Regional News

Will the US-Nigeria targeting of ISWAP’s deputy weaken terrorism? | ISS Africa The joint Nigerian-United States (US) operation on 16 May that reportedly killed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki will boost efforts to dismantle one of Africa’s most deadly terror groups. It is also a victory in the two countries’

Mass abduction of students normalised under Buhari but getting worse under Tinubu The terrorists arrived before dawn, breaching the stillness of Yawota and Esiele communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Within minutes, locals in these communities said three schools were invaded, and terrified pupils, including their

Borno Closes School After Abduction of 42 Children The Borno State Government has temporarily closed down and relocated the Government Day Secondary School, Mussa, in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, following the abduction of 42 students by suspected insurgents. A statement on Tuesday by the spokesperson for the state governor,

Crackdown on Chad’s opposition threatens a return to one-party rule Just two weeks after eight opposition leaders were arrested for planning a march against Chad’s governance problems, they were sentenced to eight years in prison without parole. Their Political Actors Consultation Group (GCAP) had scheduled the demonstration for 2 May. A day before their sentencing on 8 May, the Supreme Court announced that the GCAP – the country’s main political

Tinubu Has Failed to… – Amnesty International Nigeria | Facebook Tinubu Has Failed to Address Rampant Abductions President Bola Tinubu and his government have failed to address the country’s shocking spate of abductions targeting school children, rural communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the country, as at least 1,100 people have been abducted – from January to April 2026. Last week, gunmen abducted 39 students and seven ⁠teachers in an attack targeting several schools in

FG releases names of 21 states, FCT at high risk of Ebola infection – FULL LIST The federal government has identified 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as areas at high or moderate risk of Ebola importation following renewed outbreaks in parts of Africa. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this on Thursday after placing states across the country on heightened Ebola preparedness alert amid fears of cross-border transmission.

Power sector: More reforms, little impact – Daily Trust It has been three years since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to fix the electricity sector. In fact, he said if he doesn’t fulfill that promise, Nigerians should not vote him back into office. With a year to the expiration of his four-year tenure, many say that he is yet to keep the promise.

CHOLERA OUTBREAK: 27 die as 2,715 suspected cases recorded in Borno  – The Humanitarian Times No fewer than 27 persons have been confirmed dead, while 2,715 suspected cases of cholera have been recorded across five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno State within the first 24 days of May. The data, contained in an official epidemiological summary obtained by our

 Nigeria remains World Bank’s third-largest borrower with $18.5bn – Daily Trust Nigeria has retained its position as the third-largest borrower from the International Development Association (IDA), the concessional lending arm of the World Bank, despite a slight decline in its debt exposure in the first quarter of 2026. According to the IDA’s March 2026 financial statements, Nigeria’s exposure stood at $18.5 billion as of

Gunmen abduct 25 people in twin attacks in Nigeria’s Kwara state, police say | Reuters ABUJA, May 25 (Reuters) – Suspected bandits attacked a police station and a traditional ruler’s palace in Nigeria’s Kwara state early on Sunday, abducting ​at least 10 people and setting part of the palace ‌on fire, police said on Monday. Kwara, in Nigeria’s north-central region, has in recent years faced a spillover of violent

Yobe, Adamawa, Borno unveil flooding emergency response strategies – Yerwa Express News The Yobe, Adamawa, and Borno governments have rolled out various emergency response plans to tackle the impending flooding. They made this known while responding to questions on the state government’s preparedness

Hepatitis: Rescuing Nigerians from needless deaths – Healthwise NIGERIA’S worsening hepatitis burden demands urgent and coordinated action from the government, health authorities and citizens alike. The latest report by the World Health Organisation, which listed Nigeria among countries accounting for a significant proportion of global hepatitis-related deaths in 2024, is both alarming and unacceptable for a country already struggling with fragile healthcare systems and preventable disease outbreaks.

