Stories from Nigeria

The International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI) has officially launched in Nigeria. The initiative is affiliated with UNESCO and involves the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated the country intends to partner with Chinese companies to build manufacturing plants. The plants will process products into semi-finished goods according to specific standards. Ojukwu noted that Nigeria possesses a labor cost advantage for these operations. She expressed gratitude for Chinese government support and anticipation for the implementation of tariff policies.

Africa's largest refinery has begun exporting jet fuel to Europe. Managing director David Bird confirmed at a Lagos energy conference that Ethiopian Airlines has joined the supply chain.

Nigeria is considering a bill to prohibit doctors from leaving the country for a specific period. The proposal follows reports of a shortage where one doctor serves 15,000 to 30,000 inhabitants.

The Nigerian government approved measures last week to grant debt relief to several domestic airlines. Aviation fuel prices rose from approximately 900 Naira per liter in February to 3,300 Naira per liter, causing losses for small and medium-sized airlines.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reports that approximately 60% of Nigerian university students are allegedly involved in cybercrime activities. Luigi Mangione and Cole Allen, identified as recent perpetrators of violence, were both graduates of elite universities with master's degrees. The commentator noted that these individuals were not anonymous or uneducated. The segment suggested the country needs to reset its moral compass to address a spiral of violence.

Airfare prices from Lagos to Benin have risen to 145,000 Naira from approximately 90,000 Naira. The increase is driven by surging global aviation fuel prices caused by ongoing Middle East conflicts. This price hike is compressing profit margins for airlines and has led several small and medium-sized Nigerian carriers into operating losses. The Nigerian airline operators alliance previously warned of these rising costs. Multiple small and medium-sized Nigerian airlines are currently operating at a loss due to compressed profit margins. African airlines are particularly vulnerable to these shifts as fuel typically accounts for 30% to 40% of their operating costs, compared to a global average of 20% to 25%. Airfare and fuel-related costs in Nigeria have risen from approximately 900 Naira per liter in February to 3,300 Naira per liter currently.

The National Council on Nutrition approved the National Policy on Food and Nutrition for 2026-2035. The policy aims to address malnutrition and will be submitted to the Federal Executive Council for finalization.

The government of Katsina State in Nigeria has signed a deal with British firm Conflow to deploy 50,000 solar-powered smart street lights. These lights, known as iLAMS, are designed to function as distributed AI data centers. The company claims each light will contain Nvidia hardware to support these functions. A Nigerian state has signed a deal to integrate AI data centers into street lighting infrastructure. The system utilizes solar power to operate autonomously and includes computer chips, specifically GPUs, inside the street lights. This edge computing setup is designed to prevent single points of failure by providing compute power directly at the location where it is needed. The project aims to utilize the lights for both illumination and computing capabilities.

The move aims to formalize leadership within the petroleum regulatory body.