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☆ Fact Check-Photo of damaged helicopter miscaptioned as alleged incident in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo of a damaged helicopter window has been miscaptioned online by people who claim it was taken after being used by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2023. Social media users claim the photo of the broken cockpit glass was evidence that Buhari had escaped from “angry youths” who attacked his helicopter during a visit to Kano (here ) , (here ). There were conflicting reports about the alleged incident (here , here , here) which are outside the scope of this check. According to local media, the helicopter of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga was pelted with stones while he attended a burial (here ). On my way to the plane, they had pelted my vehicles with stones.

☆ Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja/File PhotoFeb 7 (Reuters) - A special panel named by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation Tuesday into recent Reuters reports on rights abuses by the country’s army. Nigerian military leaders said the abortion program did not exist and that children were never targeted for killing. The U.S. defense and state departments, the United Nations Secretary-General, the German foreign minister, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch all called for Nigeria to investigate the Reuters findings. In a 2002 paper, two Nigerian scholars called the body "a red herring” to distract from human rights violations. In 2013, the military allegedly killed as many as 200 civilians in the town of Baga, in northeastern Borno state.

☆ 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.

☆ Factbox: Nigeria election 2023: what you need to know and what's at stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is what you need to know about the election. Tinubu and Atiku have significant powerbases across Nigeria, while Obi is banking on frustration over the economy and insecurity to turn voters against the two major parties. Obi, who left the PDP last year and was Atiku's running mate in 2019, casts himself as a reformist willing to overhaul Nigeria's political system. But on policy, there is little separating the main candidates. Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by James Macharia Chege, Gareth Jones and Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Equinor joins Western oil firms' retreat from Nigeria -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Ron Bousso | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The company has hired investment bank Standard Chartered to run the sale process, which could raise up to $1 billion, the sources said. Several Western oil giants including Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Shell (SHEL.L) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), are seeking to exit or scale back their presence in Nigeria, particularly in onshore operations which have been plagued by theft and devastating spills for years. Equinor's exit is part of the company's efforts to focus on newer and more profitable assets, the sources said. Nigeria's offshore oil and gas operations remain lucrative due to their larger scale, better security and attractive financial terms offered by the government. Operations outside Norway account for around a third of the company's total oil and gas production.

☆ Nigeria opens 'game changer' billion-dollar deep seaport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Seun Sanni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built deep seaport in Lagos on Monday, which is expected to ease congestion at the country's ports and help it become an African hub for transshipment, handling cargoes in transit for other destinations. President Muhammadu Buhari has made building infrastructure a key pillar of his government's economic policy, and hopes that this will help his ruling party win votes during next month's presidential election. "This is a transformative project, game changer project. This project could create at least 200,000 jobs," Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun told Reuters after the port was commissioned by Buhari. China is among the largest bilateral lenders to Nigeria and has funded rail, roads and power stations.

Below are the events, trends and topics investors expect to shape the outlook for emerging markets next year. "The economic downturns along with the aggressive monetary tightening and geopolitical and commodity shocks that induce them will be temporarily painful in financial and emerging markets," said David Folkerts-Landau, group chief economist at Deutsche Bank. Globally, the war has transformed energy markets and inflation pressures, food security and geopolitical risk perception - factors that are often more keenly felt in emerging economies. "There's not actually a lot of debt maturing next year," said Carmen Altenkirch, emerging markets sovereign analyst at Aviva Investors. 6/ TURKEY ELECTIONSPresident Tayyip Erdogan could face the biggest political challenge of his two decades in power as Turks head to the ballot box in the most high-profile vote in emerging markets.

☆ West backs Nigeria's war on extremists, and backs off on human rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +21 min

“While respect for human rights is unquestionably a high priority, we have many other equities at stake,” McCulley wrote. He said the focus on human rights had sent relations between the two countries into the “lowest ebb” in his three years there. Nigeria’s human rights record wasn’t only a moral issue – it was a legal one. Working under these laws provided “openings to incentivise and institutionalise” human rights protections within the Nigerian military, the State Department said. The pact also noted that London and Abuja had agreed on an “enhanced human rights dialogue” to ensure compliance with international rights standards.

☆ Nigerian inflation rate climbs for 10th straight month in Nov
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Chijioke Ohuocha | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Afolabi SotundeABUJA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Annual inflation in Nigeria climbed to 21.47% in November from October's rate of 21.09%, accelerating for the 10th straight month as food prices surged, the statistics bureau said on Thursday. A separate food price index showed inflation at 24.13% in November, compared with 23.72% in October, as Africa's most populous nation continues to struggle with rising prices for staples. "The rise in food inflation was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, oil and fat, potatoes, ... and fish," the NBS said in a report. The government expects inflation to remain in double digits, averaging 17.16% next year. Virag Forizs, emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, said November inflation data was stronger than expected, meaning prices could rise further.

