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☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Is this Nigerian teen the next women's golf prodigy?
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-22 | by ( Jackie Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

She remembers the day her dad took her to a golf course in Abuja, where she saw a boy teeing off. As she continues to make a name for herself and her country, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari is taking notice. "He just keeps playing golf and he really loves the sport, even though he's not winning." Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Golf's greatest-ever prodigies Arguably the greatest golfer never to go pro, Bobby Jones is one of the sport's most influential figures. According to the Nigerian Golf Federation, there are only 58 courses in the country.

☆ Nigeria is oil rich and energy poor. It can’t wait around for cheaper batteries
▼ + stars: | 2021-11-03 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

But it’s coming under huge pressure from developed countries to abandon fossil fuels and shift to renewable energy in order to help save the climate. AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockLike the United States, Europe and Britain, Nigeria sees a prominent role for renewable energy, notwithstanding its investments into gas power. “In Nigeria, clean energy is central to our government’s plan to transition to net-zero emissions,” Osinbajo, the vice president, continued. In Nigeria, energy poverty is itself a major driver of emissions, according to Olu Verheijen, the founder of Lagos-based energy advisory business Latimer Energy. This means that in some cases, certainly for Nigeria, gas has an important role to play in providing power.

Majoritatea pasagerilor erau femei și copii care călătoreau din statul Niger în statul Kebbi. Cel puțin 20 de pasageri ar fi fost salvați, au anunțat autoritățile, care susțin că tragedia s-a produs pentru că vasul era încărcat peste limita admisă. Scafandrii și echipele de intervenție încercau să salveze și alte persoane din râul Niger, a declarat un oficial local pentru BBC. Președintele Muhammadu Buhari a descris accidentul drept "devastator" și a transmis condoleanțe familiilor victimelor. Qasimu Umar Wara, un localnic din orașul Wara, a spus că cinci cadavre au fost recuperate, însă probabil altele vor ieși la suprafață în zilele următoare.

Persons: Buhari, Yusuf Birma, Umar Organizations: BBC Locations: Niger, Kebbi, Nigeria, Abdullahi, Ngaski, Wara

☆ Şeful armatei din Nigeria a murit după ce avionul militar în care se afla s-a prăbușit
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-22 | by ( ) www.jurnal.md time to read: +1 min

Sursa foto: bbcŞeful armatei din Nigeria a murit după ce avionul militar în care se afla s-a prăbușitŞeful armatei din Nigeria, locotenentul general Ibrahim Attahiru, a murit într-un accident aviatic. Avionul militar în care se afla s-a prăbuşit vineri în apropierea aeroportului Kaduna din nordul Nigeriei, în timp ce încerca să aterizeze în condiții de vreme rea. Informația a fost confirmată de purtătorul de cuvânt al forţelor aeriene, relatează BBC. Președintele nigerian Muhammadu Buhari a declarat că a fost „profund întristat” de vestea prăbușirii aeronavei. Locotenentul Ibrahim Attahiru a luat parte la acțiunile guvernului de a spori eficiența armatei în combaterea unei insurgențe jihadiste de peste zece ani.

Persons: Ibrahim Attahiru, Muhammadu Buhari, Locotenentul Ibrahim Attahiru Organizations: bbc, BBC, Kaduna, Armata Locations: Nigeria, Nigeriei, internaţional, Abuja, ţării

☆ Evadare uriașă în Nigeria: 1.800 de deținuți au fugit după ce închisoarea în care se aflau a fost atacată
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-06 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Peste 1.800 de deținuți au evadat dintr-o închisoare nigeriană, după ce unitatea de detenție a fost atacată ieri de mai mulți oameni înarmați, informează BBC., citat de digi24.ro. Poliția a acuzat grupul separatist Indigenous People of Biafra de atac, însă acesta nu a revendicat atacul și a negat orice implicare. Un purtător de cuvânt al poliției a declarat că atacatorii aveau aruncătoare de grenade, mitraliere, explozibili și puști. Președintele Muhammadu Buhari a clasificat atacul drept un "act de terorism", iar pe atacatori "anarhiști". Începând cu luna ianuarie, mai multe secții de poliției și vehicule din sud-estul Nigeriei au fost atacate și cantități mari de muniție au fost furate.

Persons: Buhari Organizations: BBC Locations: nigeriană, Owerri, Nigeriei

☆ Organizația teroristă Boko Haram a revendicat atacul asupra unei școli din Nigeria și anunță că a răpit 300 de copii
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-15 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Grupul islamist Boko Haram a revendicat atacul petrecut săptămâna trecută asupra unei școli cu internat din statul nigerian Katsina, în urma căruia sute de elevi au fost răpiți, informează BBC. Gruparea Boko Haram a atacat numeroase școli în ultimii ani și a răpit copii, însă aceste atacuri s-au petrecut în nord-estul țării. Boko Haram s-a aflat și în spatele atacului din 2014, când 276 de eleve ale unei școli din orașul Chibok au fost răpite. Într-un mesaj audio referitor la răpiri, liderul Abubakar Shekau a spus că "ce s-a întâmplat în Katsina a fost responsabilitatea noastră" și că gruparea islamistă se opune educației vestice. Începând cu 2009, gruparea Boko Haram a desfășurat o insurgență brutală în nord-estul Nigeriei.

Persons: Haram, Shekau, BBC Hausa, Bello Organizations: BBC Locations: nigerian Katsina, Chibok, Katsina, Nigeriei, Kankara

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