July 2021

28 July 2021
BusinessDay
13 million Nigerians are at risk of acute food insecurity
An estimated 12.80 million Nigerians across 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) may be facing their worst food crises in 2021, a global report on food crises shows…

Nairametrics
What bandits shooting down military aircraft means for Nigeria
Last week, the Nigerian Military suffered a major setback in the fight against insecurity, as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) revealed that one of its aircraft crashed after an attack by bandits on the boundaries of Zamfara and Kaduna states…

27 July 2021
BusinessDay
Nigeria needs double-digit growth to lift millions out of poverty
To stem the tide of rising poverty and provide opportunities for a fast expanding population, Nigeria needs to achieve double-digit growth, according to speakers at a Lagos Business School (LBS) Public Sector Seminar…

26 July 2021
BusinessDay
Nigeria risks a lost generation on mass abductions of students
With mass kidnapping of students from schools becoming frequent, Nigeria risks a lost generation who might find it difficult to get ahead in life as they are stripped of the right to education…

Nairametrics
Digital Cooperation Organization: What’s in it for Nigeria?
The Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), a digital union made up of Middle Eastern countries interested in collaborating to realize their collective digital potential, welcomed Nigeria ‘quietly’ in April, which caused a bit of uproar on the internet and whispers over the purpose of Nigeria’s participation in the Union, as the only sub-Saharan African nation…

23 July 2021
Foundation for Investigative Journalism
More IPOB members (71) than kidnappers (21) were killed in 3 months
A report by SBM Intelligence, a Nigerian geopolitical intelligence platform, has revealed that at least 3,133 people were killed in different violent attacks across Nigeria in the second quarter (April-June) of 2021, with the population of separatists killed outnumbering those of kidnappers…

Meda Africa Times
Nigeria: fighter plane shot down by bandits – military
For the first time since the phenomenon emerged in 2011, “heavily armed” bandits shot down a Nigerian army fighter jet on Sunday July 18. The incident took place in northwest Nigeria, a new hotbed of insecurity in the region…

Punch
Experts seek FG’s intervention as 3,133 killed in three months
A report compiled and released by a private security firm, SBM Intelligence, has revealed that no fewer than 3,133 Nigerians died from the combined activities of militia herdsmen, Boko Haram, abductors, and bandits between April to June this year…

Insecurity diminishing Nigeria’s human capital, say experts
With more Nigerians getting killed due to the increasing state of insecurity in the country, experts have warned that the constant loss of human capital may affect the economic growth of the nation…

22 July 2021
DW
Children in Africa at risk from conflict, climate, COVID-19
Nigeria has a huge crisis of school kidnappings, with more than 150 occurring this year alone. Why is this so common..?

Nairametrics
3,133 media reported killings in Nigeria in Q2 2021
At least 3,133 Nigerians were reportedly killed in Nigeria in the second quarter of the year in violent incidents, including attacks by Boko Haram terrorists, militia herdsmen, bandits, armed robbers and others…

PulseNG
Nearly 2,000 civilians killed in Nigeria in 3 months
At least 1,772 civilians were killed in Nigeria between April and June 2021, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence. A total of 3,133 people were killed in the period under review, with the figure covering violent incidents including terror attacks, abductions, and gang clashes…

21 July 2021
Reuters
Police in Nigeria secure release of 100 kidnapping victims
Police and government authorities have secured the release of 100 people, including women, children and nursing mothers, who were kidnapped from their village in northwestern Nigeria over a month ago, a local police spokesperson said…

RFI
Nigeria: un avion de chasse abattu par des «bandits» fait craindre une escalade
Pour la première fois depuis l’apparition du phénomène en 2011, des bandits « lourdement armés » ont abattu dimanche 18 juillet un avion de chasse de l’armée nigériane…

TRT World
Nigeria police secure release of 100 villagers kidnapped for over a month
One hundred kidnapped villagers in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara State have been freed after 42 days in captivity…

Washington Post
After 42 days of captivity, 100 freed in Nigeria’s northwest amid nation’s surging kidnapping crisis
A hundred people in northwest Nigeria have been freed 42 days after gunmen went on a kidnapping rampage in their village, police said. Among the victims: dozens of mothers with small children…

