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☆ Nigeria’s paramilitary raids birthday party, arrests 76 gay people
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Seventy-six people were arrested for attending a birthday party for gay people in northern Nigeria, the country’s paramilitary agency said on Monday, adding that the organizer had also planned to hold a same sex wedding, which is illegal. These are the latest arrests targeting LGBTQ Nigerians after police in August raided a gay wedding in the southern city of Warri in Delta state, and arrested dozens of people. He said 59 men had been arrested, including 21 who confessed to being homosexual, and 17 women. The Gombe NSCDC said in a statement that the organizer of the birthday party had also planned to wed another man, who was still at large, before police raided the event. The case was expected to be heard in the Gombe state High Court on Tuesday, Saad said.

Persons: Buhari Saad, ”, Saad Organizations: Reuters, Nigeria Security, Civil Defence Corps Locations: Nigeria, Warri, Delta, Africa, Gombe, Africa’s

☆ Nigeria's Paramilitary Raids Birthday Party for Gay People, 76 Arrested
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Ahmed KingimiMAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Seventy-six people were arrested for attending a birthday party for gay people in northern Nigeria, the country's paramilitary agency said on Monday, adding that the organiser had also planned to hold a same sex wedding, which is illegal. There are the latest arrests targeting LGBTQ Nigerians after police in August raided a gay wedding in the southern city of Warri in Delta state, and arrested dozens of people. He said 59 men had been arrested, including 21 who confessed to being homosexual, and 17 women. The Gombe NSCDC said in a statement that the organiser of the birthday party had also planned to wed another man, who was still at large, before police raided the event. The case was expected to be heard in the Gombe state High Court on Tuesday, Saad said.

Persons: Ahmed Kingimi MAIDUGURI, Buhari Saad, Saad, Ahmed Kingimi, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Nigeria Security, Civil Defence Corps Locations: Nigeria, Warri, Delta, Africa, Gombe, Africa's

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu picks banker Cardoso as next central bank governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Sept 15 (Reuters) - President Bola Tinubu has nominated the former head of Citibank in Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, to serve as the country's new central bank governor, days before its next interest rate meeting, a presidential spokesperson said on Friday. The central bank did not respond to a request for comment on whether Emefiele and his deputy governors had resigned. The central bank raised rates by a smaller-than-expected 25 basis points in July, contrary to analysts' expectations, under acting Governor Folashondun Shonubi, one of Emefiele's deputies. The central bank pursued unorthodox policies under Emefiele who kept the currency artificially strong, a policy backed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, which supported government borrowings on the international markets. He was a former commissioner for economic planning and budget in Lagos state when Tinubu was governor between 1999-2007.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Olayemi Cardoso, Godwin Emefiele, Tinubu, Cardoso, Ajuri Ngelale, Ngelale, Folashondun Shonubi, Emefiele, Muhammadu Buhari, Camillus Eboh, Chijioke Ohuocha, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Richard Chang, Jane Merriman, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Citibank, Central Bank of Nigeria, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos

☆ Nigerian election tribunal to decide if Tinubu stays as president
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria, arrives for the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit, Friday, June 23, 2023 in Paris, France. Lewis Joly/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsABUJA, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Nigeria's presidential election tribunal is due to rule on Wednesday on whether Bola Tinubu should stay as president after two rivals challenged his victory in February's disputed vote. There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of previous Nigerian presidential elections but none have succeeded. The tribunal, which will deliver its ruling in the capital Abuja, has the power to cancel an election and order a fresh one, among other remedies. Tinubu, who is in India ahead of a G20 Summit, has defended his victory and says he is focused on reviving the economy.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Lewis Joly, Bola, February's, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Atiku, Obi, Muhammadu Buhari, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Alison Williams Organizations: New Global Financial, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Tinubu's, People's Democratic Party, Labour, Thomson Locations: Nigeria, Paris, France, Rights ABUJA, Abuja, India

