Boko Haram had over-run much of Bama and there were heavy casualties on both sides, Reuters news agency reports.
About 70 militants had been killed, the Associated Press quoted security sources as saying.
On Monday, the military said on its Twitter account that the air force had been used to "repel and dislodge" Boko Haram from Bama.
The most recent census, in 2006, showed the town had a population of about 270,000.
An overnight curfew has been imposed in Maiduguri to prevent "infiltration" by militants, it added.
Boko Haram's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.
In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.
Countries such as China, France, the UK and US have sent military assistance to help find the girls but they have not yet been rescued.
BBC
Related stories: Nigerian government rejects Boko Harams 'caliphate' claim
Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Friday, August 29, 2014
Nigerians outraged at new government issued electronic ID cards branded with Master Card
Nigerians expressed shock and fury Thursday at how the Nigerian Government, through the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, would surrender a symbol of national sovereignty and pride to a foreign commercial organisation by not only sharing the biometrics of 170 million Nigerian to the firm but by also allowing the firm to boldly engrave its insignia on the IDs.
Many Nigerians raised the alarm over the implications of the agreement in an age that has seen intense data surveillance by the National Security Agency of the United States of America, Mastercard’s home country.
One commentator said allowing MasterCard’s emblem on the Nigerian National ID Card could only compare to the trans-Atlantic slave trade abolished in the nineteenth century. “The new ID card with a MasterCard logo does not represent an identity of a Nigerian.
It simply represents a stamped ownership of a Nigerian by an American company,” said Shehu Sani of the Civil Rights Congress. “It is reminiscent of the logo pasted on the bodies of African slaves transported across the Atlantic.” At the launching Thursday, the Nigerian Identity Management Commission said the cards, designed to also allow handlers effect payments and other financial transactions, will be issued to 13 million Nigerians.
At the completion of the pilot phase of the program, 100 million cards would have been issued, the commission said, describing the move as the “broadest financial inclusion program in Africa”. The cards will be issued to Nigerians, 16 years and older, and are expected to serve as voting cards in the 2019 elections.
President Jonathan, who flagged off the rollout, praised the outcome of a partnership between NIMC, MasterCard and Access Bank. “The card is not only a means of certifying your identity, but also a personal database repository and payment card, all in your pocket,” Mr. Jonathan said.
Under the partnership, the NIMC is the project leader, MasterCard provides payments technology, while Unified Payment Services Limited is payments processor. Cryptovision is the Public Key Infrastructure and Trust Services Provider, and the pilot issuing bank is Access Bank Plc.
The Identity Management Commission said it was working with other government agencies to harmonize all identity databases including the Driver’s License, Voter Registration, Health Insurance, Tax, SIM and the National Pension Commission into a single, shared services platform.
For a National ID card project jinxed for decades due to corruption and mismanagement, Nigerians welcomed what seemed like a breakthrough this time, several years after the first attempt at a national Identity Card project ended in fiasco.
But the optimism waned after it became clear Thursday the new ID cards, a key instrument recognised by the federal constitution, will not only bear the Coat of Arms and the Nigerian colours of green white green, but also the logo of MasterCard, a profit-driven private entity. “Nigeria’s colours and coat of arms is what should be there.
It is not an opportunity for advert for promoting companies,” said Eze Onyekpere, Lead Director Centre for Social Justice. “As far as we are concerned it cannot stand. It is not worth it if that’s what they have done.” Beyond national pride, many Nigerians spoke of the dire economic and security implications for Nigeria. “Clearly, there are National Security implication,” said Nasir El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. “All these data go to the American payment platform.” Mr. El-Rufai recalled that Malaysia was the first country to implement a general multipurpose ID card and that the country did so with its own resources and technology to protect its citizens.
Economically, analysts say, the deal also hands over all adult Nigerians as direct and compulsory customers of MasterCard. The US-based firm appeared so elated at the outcome of the contract that by Thursday, it hired a media consultant, African Media Agency, to publicise the landmark deal all over the world. MasterCard could not be reached immediately for comments.
Details of the partnership between the NIMC and MasterCard were unclear as of Friday. A former senior government official, well briefed about the process, said the Nigerian government may have adopted the Public Private Partnership model for the project, with MasterCard underwriting part of the cost of the deal.
Still, the former official, who asked not to be named, said it was unbelievable that Nigeria could not insist on fully funding such a project at any cost, considering its strategic importance to its sovereignty.
“It’s so scandalous that there are countries you present this to and they will be confused,” the official said. “I have never seen this done anywhere in the world.”
The Nigerian Identity Management Commission, NIMC, refused to comment on the concerns.
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES late Thursday, a spokesperson dismissed the concern raised by our reporter.
“What is wrong with that (displaying MasterCard’s logo on the IDs)?” asked Ben Alofoje, the Assistant Director/Head Research and Strategy, who is the designated media person for the project.
A PREMIUM TIMES reader, Ola Onanugaola, said of the project, “Good idea but bad implementation. Why do we have to brand the e-ID card? Are these people aware of the huge economic and security implications of the branding. “Any country population database/information is too vital to be attached to any non-governmental organisation.”
Premium Times
Related story: Electronic ID cards launched in Nigeria
Nigeria reinstates 16,000 sacked doctors
The Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has announced the reinstatement of the over 16, 000 resident doctors sacked on August 13 .
The spokesperson to the Minister, Dan Nwomeh, in a tweet said the doctors reinstatement became yesterday (Thursday).
The resident doctors make up 70 per cent of the workforce in government’s hospitals.
The doctors were sacked after a month-long strike by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, an association of all medical practitioners in Nigeria.
The doctors had been on indefinite strike following the non compliance of their “24 minimum demands ” by the Nigerian government. However, the NMA strike was called off on Sunday.
The NMA on calling off the strike gave the government condition that all sack resident doctors must be reinstated without punitive measures.
Mr. Nwomeh said the Federal Government has lifed the suspension of the Residency Training Programme, RTP in all federal hospitals.
This programme sees the resident doctors through their career in becoming consultants.
Following the lift of the suspension of the RTP all Chief Medical Directors, CMDs and Medical Directors, MDs of training centers have been directed to issue letters of reinstatement to the resident doctors.
Mr. Nwomeh said the letters will enable the doctors resume work. He also quoted the government as urging the reinstated doctors to view the reinstatement as a sign of goodwill by the administration.
He asked them to put greater commitment and dedication to their duties.
Premium Times
Related stories: President Goodluck Jonathan sacks striking doctors
24 reasons why Nigerian doctors are on strike
The spokesperson to the Minister, Dan Nwomeh, in a tweet said the doctors reinstatement became yesterday (Thursday).
The resident doctors make up 70 per cent of the workforce in government’s hospitals.
The doctors were sacked after a month-long strike by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, an association of all medical practitioners in Nigeria.
The doctors had been on indefinite strike following the non compliance of their “24 minimum demands ” by the Nigerian government. However, the NMA strike was called off on Sunday.
The NMA on calling off the strike gave the government condition that all sack resident doctors must be reinstated without punitive measures.
Mr. Nwomeh said the Federal Government has lifed the suspension of the Residency Training Programme, RTP in all federal hospitals.
This programme sees the resident doctors through their career in becoming consultants.
Following the lift of the suspension of the RTP all Chief Medical Directors, CMDs and Medical Directors, MDs of training centers have been directed to issue letters of reinstatement to the resident doctors.
Mr. Nwomeh said the letters will enable the doctors resume work. He also quoted the government as urging the reinstated doctors to view the reinstatement as a sign of goodwill by the administration.
He asked them to put greater commitment and dedication to their duties.
Premium Times
Related stories: President Goodluck Jonathan sacks striking doctors
24 reasons why Nigerian doctors are on strike
Electronic ID cards launched in Nigeria
Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday launched a national electronic identity card scheme, which backers said would boost access to financial and government services in Africa's most populous nation.
The head of state was issued with his own card, which features a credit card-style chip with personal as well as biometric data and doubles up as a prepaid charge and debit card.
A number of Nigerian government agencies, from the police to the Independent National Electoral Commission, have embarked on their own separate ID card schemes.
But Jonathan said the plan was to eventually include details such as driving licence, health insurance, tax and pension information on the single card.
“The regime of duplication of biometric databases must now have to give way to harmonisation and unification with the e-ID scheme, which shall be the primary database,” he told reporters.
Only 32 percent of Nigeria's adult population are thought to have bank accounts, according to a 2012 study.
Nigeria's central bank has been pushing for a move away from cash to electronic payments and has tested a scheme in the financial capital, Lagos, with the help of private partners.
But the pilot project has not been plain sailing, with retailers and customers often facing frequent power supply and connectivity problems that slowed down transactions.
The cards will be available initially to Nigerians aged 16 and older and all residents in the country for more than two years.
Cardholders will be given a unique national identification number and have to provide fingerprint data, a photo and digital signature to cut the risk of fraud and embezzlement.
The scheme has so far cost about seven billion naira ($42 million), according to the National Identity Management Commission.
Financial services firm MasterCard, the scheme's payment technology provider, said 13 million cards would be available in the first phase, with more than 100 million to be issued in total.
“Nigeria is ready for this,” the firm's head of Sub-Saharan African operations, Daniel Mohin, told AFP.
“Nigeria has been left out of electronic financial payment for decades but now Nigeria is saying we want to take our rightful place in payment. There has not been a project of this magnitude... that's been rolled out at this scale.”
Africa's most populous nation has an unenviable reputation for fraud, particularly involving financial transactions.
But Monehin said the card was “secured with the best form of security that is available”.
Independent Online
Related stories: PayPal signs "tens of thousands" in first week of launch in Nigeria
The head of state was issued with his own card, which features a credit card-style chip with personal as well as biometric data and doubles up as a prepaid charge and debit card.
