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☆ Hilda Bassey, Nigerian chef, cooks for 100 hours in world record attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey has become a national sensation after cooking nonstop for 100 hours, in an attempt to set a world record. The Guinness world record committee still has to confirm that all their criteria have been met and whether Bassey will become the record holder. Bassey told CNN that she was motivated to attempt the record because she wants to put Nigerian food on the map. Nigerian food is such comfort food,” she added. Bassey told CNN that she nearly gave up on the first day, but after surpassing the previous record, she decided to aim for 100 hours.

☆ Undaunted by Air Raids, a Ukrainian Duo Gets Ready for Eurovision
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Marc Santora | Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken the contest’s entanglement with politics to new heights. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, banned Russia from competing immediately after its invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian victory at last year’s Eurovision, awarded by a mix of jury and public votes, was widely seen as a show of solidarity with the besieged nation. “Get out of my way,” Kehinde sings. His mother, panicked, called him on the morning Russia started bombing Ukrainian cities and urged him to get out.

☆ 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.

☆ Nigerian hijab-wearing chef seeks to break stereotypes about Muslim women
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, May 4 (Reuters) - Nigerian Sherifah Yunus Olokodana looks like any Muslim woman with a veil that only exposes her eyes, but the entrepreneur who has carved a niche as a chef in Lagos is seeking to break stereotypes about hijab-wearing women in the country. Nigeria is almost evenly divided between the largely Christian south and mainly Muslim north, where cultural norms often discourage women to get into business. Olokodana, a Yoruba Muslim from the southwest, has been a pastry chef for nearly two decades and sells food spices, but she said she still faced prejudice. "Women in hijab continue to get negative vibes from people. Reporting by Seun Sanni; writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nightmare in Sudan: African expats struggle to find way out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands piled into buses and trucks for the 800 km (500 miles) journey by road from Khartoum to Port Sudan on the Red Sea to board ships. He had to wait four more days for transport to Port Sudan, an overnight trip. After a week, word reached them that there would be transport leaving from their embassy for Port Sudan. RSF fighters stopped the family along the way but let them pass when he said he was looking for food for his son. From Port Sudan, they travelled via cargo ship to Saudi Arabia.

☆ Universal Studio Group’s UCP teams up with Nigeria’s Comic Republic in new TV series deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Aisha Salaudeen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In the Vanguards Universe, heroes come together as humankind’s first line of defense, protecting the people of Lagos from members of the first race seeking to punish them. Since its inception 10 years ago, Comic Republic has created and conceptualized dozens of comic book characters and stories. Through his studio, Mad Massive Entertainment, Hinds will work with UCP and the Comic Republic team to execute the production. “I’ve always wanted to show that you can provide quality output out of Africa, because at the time we started, there wasn’t any such thing coming out of the continent,” said the Comic Republic CEO. He added that Comic Republic is well-suited for this deal because the company has worked hard over the past 10 years to build an interconnected superhero universe in its comics.

☆ 'Constant fear': war shakes Sudan despite truce pledges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The fighting has also reawakened a two-decade-old conflict in the western Darfur region where scores have died this week. "We're in a constant state of fear for ourselves and our children." The army has been deploying jets or drones on RSF forces spread out in neighbourhoods across the capital. Sudan's army accused the RSF of firing at the plane, damaging its fuel system which was being repaired after the aircraft managed to land safely. Some had walked from Khartoum to South Sudan's border, a distance of over 400 km (250 miles), a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency said.

☆ Dreaming sky high, Nigerian man builds airplane from trash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

On a recent cloudy day, the single-propeller plane withstood cross-winds high above a sandy football field and swooped low over the heads of onlookers in Oworonshoki, the poor neighbourhood where Fatai lives in the east of the city. I started picking things around, making some little projects," the 21-year-old said. "Whenever I see an airplane flying, it gives me a very overwhelming joy." "As our country is an under-developing country, so I hope to be a part of the people that will develop the country using this, my drone technology," he said. Reporting by Seun Sanni; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Estelle Shirbon and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Your Guides to the World of Fairies and to the Multiverse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Amal El-Mohtar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But though many have left, none have returned — until a boy named Tutu sets out to find water to help his ailing mother. While on his quest through the desert, Tutu meets many strange people with many strange stories and, through them, uncovers dangerous truths. Invaders stealing the literal tongues of the invaded is such a powerful, resonant premise, one that accrues more layers as Tutu navigates the desert. In keeping with the contradictions at the book’s heart, it left me perfectly sated and hungry for more. A question recurs throughout the book, an attempt to explain the concept of a multiverse: How many numbers are there between 1 and 2?