☆ Analysis: Nigeria's Tinubu faces daunting hurdles after reform sprint
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nigeria today faces record debt, unemployment is worryingly high, and power shortages have contributed to years of anaemic growth. "The path to political power in Nigeria, over time, has always been through these vested interests," said Bismarck Rewane, CEO at Financial Derivatives Company in Lagos. ENTRENCHED NETWORKSTinubu's ambitions to build a $1 trillion economy in eight years could come unstuck in part due to chronic power shortages. Getting the lights on would be a major win, but to do so some say Tinubu must remove grid subsidies and cut red tape. Tinubu suspended the head of the financial and economic crimes agency, but has yet to outline an anti-graft plan.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Jason Tuvey, Bismarck Rewane, Tinubu, Tunau Taiwo, Nnamdi Obasi, Prince Ojeabulu, Muhammadu Buhari, jihadists, beholden, Joe Bavier, Conor Humphries Organizations: New, Capital Economics, Financial Derivatives Company, International, Rensource Energy, Nigeria Delta, Observers, Thomson Locations: Nigeria, LAGOS, New Nigerian, Lagos

But investors, burned by previous reforms that ultimately proved hollow, say it will take time to build trust and listed myriad questions over the final shape of the economy. Tinubu is from the same party as predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, dubbed "Baba Go-slow" for his pottering pace - taking six months to appoint cabinet members. Nigeria's international dollar bonds and the country's stock market have been boosted by the speedy reforms. Reuters GraphicsInvestors also worry about low tax receipts and falling oil output - structural reforms that will take far longer to sort. Meanwhile interest rates, which Tinubu has said he would like to see fall, were hiked by 50 bps last month to 18.5%.

Persons: Bola, Temilade, Bola Tinubu's, Tunde Ajileye, Muhammadu Buhari, Godwin Emefiele, Goldman Sachs, Andrew Matheny, John Mumo, Joe Delvaux, Amundi, Delvaux, Tinubu, Patrick Curran, Rachel Savage, Libby George, Karin Strohecker, Nick Macfie Organizations: Nigeria's, REUTERS, Central Bank, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Tellimer, Thomson Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, JOHANNESBURG, LONDON, Lagos, Blakeney, Africa

[1/2] Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey addresses students during a town hall at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi, India, November 12, 2018. REUTERS/Anushree FadnavisWASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - Twitter was threatened with shut down in India, Nigeria and Turkey unless it complied with orders to restrict accounts, with India wanting to curb journalists' and protesters' use of the social media platform, co-founder Jack Dorsey said on Monday. Dorsey quit his Twitter CEO role in 2021 and the social media platform was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022. We fought Turkey in their courts and often won, but they threatened to shut us down constantly," he said. Advocacy groups have raised concerns about the human rights situations in India, Turkey and Nigeria.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Fadnavis, Dorsey, Elon Musk, Narendra Modi, Muhammadu Buhari, Kanishka Singh, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Indian Institute of Technology, REUTERS, Twitter, YouTube, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Fadnavis WASHINGTON, Nigeria, Turkey, Washington

☆ Fact Check-Clip of people marching with banners in Nigeria’s Abuja predates May 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Video of people marching with posters and banners on Kukwaba Road in the Nigerian capital of Abuja dates to at least February 2023, but has been shared online as showing supporters of Labour Party Presidential candidate Peter Obi protesting in May 2023. However, no credible sources have reported a large-scale protest in Abuja by Obi’s supporters on May 24. The video appears to have been filmed on Abuja’s Kukwaba Road, located in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. Hotel Transcorp Hilton Abuja located near Kukwaba Road can also be seen in the background in the video (bit.ly/3MX8zu2). Video showing people marching in Abuja dates to at least February 2023, does not show a protest in May.

Persons: Peter Obi, Obidient’s, BUHARI dey, Nigeria’s, Read Organizations: Labour Party Presidential, Facebook, Obi’s, Twitter, Federal, Zenith Bank ”, Transcorp Hilton, Reuters Locations: Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Kukwaba

☆ Nigeria's President Tinubu suspends central bank governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, June 9 (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has suspended central bank Governor Godwin Emefiele with immediate effect, following ongoing investigation of his office and planned reforms in the financial sector, the head of the government said on Friday. Tinubu criticised Emefiele's handling of the currency and monetary policy at his inauguration last week and called on the central bank to work towards a unified exchange rate. "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Central Bank Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, from office with immediate effect," the government said in a statement. Emefiele has been directed to hand over operations to the deputy governor, who will act as the central bank governor pending the conclusion of investigation and the reforms, the statement said. On Wednesday, the central bank allowed the naira to weaken by 2% on the official market to a record low.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Godwin Emefiele, Tinubu, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Mr Godwin Emefiele, Emefiele, Muhammadu Buhari, Felix Onuah, Chijioke Ohuocha, Marguerita Choy, Chris Reese Organizations: Central Bank Governor, Financial, Thomson Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria

☆ Bombing of herders highlights deadly air attacks by Nigerian military
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

The letter said the Nigerian Air Force is committed to human rights and “further deliberations” on the issue, according to the report. “The absence of details raises the question of whether the air force carried out the air strike based on mere suspicion,” Human Rights Watch said. The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon had no immediate comment about the airstrike or the U.S. relationship with the Nigerian Air Force. Before now, neither the Nigerian government nor the military had provided any public explanation for what happened on Jan. 24. ACLED data show Nigerian Air Force strikes continued to claim the lives of noncombatants, inside and outside the northeast.