☆ Nigerian Army massacred children in war on insurgents, witnesses say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

CJTF members provide the army with intelligence on suspected insurgents, serve as interpreters and help soldiers navigate sometimes unfamiliar terrain. Bello Danbatta, a spokesman for the CJTF, told Reuters that the military and CJTF forces did not target civilians. During combat operations, soldiers told Reuters, it was common to take aim at anyone they came across in areas the army did not fully control. And in a war in which insurgents have forced minors to fight, soldiers said they couldn't even trust in the innocence of children. Soldiers told the women that their children needed injections for malaria and other afflictions, she said.

☆ Nigerian first lady ‘directed student beating at presidential villa,’ lawyer alleges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Nigeria’s first lady ordered security operatives to detain a student and also supervised his beating at the country’s presidential villa, his lawyer has alleged. Spokespeople for Nigeria’s national police and Department of State Services told CNN they were unaware of Adamu’s arrest. Mrs. Buhari should be prosecuted for taking the law into her hands,” Mohammed told CNN. His uncle Shehu Azare told CNN he is now focused on writing his final exams and would not speak out about his ordeal. So, there’s no point for that (apology),” his uncle Azare told CNN.

☆ Nigeria military ran secret mass abortion program in war on Boko Haram
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Reuters Graphic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

The existence of the army-run abortion programme hasn’t been previously reported. The conflict zone The abortion programme has taken place in the northeastern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa, where the Nigerian military has been fighting Islamist insurgents. A spokesperson for Jonathan told Reuters that the former president had “no knowledge of any allegation of such heinous acts” by the Nigerian Army. Some of the most powerful military leaders in Nigeria oversaw counterinsurgency operations in the northeast as the abortion programme grew. Waging war on Boko Haram The abortion programme began during the presidency of Jonathan.

☆ Nigeria resumes Abuja-Kaduna train service attacked by gunmen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/7] A policeman stands next to the door of a train as Abuja-Kaduna train resumes services after an attack on its passengers by bandits in March, in Abuja, Nigeria December 5, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi SotundeABUJA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Nigeria's state railway company on Monday resumed a popular train service between the capital Abuja and the northern state of Kaduna, suspended since in March after gunmen killed passengers and kidnapped several dozen. The Nigerian military in October secured the release of the remaining 23 hostages from the train attack. President Muhammadu Buhari's government had said the train service would only start once all hostages were freed. Passengers were required to provide national identification numbers, while armed security were on board the train.

☆ Gunmen in Nigeria kill a dozen people, abduct others from mosque
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Gunmen in Nigeria killed a dozen worshippers, including an imam, and kidnapped several others from a mosque on Saturday night, local residents said on Sunday, in the latest attack by armed gangs in the north of the country. Armed gangs, known as bandits, attack communities where security is stretched, killing people or kidnapping them for ransom. The gangs also demand villagers pay protection fees to be allowed to farm and harvest their crops. About 12, who were attending night prayers, were caught in the gunfire and killed, including the chief imam, said Haruna. I'm praying that the bandits release the innocent people they abducted," said Abdullahi Mohammed, another resident of Funtua.

☆ Nigerians unimpressed with resigned Naira banknotes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says that the redesigned notes will replace notes currently in circulation by Jan. 2023. But many locals are not impressed, describing the supposedly redesigned banknotes as a mere color revamp, given their similarities to the old notes. “Snapchat filter, waste of time and resources, so a whole CBN cannot employ experts to redesign the naira notes. The Nigerian leader added that replacing the current currency with the redesigned notes will help to combat the hoarding of funds outside of the banking system. Old naira notes will be completely phased away by the end of January next year, the CBN says, as locals scramble to deposit their old notes at commercial banks.

☆ Twitter layoffs in India, Africa could weaken the company in its biggest growth markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Twitter laid off thousands of employees across the company on Friday, including staff in India and Africa. Under siege in critical marketsEven before the layoffs, Twitter was going through a tough time in both India and Africa. Tech experts now fear that the company will find it even harder to navigate new laws in emerging markets. Twitter does not share user numbers, but according to India, the platform has 17.5 million users in the country. “Content moderation has to be specific to geography,” said Vivan Sharan, partner at Delhi-based tech policy consulting firm Koan Advisory Group.

☆ Nigerian presidential contender Abubakar calls for flood relief fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Former Nigeria Vice President Atiku Abubakar adresses the People's Democratic Party delegates during the Special convention in Abuja, Nigeria May 28, 2022. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File PhotoLAGOS, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria's main opposition presidential contender on Wednesday called on the government to immediately set up a flood disaster fund similar to one created to fight the coronavirus pandemic, to help victims hit by the worst floods in a decade. Atiku Abubakar said after a trip to oil-producing Bayelsa state, one of the worst hit, that the floods were a reminder of the impact of climate change and urged the government to immediately launch a Flood Disaster Relief Fund. "It is a national emergency relief fund, similar in scope to what was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic," Abubakar said, referring to a $1.4 billion fund that the government launched in 2020 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Critics have accused the federal government of being slow to help flood victims.