A number of Nigerian government agencies, from the police to the Independent National Electoral Commission, have embarked on their own separate ID card schemes.
But Jonathan said the plan was to eventually include details such as driving licence, health insurance, tax and pension information on the single card.
“The regime of duplication of biometric databases must now have to give way to harmonisation and unification with the e-ID scheme, which shall be the primary database,” he told reporters.
Only 32 percent of Nigeria's adult population are thought to have bank accounts, according to a 2012 study.
Nigeria's central bank has been pushing for a move away from cash to electronic payments and has tested a scheme in the financial capital, Lagos, with the help of private partners.
But the pilot project has not been plain sailing, with retailers and customers often facing frequent power supply and connectivity problems that slowed down transactions.
The cards will be available initially to Nigerians aged 16 and older and all residents in the country for more than two years.
Cardholders will be given a unique national identification number and have to provide fingerprint data, a photo and digital signature to cut the risk of fraud and embezzlement.
The scheme has so far cost about seven billion naira ($42 million), according to the National Identity Management Commission.
Financial services firm MasterCard, the scheme's payment technology provider, said 13 million cards would be available in the first phase, with more than 100 million to be issued in total.
“Nigeria is ready for this,” the firm's head of Sub-Saharan African operations, Daniel Mohin, told AFP.
“Nigeria has been left out of electronic financial payment for decades but now Nigeria is saying we want to take our rightful place in payment. There has not been a project of this magnitude... that's been rolled out at this scale.”
Africa's most populous nation has an unenviable reputation for fraud, particularly involving financial transactions.
But Monehin said the card was “secured with the best form of security that is available”.
Independent Online
Related stories: PayPal signs "tens of thousands" in first week of launch in Nigeria
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Doctor dies of Ebola in Port Harcourt
A doctor in Nigeria's oil industry hub of Port Harcourt has died from Ebola fever, after he was infected by man linked to the first case in Africa's most populous country, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.
Heath Ministry spokesman Dan Nwomeh said on his Twitter feed that the doctor had treated a primary contact of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought Ebola to Lagos. His death brings the number of Ebola fatalities in Nigeria to 6.
The total number of recorded cases had risen by two to 15, Nwomeh said, the other one being the wife of the doctor who is showing Ebola symptoms and whose test results are awaited.
Port Harcourt lies at the heart of Nigeria's two million barrels per day oil industry, Africa's biggest, and is a hub for expatriate workers in major international oil companies.
Nwomeh said 70 contacts of the doctor were now under surveillance in Port Harcourt.
It was not immediately clear what impact the arrival of Ebola would have on oil operations. The majors operating in Nigeria have historically been comfortable with a fair degree of risk in the oil producing Niger Delta, including attacks on oil installations and rampant kidnapping of expatriates.
The news came two days after Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said authorities had "thus far contained" the Ebola outbreak in Africa's largest economy, with only one case left being treated in an isolation ward in Lagos.
All Nigerian cases have been direct or indirect contacts of Sawyer, who collapsed on arrival at Lagos airport on July 25 and later died but was treated before anyone knew what he had.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has taken 1,552 lives out of 3,069 known cases in four countries and "continues to accelerate", the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.
Reuters
Related stories: Nigeria has successfuly contained Ebola
5 have recovered from 12 Ebola cases
Heath Ministry spokesman Dan Nwomeh said on his Twitter feed that the doctor had treated a primary contact of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who brought Ebola to Lagos. His death brings the number of Ebola fatalities in Nigeria to 6.
The total number of recorded cases had risen by two to 15, Nwomeh said, the other one being the wife of the doctor who is showing Ebola symptoms and whose test results are awaited.
Port Harcourt lies at the heart of Nigeria's two million barrels per day oil industry, Africa's biggest, and is a hub for expatriate workers in major international oil companies.
Nwomeh said 70 contacts of the doctor were now under surveillance in Port Harcourt.
It was not immediately clear what impact the arrival of Ebola would have on oil operations. The majors operating in Nigeria have historically been comfortable with a fair degree of risk in the oil producing Niger Delta, including attacks on oil installations and rampant kidnapping of expatriates.
The news came two days after Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said authorities had "thus far contained" the Ebola outbreak in Africa's largest economy, with only one case left being treated in an isolation ward in Lagos.
All Nigerian cases have been direct or indirect contacts of Sawyer, who collapsed on arrival at Lagos airport on July 25 and later died but was treated before anyone knew what he had.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has taken 1,552 lives out of 3,069 known cases in four countries and "continues to accelerate", the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.
Reuters
Related stories: Nigeria has successfuly contained Ebola
5 have recovered from 12 Ebola cases
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Shell on the verge of selling Nigeria oil fields for $5bn
European oil major Royal Dutch Shell is moving ahead with plans to sell a number of its Nigerian oilfields as it ploughs ahead with planned asset sales.
The Anglo-Dutch firm is leading a consortium that is close to selling a cluster of oilfields that include the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, for around $5bn (£3bn, €3.8bn,) according to the Financial Times newspaper.
The move is the latest attempt by a western oil company to pull out from the restive Delta region and the Nigerian market amid recurring incidents of infrastructure sabotage that have caused billions of dollars' worth of damage.
A deal is expected to be finalised in the next few weeks and the total figure for the sale could still change.
Shell "has signed sales and purchase agreements for some of the oil mining leases but not all that we are seeking to divest", Shell said in a statement. "The assets under consideration are OMLs 18, 24, 25, 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, but the process has not yet concluded."
Shell has already sold off around $8bn worth of assets this year after it announced plans to sell around $15bn worth of assets through 2015.
Indigenous oil companies have expanded in Nigeria in recent years, capitalising on a government plan to boost domestic control over the oil industry.
Shell has faced long-running criticism from human rights groups over its oil production operations in Nigeria.
The company had not taken effective measures to restore the damaged environment in the Niger Delta after oil production caused contamination of the water there, Amnesty International reported in August.
Yahoo
Related story: Aliko Dangote 'Africa's richest man' plans to acquire Shell assets
Nigeria fines shell $11.3 billion for damages caused in Bonga oil spill
The Anglo-Dutch firm is leading a consortium that is close to selling a cluster of oilfields that include the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, for around $5bn (£3bn, €3.8bn,) according to the Financial Times newspaper.
The move is the latest attempt by a western oil company to pull out from the restive Delta region and the Nigerian market amid recurring incidents of infrastructure sabotage that have caused billions of dollars' worth of damage.
A deal is expected to be finalised in the next few weeks and the total figure for the sale could still change.
Shell "has signed sales and purchase agreements for some of the oil mining leases but not all that we are seeking to divest", Shell said in a statement. "The assets under consideration are OMLs 18, 24, 25, 29 and the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, but the process has not yet concluded."
Shell has already sold off around $8bn worth of assets this year after it announced plans to sell around $15bn worth of assets through 2015.
Indigenous oil companies have expanded in Nigeria in recent years, capitalising on a government plan to boost domestic control over the oil industry.
Shell has faced long-running criticism from human rights groups over its oil production operations in Nigeria.
The company had not taken effective measures to restore the damaged environment in the Niger Delta after oil production caused contamination of the water there, Amnesty International reported in August.
Yahoo
Related story: Aliko Dangote 'Africa's richest man' plans to acquire Shell assets
Nigeria fines shell $11.3 billion for damages caused in Bonga oil spill
Video - Nigerians react to military allegedly fleeing from Boko Haram battle
Reactions have been trailing the action of some Nigerian soldiers who reportedly fled into Cameroon when confronted in a fierce fire fight with militant Islamist sect Boko Haram. Cameroonian authorities yesterday said about 400 Nigerian soldiers fleeing from Boko Haram crossed over into its territory. But the Nigerian military high command says the action of the soldiers was a tactical maneuver.
Related stories: Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons
Wives of Nigerian soldiers protest the lack of resources troops have to combat Boko Haram
Schools in Nigeria to remain closed until October in efforts to insure Ebola containment
All schools in Nigeria have been ordered to remain shut until 13 October as part of measures to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.
The new academic year was due to start on Monday.
But the education minister ordered the closures to allow staff to be trained on how to handle suspected Ebola cases.
Five people have died of Ebola in Nigeria. The West Africa outbreak has centred on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing more than 1,400 people.
It is the largest ever outbreak and has infected an estimated 2,615 people. About half of those infected have died.
The virus is spread between humans through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
There is no cure for Ebola but with intensive care treatment and proper hydration, patients have a chance of survival.
It spread to Nigeria - Africa's most populous country - in July, when a person infected with Ebola flew from Liberia to Lagos.
Protective clothing 'shortages'
The Nigerian government says it hopes its efforts to contain the virus are working, as there is only one confirmed case of Ebola remaining.
"All state ministries of education are to immediately organise and ensure that at least two staff in each school, both private and public, are trained by appropriate health workers no later than 15 September 2014 on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola," said Education Minister Ibrahim Shekarau.
"And also embark on immediate sensitisation of all teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools on preventive measures," he said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has temporarily shut an Ebola testing laboratory in Kailahun in eastern Sierra Leone after a Senegalese health worker became infected with the virus.
There have been 392 Ebola deaths in Sierra Leone, according to the latest UN figures released on 22 August. Kailahun is one of the worst-affected districts and is currently under blockade.
"It's a temporary measure to take care of the welfare of our remaining workers," a WHO spokesman is quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.
On Tuesday, the WHO said an "unprecedented" number of doctors and nurses had been infected with Ebola which was further impeding control efforts.
Infections were due to a shortage of protective equipment and staff, it said.
Only one or two doctors are available for 100,000 patients in some of the affected countries.