Persons: Ibrahim Muazu, “, ACLED, D.D, Pwajok, ”, Sara Jacobs, herdsmen, Oladayo Amao, Amao, “ miscreants, Muhammadu Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Jan, Muazu, Lamido, Nigeria’s, Sanusi, Buhari, Rand Paul, Cory Booker, Rex Tillerson, Lai Mohammed, Jacobs, Jim Risch, Chris Smith, Antony Blinken, Biden, Risch, brazenly “, ” Abubakar Bello Rukubi, ” “, Yemi Osinbajo, cc’d, Samuel Ortom, herder, ” Muazu, Humeyra Pamuk, Daphne Psaledakis, Idrees Ali, Jarrett Renshaw, David Lewis, Reade Levinson, Simon Newman, Catherine Tai Design, Eve Watling, Julie Marquis, Alexandra Zavis Organizations: herder, Reuters, Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, Human Rights Watch, Air, Rights Watch, Ministry of Defence, Nigerian Air, House Foreign Affairs, ” Reuters, ACLED, Planet Labs PBC, U.S . State Department, Pentagon, ”, Muazu, Congress, San Frontieres, Republican, Punch, UK, Nigeria –, Systems, U.S, Super, International, Development, Rights Initiative, Benue State Livestock Guards, Human Rights, Daily Trust, Nigeria’s Locations: Nigerian, Nasarawa, Akwanaja, United States, U.S, Nigeria, California, Kano, Rann, Cameroonian, Zamfara, “, Benue, ” Benue, London, Makurdi, Naka, Washington, Philadelphia

☆ Who Owns the Benin Bronzes? The Answer Just Got More Complicated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After years of ignored pleas and stonewalled requests, deals were finally coming together to return some of Africa’s most prized treasures to the continent. The Smithsonian Institution, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the German government announced they were returning scores of sculptures, plaques and ornaments, known as the Benin Bronzes, that British soldiers had plundered in 1897 from Benin City, in what is now Nigeria but was once the center of a kingdom. Plans were underway for a glittering new museum designed by the British Ghanaian architect David Adjaye to showcase and protect the returned treasures. At a moment when museums worldwide are trying to come to grips with contested artifacts in their collections, this development underscores how complex restitution efforts can be. It decreed that any returned artifacts “may be kept within the palace of the oba,” or in any location that he considers secure.

Persons: David Adjaye, Muhammadu Buhari, oba Organizations: Smithsonian Institution, Metropolitan Museum of Art Locations: Benin, Benin City, Nigeria, British Ghanaian

☆ Nigeria's new president vows to deliver economic reboot as he inherits 'a broken country'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Nigeria - May 29, 2023: Nigeria's President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrives to attend swearing-in ceremony at Eagle Square in the capital. Tinubu inherits a fractured society a crippled economy as he takes the reins of Africa's most populous nation. He succeeds Muhammadu Buhari, also of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, who departs with a widely criticized economic record. Economic turmoilAs former governor of Lagos state between 1999 and 2007, Tinubu was credited with modernizing Nigeria's commercial hub and vastly expanding the regional economy. His predecessor Buhari deployed a series of protectionist economic policies and spooked international investors.

Persons: Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Tinubu, Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi of, Buhari Organizations: Nigeria's, Eagle, New, Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, New Nigerian, Africa's, Lagos

SummarySummary Companies Tinubu succeeds former military leader BuhariNigeria divided after disputed electionAfrica's biggest economy faces headwindsInsecurity spread under BuhariABUJA, May 29 (Reuters) - Bola Tinubu was sworn in as Nigeria's president on Monday, facing mounting calls to improve economic and security conditions which many complain worsened under his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari. Tinubu, the former Lagos state governor and a member of Buhari's party, has promised to be a better steward of Africa's biggest economy and most populous nation. A raft of protectionist economic policies and foreign currency interventions have also spooked investors. Buhari defended his record on Sunday, saying new infrastructure such as roads, bridges and airports, and the protectionist policies have laid the foundations for future growth. Separatist and gang violence plague the southeast, and clashes between farmers and herders persist in hinterland states known as Nigeria's Middle Belt.

