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☆ Beans and violins - orchestra blends classical roots with modern Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Members of Vesta Orchestra and Opera Foundation perform during a concert they organized at the Alliance Francaise de Lagos / Mike Adenuga Centre in Lagos, Nigeria May 20, 2023. It was the latest show staged by the Vesta Orchestra, founded in 2017 by violinist Rosalyn Aninyei, which has enlivened the classical music scene in Lagos by performing new works by contemporary Nigerian and African composers. The music had clear connections with the classical repertoire rooted in Europe, but the choice of the Yoruba language and the story anchored the performance in Nigeria. "I am so happy that there are events like this in Nigeria," said Kayode Oshundun, who was attending his first performance by Vesta. "My flat was actually behind the opera house and it was always a dream of mine to come home ... and discover our own classical music," she said.

☆ Nigerian Food and Fashion Came Together at This Dinner Party in Brooklyn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Camille Okhio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2010, Busayo Olupona was working as a corporate finance lawyer in New York City when she began making dresses from traditional African textiles, both as a creative outlet and as a way to connect with her heritage. In 2013, she decided to turn her hobby into a business, launching Busayo, a collection of full-skirted dresses, voluminous pants and puff-sleeved tops, all produced in the country where she spent her childhood. Over the past decade, her designs have been spotted on celebrities like Lupita Nyong’o and Gwyneth Paltrow, and picked up by luxury retailers including Neiman Marcus and Moda Operandi. When she’s home in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Olupona jumps at any opportunity to host a gathering. “Nigerians love a good party,” she says, recalling childhood memories of her parents and their friends dancing to the jùjú music by Shina Peters and King Sunny Ade, dressed up in Nigerian lace and head wraps.

☆ 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.

Ships in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Benin, West Africa. Prosper Dagnitche/AFP/Getty ImagesThe stream of used cars heading to West African ports is only expected to increase with the West’s shift to electric vehicles. “It’s not like people want to drive used cars; it’s an affordability issue.”Experts say demand for used cars could explode further as the take up of electric cars in the West increases the supply of used cars to African countries. Those states also have robust port operations, making them an ideal place to ship used cars to Africa. “In terms of where Africa goes, the transition shouldn’t necessarily be from used cars to brand new combustion engines, it should be from used cars to EVs,” Ipke said.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Seun Kuti: Nigerian musician in court after arrest for alleged police assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Nigerian singer and saxophonist Seun Kuti, youngest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, appeared in court on Tuesday following his arrest for allegedly assaulting a police officer. A Lagos court denied a request by prosecutors to detain Kuti for 21 days, his lawyer Femi Falana told CNN. Seun Kuti Getty ImagesKnown for his music activism and outspoken criticism of the government, Kuti has been a vocal advocate against police brutality. Together with his late father’s former band, Egypt 80, which he now leads, Seun Kuti has performed for audiences worldwide, touring extensively in the United States, France, Japan, and the UK. With his brother Femi, Kuti has carried forward the Afrobeat legacy of his father who died in 1997.

☆ 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.

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