BBC
Related story: Nigeria has successfuly contained Ebola
The new academic year was due to start on Monday.
But the education minister ordered the closures to allow staff to be trained on how to handle suspected Ebola cases.
Five people have died of Ebola in Nigeria. The West Africa outbreak has centred on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing more than 1,400 people.
It is the largest ever outbreak and has infected an estimated 2,615 people. About half of those infected have died.
The virus is spread between humans through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.
There is no cure for Ebola but with intensive care treatment and proper hydration, patients have a chance of survival.
It spread to Nigeria - Africa's most populous country - in July, when a person infected with Ebola flew from Liberia to Lagos.
Protective clothing 'shortages'
The Nigerian government says it hopes its efforts to contain the virus are working, as there is only one confirmed case of Ebola remaining.
"All state ministries of education are to immediately organise and ensure that at least two staff in each school, both private and public, are trained by appropriate health workers no later than 15 September 2014 on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola," said Education Minister Ibrahim Shekarau.
"And also embark on immediate sensitisation of all teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools on preventive measures," he said.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has temporarily shut an Ebola testing laboratory in Kailahun in eastern Sierra Leone after a Senegalese health worker became infected with the virus.
There have been 392 Ebola deaths in Sierra Leone, according to the latest UN figures released on 22 August. Kailahun is one of the worst-affected districts and is currently under blockade.
"It's a temporary measure to take care of the welfare of our remaining workers," a WHO spokesman is quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying.
On Tuesday, the WHO said an "unprecedented" number of doctors and nurses had been infected with Ebola which was further impeding control efforts.
Infections were due to a shortage of protective equipment and staff, it said.
Only one or two doctors are available for 100,000 patients in some of the affected countries.
BBC
Related story: Nigeria has successfuly contained Ebola
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Nigeria has successfuly contained Ebola
Nigeria's health minister has insisted the Ebola outbreak has been contained in the country, and said it was working hard with its African neighbors to fight the disease.
Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Onyebuchi Chukwu said there was currently only one confirmed case of the disease in the country.
"(Ebola) limited it to one city, Lagos. All the cases so far have occurred in Lagos," Chukwu said. "Nigeria has contained the disease, but that is not to say that we have cured it."
He added that a meeting of the Economic Community Of West African States focused on the Ebola was underway.
In total, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 16 cases of Ebola in Nigeria and five deaths since the first case was detected in July. It has previously praised the intensity of Nigeria's search and monitoring efforts of further cases.
Overall, 1,427 people across Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have died of the viral disease as of August 2014, according to the WHO, while 2,615 cases have been reported in the region.
By comparison, the "Swine" flu pandemic of 2009-10 killed over 16,000 people.
This Sunday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed an outbreak of Ebola in the remote village of Boende—about 1,200 kilometers from the country's capital. The DRC's health ministry said this outbreak was unlinked to the one in West Africa and was a different strain of the disease.
There is no known cure for the illness, which in previous epidemics killed around 90 percent of sufferers. The current outbreak has a 53 percent death rate, the WHO said.
Ebola is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads through human-to-human transmission. Victims often suffer a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
CNBC
Related story: International community applauds Nigeria for Ebola containment efforts
Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Onyebuchi Chukwu said there was currently only one confirmed case of the disease in the country.
"(Ebola) limited it to one city, Lagos. All the cases so far have occurred in Lagos," Chukwu said. "Nigeria has contained the disease, but that is not to say that we have cured it."
He added that a meeting of the Economic Community Of West African States focused on the Ebola was underway.
In total, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 16 cases of Ebola in Nigeria and five deaths since the first case was detected in July. It has previously praised the intensity of Nigeria's search and monitoring efforts of further cases.
Overall, 1,427 people across Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have died of the viral disease as of August 2014, according to the WHO, while 2,615 cases have been reported in the region.
By comparison, the "Swine" flu pandemic of 2009-10 killed over 16,000 people.
This Sunday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed an outbreak of Ebola in the remote village of Boende—about 1,200 kilometers from the country's capital. The DRC's health ministry said this outbreak was unlinked to the one in West Africa and was a different strain of the disease.
There is no known cure for the illness, which in previous epidemics killed around 90 percent of sufferers. The current outbreak has a 53 percent death rate, the WHO said.
Ebola is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads through human-to-human transmission. Victims often suffer a sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
CNBC
Related story: International community applauds Nigeria for Ebola containment efforts
Thousands of Nigerians flee to cameroon after Boko Haram attack
Boko Haram on Monday overran a border town in northeast Nigeria, forcing residents and soldiers to flee in the latest indication of the militants' growing ability to strike at will and unchecked.
The attack on Gamboru Ngala came after the town was almost entirely destroyed in a devastating assault in May that left more than 300 people dead and prompted outrage at the lack of military response.
Many residents sought refuge from the latest strike across the border in the northern Cameroon town of Fotokol, where Cameroonian troop reinforcements were sent, a security service source told AFP.
Nigerian soldiers were said to be among the exodus, according to locals and the Cameroon military, who said "more than 450" had fled their posts on Sunday from elsewhere in Borno state in fear of Boko Haram attacks.
Nigeria's military dismissed the claims and maintained that the troops were "charging through the borders in a tactical manoeuvre" when they found themselves on Cameroonian soil.
Several residents who made it across the frontier said the militants had taken over the town after the assault began at about 5:30 am (0430 GMT), with fierce gunfire throughout the day forcing some frightened residents to lock themselves in their homes.
In Fotokol, residents also reported hearing "intense" fighting.
"Boko Haram is in control of Gamboru Ngala. They have taken over the Harmony (military) camp, the police station and the customs barracks near the border," Idris Gwoni said Monday evening, in an account supported by other locals.
"They encountered stiff resistance from the military, who engaged them in gun battle for several hours, but the soldiers were subdued and forced to flee into Cameroon.
"The insurgents have not touched any civilians and allow residents to stay or leave. I decided to leave because I can't trust Boko Haram."
Cameroon said on August 18 that it had closed its vast border with Nigeria to guard against the spread of Ebola, which has caused five deaths in the country's financial capital, Lagos, in the far southwest.
But few believed that Cameroon had the resources needed to seal all the possible crossing points along the roughly 1,600-kilometre (1,000-mile) frontier.
- Seizing territory -
Boko Haram, which has been blamed for more than 10,000 deaths in a five-year-old uprising, has in recent weeks sought to take over a number of towns in Nigeria's Borno state.
The apparent holding strategy is a shift from its previous hit-and-run tactics, which has increasingly targeted civilians and seen whole towns and villages razed.
The group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, declared in a video obtained by AFP on Sunday that the town of Gwoza, southwest of Gamboru Ngala, was now under an Islamic caliphate.
Local officials and residents in Borno say Boko Haram may be in control of a key road that connects Gamboru Ngala to the state capital Maiduguri.
Establishing which parts of the area have in fact fallen into rebels hands is difficult in the remote region, where travel is dangerous and prolonged fighting has hit mobile phone networks.
In Sunday's video, Shekau did not develop his claims about Gwoza being part of the Islamic caliphate.
He has previously voiced his support for the leader of the Islamic State (IS) militants, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who proclaimed himself the "leader of Muslims everywhere" in June. Al-Baghdadi's Sunni Muslim fighters have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
Nigeria's military dismissed Shekau's claim as "empty", maintaining that the country's sovereignty remained intact.
But that assertion is in conflict with multiple reports indicating that Boko Haram controls several towns in Borno and at least one in neighbouring Yobe state.
Analysts believe that Boko Haram will attempt to hold more towns in the state in the short to mid-term, with Nigeria's military unable or unwilling to tackle them.
Some Nigerian troops stationed in Maiduguri have refused to deploy to retake Gwoza because of what they say are sub-standard weapons that leave them at the mercy of the better-equipped rebels.
Defence analysts have also argued that Nigeria needs to improve its counter-insurgency strategy and adapt to guerrilla fighting, rather than relying on conventional means.
Others complain of a lack of political will to properly tackle Boko Haram, which wants to establish a hardline Islamic state and whose campaign has targeted schools, churches and government installations.
AFP
The attack on Gamboru Ngala came after the town was almost entirely destroyed in a devastating assault in May that left more than 300 people dead and prompted outrage at the lack of military response.
Many residents sought refuge from the latest strike across the border in the northern Cameroon town of Fotokol, where Cameroonian troop reinforcements were sent, a security service source told AFP.
Nigerian soldiers were said to be among the exodus, according to locals and the Cameroon military, who said "more than 450" had fled their posts on Sunday from elsewhere in Borno state in fear of Boko Haram attacks.
Nigeria's military dismissed the claims and maintained that the troops were "charging through the borders in a tactical manoeuvre" when they found themselves on Cameroonian soil.
Several residents who made it across the frontier said the militants had taken over the town after the assault began at about 5:30 am (0430 GMT), with fierce gunfire throughout the day forcing some frightened residents to lock themselves in their homes.
In Fotokol, residents also reported hearing "intense" fighting.
"Boko Haram is in control of Gamboru Ngala. They have taken over the Harmony (military) camp, the police station and the customs barracks near the border," Idris Gwoni said Monday evening, in an account supported by other locals.
"They encountered stiff resistance from the military, who engaged them in gun battle for several hours, but the soldiers were subdued and forced to flee into Cameroon.
"The insurgents have not touched any civilians and allow residents to stay or leave. I decided to leave because I can't trust Boko Haram."
Cameroon said on August 18 that it had closed its vast border with Nigeria to guard against the spread of Ebola, which has caused five deaths in the country's financial capital, Lagos, in the far southwest.
But few believed that Cameroon had the resources needed to seal all the possible crossing points along the roughly 1,600-kilometre (1,000-mile) frontier.