☆ Russia using ship-to-ship diesel transfers for transatlantic exports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A full EU embargo on Russian oil products on Feb. 5 has boosted Russian diesel exports to Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with STS loadings in the Mediterranean helping to shorten eastern routes. Last month, Russia sent about 1.0 million tonnes of diesel to African countries, some of which could be re-exported, traders said. Russian supply of diesel to Lomé almost doubled in March to about 200,000 tonnes, Refinitiv data showed. About 30,000 tonnes of Russian diesel has also been transhipping on to the tanker Savanna near the Nigerian port of Lagos, according to Refinitiv. STS transfers near Lomé and Lagos are commonly used for delivering diesel and gasoline, transferring such cargoes from large Aframax and Panamax tankers to vessels able to enter smaller harbours.

☆ Fact Check-Video purporting to show post-election clash in Lagos, Nigeria, dates to at least October 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

“It seems Ndigbo have waken up to defend themselves from Tinubu's APC thugs in Lagos,” wrote one person who shared the video on Twitter. However, another online search of keyframes also revealed that the clip was shared online as early as October 2022 (here ) (here ) (here ). TVC News Nigeria reported that a clash broke out between traders and road transport workers at Alaba International market on Oct. 19 (here ). Corroborating videos said to show the market has been shared online (here ) and other local outlets reported on the clashes (here ) (here ). Video showing clashes in Alaba International Market in Lagos, Nigeria dates to at least October 2022.

☆ How this 26-year-old went from running bitcoin trading desks in Taco Bells to creating the largest crypto exchange in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +28 min

Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice just before meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Accra, Ghana. Chris MauriceFrom there, Yellow Card users can send or receive digital cash in eligible markets. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Yellow Card CEO Chris Maurice in Accra, Ghana loading cash onto his Mobile Money account, MoMo. Yellow Card has facilitated $1.75 billion in transactions since launching in 2019 and has about 220 employees – mostly in Africa. A resident checks his phone outside a mobile money kiosk in the Kibera district of Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, Aug. 1, 2022.

☆ Nigerian drummer nurtures children to preserve use of local instruments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Seun Sanni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Nigerian artist Adebayo Ayodeji is targeting children to play traditional instruments like drums, which he worries could become extinct and erase an important aspect of the culture in Africa's most populous country. In the megacity of Lagos, parents bring children to his twice-a-month drumming workshops to learn how to play drums and understand their traditional significance. "We are using this to revive our cultural values," Ayodeji said, noting that most children had not seen the drums before. "They've not played it before and this is an opportunity to introduce them to it, so we are using it to at least do a kind of evangelism – evangelism of art," Ayodeji said. Reporting by Seun Sanni; Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nigerian senator guilty of trafficking man to Britain to harvest his kidney
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( William James | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - A wealthy Nigerian politician and his wife were convicted on Thursday of trafficking a street trader from Lagos to Britain to illegally harvest his kidney for a transplant for their seriously-ill daughter. "This was an horrific plot to exploit a vulnerable victim by trafficking him to the UK for the purpose of transplanting his kidney," said Joanne Jakymec, Chief Crown Prosecutor. Sonia Ekweremadu, the intended recipient of the organ who has a serious and deteriorating kidney condition and requires dialysis, was found not guilty of any part in the plan. Donating a kidney is not unlawful in Britain but it is a criminal offence to offer a reward, regardless of whether the donor is complicit. Police said the guilty verdicts marked the first time someone had been convicted in Britain of human trafficking for the purpose of organ harvesting.

☆ Batteries for hire could help Nigerians ditch their generators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ollie Macnaughton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

As a result, many Nigerians rely on petrol and diesel to fuel the generators that power their homes and businesses. Fuel shortages were a key issue in Nigeria’s recent presidential election and have made it increasingly difficult to run generators. His company Reeddi rents out small, lightweight solar-powered batteries called “Reeddi Capsules” that can power devices including TVs, laptops and refrigerators. One Reeddi Capsule can power a TV for around five hours, or a 15-watt fan for 15 hours. Olubanjo says organizations in countries including Uganda, Ghana and South Africa have expressed an interest in the Reeddi Capsule.

Persons: Olugbenga, Reeddi, Prince William’s Earthshot, Prince, Wales, ” Reeddi, Prince William's Earthshot, “, Olubanjo, ”, Joel Jewell, We’re, Anita Otubu, – Organizations: CNN, International Energy Agency, University of Ibadan, University of Toronto, “, Reeddi, Mobile Power, Sustainable Energy, –, UN Locations: Nigeria, Canada, Ogun State, Lagos, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Africa, Zambia

☆ Nigeria's two big parties dominate governorship elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LAGOS, March 20 (Reuters) - Nigeria's two biggest parties won the majority of states in weekend governorship polls, official figures showed on Monday, maintaining their political dominance following elections in which European Union observers said 21 people died from violence. But Obi came third in the presidential race behind Tinubu and Atiku and his Labour Party was yet to win a governorship race. Official figures showed that APC won 15 states, including the closely watched Lagos race, compared to seven for PDP, which led in another state as counting continued. A northern regional party won one state and led in another. Two races were declared inconclusive because they were too close to call between APC and PDP.

