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Nigeria on Tuesday began drilling oil and natural gas in the country's northern region, anticipating a boost to the nation's finances even as the new energy supplies face the threat from theft and extremist activity. President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off the drilling within Kolmani oil field in northeast Gombe and Bauchi states, making it the first area where oil is being drilled outside the southern Niger Delta region. It has a reserve of up to 1 billion barrels of crude. The drilling began nearly three years after Nigeria announced the discovery of oil in commercial volume in the region, which is embroiled in a decadelong war against Islamic extremists. Analysts have raised questions about security measures to protect energy facilities there, while there are environmental concerns about tapping into more climate-changing fossil fuels. Crude oil has been critical in expanding infrastructure in the West African nation, accounting for 41% of total federal government revenue in 2021
The State Department on Thursday ordered the families of U.S. embassy staffers in the Nigerian capital to leave due to heightened fears of a terrorist attack as it repeated a warning for all Americans to reconsider travelling to any part of the country and not to visit Abuja at all. The announcement came just two days after the department said it would allow nonessential personnel at the embassy in Abuja to depart voluntarily due to elevated security concerns. It did not provide details but the change suggested the U.S. has indications that an attack may be imminent. The department (has) ordered the departure of family members of U.S. government employees from Abuja due to the heightened risk of terrorist attacks there, it said in a revised travel advisory for Nigeria. Nigeria has battled an Islamic insurgency in its northeast for more than a decade, but attacks have been rare in Abuja. In 2011, Islamic extremists linked to the Boko Haram group targeted the United Nations building
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday sought a report from GD Goenka University in Haryana's Sohna on clashes between Indian and Nigerian students on campus, according to officials. The UGC also directed the university to ensure such incidents do not recur. "It has come to the notice of the UGC that there were clashes between Nigerian and local students on campus of the university, which is causing tension among students," UGC Joint Secretary Surender Singh said. "The university has been directed to take appropriate action and send a detailed report to the commission. Also suitable measures should be taken to avoid such incidents in future," he added. Tension gripped the university campus, located near Sohna, around 50 km from the national capital, after clashes broke out between Indian and Nigerian students on the football ground last week. Six students were injured in the incident and the two groups filed cross-FIRs at the Sohna City police station. The university
Gunmen attacked a church in north-central Nigeria during a service, killing a woman and her young daughter, a government official said Monday as the hunt for the suspects intensified. The motorcycle-riding assailants arrived at the Celestial Church on Sunday and fatally shot the two victims, according to Jerry Omodara, Kogi state's top security official. The church is located in the Lokoja area of Kogi state, 105 kilometers (65 miles) from Nigeria's capital city, Abuja. Sunday's violence renewed concerns about safety at houses of worship in Nigeria, where at least seven attacks have targeted churches or mosques so far this year. In June, a massacre in Ondo state left 40 worshippers dead. Authorities suspect that the assailants in the latest attack in Kogi had specifically targeted the church and its members. It looked like it was organized against that particular church, because their altar was burned with petrol they went with, Omodara said.
A Nigerian advertising regulator has sued Meta, accusing the owner of Facebook and WhatsApp of publishing unauthorized ads and seeking a 30 billion naira ($70 million) fine. The lawsuit filed in a local court by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, or ARCON, is the regulator's latest action that analysts say could hurt businesses highly dependent on digital ads for their growth. Nigerian advertising laws require the regulator to approve ads based on certain criteria with the involvement of an advertising practitioner in Africa's largest economy. Before you put out anything, it should be vetted and approved by ARCON first before exposure," the agency said Tuesday. Anything that has not been vetted and approved by ARCON is a violation of our law. A Meta spokesperson said the company doesn't comment on ongoing legal claims. The regulator published some details from the court filings, including a request for a declaration that the continued publication and exposure of variou
Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy has bagged a reported USD 1.5-billion order from the government of Nigeria, along with its consortium partner Sun Africa, for setting up solar PV power plants. The order will be executed through Sterling & Wilson's US step down subsidiary Sterling & Wilson Solar Solutions Inc, the Reliance Industries-controlled company said in a statement on Friday without disclosing the order value. However, a source told PTI that this is a huge order valuing at USD 1.5 billion to build five 961 mw solar plants. The order involves development, design, construction and commissioning of solar PV power plants aggregating 961 mw at five locations along with battery energy storage systems with total installed capacity of 455 mw, the company said, adding these projects will be owned and operated by Niger Delta Power Holding Company, a Nigerian government entity. Financing for these projects are under negotiations between the US Exim, ING and the government of .