- Seizing territory -
Boko Haram, which has been blamed for more than 10,000 deaths in a five-year-old uprising, has in recent weeks sought to take over a number of towns in Nigeria's Borno state.
The apparent holding strategy is a shift from its previous hit-and-run tactics, which has increasingly targeted civilians and seen whole towns and villages razed.
The group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, declared in a video obtained by AFP on Sunday that the town of Gwoza, southwest of Gamboru Ngala, was now under an Islamic caliphate.
Local officials and residents in Borno say Boko Haram may be in control of a key road that connects Gamboru Ngala to the state capital Maiduguri.
Establishing which parts of the area have in fact fallen into rebels hands is difficult in the remote region, where travel is dangerous and prolonged fighting has hit mobile phone networks.
In Sunday's video, Shekau did not develop his claims about Gwoza being part of the Islamic caliphate.
He has previously voiced his support for the leader of the Islamic State (IS) militants, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who proclaimed himself the "leader of Muslims everywhere" in June. Al-Baghdadi's Sunni Muslim fighters have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
Nigeria's military dismissed Shekau's claim as "empty", maintaining that the country's sovereignty remained intact.
But that assertion is in conflict with multiple reports indicating that Boko Haram controls several towns in Borno and at least one in neighbouring Yobe state.
Analysts believe that Boko Haram will attempt to hold more towns in the state in the short to mid-term, with Nigeria's military unable or unwilling to tackle them.
Some Nigerian troops stationed in Maiduguri have refused to deploy to retake Gwoza because of what they say are sub-standard weapons that leave them at the mercy of the better-equipped rebels.
Defence analysts have also argued that Nigeria needs to improve its counter-insurgency strategy and adapt to guerrilla fighting, rather than relying on conventional means.
Others complain of a lack of political will to properly tackle Boko Haram, which wants to establish a hardline Islamic state and whose campaign has targeted schools, churches and government installations.
AFP
Monday, August 25, 2014
Nigerian government rejects Boko Harams 'caliphate' claim
The leader of Boko Haram has claimed that the Nigerian armed group will rule a northeastern town as part of an "Islamic caliphate", a claim quickly rejected by the military.
"Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in [the town of] Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate," Abubakar Shekau said in the 52-minute video revealed on Sunday.
The military rejected the claim, saying in a statement that the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact".
Reacting to Shekau's video, Nigerian Defence Spokesman Chris Olukolade said: "Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with that expression of delusion and crime.
"Operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits [are] still ongoing."
Earlier this month, heavily armed Boko Haram fighters stormed Gwoza, spraying the town with automatic gunfire, burning houses and overrunning the palace of its traditional ruler, the Emir of Gwoza.
Days later, the military launched strikes to push the Boko Haram fighters out of Gwoza, and the garrison town of Damboa, which Boko Haram sacked a month ago.
In the new video, members of the group can be seen carrying out attacks, with Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau declaring that the armed group has taken over the town.
"We did not do it on our own. Allah used us to captured Gwoza, Allah is going to use Islam to rule Gwoza, Nigeria and the whole world," the Boko Haram leader said.
"Some of these messages are preaches so that people can repent, some of the messages are advises, while in another way the message is a display of the way we use the power of Allah so you can fight him and that is it," he added.
No word of Baghdadi
In a July video, Shekau voiced support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State armed group.
In the previous months, the Islamic State group has captured large swaths of in Syria and Iraq and in late June, Baghdad declared himself "the caliph" and "leader of Muslims everywhere".
But there was no indication from Shekau in the latest video that he was associating himself with Baghdadi, whose Sunni Muslim fighters have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
As such, it was not clear if Shekau was declaring himself to be a part of Baghdadi's call or if he was referring to a separate Nigerian caliphate.
The military has struggled to stamp out the highly mobile, combat-hardened fighters of Boko Haram, who want to carve an Islamic state out of religiously mixed Nigeria.
The group is seen as the main security threat to Africa's biggest economy and leading energy producer.
The violent five-year-old campaign of Boko Haram has been in the international spotlight since the group kidnapped more than 200 girls from a school in the village of Chibok in April. The girls are still missing.
Aljazeera
Related story: Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
"Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in [the town of] Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate," Abubakar Shekau said in the 52-minute video revealed on Sunday.
The military rejected the claim, saying in a statement that the "sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact".
Reacting to Shekau's video, Nigerian Defence Spokesman Chris Olukolade said: "Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with that expression of delusion and crime.
"Operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits [are] still ongoing."
Earlier this month, heavily armed Boko Haram fighters stormed Gwoza, spraying the town with automatic gunfire, burning houses and overrunning the palace of its traditional ruler, the Emir of Gwoza.
Days later, the military launched strikes to push the Boko Haram fighters out of Gwoza, and the garrison town of Damboa, which Boko Haram sacked a month ago.
In the new video, members of the group can be seen carrying out attacks, with Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau declaring that the armed group has taken over the town.
"We did not do it on our own. Allah used us to captured Gwoza, Allah is going to use Islam to rule Gwoza, Nigeria and the whole world," the Boko Haram leader said.
"Some of these messages are preaches so that people can repent, some of the messages are advises, while in another way the message is a display of the way we use the power of Allah so you can fight him and that is it," he added.
No word of Baghdadi
In a July video, Shekau voiced support for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State armed group.
In the previous months, the Islamic State group has captured large swaths of in Syria and Iraq and in late June, Baghdad declared himself "the caliph" and "leader of Muslims everywhere".
But there was no indication from Shekau in the latest video that he was associating himself with Baghdadi, whose Sunni Muslim fighters have taken over parts of Iraq and Syria.
As such, it was not clear if Shekau was declaring himself to be a part of Baghdadi's call or if he was referring to a separate Nigerian caliphate.
The military has struggled to stamp out the highly mobile, combat-hardened fighters of Boko Haram, who want to carve an Islamic state out of religiously mixed Nigeria.
The group is seen as the main security threat to Africa's biggest economy and leading energy producer.
The violent five-year-old campaign of Boko Haram has been in the international spotlight since the group kidnapped more than 200 girls from a school in the village of Chibok in April. The girls are still missing.
Aljazeera
Related story: Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Boko Haram claim to have established an 'Islamic state' in Northern Nigeria
Militant group Boko Haram has said it has set up an Islamic state in the towns and villages it has seized in north-eastern Nigeria.
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was speaking in a video released to congratulate his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month.
It is not clear if Mr Shekau has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
Nigeria's army has rejected the claim as "empty".
Thousands of people have been killed in north-eastern Nigeria since 2009, when Boko Haram began its insurgency.
Gwoza, which had 265,000 residents in the last census, is the biggest town under Boko Haram control.
It has raised its flags over the palace of the Emir of Gwoza, the town's traditional ruler, residents say.
BBC
Related stories: Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was speaking in a video released to congratulate his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month.
It is not clear if Mr Shekau has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, which controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
Nigeria's army has rejected the claim as "empty".
Thousands of people have been killed in north-eastern Nigeria since 2009, when Boko Haram began its insurgency.
Gwoza, which had 265,000 residents in the last census, is the biggest town under Boko Haram control.
It has raised its flags over the palace of the Emir of Gwoza, the town's traditional ruler, residents say.
BBC
Related stories: Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Nigeria lose to Germany in FIFA Under 20 Women's World Cup Final
Lena Petermann scored in the eighth minute of extra time to lead Germany to a 1-0 victory over Nigeria to claim the under-20 Women's World Cup at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on Sunday. The game finished tied 0-0 after 90 minutes.
The victory is Germany's third at this competition, after winning the event in 2004 and 2010.
The Nigerians looked to have won the match in the 85th minute of regular time when midfielder Asisat Oshoala headed the ball across the line, but the play was called dead for offside.
Nigeria was the better team for much of the game, as the Falconets pinned the Germans in their own half for lengthy periods of time. Nigeria's shots were dangerous, and its crosses constantly threatened the German defence.
But it was Petermann who broke the deadlock in extra time, firing home from close range past goalkeeper Sandra Chiichii for her third goal of the competition.
Forward Pauline Bremer of Germany got the play going, stripping Nigeria's Gladys Abasi of the ball on the edge of the 18-yard-box. Bremer walked in to the penalty area and squared the ball to Petermann, who scored Germany's 17th goal of the tournament.
The loss was Nigeria's second in the final of the U-20 tournament, after losing 2-0 to Germany in 2010.
Nigeria came closest to opening the score in the first half. Oshoala had a glorious chance in the 22nd minute when she stole the ball from German defender Margarita Gidion, walked in on a breakaway, and sidestepped goalie Meike Kaemper before finding the side netting.
The tournament's leading scorer Oshoala, by far the game's best player, was denied another promising opportunity in the 38th when her teammate Loveth Ayila walked into her shot, deflecting it wide.
The game was 0-0 at halftime, with Nigeria directing nine shots towards target to Germany's four.
But Germany began pulling away as the game wore on. Its best chance in regular time came late when Petermann walked in on the Nigerian net on a partial break in the 78th, but her shot was scooped up by Chiichii.
The Germans finished with 13 shots on target. Nigeria had six.
Germany and Nigeria are familiar foes at the U-20 event.
In 2004, when the tournament was an U-19 format, Germany defeated Nigeria on penalties in the quarter-finals en route to its first championship.
In 2010, Germany's Alexandra Popp scored early in the final to defeat Nigeria's Falconets 2-0 in front of 24,633 in Bielefeld, Germany. Current Germany coach Karen Meinart was in charge of that team, as well.
At a press conference in Montreal on Saturday, Peter Montopoli of the Canadian Soccer Association said he was disappointed by the turnout in Montreal during the U-20 tournament, where an average of 9,000 soccer fans attended games at the Olympic Stadium.
