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☆ Nigeria plunged into darkness as union workers shut down national grid in minimum wage protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Cane-swinging union workers were also seen in photos circulating on social media Monday ordering personnel of the country’s tax agency out of their offices. This strike comes after failed negotiations with the government to raise the federal minimum wage. The unions’ demands include raising the minimum wage from 30,000 naira ($22.4) to 494,000 naira ($369.6). Despite being Africa’s fourth-largest economy, Nigeria’s minimum wage is not among the continent’s top ten, lagging far behind countries like Seychelles, where workers receive a minimum wage of $465.4 monthly. 30k or 60k minimum wage in 2024 Nigeria is unsustainable and unacceptable,” wrote lawyer Festus Ogun in a post on X.

Persons: Bayo Onanuga, Onanuga, Olusina Ajidahun, “ I’m, ”, Lateef Fagbemi, Festus Ogun, Dipo Awojide, Bola Tinubu’s, Ajuri Ngelale Organizations: CNN, Transmission Company, Nigeria, Nigerian Labor Congress, Trade Union Congress, TUC, TCN, Health, Healthcare, Nigerian, Onanuga, NLC Locations: Nigeria, Seychelles, Lagos, Abuja, Nigerian

☆ Mass visa cancellations at Saudi airport puts relations with Nigeria in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria have come under scrutiny after 177 Nigerians were refused entry to the country on Monday. The mass cancellation of visas occurred as Nigera’s President Bola Tinubu was still in Saudi Arabia after holding bilateral talks with the Saudi government. “There was a total lack of sensitivity (by Saudi officials) because the president (of Nigeria) was visiting that country,” Okhai said. Saudi Arabia is a popular pilgrimage destination for thousands of Nigerian Muslims. However, Monday’s deportation of Nigerian nationals is not the first time travelers have been refused entry to Saudi Arabia.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, It’s, ”, ” Victor Okhai, ” Okhai, Reno Omokiri, ” Omokri, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, Air, country’s Ministry, Hajj, Saudi, Jeddah …, Africa Summit, Guinea Bissau, African Diaspora Foundation, CNN, United Arab Emirates, UAE, reoccurrence Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Mecca, Saudi, Guinea, Independence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

☆ Nigerians outraged over government spending plans as millions face hardship
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Lawmakers rejected the plans for a presidential yacht before approving the N2.1 trillion ($2.7 billion) supplementary budget on Thursday, following a public outcry. Local media reported Thursday that the Nigerian House of Representatives reallocated the amount for the presidential yacht to the student loan scheme before passing the spending bill. Onanuga, who is Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, did not comment on the government’s plan to acquire luxury vehicles for the presidency. Last month, Nigeria’s Senate unveiled plans to acquire luxury vehicles for its 469 members despite the country’s struggling economy. Anti-corruption activist Ogunsanya told CNN that Nigerians were yet to reap the benefit of monies saved from the removal of the fuel subsidy.

Persons: Nigeria CNN —, ”, Reno Omokri, Yomi Ogunsanya, Ken Eluma Asogwa, Bayo Onanuga, ” Onanuga, It’s, Tinubu, Karimi, Ogunsanya Organizations: Nigeria CNN, Lawmakers, Twitter, CNN, World Bank, Nigerian, Nigeria’s Senate Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, India, “, Nigerian

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian government workers on Tuesday continued working after last-minute efforts by authorities averted a nationwide strike to protest growing hardship that could have shut down government services in Africa's most populous country. The indefinite strike by Nigerian labor unions scheduled to start Tuesday is being suspended for 30 days, while meetings and talks with the government will be held over the coming days, said Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, or NLC, which is the umbrella body of the unions. Talks with the labor unions have stalled and a slow start to several intervention efforts resulted in last week’s announcement of the strike. One major source of concern has been intervention efforts, which the labor unions said have been slow. “But the adverse outcomes of the measures, the hardship, were much higher than what many of us expected.”

Persons: Joe Ajaero, Bola, ”, Muda Yusuf Organizations: Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Private Enterprise Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Africa's, Lagos

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s leader increased the wages of some government workers in last-minute efforts to appease labor unions whose planned strike this week could shut down government offices in all sectors of Africa’s largest economy. The increase expected to take effect this month takes the minimum wage to 55,000 naira ($71), still far below the 200,000 naira ($258) the unions had requested. The labor unions did not immediately comment on Tinubu’s announcement. The unions representing Nigeria’s government workers announced they will go on an indefinite strike starting Tuesday to protest the government's austerity measures. Talks with the labor unions have stalled and a slow start to several intervention efforts resulted in last week's announcement of the indefinite strike.

