23 April 2020 COVID-19 will require Nigeria’s government to rely on already stretched communities and informal institutions. But there is a yawning gap in trust and accountability between citizens and the state in Nigeria – the crisis will force the state to attempt to bridge this divide. Nigeria is better placed than many to respond to the arrival of the …

22 April 2020 Doctors are reporting a sharp increase in the number of government officials and business leaders seeking treatment in local hospitals. The coronavirus global pandemic is driving Nigeria’s rich and powerful to local hospitals they have been avoiding for years. Doctors are reporting a sharp increase in the number of government officials and business leaders seeking treatment. Al …

22 April 2020 In the Niger Delta’s coastal communities, oil pollution of the marine environment has depleted the fishing and water resources that people have traditionally depended on for their livelihoods. This has led to a complex pattern of conflicts in the region since the late 1990s. Oil spills, gas flaring, and other activities of oil companies have led to massive degradation of …

21 April 2020 The 2020 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, which evaluates the situation for journalists each year in 180 countries and territories, was published today, with Nigeria ranking 115th on the index. The report’s section on Nigeria states: Climate of permanent violence Nigeria is now one of West Africa’s most dangerous and difficult countries for journalists, who are …

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20 April 2020 Cases of police brutality in African countries such as Nigeria that imposed lockdowns are on the rise. There are fears this could lead to non-compliance to government issued stay-at-home and social distancing guidelines. Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya are some of the countries that security agencies have used brutal means to keep people off the streets. …

19 April 2020 The powerful chief of staff to Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the presidency said Saturday.  In a statement, the Nigerian presidential office said it “regrets to announce the passage” of Abba Kyari, who acted as gatekeeper to the leader of Africa’s most populous nation. “The deceased had tested positive to the ravaging Covid-19, and …

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17 April 2020 National Human Rights Commission says it received ‘105 complaints of rights violations by security forces’ in 24 states. At least 18 people in Nigeria have been killed by security forces during the enforcement of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, a figure higher than the documented toll inflicted by the disease, the country’s human rights body …

16 April 2020 The malam said: ‘there is no corona!’We also say: ‘there is no corona!’ A video of crowds shouting this refrain circulated on Nigerian social media in late March. The “malam” or teacher they were referring to is Shaykh Sani Yahaya Jingir, an Islamic scholar based in Jos, Plateau State, in Nigeria’s religiously and ethnically diverse Middle Belt. He is …