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Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria$

By Leslie Varenne, MondAfrique: The American strikes carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day raise serious questions. Beyond the confusion surrounding the objectives of the operation, inconsistencies in official statements, and the unclear nature of the targets, the...

Nigeria grapples with end of fuel subsidyF

By Alexandre Martins Lopes: Nigerians are struggling with surging fuel prices after newly elected President Bola Tinubu declared an end to popular subsidies, a move analysts and experts said was long overdue. On his first day in office, Tinubu kept to his campaign...

Madagascar sends artemisia drink to Nigeria to fight Covid-19F

Posted On 16 May 2020

Abuja, May 16, 2020 – Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday received samples of a herbal concoction that Madagascar claims can cure people infected with the new coronavirus, his office said. Buhari who collected the potion from President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau who visited him in Abuja said the native remedy would be scientifically tested before use. “We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for  verification,” he said. “I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions,” he added.

The virus has so far infected 5,445 people and claimed 171 lives in Africa’s most populous nation of 200 million inhabitants. Several other African nations have also expressed interest in the purported remedy, which is known as Covid-Organics. The drink is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment — and other indigenous herbs. But the World Health Organization has warned against “adopting a product that has not been taken through tests to see its efficacy”, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has also said it should be “tested rigorously”. Madagascar leader Andry Rajoelina on Monday dismissed criticisms against the herbal concoction, saying the West was against it because it was discovered in Africa. Madagascar’s official body in charge of drug control has not approved the drink for sale in the country.

AFP

Recent News from Nigeria

Nigeria Adjusts Airstrike Strategy Under Expanded U.S. Security Cooperation$

Nigeria is modifying how it conducts air operations against armed groups under a revised security arrangement with the United States. The new framework places greater emphasis on U.S. intelligence and reconnaissance support while shifting operational responsibility to Nigerian forces. The approach reflects Abuja’s effort to balance external assistance with domestic control amid ongoing security challenges in the country’s northwest.

Nigeria: Questions Mount Over U.S. Airstrikes in Northern Nigeria$

The U.S. airstrikes carried out in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day have triggered confusion and skepticism across the region. Conflicting statements from Washington and Abuja, uncertainty over the identity of the targeted groups, and reports from strike locations where no militants were found have raised serious questions about the operation’s objectives. In an already fragile security environment, the lack of clarity risks adding instability rather than addressing Nigeria’s complex security challenges.

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