On Sunday, there were 15,822 in attendance at the Big O.
Earlier in the day, France beat North Korea 3-2 in the third-place match. France's centre half Aissatou Tounkara scored the winner in the 79th minute to lead the Bleuettes to their first podium finish at the U-20 Women's World Cup.
CBC
Related story: Nigeria plays Germany in women's under 20 World Cup final
The victory is Germany's third at this competition, after winning the event in 2004 and 2010.
The Nigerians looked to have won the match in the 85th minute of regular time when midfielder Asisat Oshoala headed the ball across the line, but the play was called dead for offside.
Nigeria was the better team for much of the game, as the Falconets pinned the Germans in their own half for lengthy periods of time. Nigeria's shots were dangerous, and its crosses constantly threatened the German defence.
But it was Petermann who broke the deadlock in extra time, firing home from close range past goalkeeper Sandra Chiichii for her third goal of the competition.
Forward Pauline Bremer of Germany got the play going, stripping Nigeria's Gladys Abasi of the ball on the edge of the 18-yard-box. Bremer walked in to the penalty area and squared the ball to Petermann, who scored Germany's 17th goal of the tournament.
The loss was Nigeria's second in the final of the U-20 tournament, after losing 2-0 to Germany in 2010.
Nigeria came closest to opening the score in the first half. Oshoala had a glorious chance in the 22nd minute when she stole the ball from German defender Margarita Gidion, walked in on a breakaway, and sidestepped goalie Meike Kaemper before finding the side netting.
The tournament's leading scorer Oshoala, by far the game's best player, was denied another promising opportunity in the 38th when her teammate Loveth Ayila walked into her shot, deflecting it wide.
The game was 0-0 at halftime, with Nigeria directing nine shots towards target to Germany's four.
But Germany began pulling away as the game wore on. Its best chance in regular time came late when Petermann walked in on the Nigerian net on a partial break in the 78th, but her shot was scooped up by Chiichii.
The Germans finished with 13 shots on target. Nigeria had six.
Germany and Nigeria are familiar foes at the U-20 event.
In 2004, when the tournament was an U-19 format, Germany defeated Nigeria on penalties in the quarter-finals en route to its first championship.
In 2010, Germany's Alexandra Popp scored early in the final to defeat Nigeria's Falconets 2-0 in front of 24,633 in Bielefeld, Germany. Current Germany coach Karen Meinart was in charge of that team, as well.
At a press conference in Montreal on Saturday, Peter Montopoli of the Canadian Soccer Association said he was disappointed by the turnout in Montreal during the U-20 tournament, where an average of 9,000 soccer fans attended games at the Olympic Stadium.
On Sunday, there were 15,822 in attendance at the Big O.
Earlier in the day, France beat North Korea 3-2 in the third-place match. France's centre half Aissatou Tounkara scored the winner in the 79th minute to lead the Bleuettes to their first podium finish at the U-20 Women's World Cup.
CBC
Related story: Nigeria plays Germany in women's under 20 World Cup final
Thursday, August 21, 2014
DJ Jimmy Jatt dethrones 2face on iTunes Nigeria chart
The Industry, which was released August 17 at the Intercontinental Hotel to mark JimmyJatt’s 25th anniversary features over 60 artistes.
It has 26 digital tracks and, according to its producers, is the biggest collaborative album out of Africa.
Jimmy Jatt, real name – Adewale Amu, has being a fixture on the Nigerian entertainment scene since the nineties.
His first ever single Stylee featuring Tu Face Idibia, Mode 9 and Elajoe, was released in 2007 and was off his debut album, The Definition.
Glasses Up is the theme song for his 25th year anniversary. It features TuFace Idibia, Sound Sultan, Burna boy.
Premium Times
Boko Haram seize police academy in Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria's riot police training academy has been overrun by Boko Haram Islamist militants, a witness in Borno state has told the BBC.
Shots were heard after the militants arrived in three armoured vehicles and on dozens of motorcycles, he said.
A police spokesman confirmed the attack while a senior security source said it had not been possible to communicate with the academy since Wednesday.
The Liman Kara college is near Gwoza town, seized by Boko Haram this month.
Thousands have been killed across north-eastern Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign for an Islamic state in 2009.
The militants have stepped up their attacks after being pushed out of their bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns.
'Residents fled'
The militants have been in control of Gwoza, which had a population of about 50,000, since the beginning of August.
They apparently retreated about 100km (62 miles) to Gwoza after losing control of Damboa - both large towns in Borno state.
But attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have failed - and a group of about 40 soldiers is now refusing to fight, saying they are too poorly equipped to take on the heavily armed insurgents.
BBC
Related stories: Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Shots were heard after the militants arrived in three armoured vehicles and on dozens of motorcycles, he said.
A police spokesman confirmed the attack while a senior security source said it had not been possible to communicate with the academy since Wednesday.
The Liman Kara college is near Gwoza town, seized by Boko Haram this month.
Thousands have been killed across north-eastern Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its violent campaign for an Islamic state in 2009.
The militants have stepped up their attacks after being pushed out of their bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, and have been targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
In recent weeks, the militants have been moving from their rural camps and taking over substantial towns.
'Residents fled'
The militants have been in control of Gwoza, which had a population of about 50,000, since the beginning of August.
They apparently retreated about 100km (62 miles) to Gwoza after losing control of Damboa - both large towns in Borno state.
But attempts by the security forces to retake Gwoza have failed - and a group of about 40 soldiers is now refusing to fight, saying they are too poorly equipped to take on the heavily armed insurgents.
BBC
Related stories: Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons
Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Nigeria plays Germany in women's under 20 World Cup final
Asisat Oshoala scored four goals to lift Nigeria to a 6-2 victory over North Korea at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup semifinal at Moncton Stadium on Wednesday.Nigeria will face Germany, which beat France 2-1 in the other semi on Wednesday in Montreal, in the championship match on Sunday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 6 p.m. ET).
Oshoala scored in the 24th minute to give Nigeria a 2-0 advantage, and added her other three goals in a 25-minute span in the second half. Courtney Dike and Uchechi Sunday also scored for the winning side.
Jon So Yon, on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute, and Ri Un Sim replied for North Korea. The North Koreans will play France in the third-place match on Sunday.
At Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Lena Petermann's goal in the 81st minute stood up as the winner as Germany edged France in the later semifinal match.
Pauline Bremer scored in the 12th minute to give Germany a 1-0 edge, but Griedge Mbock Bathy replied for France to tie the game in the 45th.
CBC
Fire destroys Nigeria Football Federation headquarters in Abuja
A huge fire has ripped through the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) building in the capital Abuja on Wednesday.
Flames were spotted coming out of the building at about 1000 local time and it took fire fighters almost two hours to extinguish the blaze.
Nigerian Fire Service official Eyo Ime said it is suspected an electrical fault caused the fire.
"The fire started from the chief accountant's office as I was told," said NFF general secretary Musa Amadu.
"I just arrived at the office and saw the smoke and was not allowed to go upstairs, obviously, for safety reasons.
"Staffers would have been able to reduce the impact of the damage, but could not gain access into his office and as such could not quell or trace where the smoke was coming out from.
"But we must not engage in blame games and thank God that no life was lost. But this is sad and unfortunate."
The disaster is another blow for the NFF, coming at a time when it is locked in a bitter leadership crisis which has seen president Aminu Maigari sacked and reinstated twice.
The African champions are also without a coach as the football authority continues to negotiate with Stephen Keshi, whose contract ran out in June, over his return to the job.
However, Keshi told BBC Sport he "cannot wait much longer", adding "it should only take the 24 hours or 48 hours to agree a contract; this is taking too much time".
BBC
Related story: FIFA gives Nigeria new deadline to reinstate NFF board
Flames were spotted coming out of the building at about 1000 local time and it took fire fighters almost two hours to extinguish the blaze.
Nigerian Fire Service official Eyo Ime said it is suspected an electrical fault caused the fire.
"The fire started from the chief accountant's office as I was told," said NFF general secretary Musa Amadu.
"I just arrived at the office and saw the smoke and was not allowed to go upstairs, obviously, for safety reasons.
"Staffers would have been able to reduce the impact of the damage, but could not gain access into his office and as such could not quell or trace where the smoke was coming out from.
"But we must not engage in blame games and thank God that no life was lost. But this is sad and unfortunate."
The disaster is another blow for the NFF, coming at a time when it is locked in a bitter leadership crisis which has seen president Aminu Maigari sacked and reinstated twice.
The African champions are also without a coach as the football authority continues to negotiate with Stephen Keshi, whose contract ran out in June, over his return to the job.
However, Keshi told BBC Sport he "cannot wait much longer", adding "it should only take the 24 hours or 48 hours to agree a contract; this is taking too much time".
BBC
Related story: FIFA gives Nigeria new deadline to reinstate NFF board
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Some Nigerian soldiers refuse to fight Boko Haram until given new weapons
A group of soldiers in north-eastern Nigeria is refusing to fight Islamist Boko Haram militants until they receive better equipment, one of the mutineers has told the BBC.
The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.
A defence ministry spokesman said the incident was being investigated.
A state of emergency that was declared in three north-eastern states last year has failed to curb the insurgency.
Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria - and has stepped up its attacks after being pushed out of its bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
'Sacrificing soldiers'
"Soldiers are dying like fowl," the soldier, who said he and his colleagues were just outside Maiduguri, told the BBC Hausa service.
"The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram," he said, explaining that soldiers were not being given enough weapons and ammunition to take them on.
"Boko Haram are inside the bush, everywhere," he said "They [senior commanders] are sacrificing soldiers," he said.
Defence ministry spokesman Gen Chris Olukolade told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that he could not confirm the reports of a mutiny but would investigate.