20 July 2021
ICIR Nigeria
Money for the boys: How ‘agberos’ pocket billions of Lagos transport revenue
In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, agberos fleece the state of billions of naira in transport taxes collected from drivers of commercial buses, tricycles and motorcycles. There are 75,000 commercial buses (danfos) in Lagos, according to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) estimates. Each commercial vehicle driver pays at least ₦3,000 to agberos, also known as ticket touts, every day, according to oral testimonies obtained by this reporter from more than 50 commercial bus drivers in 21 out of 37 local council development authorities (LCDAs) in Lagos…

The Cable
It’s time to speak plainly, terrorists are not bandits
Antonin Scalia, the famous American jurist, once said: “Words have meaning.” Today, that seemingly simple quote is relevant, especially in an age where doublespeak is fast becoming the standard. Take Nigeria for instance, where a Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet aircraft was shot down two days ago. The media said the plane was attacked by “bandits.”…

19 July 2021
BusinessDay
Extraordinary rendition: Buhari must not turn Nigeria into an authoritarian state
The recent kidnap and extradition of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, from Kenya and the brutal and fatal raid on the residence of Sunday Igboho, the Yoruba rights activist, bring back memories of President Buhari’s first incarnation as a military dictator…

17 July 2021
BusinessDay
News Roundup
NAFDAC approves three vaccines for emergency use, GT Bank first female managing director, South Africa Crisis Worsens, Nigeria’s inflation rate drops further…

Leadership
NBS puts Nigeria’s June inflation at 17.75%
Despite skyrocketing prices of commodities across the country, majorly occasioned by rising insecurity especially in farming communities, which has forced many farmers to abandon framing, Nigeria’s bureau of statistics says inflation rate fell to 17.75 per cent in the month of June…

16 July 2021
Arise TV
Food Prices: The SBM Jollof Index says Nigeria is heading to the stratosphere
Glory Etim, analyst with SBM Intelligence, spoke to the Global Business report about SBM’s latest Jollof index. She defined the index and spoke about the impact of rising food prices on the average Nigerian…

Sahara Reporters
Nigeria ranks 98 among 107 countries on Global Hunger Index
Nigeria is facing a critical hunger level as it ranks 98 out of 107 countries in the 2020 Global Hunger Index. The country also has the proportion of undernourished in the population rising from 7.6 per cent in 2012 to 12.6 per cent in 2020…

The Sun
NBC bans radio, TV stations from reporting details, naming victims of terror attacks
Radio and television stations in Nigeria have been ordered by the Federal Government to henceforth, cease from reporting details of attacks by bandits and terrorists…

15 July 2021
BusinessDay
Rising cost of Jollof shows increasing misery among Nigerians
Nigerians spent more for a pot of the much-loved Jollof in the second quarter of 2020, reflecting rising food prices and worsening living conditions…

Nairametrics
Cost of preparing jollof rice in Nigeria rises by 6.93% in Q2 2021
The average cost of preparing a pot of jollof rice increased by 6.93% in the second quarter of the year. This was disclosed in the quarterly SBM Jollof index report for Q2 2021, published by SBM Intelligence…

The Cable
40% of Nigerians reduced their food quality in Q2 2021
SBM Intel, a geopolitical research firm, says 40 percent of Nigerians living below poverty line reduced the number of meals and food quality in the second quarter (Q2) of 2021 due to rise in food prices…

14 July 2021
Nairametrics
We must do everything within our power to put an end to insecurity – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari told members of the National Assembly that Nigeria must put an end to activities of violent actors in the country and bring them to book, citing that his administration is ready to maximise its powers to fight insecurity…

ThisDay
Beyond the figures of insecurity
About 22 years ago, the deeply human story of a five-year old Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez, caught the attention of the whole world. He was the subject of an intense diplomatic row between the governments of Cuba and the United States…