Nigerian troops kill 12 terrorists in foiled attack on Kirawa, recover cache of arms — Daily Nigerian Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, OPHK), have neutralised 12 terrorists and recovered a cache of arms after foiling an attempted attack on military positions along the Kirawa axis, Borno. This is contained in a statement by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, on Saturday. Uba said the attack occurred on Friday, when suspected terrorists

Islamic State claims first attacks in North-west Nigeria The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) has claimed what appears to be its first reported attacks in North-west Nigeria, in which 18 soldiers and a police officer were killed in Kebbi and Sokoto states. The claims were published in Al-Naba, an Islamic States’ weekly propaganda magazine published on Thursday. The claims came about six months after United States President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against those he described as Islamic State elements in the

Terrorism: Court reserves judgement in Owo church massacre trial | Premium Times Nigeria The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday reserved judgement in the trial of five men accused of involvement in the 5 June 2022 attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. The five defendants are being prosecuted by the State Security Service (SSS) over the attack, which left dozens of worshippers dead and many others injured.

At the Africa Forward summit, a different conversation about France – RFI On the second floor of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, far from the cameras and presidential motorcades, the cafe stayed unusually busy long after lunch had ended. Young founders sat next to diplomats.  Investors leaned across small tables, writing numbers on napkins.

Burkina Faso junta suspends biggest student union and arrests leader | Africanews Burkina Faso’s military leaders have suspended the country’s largest student union and arrested its leader. A decree from the Minister for Territorial Administration said the General Union of Students of Burkina (Ugeb) will be barred from operating for three months for “advocating terrorism”. It is the latest salvo in the ongoing crackdown on independent organisations by the junta which seized power in a 2022 coup.

Burkina livestock ban welcomed by consumers but hits traders hard | Africanews Burkina Faso has suspended the export of all livestock until further notice in a bid to boost meat sales and ensure animals are available on the domestic market. The measure has been widely welcomed but for traders, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. “Every year, we used to be able to export 500 sheep to Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. This year, frankly, nothing has gone out,” says livestock trader Moussa Sangaré.

Benin moves to ease tensions with AES bloc [Africanews Today] | Africanews A new political tone in Benin, fresh health fears over Ebola, the shadow of gold trafficking in Sudan, renewed turbulence in Senegal, and preparations for Eid al-Adha in Morocco are shaping Africa’s news agenda this week. Here is an overview of the main developments across the continent. The first words of Benin’s new president, Romuald Wadagni, are being widely interpreted as a call for calm between Cotonou and Niamey.

Peace and Security

Global jihadism’s growing grip on Africa – Spotlight on Africa – RFI As attacks from jihadist groups allied to Tuaregs continue in Mali, global jihadism threatens Africa like no other region on earth, according to ACLED’s latest report. With the organisation’s expert on West Africa, Spotlight on Africa explores how jihadist groups are expanding across the

US Defence Secretary claims attacks on Boko Haram are to protect Nigerian Christians The US Secretary of War, Pete Hegeseth, has claimed that America’s military operation in Nigeria is based on President Donald Trump’s order to protect Nigerian Christians targeted by ISIS terrorists—a continued attempt to mischaracterise the security crisis in the country as Christian genocide. Mr Hegeseth said the directive led to the killing of the Islamic State commander, Abubakar Mainok, also

497 stranded Nigerians arrive Kano from Niger Republic  – Daily Trust The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has received 497 Nigerian migrants evacuated from Niger Republic through the Jibia border. The returnees arrived at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday at about 12:25pm, from Agadez in Niger Republic. The migrants were received

Nigeria deploys troops to Benin Republic to safeguard democratic process The Nigerian Army has disclosed that it deployed a company of troops to the Republic of Benin in April to support regional stability and prevent breakdown of law and order during the country’s electioneering period. A company in the Nigerian Army typically consists of 80 to 150 soldiers, and it is mostly headed by a major.

ECOWAS Moves to Break Border Bottlenecks at Strategic Nigeria–Cameroon Trade Corridor By Raymond Enoch – Paradigm News The Economic Community of West African States has launched a high-level monitoring and inspection mission at the Nigeria–Cameroon Joint Border Post in a major push to accelerate regional trade, strengthen security coordination, and ease the movement of people and goods across West and Central Africa.

TETFund, Army partner on education, defence technology – Yerwa Express News The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary  Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Mr Sonny Echono, has reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Army to promote  education, security and technological development in Nigeria.

