Bamako, Mali Mali’s armed forces have established a new rapid intervention battalion equipped with motorcycles to enhance mobility and combat terrorist groups in rugged terrains, according to the country’s defence ministry. The unit, known as the Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide (BIR), was launched on 19 December against the backdrop of escalating attacks on supply routes in…
A regional forum convened by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) has underscored the escalating threat of human trafficking across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Held in Lagos, Nigeria, from 17 to 19 December, the three-day event brought together law…
Abuja, Nigeria Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has presented a proposed national budget of ₦58.18 trillion (approximately $39 billion at current exchange rates) for 2026 to the country’s bicameral National Assembly. The appropriation bill, titled the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity”, envisages total revenue of ₦34.33 trillion and a fiscal deficit of ₦23.85…
Ghanaian authorities have deployed police reinforcements and armoured vehicles to the town of Nalerigu in the North East Region following arson attacks by angry youths that destroyed two houses. The incidents, which occurred early on 18 December, have prompted a government-imposed curfew and heightened security measures to prevent further violence. The unrest began when a…
Abdulsammad Dasuki, member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives (PDP, Sokoto) A quiet storm erupted last week in the halls of Nigeria’s National Assembly. A lawmaker from the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the northern state of Sokoto, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki, levelled a charge that cut to the heart of democratic integrity. He raised concerns…
A feud between Nigerian billionaire and Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and the head of the country’s midstream and downstream petroleum regulatory body, the NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, finally resulted in the resignation of the NMDPRA boss and another senior colleague. The President’s office announced the resignation of both officials in a press release, following allegations…
Burkina Faso has released the 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots and crew members detained in the country, along with their aircraft, nine days after their detention following an unauthorised emergency landing. The release came after high-level talks between a Nigerian delegation led by Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, and Burkinabe authorities, including President Ibrahim…
Abuja, Nigeria The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has released the final communiqué of its 68th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, held in Abuja on 14 December. The communiqué, read by ECOWAS Commission president, Omar Alieu Touray, outlines key decisions on economic integration, monetary union, trade, energy,…
Abuja, Nigeria Abuja, Nigeria West African heads of state gathered in Abuja for the 68th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio. The summit, held at the State House Conference Centre and hosted by Nigeria, follows the 95th Ordinary Session of the…
Abuja, Nigeria A new agreement between Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and France’s tax authority (DGFiP) has provoked intense public reaction, with critics warning it could erode the country’s economic independence just as neighbouring states distance themselves from Paris. The memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on December 10 at the French Embassy in Abuja,…