He denied that soldiers were being "sent to die".
"We may not have all it takes but we are improving on it [equipment] regularly," he said.
Even the vehicles the soldiers were expected to use were old armoured cars that were not up to the job, he added.
A general in the army, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that he was unable to confirm the mutiny, but said "cowardice" was not uncommon in times of war - and any mutineers would be punished.
When the solder was asked if he feared being court-martialled for taking part in the mutiny, he said that a soldier could only be taken to task for refusing to go to war.
"I joined the army to defend my country", but you cannot defend it without being equipped to do so, he said.
In April, Boko Haram caused global outrage by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state.
The group has also carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations, including that of moderate Muslim leaders opposed to its ideology.
BBC
Related stories: Wives of Nigerian soldiers protest the lack of resources troops have to combat Boko Haram
Boko Haram suspected of kidnapping about 50 men and boys in Northern Nigerian villages
The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.
A defence ministry spokesman said the incident was being investigated.
A state of emergency that was declared in three north-eastern states last year has failed to curb the insurgency.
Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria - and has stepped up its attacks after being pushed out of its bases in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, targeting towns and villages in deadly raids.
'Sacrificing soldiers'
"Soldiers are dying like fowl," the soldier, who said he and his colleagues were just outside Maiduguri, told the BBC Hausa service.
"The Nigerian army is not ready to fight Boko Haram," he said, explaining that soldiers were not being given enough weapons and ammunition to take them on.
"Boko Haram are inside the bush, everywhere," he said "They [senior commanders] are sacrificing soldiers," he said.
Defence ministry spokesman Gen Chris Olukolade told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that he could not confirm the reports of a mutiny but would investigate.
He denied that soldiers were being "sent to die".
"We may not have all it takes but we are improving on it [equipment] regularly," he said.
Even the vehicles the soldiers were expected to use were old armoured cars that were not up to the job, he added.
A general in the army, who asked not to be named, told the BBC that he was unable to confirm the mutiny, but said "cowardice" was not uncommon in times of war - and any mutineers would be punished.
When the solder was asked if he feared being court-martialled for taking part in the mutiny, he said that a soldier could only be taken to task for refusing to go to war.
"I joined the army to defend my country", but you cannot defend it without being equipped to do so, he said.
In April, Boko Haram caused global outrage by abducting more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state.
The group has also carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations, including that of moderate Muslim leaders opposed to its ideology.
BBC
Related stories: Wives of Nigerian soldiers protest the lack of resources troops have to combat Boko Haram
Boko Haram suspected of kidnapping about 50 men and boys in Northern Nigerian villages
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
International community applauds Nigeria for Ebola containment efforts
In the midst of the gloomy news that Nigeria is often associated with comes a ray of hope that the country can indeed get things right when its officials and people put their hearts to work.
This is the story emerging from the handling of Ebola outbreak in West Africa, where Nigeria’s officials have been able to contain its spread in Africa’s most populous country with over 168 million people.
This response has received huge commendations from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the international community.
Following fear and anxiety the lethality of the Ebola outbreak has generated since it came into the country through late Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, on July 20, 2014, Nigeria is racing to halt Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) from spreading, including tracing individuals known to have had contact with confirmed cases, training health care professionals to identify EVD, and raising public awareness of symptoms.
This cheery news comes as contact tracing in Nigeria has resulted in a range of between 94 percent and 98 percent of contacts of EVD cases being identified and followed up, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
With Nigeria recording 12 confirmed EVD cases, this development comes as a relief and provides a window to wipe out the disease before it gets out of control, as it has in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, claiming 1,066 lives, with 1,963 EVD cases confirmed since the outbreak began in December 2013.
Onyebuchi Chukwu, minister of health, had announced yesterday that four additional confirmed cases of EVD who had been managed successfully and were now disease-free had been discharged.
“The four persons include two male medical doctors and one female nurse. The three participated in the treatment of the index case, while the fourth person was a female patient at the time the index case was on admission,” a statement from the ministry said.
This brings to five the total number of patients diagnosed with EVD who have now been discharged from hospital.
On the Federal Government’s containment efforts, Chukwu told BusinessDay that state governments were urged to institute a communication strategy to ensure mass awareness creation and sensitisation for individuals and communities on EVD in a bid to halt the spread of the disease.
Federal and state ministries of health and the human services secretariat of the FCT administration were also directed to provide adequate incentives to health workers participating in the management of EVD patients, he said.
Chukwu said Nigeria’s partnership with WHO, UNICEF, the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local authorities and international partners in the area of technical capacity, health facilities for isolation of EVD patients and other containment efforts was aimed at halting EVD spread.
“The Ministry of Health is procuring isolation tents to quicken the pace of providing isolation wards in all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. We are also setting up a special team to provide counselling and psychosocial support to patients, identified contacts and their families,” Chukwu explained.
“189 persons are under surveillance in Lagos and six persons under surveillance in Enugu. All the persons under surveillance were secondary contacts. All the patients under treatment have now moved to the new 40-bed capacity isolating ward provided by the Lagos State government. Additional equipment has also been made available to the new isolating ward by the Federal Government,” he said.
Chika Mordi, CEO, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria, said Nigeria has done creditably well in containing the spread of EVD in the country. While Nigeria is perceived in the international community not to have functional institutions, Mordi said the case management of EVD in Nigeria has proven that the nation has functional institutions.
He said “If you compare the way Nigeria have handled the case of EVD outbreak when compared to other Ebola affected countries within the West-African sub-region, you will agree that we have done an excellent job. We can also improved upon the success.
“You may remember that the outbreak started in Guinea and then spread to neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia. Remember that the index case who brought EVD into Nigeria was visibly ill when he stopped over in Togo and yet Togo said they dont have any case of EVD. Ivory Coast which borders Guinea say they dont have EVD cases.
Don’t forget that in the last few months, Nigeria has been on the front burner on CNN and other news channels in the area of insecurity, suggesting that we don’t have functional institutions. The way we have effectively managed EVD in Nigeria suggests that the country has functional systems in place which could be improved upon.”
Another impressed observer of Nigeria’s handling of the Ebola outbreak narrated his experience at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos yesterday. He said, “I was at the airport this morning (yesterday) to see off a relation and as she went in to board, she and other passengers were screened by health officials who not only checked their temperature but asked questions like how they felt, where they had been and it was damn effective. A rare case of us doing the right thing. I was so impressed and it shows how far we can go if we do the right things.
Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State governor, said the government was not shying away from its primary purpose of protecting and saving lives, as the state House of Assembly had approved additional expenditure to fund efforts at containing the spread of the disease.
“My view of the fact that we are gaining control is informed by verifiable facts that I receive daily from our health workers that all the cases of those who have either unfortunately died, or those who are sick, and those who are contacts under surveillance are directly traceable to the imported case. This is encouraging news from which our containment strategy can profit greatly; because it means that we do not have any case of unknown origin, which will raise the risk of an epidemic,” Fashola said.
Adebayo Onajole, director of communication and community mobilisation for Ebola in Nigeria, said the country had been able to contain the spread through increased surveillance at the country’s borders (air, land and sea), increased awareness and less of disinformation of the disease in the country.
Onajole, who is also a consultant public health physician, noted that universal health precautions and personal hygiene were currently being encouraged, a situation that would halt the spread of the disease.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of response, including contact tracking, public information and community mobilisation, case management and infection prevention and control, and coordination,” he said.
“There is now increased disease surveillance system in a bid to monitor, control, and prevent any occurrence of the disease,” he added.
Five committees have been put in place in the country to halt the spread of the disease, BusinessDay investigation reveals. These committees include contact tracing (responsible for tracing contacts of infected person), case management unit (responsible for managing established cases), and point of entry unit, which is charged with the responsibility of examining persons entering Nigeria from various borders.
Besides the Federal Government’s N1.9 billion Ebola Intervention Plan announced by President Goodluck Jonathan, Aliko Dangote, chairman, Dangote Group, announced the donation of over N150 million from Dangote Foundation for the establishment of a National Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at Yaba, Lagos.
The EOC is a key part of Nigeria’s response to the outbreak of Ebola on its shores. Headed by Faisal Shuaib, a US-trained public health expert with extensive international experience, the centre serves as the engine room of national response, providing a coordinating mechanism for prevention, surveillance, patient care, tracking, data analysis and containment of the spread of the virus.
It also facilitates coordination of partners, serves as a platform to link to the medical community across the country and also internationally, especially with countries also battling the virus in West Africa.
Public health experts believe EVD can be stopped through maintaining high effective control mechanism and communication within communities on proper hygiene practice.
“We do know how to stop Ebola. Its old-fashioned plain and simple public health: find the patients, make sure they get treated, find their contacts, track them, educate people and do infection control in hospitals,” said Thomas Frieden, director, United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Business Day
Related stories: 5 have recovered from 12 Ebola cases
Nigeria approves use of experimental Ebola drug
This is the story emerging from the handling of Ebola outbreak in West Africa, where Nigeria’s officials have been able to contain its spread in Africa’s most populous country with over 168 million people.
This response has received huge commendations from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the international community.
Following fear and anxiety the lethality of the Ebola outbreak has generated since it came into the country through late Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, on July 20, 2014, Nigeria is racing to halt Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) from spreading, including tracing individuals known to have had contact with confirmed cases, training health care professionals to identify EVD, and raising public awareness of symptoms.
This cheery news comes as contact tracing in Nigeria has resulted in a range of between 94 percent and 98 percent of contacts of EVD cases being identified and followed up, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
With Nigeria recording 12 confirmed EVD cases, this development comes as a relief and provides a window to wipe out the disease before it gets out of control, as it has in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, claiming 1,066 lives, with 1,963 EVD cases confirmed since the outbreak began in December 2013.