13 July 2021
BluePrint
2, 371 kidnapped, ₦10bn ransom demanded in first half 2021
A total of 2,371 persons were kidnapped and ₦10 billion demanded in ransoms in the first half of 2021, a report has said. SBM Intelligence, an economic research firm, announced this on its website…

Humangle
How intelligence operations target separatist militants in Southeast
Nigerian security forces have conducted a series of intelligence oriented operations on separatist militants in the southeastern part of the country…

Journal du Cameroon
Press zooms in on 2,371 persons kidnapped in Nigeria in 6 months, others
The report by SBM Intelligence that an average of 13 persons were abducted daily in Nigeria in the first half of 2021…

Punch
2,371 people abducted in Nigeria in first half of 2021
Over 2,371 persons were abducted between January and June 2021, a report by SBM Intelligence has said…

The Sun
Gunmen abduct 2,371, demands ₦10bn ransom in 2021
No fewer than 2,371 persons were abducted between January and June with ₦10 billion demanded as ransom…

ThisDay
2,371 people abducted in Nigeria in first half of 2021
An average of 13 persons were abducted daily in Nigeria in the first half of 2021, according to a report by SBM Intelligence. The SBM report covers abductions that took place from January to June…

Vanguard
2,371 people abducted in Nigeria in first half of 2021
An average of 13 persons were abducted daily in Nigeria in the first half of 2021, according to a report by SBM Intelligence, bringing to 2,371 the number of persons kidnapped in the country within the first six months of the year…

12 July 2021
Foundation for Investigative Journalism
2,371 kidnaps, ₦10bn ransom — The story of Nigeria’s first 180 days of 2021
In the past 180 days, a total of 2,371 Nigerians were kidnapped in 281 incidents across the country. As a result, 237 people died during the kidnaps. But more worthy of note was the economics behind it…

Humangle
More Nigerians kidnapped in first 6 months of 2021 than all of 2020
The rate of kidnapping in Nigeria has more than doubled so far in 2021 compared to previous years, available data has shown…

Nairametrics
₦10 billion demanded in kidnapping ransoms in H1 2021
A total number of 2,371 persons were kidnapped and the sum of ₦10 billion demanded in ransom in Nigeria in the first half of 2021…

Premium Times
More hardship for Nigerians as BUA joins Dangote to increase cement price
Cement makers in Nigeria are adding more burden to prospective homeowners in the country amid high inflation by increasing cement prices in response to overwhelming demand…

Pulse NG
Over 2,300 people kidnapped in Nigeria in 6 months
A report by SBM Intelligence shows that a total of 2,371 people were kidnapped in Nigeria between January and June 2021…

The Cable
2371 people abducted in Nigeria in first half of 2021
An average of 13 persons were abducted daily in Nigeria in the first half of 2021, according to a report by SBM Intelligence…

11 July 2021
Punch
Experts ask Nigeria to explore business process outsourcing
Experts have highlighted the need to boost Nigeria’s services exports and encourage business services outsourcing in order to spur job creation and economic development…

10 July 2021
Silverbird News24
One month after Twitter Ban; Implications and possibilities
It’s been one month since the use of Twitter Services was banned in Nigeria. What are the losses and the implications, the lessons and the possibilities..?

9 July 2021
Folha de Sao Paolo
Kidnappings of students in Nigeria leave ideology and turn into profitable industry
In the early morning of Monday (5), 140 students were kidnapped from a boarding school in Chikun, Nigeria, in the latest attack on schools and the tenth in just over seven months in the northwest of the African country…

Vanguard
Dealing with insecurity the el-Rufai way
EVEN the deaf can hear the rhythm of the prevailing chaos in the country. One could feel the heavy hands of the grave danger…

8 July 2021
Guardian Nigeria
New COAS should reach out to neighbouring countries to check insurgency, experts say
Worried by the rising insecurity across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, some security experts have advised the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Major General Faruk Yahaya, to stamp his feet on the ground and put an end to insurgency and banditry by reaching out to neighbouring countries…