☆ Explainer: What to expect from Nigeria's new president Bola Tinubu
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LAGOS, May 29 (Reuters) - Nigeria's new president Bola Tinubu faces a litany of problems, including widespread violence, double-digit inflation and industrial-scale oil theft. Tinubu says he will build on Buhari's public infrastructure programme to create jobs and remove legal limits on government spending. Tinubu says he will reduce corporate tax to attract investment and plug tax loopholes to boost revenue. Tinubu says he will set up a surveillance unit to protect the country's pipelines and attract new investors with tax incentives. Tinubu wants to recruit more soldiers and police officers, while paying and equipping them better.

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu gets his turn as president, familiar problems await
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Buhari, a taciturn former military ruler, leaves Africa's biggest economy and most populous nation deeply divided. But what authorities promised would be the country's freest and fairest election yet ended in frustration for many. Buhari defends his record, saying new infrastructure such as roads, bridges and airports, and the protectionist policies have laid the foundations for future growth. Separatist and gang violence plague the southeast, and clashes between farmers and herders persist in hinterland states known as Nigeria's Middle Belt. A former Lagos state governor, Tinubu has promised to be a better steward of the economy.

☆ Nigeria's Buhari defends election outcome, economic record
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, May 28 (Reuters) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday defended his record on the economy and the outcome of a disputed presidential election, saying he was leaving a legacy of credible and fair votes, a day before he hands over power to his successor. Buhari first came to office in 2015 after promising to reboot the economy and end corruption and insecurity, but many Nigerians say these issues have worsened under his watch. Incoming President Bola Tinubu's victory is being challenged by his two closest opposition rivals, and on Tuesday a tribunal will begin to hear the main arguments in the election petition. Tinubu is inheriting anaemic economic growth, record debt and shrinking oil output. Life is tough for Nigerians, and a tangle of protectionist economic policies and foreign currency interventions have caused dollar shortages and spooked investors.

☆ Nigeria to commission Dangote refinery, crude supply a concern
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Despite being Africa's biggest oil producer, Nigeria imports petrol, diesel and processed petroleum products because its refineries were run down over the years. The refinery needs a constant supply of crude but Nigeria's oil production has been declining due to oil theft, vandalism of pipelines and underinvestment. Lower production would affect state-owned oil company NNPC Ltd's ability to fulfil an agreement to supply Dangote refinery with 300,000 bpd of crude, said economist Kelvin Emmanuel, who authored a report on oil theft last year. "There are risks with supply of crude oil feedstock. Energy Aspects, however, said in the long run, the Dangote refinery could end Nigeria's gasoline deficit, reshape the Atlantic basin gasoline market and export diesel that meets European Union specifications.

☆ Neglected Igbo-Ukwu Bronzes get new life at Nigerian museum
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Angela Ukomadu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] An Igbo-Ukwu bronze, which, according to the museum, dates back to the 9th century, is displayed with other Igbo-Ukwu bronze artefacts at the Nigerian National Museum in Lagos, Nigeria, March 22,... Read moreLAGOS, May 17 (Reuters) - At the National Museum in Lagos, workers carefully remove rust and patina from Igbo-Ukwu Bronze artefacts, part of restoration work on some of Nigeria's oldest but lesser known collections. The Igbo-Ukwu, which date back to the 9th century according to the museum, were discovered in 1939 in southeastern Anambra state, part of the region inhabited by the Igbo people. Their restoration comes at a time when there is uncertainty about the return of thousands of the more famous Benin Bronzes from museums and collectors abroad. At the museum in Lagos, curator Omotayo Adeboye said she considered the Igbo-Ukwu "masterpieces of creativity and indigenous craftsmanship." Reporting by Angela Ukomadu, writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ After 100 hours of non-stop cooking, Nigerian chef seeks world record
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Nigerian Chef Hilda Bassey, 27, attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking time by an individual, in Lagos, Nigeria May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Temilade AdelajaLAGOS, May 16 (Reuters) - A Nigerian chef has spent 100 hours preparing meals non-stop, aiming to set a Guinness World Record for the longest ever cooking session by an individual. Hilda Bassey, a chef in the mega city of Lagos, has captivated the country with her marathon cooking, which started on Thursday and ended on Monday night. The current longest cooking record is held by Indian chef Lata Tondon, who set a time of 87 hours and 45 minutes in 2019. Bassey's time will need to be certified by Guinness World Record officials before it can be made official.

