Nigerians - The African Mirror

Mar

2024

Inflation in Nigeria is still climbing while it has slowed globally: here’s why

JUST as Nigerians were gradually digging out from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were hit by high inflation. The Nigerian economy contracted by 6.1% at the peak of COVID-19 in the second quarter of 2020. Unemployment rate rose from 27% in the second quarter of 2020 to 33% in the fourth quarter of the same year. STEPHEN ONYEIWU, Professor of Economics & Business, Allegheny College The World Bank estimated that 11 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty during the pandemic, in addition to the 100 million (out of 200 million people in the country) who were already…

Nov

2023

By ANGELA UKOMADU

Lagos Rage Room offers Nigerians cathartic release for pent-up anger

NEWS

NIGERIANS seeking a safe outlet for their anger can now get an unusual form of therapy, a "rage room" where they can break glass, smash wardrobes, and destroy electronic devices without any consequences. Located in the crowded megacity of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, the Shadow Rage Room offers 20-minute sessions for 7,500 naira ($8.93). Banjoko Babajide James, a co-founder, said the idea for the rage room came from the rising mental health crisis in Nigeria which is "a taboo topic" to discuss openly. "We want to create a community of like minds, to make people to understand that this thing…

Nov

2023

By OLUDAYO TADE

‘One-chance’ in Lagos: how criminal gangs rob city commuters

NEWS

“ONE-CHANCE” is the name Nigerians use for a form of robbery that takes place in both public and private vehicles when people accept the offer of a ride. It is an organised crime, perpetrated by people who work together, using a strategy of hailing passengers into their waiting vehicle. They capitalise on the transport needs of passengers, especially during rush hours in the morning and the evenings. In Lagos, an estimated eight million commuters and five million vehicles use the roads and bridges connecting the mainland and the island. OLUDAYO TADE, Sociologist/Criminologist/Victimologist and Media Communication Expert, University of Ibadan At…

Sep

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigerians march for late Afrobeats star as police exhume body

NEWS

NIGERIANS marched in several states this week in an outpouring of grief and to press authorities to investigate the death last week of popular Afrobeats musician Mohbad, forcing the police to exhume his body on Thursday for an autopsy. The 27-year-old singer, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Aloba, died in a Lagos hospital in unclear circumstances. Thousands of fans marched and held a candlelight vigil in the commercial capital Lagos on Thursday night, following similar processions in other states this week. Police in Lagos said they had exhumed Mohbad's body and conducted an autopsy, bowing to pressure from supporters who…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

US imposes visa restrictions on some Nigerians

NEWS

THE United States has imposed entry restrictions on more Nigerians for undermining the democratic process during the African nation's 2023 election cycle, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. "These individuals have been involved in the intimidation of voters through threats and physical violence, the manipulation of vote results, and other activity that undermines Nigeria’s democratic process," Blinken said in a statement. The action is the latest in a series of visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian individuals in recent years. Nigeria's election tribunal this month was to begin hearing opposition petitions challenging president-elect Bola Tinubu's victory in the disputed February presidential vote,…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigerians accuse Shell of delay in oil spill London lawsuits

NEWS

SAM TOBIN SHELL Plc is attempting to shield itself from scrutiny over pollution in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta, lawyers representing more than 13,000 Nigerians argued at London's High Court, allegations which the company strongly denies. Thousands of members of the Bille and Ogale communities are suing Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC over oil spills. Shell strongly denies any liability and argues that parts of the cases were brought too late. It also says the majority of the spills were caused by illegal third-party interference, such as pipeline sabotage and oil theft. The company is asking the High Court to set an initial…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Lagos in focus as Nigerians elect new state governors

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE NIGERIANS will return to the polls on Saturday to elect state governors across the country, two weeks after a disputed presidential election, with the main focus on the race to lead Lagos, the country's economic heartbeat and wealthiest state. The election is for 28 of the country's 36 governors, who are among the most influential politicians in Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy and largest oil producer. Some states, such as Lagos, control budgets larger than those of small nations. The Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party's Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the presidential election with 39% of the vote.…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Peter Obi could be the force that topples Nigeria’s two main political parties

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

OBI-DIENT is the word in town for the Nigerians who support Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, south-east Nigeria. To them, Obi is the best candidate for the country’s presidency. A look at the development of Obi’s character reveals discipline, responsibility, prudent management of resources and a positive impact on society. Author KESTER ONOR, Lecturer, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Covenant University In secondary school, he was engaged in trading to make money. He is known for his “egg principle”: that even one egg for sale should be carefully guarded because losing it meant the loss…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Nigerian elections 2023: How the youth is being wooed

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE and TEMILADE ADELAJA FIRST-time voter Amanda Iheme has made up her mind on her choice for Nigeria's next president - and it won't be a candidate from the two main political parties. Like many younger Nigerians, the 30-year-old clinical psychologist sat out previous elections because she thought the candidates were out of touch and assumed the vote would be rigged. She was tired of facing the same choice year after year, between two rich men who had been in politics for longer than she has been alive. On Saturday, that choice is on the table again. But this…

Feb

2023

By MACDONALD DZIRUTWE and TEMILADE ADELAJA

How Nigeria’s presidential election is galvanizing young voters

NEWS

FIRST-time voter Amanda Iheme has made up her mind on her choice for Nigeria's next president - and it won't be a candidate from the two main political parties. Like many younger Nigerians, the 30-year-old clinical psychologist sat out previous elections because she thought the candidates were out of touch and assumed the vote would be rigged. She was tired of facing the same choice year after year, between two rich men who had been in politics for longer than she has been alive. On Saturday, that choice is on the table again. But this time round there is a…