Persons: —, Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, ” Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Some employees in government offices in Nigeria walked off their jobs Tuesday in protest of the growing cost of living due to the removal of gas subsidies, threatening to “shut down” Africa’s largest economy if their demands for improved welfare are not met. Made up of hundreds of thousands of members, the Nigeria Labor Congress workers association began a two-day “warning strike," their second in over a month. Last-minute efforts to avert the strike failed on Monday evening after labor unions' leaders shunned a meeting called by the Labor Ministry. After he ended the yearslong subsidies for gas on his first day in office, the price of petrol more than doubled, resulting in a similar hike in the price of other commodities. But workers have said such steps are not enough with their wages still the same.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Joe Ajaero, Tinubu’s, Tinubu, Ajaero, Simon Lalong Organizations: Nigeria Labor Congress, Local, Labor Ministry, ” Labor Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria

☆ Fact Check-Macron and Tinubu photos altered to show Obi
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The original photos depicted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu with Macron. However, photos spreading on social media purporting to show Macron beside Obi appear to have been altered, despite users sharing them as if authentic here and here . “Peter Obi with French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the Paris summit in France,” one post reads here . An online search for the images reveals they originally depicted the French President with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu at a State Banquet on June 22. Photos edited to show Peter Obi with Emmanuel Macron originally featured Nigerian President Bola Tinubu with the French president.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu, Macron, Obi, “ Peter Obi, ”, Tinubu, Tinubu’s, Nigeria’s, Read Organizations: Anambra State Governor, Macron, Twitter, Nigerian Tribune, Reuters Locations: Anambra, Nigeria, Paris, France

☆ Nigeria: Fuel prices triple as new leader Tinubu ends subsidy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a seemingly off-the-cuff remark during his inaugural speech Monday, Tinubu declared, “the fuel subsidy is gone,” adding that it was unsustainable. The last time the government tried to remove fuel subsidies in 2012, it sparked nationwide protests. Fuel subsidies are a drain on public finances and many argue that they have led to widespread abuse and corruption. Previous governments have tried unsuccessfully to remove the fuel subsidy, which has kept gas prices artificially low, although they have steadily climbed through the years. Fuel subsidies were not sustainable, but ending them “abruptly” without provision for economic and social consequences was “reckless,” he added.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Tinubu, “, Joe Ajaero, Goodluck Jonathan, Sam Amadi, ” Amadi, NNPC Organizations: Nigeria CNN —, CNN, National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria’s Labour Congress, Occupy, Abuja School of Social, ” Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Africa’s, State, Occupy Nigeria

☆ Fact Check-Photo of Nigeria’s Obi visiting president-elect Tinubu is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“Obi visited Tinubu. The Labor Party Presidential candidate H.E Peter Obi visited the President Elect Tinubu. Obi denied visiting Tinubu during an interview on Arise News on May 1 (here ), time stamp 30:00. A photo said to show Peter Obi standing next to president-elect Bola Tinubu has been digitally altered. The original version does not feature Obi, who denied visiting Tinubu during an interview on May 1.

☆ US imposes election-related visa restrictions on Nigerians
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —The United States has imposed entry restrictions on more Nigerians for undermining the democratic process during the African nation’s 2023 election cycle, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. The action is the latest in a series of visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian individuals in recent years. Nigeria’s election tribunal this month was to begin hearing opposition petitions challenging president-elect Bola Tinubu’s victory in the disputed February presidential vote, court records showed. Tinubu, from the ruling All Progressives Congress party, defeated his closest rivals Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who have alleged fraud and have launched a court challenge. Atiku and Obi want the tribunal to invalidate Tinubu’s victory, arguing that the vote was fraught with irregularities, among other criticisms.

☆ Nigeria’s New Leader Faces Challenges on Economy and Credibility
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Gabriele Steinhauser | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Bola Tinubu won the election with the support of a fraction of Nigeria’s 210 million people. Bola Tinubu , the veteran political fixer who won Nigeria’s presidency after campaigning with the catchphrase “It’s my turn,” will take the reins of Africa’s largest economy under a cloud of accusations that he doesn’t have the mandate he claims. More than 87 million Nigerians had collected voter identification cards ahead of Saturday’s election, but according to the country’s electoral commission, only 25 million actually cast their votes in a process marred by violent incidents and delays at polling stations and a chaotic tallying of votes. Both main opposition candidates have pledged to challenge Mr. Tinubu’s victory in court, presaging what could be a prolonged period of uncertainty at a time when Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is already struggling with a crush of security problems and a fall in oil production, the government’s main foreign revenue source.

☆ Fact Check-Chatham House clip of Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu edited with comedy film quote
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Footage of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu appearing to face criticism for making “insanely idiotic” and “rambling, incoherent” comments at Chatham House in London has been overdubbed with audio from comedy film “Billy Madison” and shared online as if real. Tinubu, presidential hopeful for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, spoke at the independent policy institute in Dec. 2022 (here). “At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Footage of Nigerian presidential candidate Bola Tinubu was edited to feature audio from a film. Tinubu was not captured being accused of making an “insanely idiotic … rambling, incoherent response” during a Chatham House event in Dec. 2022.

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