Onyebuchi Chukwu, minister of health, had announced yesterday that four additional confirmed cases of EVD who had been managed successfully and were now disease-free had been discharged.
“The four persons include two male medical doctors and one female nurse. The three participated in the treatment of the index case, while the fourth person was a female patient at the time the index case was on admission,” a statement from the ministry said.
This brings to five the total number of patients diagnosed with EVD who have now been discharged from hospital.
On the Federal Government’s containment efforts, Chukwu told BusinessDay that state governments were urged to institute a communication strategy to ensure mass awareness creation and sensitisation for individuals and communities on EVD in a bid to halt the spread of the disease.
Federal and state ministries of health and the human services secretariat of the FCT administration were also directed to provide adequate incentives to health workers participating in the management of EVD patients, he said.
Chukwu said Nigeria’s partnership with WHO, UNICEF, the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local authorities and international partners in the area of technical capacity, health facilities for isolation of EVD patients and other containment efforts was aimed at halting EVD spread.
“The Ministry of Health is procuring isolation tents to quicken the pace of providing isolation wards in all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. We are also setting up a special team to provide counselling and psychosocial support to patients, identified contacts and their families,” Chukwu explained.
“189 persons are under surveillance in Lagos and six persons under surveillance in Enugu. All the persons under surveillance were secondary contacts. All the patients under treatment have now moved to the new 40-bed capacity isolating ward provided by the Lagos State government. Additional equipment has also been made available to the new isolating ward by the Federal Government,” he said.
Chika Mordi, CEO, National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria, said Nigeria has done creditably well in containing the spread of EVD in the country. While Nigeria is perceived in the international community not to have functional institutions, Mordi said the case management of EVD in Nigeria has proven that the nation has functional institutions.
He said “If you compare the way Nigeria have handled the case of EVD outbreak when compared to other Ebola affected countries within the West-African sub-region, you will agree that we have done an excellent job. We can also improved upon the success.
“You may remember that the outbreak started in Guinea and then spread to neighbouring Sierra Leone and Liberia. Remember that the index case who brought EVD into Nigeria was visibly ill when he stopped over in Togo and yet Togo said they dont have any case of EVD. Ivory Coast which borders Guinea say they dont have EVD cases.
Don’t forget that in the last few months, Nigeria has been on the front burner on CNN and other news channels in the area of insecurity, suggesting that we don’t have functional institutions. The way we have effectively managed EVD in Nigeria suggests that the country has functional systems in place which could be improved upon.”
Another impressed observer of Nigeria’s handling of the Ebola outbreak narrated his experience at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos yesterday. He said, “I was at the airport this morning (yesterday) to see off a relation and as she went in to board, she and other passengers were screened by health officials who not only checked their temperature but asked questions like how they felt, where they had been and it was damn effective. A rare case of us doing the right thing. I was so impressed and it shows how far we can go if we do the right things.
Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State governor, said the government was not shying away from its primary purpose of protecting and saving lives, as the state House of Assembly had approved additional expenditure to fund efforts at containing the spread of the disease.
“My view of the fact that we are gaining control is informed by verifiable facts that I receive daily from our health workers that all the cases of those who have either unfortunately died, or those who are sick, and those who are contacts under surveillance are directly traceable to the imported case. This is encouraging news from which our containment strategy can profit greatly; because it means that we do not have any case of unknown origin, which will raise the risk of an epidemic,” Fashola said.
Adebayo Onajole, director of communication and community mobilisation for Ebola in Nigeria, said the country had been able to contain the spread through increased surveillance at the country’s borders (air, land and sea), increased awareness and less of disinformation of the disease in the country.
Onajole, who is also a consultant public health physician, noted that universal health precautions and personal hygiene were currently being encouraged, a situation that would halt the spread of the disease.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to scale up and strengthen all aspects of response, including contact tracking, public information and community mobilisation, case management and infection prevention and control, and coordination,” he said.
“There is now increased disease surveillance system in a bid to monitor, control, and prevent any occurrence of the disease,” he added.
Five committees have been put in place in the country to halt the spread of the disease, BusinessDay investigation reveals. These committees include contact tracing (responsible for tracing contacts of infected person), case management unit (responsible for managing established cases), and point of entry unit, which is charged with the responsibility of examining persons entering Nigeria from various borders.
Besides the Federal Government’s N1.9 billion Ebola Intervention Plan announced by President Goodluck Jonathan, Aliko Dangote, chairman, Dangote Group, announced the donation of over N150 million from Dangote Foundation for the establishment of a National Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at Yaba, Lagos.
The EOC is a key part of Nigeria’s response to the outbreak of Ebola on its shores. Headed by Faisal Shuaib, a US-trained public health expert with extensive international experience, the centre serves as the engine room of national response, providing a coordinating mechanism for prevention, surveillance, patient care, tracking, data analysis and containment of the spread of the virus.
It also facilitates coordination of partners, serves as a platform to link to the medical community across the country and also internationally, especially with countries also battling the virus in West Africa.
Public health experts believe EVD can be stopped through maintaining high effective control mechanism and communication within communities on proper hygiene practice.
“We do know how to stop Ebola. Its old-fashioned plain and simple public health: find the patients, make sure they get treated, find their contacts, track them, educate people and do infection control in hospitals,” said Thomas Frieden, director, United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Business Day
Related stories: 5 have recovered from 12 Ebola cases
Nigeria approves use of experimental Ebola drug
Monday, August 18, 2014
Former Anti-Corruption Chief Nuhu Ribadu defects to ruling party PDP
Ribadu registered at the Bako ward of northeastern Adamawa state capital Yola on Aug. 16, Hamidu Aji, the local chairman of the ruling party, known as PDP, said today by phone. “Ribadu was issued a PDP membership card,” he said.
A former head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ribadu, 53, ran and lost to President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 as the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria. The party later merged with the Congress for Progressive Change, led by former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, and other smaller parties to form APC.
“Clearly, no party wants to lose anybody,” Lai Mohammed, spokesman for the APC, as the opposition is known, said today in a telephone interview from Lagos, the commercial capital. “But I can assure you the party is stronger than individuals.”
As head of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency from 2003 to 2007, Ribadu established a reputation for taking the fight against graft even to those with political influence. He was fired by late President Umaru Yar’Adua and he fled into exile in 2008, returning to the country after Jonathan took office two years later.
While Ribadu has worked with the Jonathan administration since his return from exile, he’s criticized the government for failing to tackle corruption. He said in April that Jonathan’s pardon of his former boss, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the ex-governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa state, on graft and money laundering charges “makes a joke of all the war against corruption.”
Ribadu’s defection to the PDP, as the ruling party is also known, is “a blow to the opposition on multiple fronts” Philippe de Pontet, Africa director at New York-based Eurasia Group, said in an e-mailed response to questions. “It is a setback for the APC’s self-promoted brand as a true alternative to the ruling party,” he said.
Bloomberg
Related stories: Nuhu Ribadu uncovers large scale oil fraud
Video - Oil theft in Nigeria on the rise
Ribadu's report states government stole N51 billion from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
Cameroon suspends all flights from Nigeria due to Ebola scare
The government of Cameroon has ordered the closure of its borders and the suspension of all flights to and from Nigeria.
This is to avoid the spread of the deadly Ebola disease into the country.
Cameroon has a border boundary of over 2, 000 kilometres in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Cross Rivers states in the South-South sub-region of Nigeria.
Speaking yesterday on a special programme of the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Maiduguri, the spokesman of Cameroon Foreign Affairs, Chiroumma Boukkari said the decision to shut the borders with Nigeria has become imperative, because of the fear of Ebola that is currently threatening the West African region.
According to him, “This decision on border closure and suspension of all flights to and from Nigeria is to protect the lives of Cameroonian citizens living within and outside from contracting Ebola, as Nigeria, our main trading partner in Africa had been facing since July 20, 2014 when Patrick Sawyer sneaked into the country aboard a flight with the deadly virus.”
He however, noted that the border closure and temporary suspension of flights to and from Nigeria will not last longer than a month.
“The border closures with our main trading partner will be lifted as soon as Nigeria contains the spread of the deadly viral disease. We also urge all border security agencies of the two countries to be vigilant by complying with this border closures made yesterday (Saturday) by the foreign office here in Ngaudore,” said Boukkari.
The affected border outposts in Borno state include, Kirawa, Duji, Mallam Fatori, Gamboru, Banki, Damba/Masara, Baga, Danbaure, Sigal and Jilbe, 145 kilometres northeast of Maiduguri, the state capital.
Daily Post
Related stories: 5 have recovered from 12 Ebola cases
Video - Nigeria's challenge to contain ebola
This is to avoid the spread of the deadly Ebola disease into the country.
Cameroon has a border boundary of over 2, 000 kilometres in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Cross Rivers states in the South-South sub-region of Nigeria.
Speaking yesterday on a special programme of the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Maiduguri, the spokesman of Cameroon Foreign Affairs, Chiroumma Boukkari said the decision to shut the borders with Nigeria has become imperative, because of the fear of Ebola that is currently threatening the West African region.
According to him, “This decision on border closure and suspension of all flights to and from Nigeria is to protect the lives of Cameroonian citizens living within and outside from contracting Ebola, as Nigeria, our main trading partner in Africa had been facing since July 20, 2014 when Patrick Sawyer sneaked into the country aboard a flight with the deadly virus.”
He however, noted that the border closure and temporary suspension of flights to and from Nigeria will not last longer than a month.
“The border closures with our main trading partner will be lifted as soon as Nigeria contains the spread of the deadly viral disease. We also urge all border security agencies of the two countries to be vigilant by complying with this border closures made yesterday (Saturday) by the foreign office here in Ngaudore,” said Boukkari.
