Nigeria kidnap spike threatens to create lost generation of students
09 July 2021 |
6:29 pm
Yusuf Lado had not yet learned to read or write when his school closed for fear of attacks by armed gangs, which have been snatching students across northwest Nigeria in hopes of lucrative ransom payouts.
The 7-year-old has now set aside his dream of becoming a doctor and is training to be a welder, despite his slight build.
Related
2 days ago
Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.
1 day ago
Under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, every person is entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons. On 20 October 2021, some Nigerians will be doing exactly that in commemoration of the anniversary of the violent crackdown on peaceful #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki tollgate.
1 day ago
Africa's glaciers could all be gone by 2040. The UN forecasts a grim toll for Africa from climate change. It has also warned that massive displacement, hunger and extreme heat are in store for over 100 million of the continent's poorest. And October 19 marks Breast Cancer Awareness day, In Tunisia campaigners are ramping up efforts to get more people in for screenings on time.
1 day ago
One year later, Eti-Inyene Godwin Akpan, a photojournalist who went out to document the #ENDSARS protest of 20 October 2020, shares his story and encounter with Nigeria's secret police, the Department of State Services.
1 day ago
One year after security forces violently suppressed mass protests against police brutality and bad governance, Nigeria's continued to demand better policing and governance for its leaders.
Under heavy police watch, dozens of protesters rallied in a procession of cars waving green and white national flags from windows at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos, the site of the crackdown on last year’s #EndSARS demonstrations while the big question persists, what has changed?
13 hours ago
Sendbox, a Nigeria-based e-commerce platform, has secured $1.8 million from a seed round led by 4Dx Ventures, Enza Capital, FJLabs, and Golden Palm Investments, bringing its total investment to $2 million.
1 day ago
Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.
13 hours ago
Experts question whether Google's planned $1 billion investment in Africa stands to benefit the continent in the long term. Instead, some see it as another avenue for big tech companies to acquire budding start-ups.
6 hours ago
A grave lack of state support programs has driven many young Spaniards to despair in recent years, which were marked by multiple economic crises. As students are suffering the most, efforts are underway to help them.
10 hours ago
“We came out here to honour our fallen brothers and sisters and they are telling us not to do so. Who does that,” asked a protester on as Nigerians, in their hundreds, gathered in Lagos and other Nigerian cities on Wednesday observed a memorial of last year’s long-drawn #EndSARS protests, which turned on its head on 20 October 2020.
8 hours ago
Ghana's smock garment used to be reserved for royal use. These days, a flood of imported yarn has opened the market to near universal use, and the smock has become a Ghanaian clothing icon. Yet the country's collapsed cotton industry has left the financial fortunes of weavers and smock makers hanging by a thread.
8 hours ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a comprehensive in-principle free trade agreement with the UK, arrived at after 16 months of talks. London said the deal ends tariffs on British exports such as clothing, footwear, ships and bulldozers. It estimated that trade between the two countries last year was worth £2.3 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.7 billion euros).
Latest
6 hours ago
A grave lack of state support programs has driven many young Spaniards to despair in recent years, which were marked by multiple economic crises. As students are suffering the most, efforts are underway to help them.
6 hours ago
In a square in central Fez, the steady beat of hammers on copper has returned - a welcome signal for the ancient Moroccan city's thousands of artisans that trade is slowly picking up after a brutal COVID-induced slump.
Activity is still some way below pre-pandemic levels, and master coppersmith Mohammed Kobbi says the high cost of the metal has hit profit margins.
"The situation is starting to improve," he told Reuters as he hurried past Seffarine Square to deliver an order of eight large pans to a local restaurant.
6 hours ago
Australia's second-largest city is expected to come out of lockdown despite an increase in infections. Meanwhile, Latvia is diving into a month-long lockdown.
8 hours ago
India celebrated the milestone of administering 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses on Thursday, with the government promoting the achievement with song.
8 hours ago
The US president has voiced his concern over China's missile capabilities as his nominee to be the next ambassador to the country said "we certainly cannot trust the Chinese" over the issue of Taiwan.
8 hours ago
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces a comprehensive in-principle free trade agreement with the UK, arrived at after 16 months of talks. London said the deal ends tariffs on British exports such as clothing, footwear, ships and bulldozers. It estimated that trade between the two countries last year was worth £2.3 billion ($3.2 billion, 2.7 billion euros).