☆ US and UK warn of possible attack in Nigeria's capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LAGOS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The United States and Britain on Sunday warned of a possible terrorist attack in Nigeria's federal capital Abuja, especially aimed at government buildings, places of worship and schools, among other targets. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The U.S. Embassy will offer reduced services until further notice," the embassy said in an alert to citizens in Nigeria. The United Kingdom government warned that its citizens in Nigeria should stay alert due to an "increased threat of terrorist attack in Abuja." "Attacks could be indiscriminate and could affect western interests, as well as places visited by tourists," it said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —More than 1.4 million people have been displaced and about 500 people have died in some of the worst flooding Nigeria has seen in a decade, the country’s humanitarian ministry said Wednesday. In parts of Kogi and Anambra, floods had risen as high as rooftops. According to the humanitarian ministry, flooding this year was similar to Nigeria’s last major flooding in 2012, which killed 363 people and displaced 600,000. Images captured by Nasa’s Landsat 9 reveal floodwaters having “inundated numerous communities” along the banks of both rivers and heavy destruction in Kogi state capital, Lokoja. The image further illustrates water having reached southern Kogi and northern Anambra state.

☆ Nigeria's Abubakar launches bid to succeed Buhari as president
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Abuja, Nigeria Reuters —Nigeria’s main opposition leader Atiku Abubakar launched his presidential election campaign on Wednesday calling for a sweeping victory to save the country from a “frightening descent” into anarchy. Official election campaigning started on Wednesday, ahead of a February presidential vote to choose a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is serving a final second term. Abubakar, 75, and a former vice president between 1999-2007 is running for the third time. “We have a plan to address these issues,” Abubakar said at a ceremony to start his campaign. Polls in Nigeria are unreliable, but Tinubu and Abubakar - both septuagenarian political veterans - lead the two biggest political parties that have ruled Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

☆ Nigeria hikes rate to highest level to head off inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Macdonald Dzirutwe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

read moreBut with inflation at its highest in 17 years, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele said the Monetary Policy Committee had to continue with an aggressive stance. Tuesday's rate hike, the third in a row, means the central bank has delivered a total 400 basis-point increase this year, its most hawkish in a single cycle, analysts said. 1/2 A view shows Nigeria's Central Bank headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria November 22, 2020. "It also felt that an aggressive rate hike would slow capital outflows and likely attract capital inflows and appreciate the naira currency," Emefiele added. Responding to reporters' questions, Emefiele declined to rule out further rate hikes to fight inflation.

☆ Ethiopian Airlines consortium wins bid for new Nigeria airline
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Felix Onuah | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File PhotoABUJA, Sept 23 (Reuters) - A consortium led by Ethiopian Airlines is the preferred bidder for shares in new Nigerian airline Nigeria Air, the country's aviation minister said on Friday. Ethiopian Airlines will own a 49% stake in the new airline, while the Nigerian Sovereign Fund will take 46% and the Nigerian federal government the remaining 5%. Nigeria Air would have an initial capital of $300 million and plans to have 30 aircraft within four years, he said. Nigeria Air will launch with service between the capital Abuja and Lagos, the commercial capital, and add other routes later. "Nigeria Air is a limited liability company that will have no government intervention," he added.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2022. A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map," U.S. President Joe Biden told the assembly. Ultimately the world wants the war in Ukraine to end. "It is neither revenge against the West, nor opposition of the West against the rest. Some countries have also called out double standards exposed by how the West has responded to Russia's war in Ukraine.

☆ Nigeria's Buhari, in last UN speech, slams 'corrosive impact' of leaders who cling to power
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

(CNN) Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday criticized fellow leaders who extend term limits to cling to power, saying this was having a "corrosive" effect, and promised free and fair elections when the country elects his successor in February. Some of Buhari's African counterparts are among the longest-serving leaders in the world. President Paul Biya of neighboring Cameroon has held onto power for nearly four decades, ranking behind Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro Obiang who has ruled the small Central African country for 43 years. Buhari, 79, who took office after defeating a sitting president in elections in 2015, will make way for a new leader in what would be another peaceful transfer of power, helping cement Nigeria's democratic credentials in a region prone to coups. Speaking at his last United Nations General Assembly, Buhari said Africa's most populous nation had invested heavily to ensure free and fair elections.

☆ Cloud of colonialism hangs over Queen Elizabeth’s legacy in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-10 | by ( Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Lagos, Nigeria CNN —The death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted an outpouring of reflection and reaction online. Among the worst atrocities under British rule occurred during the Mau Mau uprising, which started in 1952 – the year Queen Elizabeth took the throne. Queen Elizabeth II on her way to the Kumasi Durbah with Kwame Nkrumah, President of Ghana, during her tour of Ghana, November 1961. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip wave to a crowd of schoolchildren at a rally held at a racecourse in Ibadan, Nigeria, February 15, 1956. Queen Elizabeth II dances with President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, during her visit to Accra, Ghana, in 1961.

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