☆ Lagos governor re-elected in victory for Nigeria ruling party
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Lagos state gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Babajide Sanwo-Olu, arrives his polling unit to cast his vote, during the gubernatorial election in Lagos, Nigeria March 18, 2023. The Lagos election was the highest profile among races for powerful governorships in 28 of Nigeria's 36 states, as well as for state assemblies across the country. Voting was postponed to Sunday at 10 polling stations in a Lagos neighbourhood following disagreements between INEC officials and voters over the location of polling units. In northeastern Adamawa, a conservative and largely Muslim state, electoral officials were collating results after a race that could produce Nigeria's first elected female governor. Voters were still casting ballots in two districts of oil-producing Rivers state where the INEC failed to deliver voting materials.

☆ Nigeria launches $672 million tech fund for young investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, March 14 (Reuters) - Nigeria launched a $672 million fund on Tuesday to support tech and creative sectors for young investors who struggle to raise capital in Africa's largest economy. So far only Chipper Cash, a cross border payments startup, has said it had $1 million in SVB. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo launched the $672 million fund under the Digital and Creative Enterprises Programme (DCEP) in the federal capital Abuja, the presidency said in a statement. African Development Bank will put in $170 million, $116 million will come from Agence Francaise de Developpement and another $70 million from Islamic Development Bank, the presidency said. The government through Bank of Industry Nigeria will release $45 million while the private sector pledged $271 million.

☆ Six Nigerian states challenge election in Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ABUJA, March 3 (Reuters) - Six opposition-led Nigerian states have asked the Supreme Court to throw out the result of last weekend's presidential vote, saying the electoral body broke the law and its own rules during the count, court papers showed. Six of Nigeria's 36 states - Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto - said in court papers dated Feb. 28 that the election commission had failed to transmit results through an electronic system meant to show transparency. They sought a court declaration that all presidential election results announced by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) "were invalid, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever". Those materials included ballot papers and voting machines, the order from the appeals court showed. There have been numerous legal challenges to the outcome of past Nigerian presidential elections but none has succeeded.

☆ Nigeria's Obi says he, not Tinubu, won presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Camillus Eboh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Summary Presidential election marred by technical problemsWinner Tinubu says vote was credibleChallenger Obi vows to overturn result in courtAfter vibrant campaign, turnout was record lowABUJA, March 2 (Reuters) - Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi said on Thursday he had won Saturday's election, called Bola Tinubu's victory fraudulent and promised to claim the top job through legal means. Tinubu, the ruling party candidate, was declared president-elect of Africa's most populous nation on Wednesday, having won 37% of the vote. He said the election was credible and the reported problems had had no impact on the overall outcome. "We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians," he said. While neither generated the visible enthusiasm directed at Obi, both had powerful political machines and decades of networking behind them.

☆ Bola Tinubu: From godfather of Lagos to Nigeria's president-elect
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Tim Cocks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

And since he bowed out as Lagos governor in 2007, Tinubu has picked every subsequent winning candidate to run Africa's biggest city. That power will now be tested as Tinubu attempts to tackle Nigeria's crises and improve on Buhari's lacklustre record. Many of these problems worsened under Buhari, on whose party ticket Tinubu ran. A spokesman for Tinubu's campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment. A biography on his campaign website says Tinubu was born in Lagos in 1952, to a Muslim family from the Yoruba ethnic group, the majority in southwest Nigeria.

☆ Nigeria's Tinubu defends win in disputed presidential poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes in the weekend election, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar's 6.98 million votes. Peter Obi, an outsider popular with younger and more educated urban voters, garnered 6.1 million votes. "I am very happy I have been elected the president of the federal republic of Nigeria," Tinubu said to cheers in Abuja. Nigeria's election was meant to be its fairest and most open contest to date. As Lagos governor, Tinubu won praise for partially fixing some of the cities problems, including reducing violent crime, waste collection and traffic.

☆ Nigerian ruling party candidate declared winner in highly disputed election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA, Nigeria - March 1, 2023: Ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu, addresses supporters during celebrations at his campaign headquarters. Tinubu won Nigeria's highly disputed weekend election, electoral authorities said on Wednesday, securing the former Lagos governor the presidency of Africa's most populous democracy. Nigeria's ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the country's presidential election on Wednesday after polling was marred by transparency concerns and widespread technical problems. The APC, PDP and Labour Party won 12 states apiece, while the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso claimed one state. However, the PDP, Labour Party and several other opposition parties had already rejected the results by the time Tinubu was declared president-elect on Wednesday.

☆ Explainer: Nigeria election: what to expect from president-elect Bola Tinubu
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LAGOS, March 1 (Reuters) - Nigeria's president-elect Bola Tinubu has promised to tackle a litany of problems, including escalating 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 set up a surveillance unit to protect the country's pipelines and attract new investors with tax incentives. Africa's top producer of crude oil depends on imported refined fuels, something Tinubu wants to end by increasing domestic refining through joint ventures with private investors. Tinubu wants to recruit more soldiers and police officers, while paying and equipping them better.

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