Nigeria

US to restrict visas for Nigerians involved in violence against Christians

The United States will restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country, the US State Department has said. The attacks on the community are part of a longstanding and extremely complex security crisis in Nigeria a nation recently singled out by US President Donald Trump for "the killing of Christians" by "radical Islamists". Last month, Trump also said he has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution. "The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted on X on Wednesday. He added that the policy would apply to other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom, and

Trump threatens war on Nigeria over Christian killings: What's going on?

Trump's threat to send US forces into Nigeria over Christian killings has reignited debate on religious violence, American aid, and the complex roots of Nigeria's long-running insurgency

Trump threatens US military action in Nigeria over killing of Christians

The US government will also immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, Trump said in a post on Truth Social

South Africa, Nigeria set to exit FATF's 'grey list' in October plenary

The two nations were put under heightened scrutiny by the Financial Action Task Force in February 2023 for shortcomings in tackling illicit financial flows

Lagos Free Zone can provide access to US market: Nigeria to Indian firms

Indian businesses, mainly those hit by high US tariffs, can manufacture or assemble products in Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) in Nigeria, which provides preferential access to the US and other major global markets, a Nigerian official said on Sunday. LFZ Managing Director and CEO Adesuwa Ladoja, in an interview with PTI, said that recent tariff adjustments in the US have created real challenges for Indian companies, particularly in sectors like textiles, leather and automotive components. The US has imposed 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Indian-origin products which may affect almost USD 49 billion worth of exports to America. "What makes Lagos Free Zone uniquely positioned is Nigerian exports to the US face tariffs as low as 14 per cent, significantly lower than those applied to many other countries. "For Indian businesses, this means that by setting up in LFZ, they can manufacture or assemble products in Nigeria and enjoy a considerable tariff advantage compared to shipping direct

Gaming firm MPL bets on AI to boost development cycles, write code faster

When it comes to changing the workflows or pushing minor features, the gaming company is encouraging its developers to outsource repetitive tasks to an AI agent or code editors

India's 'broken rung': What's holding women back on the corporate ladder?

Gender gaps persist in India, Nigeria, Kenya as women face barriers from entry-level to leadership, with sharp drop-offs in managerial roles, shows McKinsey report

Women hold just 33% of entry-level roles in private jobs in India: Report

Workforce gender gap begins early in India with women holding just one in three entry-level private sector roles and only 24 per cent of managerial positions, a report said on Wednesday. In India, despite forming half of the university graduate pool, women continue to face systemic barriers to entry, advancement, and retention in formal employment, according to McKinsey & Company's 'Women in the Workplace' report. It showed that women hold just one in three entry-level private sector roles and only 24 per cent of manager positions, signalling a wide gap between potential and actual representation. The report is based on insights of 324 organisations across India, Nigeria, and Kenya employing roughly 1.4 million people, including 77 private sector organisations from India (having a total of 9 lakh employees). The gender imbalance in India is further highlighted by a seven-year age gap at the entry level where women average 39 years compared to men at 32 years, the widest gap across

Airtel Africa Q4 profit at $80 million on revenue growth, lower costs

Lower finance costs and steady revenue growth lifted Airtel Africa's Q4 profit to $80 million and helped it post a full-year net profit of $328 million in FY25

Attack by gunmen leaves at least 40 people dead in Nigeria, president says

Nigeria's president said on Monday that at least 40 people were killed when Muslim gunmen, believed to be herders, attacked a Christian farming community in the north-central part of the country, the latest in an increasing wave of violence in the West African country. President Bola Tinubu also said he has ordered an investigation over the late Sunday night attack on the Zike community, extending his condolences to the victims and their families. I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts, Tinubu said in a statement late Monday. Amnesty International said the victims, who included children and the elderly, were taken by surprise and could not flee from the gunmen. Such attacks have become common in this part of Africa's most populous country, where gunmen typically herders from Fulani, a Muslim tribe exploit security lapses to launch deadly raids on farmers in a fight over land ...

Meningitis sparks alarm: 5 cases reported in Kerala, 26 dead in Nigeria

Over the course of several weeks, Nigerians confirmed the deaths of at least 26 due to outbreak of meningitis. In Kerala, India, around 5 people have shown signs of the illness

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants, kidnappers in the past week: Army

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past week, the army said Friday, in an operation targeting a decades-long insurgency by Islamic militants in the northeast and attacks by various armed groups in the northwest. The West African country has been ramping up efforts to secure the country as some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in the northeastern region, according to the U.N. The nationwide operation by Nigeria's military led to the arrest of 252 individuals and the liberation of 67 hostages held by the militants, a Nigerian military spokesperson, Edward Buba, said in a statement. Kidnappings have become a common occurrence in Nigeria's northwest, where dozens of armed groups exploit the region's limited security presence to carry out attacks on villages and along major roads. Many victims are only released after the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars. The 2014 kidnapping of 276

US to return $52.8 mn in seized assets of Nigeria's former oil minister

The United States announced Friday that it would be returning USD 52.88 million in seized assets to Nigeria as part of a yearslong corruption probe against former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and associates, according to a joint statement by Nigeria's minister of justice and the United States government. It marks the first repatriation of assets linked to Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria's oil minister from 2010 to 2015. She rose to prominence as a powerful figure under former President Goodluck Jonathan, and became the first female president of the oil alliance OPEC. The seized assets, including a superyacht and prime real estate in New York and California, were confiscated in 2023 by US authorities during Alison-Madueke's trial. Of the repatriated funds, USD 50 million will be allocated to rural electrification programmes in Nigeria, while the remaining USD 2.88 million will be disbursed as a grant by the African country to the International Institute for Justice to ..