The affected border outposts in Borno state include, Kirawa, Duji, Mallam Fatori, Gamboru, Banki, Damba/Masara, Baga, Danbaure, Sigal and Jilbe, 145 kilometres northeast of Maiduguri, the state capital.
Daily Post
Related stories: 5 have recovered from 12 Ebola cases
Video - Nigeria's challenge to contain ebola
24 reasons why Nigerian doctors are on strike
The Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, an association of all medical doctors in Nigeria on July 1 embarked on a nationwide strike.
With the NMA strike, doctors working in government-owned hospitals have boycotted work, leaving majority of sick Nigerians stranded. In an open letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, on June 11, the association listed a 24 ‘minimum point’ demand which it expected government to meet before its members would return to work.
The letter was titled “Facing the Challenges in the Health Sector”. However on Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the sack of all resident doctors in Nigeria. Mr. Jonathan directed the suspension of all Residency Training Programme and the hiring of part-time medical officers to replace the doctors. The inadequate funding of the Residency Training Programme is one of the reasons the NMA is aggrieved.
Below is a list of the challenges faced by the NMA:
1. A demand that seven Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, DCMAC (four for Teaching Hospitals and three for Federal Medical Centers be appointed to assist the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC. The association noted that the CMAC is presently saddled with statutory responsibilities that are too heavy for an individual to handle. The DCMACs is expected to have the same qualifications as the CMACs. The NMA also argued that directors in other government establishments are supported by deputies and sees no reason while that of the CMACs should be different.
2. The association opposed the appointment of directors in hospitals. The position, it said, distorts the chain of command and induces anarchy while exposing patients to conflicting treatment and management directives with mostly negative consequences.
3. A demand that grade level 12 (CONMESS 2) in the health sector be skipped for medical and dental practitioners.
4. The association also demand that the title ‘Consultant’ should not be assigned to non-doctor personnel. Arguing that consultant describes the relationship between a specialist medical doctor and his patients, the association said that giving the title to a non-doctor personnel will only lead to anarchy and chaos in the system.
5. The immediate implementation of a January 3, 2014 circular and immediate payment of the arrears for 22 years during which members were short-changed. It also demand an adjustment of doctor’s salary to maintain the relativity as agreed.
6. The acceleration of the passage of the National Health Bill and extension of the Universal Health Coverage to cover 100 per cent of Nigerians rather than 30 per cent as currently prescribed by the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.
7. Appointment of a Surgeon General of the Federation with immediate effect.
8. A correction of entry point of a health officer to CONMESS 1 Step 4 as originally contained in MSS/ MSSS while the Registrar/ Medical officer is moved to CONMESS 3 Step 3.
9. Call duty allowance for Honorary Consultants should be increased by 90 per cent.
10. An adjustment in the specialist allowance as contained in the 2009 collective bargaining agreement. Also all doctors on CONMESS 3 and above must be paid specialist allowance or its equivalent, not less than 50 per cent higher than what is paid to other health workers.
11. Hazard allowance for medical doctors must be at least N100, 000 per month. The hazard allowance for medical doctors is said to be at N5, 000 per month presently.
12. Immediate release of the circular on rural posting, teaching and other allowances which must include house officers.
13. An immediate withdrawal of a circular by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN authorizing Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, MLSCN to approve licenses for importation of In-Vitro Diagnostics, IVDs.
14. Immediate release of the circular for the retirement age for medical doctors as agreed with the Federal Government.
15. The FG through the health ministry should formalize and implement the report of the interagency committee on residency training. The FG is expected to release the uniform template on the appointment of resident doctors in line with earlier agreements. Also a concrete funding framework for residency training must be established while the overseas clinical attachment must be fully restored and properly funded in the interest of the nation.
16. That in the interest of harmony in the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, the government should pay the salaries of our members in the center as agreed on October 21, 2013.
17. Immediate concrete steps must be put in place for the reintegration of our members back into the IPPIS platform.
18. All attempts to coerce house officers not to join NARD must stop.
19. The orchestrated intimidation, harassment and physical assault of our members in the departments of pathology (Laboratory medicine) by laboratory scientists and tolerated by the Federal Ministry of Health must stop.
20. The endless circle of incomplete salary payment of our members in many hospitals in the name of shortfalls in personnel cost must stop.
21. Universal applicability of all establishment circulars on the renumeration and conditions of service for doctors at all levels of government must be granted.
22. Government should as a matter of urgency set up a health trust fund that will enhance the upgrading of hospitals in Nigeria.
23. The position of the Chief Medical Director/ Medical Director must continue to be occupied by a medical doctor as contained in the Act establishing the tertiary hospitals. This position remains sacrosanct and untouchable.
24. The NMA henceforth shall not accept the continued violation of any of any of the terms of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is exemplified by the payment of the Medical Physicist and Optometrist with OD (who are on CONHESS) call duty allowance using CONMESS circular. Similarly, the phrase, “Ministries, Departments and Agencies”, MDAs in the said agreement should replace “Federal Ministry of Health and other Federal Health Institutions” as contained in the 2009 CONMESS circular.
Premium Times
Related stories: Patients dying as Nigeria's doctors strike continues
President Goodluck Jonathan sacks striking doctors
With the NMA strike, doctors working in government-owned hospitals have boycotted work, leaving majority of sick Nigerians stranded. In an open letter to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, on June 11, the association listed a 24 ‘minimum point’ demand which it expected government to meet before its members would return to work.
The letter was titled “Facing the Challenges in the Health Sector”. However on Thursday, President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the sack of all resident doctors in Nigeria. Mr. Jonathan directed the suspension of all Residency Training Programme and the hiring of part-time medical officers to replace the doctors. The inadequate funding of the Residency Training Programme is one of the reasons the NMA is aggrieved.
Below is a list of the challenges faced by the NMA:
1. A demand that seven Deputy Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, DCMAC (four for Teaching Hospitals and three for Federal Medical Centers be appointed to assist the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC. The association noted that the CMAC is presently saddled with statutory responsibilities that are too heavy for an individual to handle. The DCMACs is expected to have the same qualifications as the CMACs. The NMA also argued that directors in other government establishments are supported by deputies and sees no reason while that of the CMACs should be different.
2. The association opposed the appointment of directors in hospitals. The position, it said, distorts the chain of command and induces anarchy while exposing patients to conflicting treatment and management directives with mostly negative consequences.
3. A demand that grade level 12 (CONMESS 2) in the health sector be skipped for medical and dental practitioners.
4. The association also demand that the title ‘Consultant’ should not be assigned to non-doctor personnel. Arguing that consultant describes the relationship between a specialist medical doctor and his patients, the association said that giving the title to a non-doctor personnel will only lead to anarchy and chaos in the system.
5. The immediate implementation of a January 3, 2014 circular and immediate payment of the arrears for 22 years during which members were short-changed. It also demand an adjustment of doctor’s salary to maintain the relativity as agreed.
6. The acceleration of the passage of the National Health Bill and extension of the Universal Health Coverage to cover 100 per cent of Nigerians rather than 30 per cent as currently prescribed by the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.
7. Appointment of a Surgeon General of the Federation with immediate effect.
8. A correction of entry point of a health officer to CONMESS 1 Step 4 as originally contained in MSS/ MSSS while the Registrar/ Medical officer is moved to CONMESS 3 Step 3.
9. Call duty allowance for Honorary Consultants should be increased by 90 per cent.
10. An adjustment in the specialist allowance as contained in the 2009 collective bargaining agreement. Also all doctors on CONMESS 3 and above must be paid specialist allowance or its equivalent, not less than 50 per cent higher than what is paid to other health workers.
11. Hazard allowance for medical doctors must be at least N100, 000 per month. The hazard allowance for medical doctors is said to be at N5, 000 per month presently.
12. Immediate release of the circular on rural posting, teaching and other allowances which must include house officers.
13. An immediate withdrawal of a circular by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN authorizing Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria, MLSCN to approve licenses for importation of In-Vitro Diagnostics, IVDs.
14. Immediate release of the circular for the retirement age for medical doctors as agreed with the Federal Government.
15. The FG through the health ministry should formalize and implement the report of the interagency committee on residency training. The FG is expected to release the uniform template on the appointment of resident doctors in line with earlier agreements. Also a concrete funding framework for residency training must be established while the overseas clinical attachment must be fully restored and properly funded in the interest of the nation.
16. That in the interest of harmony in the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, the government should pay the salaries of our members in the center as agreed on October 21, 2013.
17. Immediate concrete steps must be put in place for the reintegration of our members back into the IPPIS platform.
18. All attempts to coerce house officers not to join NARD must stop.
19. The orchestrated intimidation, harassment and physical assault of our members in the departments of pathology (Laboratory medicine) by laboratory scientists and tolerated by the Federal Ministry of Health must stop.
20. The endless circle of incomplete salary payment of our members in many hospitals in the name of shortfalls in personnel cost must stop.
21. Universal applicability of all establishment circulars on the renumeration and conditions of service for doctors at all levels of government must be granted.
22. Government should as a matter of urgency set up a health trust fund that will enhance the upgrading of hospitals in Nigeria.
23. The position of the Chief Medical Director/ Medical Director must continue to be occupied by a medical doctor as contained in the Act establishing the tertiary hospitals. This position remains sacrosanct and untouchable.
24. The NMA henceforth shall not accept the continued violation of any of any of the terms of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is exemplified by the payment of the Medical Physicist and Optometrist with OD (who are on CONHESS) call duty allowance using CONMESS circular. Similarly, the phrase, “Ministries, Departments and Agencies”, MDAs in the said agreement should replace “Federal Ministry of Health and other Federal Health Institutions” as contained in the 2009 CONMESS circular.
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