ISWAP Commander Tracked Six Months by US Drones, Killed The Islamic State West Africa Province has confirmed the death of one of its top commanders, Abu Bilal al-Mainuki, following a recent joint counterterrorism operation carried out by Nigerian and United States special forces around the Lake Chad region in the North-East.

Nigeria Is Facing An Information War In Its Own Language – HumAngle Two years ago, Bashir Muhammad received an invitation to attend a journalism summit in Niamey but declined. That decision, and the argument it provoked, told him everything he needed to know. He runs one of the growing number of Hausa-language digital news platforms that have emerged across northern Nigeria in the past decade, serving local audiences that legacy English-language

Troops: We rescued 92 kidnapped victims, foiled terrorists’ ambush in Borno – Daily Trust Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have rescued 92 kidnapped civilians and foiled an improvised explosive device (IED) ambush in a swift rescue operation along the Buratai–Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno. This is contained in a statement by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, on Sunday.

Humanitarian

Nigeria Hunger Crisis: 35 Million at Risk, UN Warns The United Nations on Friday warned that about 35 million Nigerians are at risk of acute hunger from June to August. The UN Humanitarian Country Team in New York City, United States, said Nigeria was facing a deepening hunger crisis, with millions at risk as the lean season approaches.

Experts raise the alarm over rising maternal deaths in North-East – Healthwise Medical experts in Gombe State have raised concerns over the increasing cases of preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, describing the condition as one of the leading causes of maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria, particularly in the North-East region. The concerns were raised during a medical outreach and awareness campaign organised by the Preeclampsia Awareness Initiative Club Gombe to commemorate the 2026 World Preeclampsia Day.

Mobilization and economic development

AfDB expects Africa’s economic growth to slow to 4.2% due to the Middle East crisis | Reuters NAIROBI, May 26 (Reuters) – Africa’s economic growth is expected to slow slightly to 4.2% this year from 4.4% last year, the African Development Bank said, as Middle East tensions push up ​fuel and food costs, before picking up again in 2027. Despite last year’s shocks ‌from trade and geopolitical tensions, the 54-nation continent remained one of

Alvarez & Marsal expands into Africa as continent attracts global funds | Reuters JOHANNESBURG, May 28 – Consultancy firm Alvarez & Marsal has launched its first African office in Cape Town, ​targeting a continent drawing investor interest amid a global scramble ‌for critical minerals used in defence, electronics and the energy transition. Competition for minerals between China and the West has turned attention

AfDB meets under Ebola’s cloud as Africa hunts for development cash at home | Reuters NAIROBI, May 25 (Reuters) – African leaders ​and financiers gathered for the African Development Bank’s annual meeting on Monday as the continent faces shrinking ‌aid flows, with this week’s event in Congo Republic overshadowed by an Ebola outbreak across the border. Overseas development aid from the world’s richest nations to poorer countries dropped by nearly a quarter

Nigeria economic growth slows slightly in first quarter | Reuters ABUJA, May 25 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s economy ​grew 3.89% year-on-year in the first quarter ‌of 2026 (NGGDPQ=ECI), opens new tab, down slightly from the final quarter of last year’s 4.07% growth rate, official data showed on Monday. Growth ​slowed in both the oil and non-oil ​sectors when compared with the fourth quarter ⁠of 2025, the National Bureau of Statistics said ​in a report. Since taking

Dangote-backed mega refinery sparks east African competition {Business Africa} | Africanews A proposed mega-refinery project backed by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote is igniting regional competition in East Africa, with Kenya and Tanzania both positioning themselves to host what could become one of the continent’s most transformative energy investments. The refinery, still in its planning and expansion phase, is being viewed as a potential game changer for a region that remains heavily dependent on imported refined fuel, despite having significant crude oil reserves.

African leaders sound alarm on impact of climate change and urbanisation | Africanews As climate change continues to wreak havoc across Africa, leaders attending the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, have sounded the alarm. They say extreme weather events and rapid urbanisation are outpacing their ability to respond to the crisis, and that the money to fix it is just not there. The forum brought together government leaders, urban planners, researchers, and development partners from 176 countries to discuss housing challenges