Airstrike on insurgents mistakenly killed 10 civilians: Nigerian military

An airstrike targeting an armed group in northwestern Nigeria mistakenly killed at least 10 civilians, the West African nation's military said Friday. The villagers were killed on Christmas Day when the air force targeted a logistics base of the Lakurawa insurgent group in the Silame area of Sokoto state, Edward Buba, Nigerian defense spokesperson, told journalists at a press conference. On Thursday, the Sokoto state government said the air force mistakenly shelled the villagers in the early hours of Wednesday in an attempt to dislodge the insurgents from the area. However, on Friday, Buba said only that the Lakurawa insurgents were directly hit by munitions and that the civilians died from secondary explosions. The Lakurawa insurgent group began infiltrating Africa's most populous country following a wave of coups that disrupted Nigeria's relations with neighbouring Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, hurting their ability to cooperate on transnational threats. Initially gaining local

Stampedes at Christmas charity events in Nigeria leave at least 32 dead

The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said Sunday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state's Okija town, where a philanthropist on Saturday organised a food distribution, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. Ten others died in the capital, Abuja, during a church-organised similar charity event. Police said they were investigating the two incidents, only days after another stampede in which several children were killed. Africa's most populous country is seeing a growing trend by local organisations, churches and individuals to organise charity events ahead of Christmas to ease economic hardship caused by a cost-of-living crisis. Witnesses of the Abuja stampede told The Associated Press the

PM Modi gifts Kolhapur's traditional metal work to Nigerian President

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted Nigerian president Bola Ahmed Tinubu a 'Silofar Panchamrit Kalash', officials said on Monday, describing the pot as a stunning example of traditional craftsmanship from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. This 'kalash', they added, is made from high-quality silver, shaped with skill and precision. It features elegant engravings typical of Kolhapur's renowned metal work, with motifs that often include floral patterns, deities and traditional designs. The handle of the 'kalash' and the lid are crafted to provide ease of use during religious ceremonies, where 'panchamrit' -- a sacred mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar -- is served, they said. Modi had arrived in Nigerian capital Abuja early Sunday on the first trip to the country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. He is currently on a five-day tour of three countries and reached Brazil earlier on Monday to attend the G20 summit.

PM concludes Nigeria visit, boosts ties with Africa's largest democracy

PM Modi's visit to Nigeria is part of his three-nation tour, which will also take him to Brazil and Guyana from November 17 to 21

India accords high priority to strategic partnership with Nigeria: PM Modi

India accords high priority to its strategic partnership with Nigeria, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday as he held extensive talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that focused on shoring up bilateral ties in key sectors such as defence, trade, energy and agriculture. In their meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed commitment to jointly fight terrorism, piracy and radicalisation and vowed to work towards meeting the aspirations of the Global South. The prime minister arrived in Abuja early Sunday on the first trip to the country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. PM Modi offered India's experience in agriculture, transportation, affordable medicine, renewable energy, and digital transformation to Nigeria, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on the talks. On his part, Tinubu appreciated the development cooperation partnership offered by India and its meaningful impact in creating local capacities, skills, and professional expertise. In the

PM Narendra Modi conferred with Nigeria's second-highest national award

Nigeria on Sunday conferred its second-highest national award, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making him the second foreign dignitary to receive the distinction. "Honoured to be conferred with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger' Award by Nigeria. I accept it with great humility and dedicate it to the people of India," Modi said in his remarks after receiving the award. This was the 17th international award conferred on Modi by a country. Queen Elizabeth is the only foreign dignitary who was awarded GCON in 1969. Modi is in Nigeria on the first leg of his three-nation visit at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This visit is the first by an Indian prime minister to Nigeria in 17 years. On his arrival in Nigeria on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi was warmly welcomed by Minister for Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, who presented him with the 'Key to the City' of Abuja. "The key symbolises the trust and

India accords high-priority to strategic partnership with Nigeria: PM Modi

India accords high priority to its strategic partnership with Nigeria and it will work towards boosting ties in a range of areas, including defence, energy and trade, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday. In his televised opening remarks at the meeting, Modi identified terrorism, separatism, piracy and drug trafficking as major challenges and said the two countries will continue to work together to deal with them. Modi arrived in Abuja early Sunday on the first trip to the country by an Indian prime minister after a gap of 17 years. "We give high priority to our strategic partnership with Nigeria...I am confident that a new chapter in our ties will begin following our talks," the prime minister said. Modi also described the around 60,000-strong Indian expatriate community as a key pillar of India-Nigeria relations and thanked Tinubu for ensuring their welfare. The prime minister also announced that India is sending