Latest Nigeria government News

Nigeria bets on a new $2.25B World Bank loan to support reforms that have resulted in hardship

Jun. 14, 2024 19:08 PM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The World Bank has approved a $2.25 billion loan for Nigeria to shore up revenue and support economic reforms that have contributed to the worst cost-of-living crisis in many years for Africa’s most populous country. The bank said in a statement late...

A report says women were abused in Nigerian military cells after fleeing Boko Haram captivity

Jun. 10, 2024 11:38 AM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Dozens of women and young girls have been unlawfully detained and abused in Nigerian military detention facilities after escaping captivity by Boko Haram extremists in the country’s northeast, Amnesty International said in a new report on Monday. Some of the...

Nigeria loses electricity and major airports close as unions seek higher wages amid record inflation

Jun. 03, 2024 12:24 PM EDT

GOMBE, Nigeria (AP) — Africa's most populous country ground to a halt on Monday, with electricity cut and major airports closed, as Nigeria's largest labor unions began striking to demand a salary increase amid the worst cost of living crisis in decades. President Bola Tinubu's...

Soldiers among 11 killed by separatist militants in southeast Nigeria

May. 31, 2024 11:25 AM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Militants enforcing a separatist lockdown in Nigeria’s southeastern region attacked security forces deployed to restore order, killing five soldiers and six civilians during a shootout, the Nigerian military said Friday. The soldiers were attacked on...

Nigeria's new anthem, written by a Briton, sparks criticism after a contentious law is passed

May. 29, 2024 15:52 PM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria adopted a new national anthem on Wednesday after lawmakers passed a law that replaced the current one with a version dropped nearly a half-century ago, sparking widespread criticism about how the law was hastily passed without much public input. ...

Nigeria is emerging as a critical mineral hub. The government is cracking down on illegal operations

May. 26, 2024 22:32 PM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's government is cracking down on illegal mining, making dozens of arrests of unlicensed miners since April for allegedly stealing the country’s lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones and power systems. The...

At least 40 villagers shot dead in latest violence in Nigeria's conflict-hit north

May. 21, 2024 12:52 PM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Armed men attacked remote villages in northcentral Nigeria, killing at least a dozen villagers during a late-night raid, authorities said Tuesday. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack which follows a similar pattern to yearslong violence in the...

Scarred by war, Nigeria’s wounded soldiers fought to recover at Prince Harry's Invictus Games

May. 14, 2024 04:30 AM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — One evening in November 2020, a year into his military service, Peacemaker Azuegbulam’s lifelong dream of being a soldier came to an abrupt end. He was among a group of Nigerian soldiers deployed in the country's grinding counteroffensive against Islamic...

Nigeria labor unions protest higher electricity prices

May. 13, 2024 11:27 AM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Labor unions in Nigeria staged nationwide protests on Monday over recent increases in electricity prices following the removal of subsidies by the West African nation’s government. The unions made up of government workers were picketing offices of public...

Duchess of Sussex, called ‘Ifeoma’ in Nigeria, speaks with women about her Nigerian roots

May. 11, 2024 23:11 PM EDT

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, says it’s been “humbling” to find out through a genealogy test that she is partly Nigerian as she met with women in the West African nation Saturday. On her second day in Nigeria, where she is visiting for the first time...