Wall Street Journal
One night inside Nigeria’s kidnapping emergency: Abducted babies, schoolchildren and hospital workers
A single night this week revealed the terrifying scope of Nigeria’s kidnapping emergency. Shortly after midnight on Monday in the northwestern state of Kaduna, gunmen forced their way into a hospital specializing in the treatment of tuberculosis and leprosy and shot three people before kidnapping 10 others, including two infants under the age of two…

7 July 2021
BusinessDay
Impact of growing insecurity on businesses in Nigeria
Nigeria, “the giant of Africa”, is deemed to be the nexus of the African trade and economic system – and rightly so. However, this quality is on the brink of collapse owing to the ever-increasing rate of insecurity in the country in recent times…

CBC News
Kidnapping crisis in Nigeria keeps children out of school
A rash of kidnappings in Nigeria has families living in fear and some keeping their children out of school. Officials say high unemployment and a struggling economy has led to a rise in kidnappers seeking ransom…

ThisDay
Agric minister’s farm produce mop-up fuels inflation
The ongoing stockpiling of some agricultural produce by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is contributing to the inflationary pressure facing the country, findings by THISDAY have revealed…

6 July 2021
DW
Nigerian kidnappings reach crisis point
Abductions have become more indiscriminate across northern Nigeria as local criminal gangs view victims as a source of income, and the villagers — who have been ignored by the government — as disposable…

The World PRI
Nigerian kidnappings
On Monday, Nigerian law enforcement said that armed men raided the Bethel Baptist School boarding school in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, and kidnapped about 140 students…

5 July 2021
The Africa Report
PIB Frontier oil exploration fund risks becoming patronage tool
Nigeria’s long-delayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), passed by the Senate on July 1, creates the need for effective oversight of the new funding mechanism for the development of oil exploration in frontier states…

RT
140 children kidnapped by gunmen in latest school raid in Nigeria
Armed assailants have abducted 140 children from a boarding school in northwest Nigeria. The mass kidnapping is the latest such incident in the country, with hundreds still missing from raids carried out in the past six months…

Washington Post
Surging global food prices put staple meals out of reach, from Nigerian jollof rice to Russian pasta and Argentine steak
A year of coronavirus pandemic saw a pot of jollof rice grow steadily more expensive in the Nigerian suburb of Nyanya. At Nyanya Market, near Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the price of the rice that forms the base for the dish went up by 10 percent. A small tin of tomatoes? Twenty-nine percent costlier. And the onions? Their price jumped by a third, according to a Nigerian research firm…

3 July 2021
Premium Times
Nnamdi Kanu: Dissent and the limits of a shared national identity
On Thursday, July 4, 1984, at the cargo terminal of Stansted Airport, 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of London, a young British Customs officer, Charles David Morrow, was on duty and his suspicion of the situation around a particular crate was triggered even further by an All Ports Bulletin from Scotland Yard, which said a Nigerian had been kidnapped and would possibly be facing being smuggled out of the United Kingdom…

The Tennessee Tribune
Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom industry
Shooters attacked the Federal Government College in Birnin Yauri, a province in Kebbi State, north-western Nigeria, on June 18, kidnapping five teachers and more than 80 students, mostly girls…

2 July 2021
AFP
In Lagos, families struggle to survive as food prices soar
Nigerian nutritionist Emiolo Ogunsola stands in front of a dozen new mothers in a Lagos public hospital, listing the basic foods they need to keep their children well nourished: Eggs, vegetables and beans among them…

BluePrint
Small arms, big challenge
One of the greatest challenges of the global community is keeping the world safe. International organizations, nation states, non-state actors are confronted with various challenges such as climate change, poverty, insecurity, crimes and criminality, wars, diseases – some epidemic, others pandemic…

1 July 2021
Humangle
Nigeria needs a national hostage crisis negotiation framework
The absence of an effective deterrence system, a national hostage crisis lead agency, and a negotiation framework has encouraged the proliferation of kidnapping for ransom and mediators in Nigeria…

World News Group
Nigeria’s Kidnapping, Inc.
Stephen Shuani, 30, left his family on March 10 and returned to the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in northwest Nigeria’s Kaduna state. He decided to return to campus to study for the final exams required to obtain a Higher National Diploma certificate…