☆ Return of Benin Bronzes delayed after Nigerian president's decree
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

But an official gazette signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 28 said the Oba of Benin was the rightful owner of all returned Benin Bronzes and was responsible for the management of all places where the artefacts were kept. The commission has in the past signed agreements to return looted artefacts, including from Cambridge college and Germany. The University of Cambridge's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. There have been questions on whether Nigeria has capacity to safely keep artefacts returned from abroad. The palace has previously said it planned to build a museum to house returned artefacts.

☆ Nigerian president to commission Dangote refinery in two weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABUJA, May 7 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will commission the multi-billion dollar Dangote oil refinery in two weeks, a presidency spokesperson said on Sunday, setting up the plant for its first production since construction started in 2016. Spokesperson Bashir Ahmad said Buhari will commission the refinery, near Lagos, on May 22, a week before he is due to leave office after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution. A spokesperson for Dangote confirmed the timing of the commissioning but did not give details. The Dangote refinery's cost grew to $19 billion from initial estimates of between $12 billion and $14 billion, after years of delays. Reporting by Felix Onuah; Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-2019 image of Nigeria's Buhari praying at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque mistakenly linked to 2023 trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo from 2019 of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari praying at Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mosque is being falsely attributed online to his 2023 trip to the kingdom. April posts on Facebook show Buhari wearing a white garment and praying next to his wife, Aisha (here and here). Captions suggest the image was captured at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. While he did pray at the Prophet’s Mosque in the city (here), the photo shared by social media users is from a different occasion. He said it showed Buhari at the Grand Mosque in Mecca while the president was undertaking the Umrah pilgrimage.

☆ Nigeria gets World Bank funding for social program ahead of fuel subsidy cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A participant stands near a logo of World Bank at the International Monetary Fund - World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. ChristoABUJA, April 5 (Reuters) - Nigeria has secured $800 million from the World Bank to scale up its national social program ahead of the removal of its costly but popular subsidies on petrol in June, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed said on Wednesday. Ahmed said the government was considering cash transfers and mass transit buses for workers to ease the pain of the subsidy removal on the most vulnerable segment of its population. She added that the country has registered ten million households, which is equivalent to 50 million people on its vulnerable list. Ahmed said discussions were going on at different levels of government and with members of the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Tinubu on the subsidy removal.

☆ Nigeria's junior oil minister Timipre Sylva has resigned -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABUJA, March 30 (Reuters) - Nigeria's Timipre Sylva has resigned as the country's minister of state for petroleum to seek a new term as governor of oil-producing Bayelsa State in the southern Niger Delta, ministry and presidency sources told Reuters on Thursday. Sylva handed his resignation letter last week to Buhari, who doubles as petroleum minister, and stopped coming to the office, said two sources who did not want to be identified. They said he would be seeking the ruling All Progressives Congress ticket to run for Bayelsa governor in party primaries scheduled to take place on April 14. Appointed junior oil minister in August 2019, Sylva oversaw major reforms in the oil sector, including the passing of legislation that overhauled the sector's fiscal regime in a bid to spur investment. During his time as minister, Nigeria's oil output fell to its lowest in decades due to crude theft and pipeline vandalism.

☆ Emirates airline says 'substantial' ticket revenue trapped in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Ghaida Ghantous | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, March 24 (Reuters) - Emirates Airline has a "substantial" amount of ticket sale revenue trapped in Nigeria and has made only slow progress in repatriating blocked funds out of Africa's biggest economy, it said on Friday. Emirates declined to say how much was trapped in Nigeria, but a spokesperson said about half of the amount in its backlog was overdue for repatriation and that the process "remains beset with constant delays". Nigeria is withholding $743 million in revenue earned by international carriers operating in the country, the highest amount owed by any nation, global airline industry association IATA said last week. Oil is Nigeria's biggest foreign exchange earner, but rampant crude theft in the Niger Delta and years of under-investment have hit output and strained government finances. For a few months last year, Angola overtook Nigeria as Africa's biggest oil producer and exporter.

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