At Tech Revolution Africa in Lagos, founders and companies showcased solutions already tackling real problems, shifting the continent’s tech conversation from ambition to execution.
Monday, February 2, 2026
Nigeria technology summit showcases tech-driven innovations for real-world challenges
At Tech Revolution Africa in Lagos, founders and companies showcased solutions already tackling real problems, shifting the continent’s tech conversation from ambition to execution.
Climate change, competition drive deadly land clashes in Nigeria
Farmers and herders in central Nigeria fight over shrinking land and resources, leaving thousands of people dead over two decades. Government efforts struggle as mistrust and deep-rooted tensions persist.
Eighty kidnapped Nigerians return home after escape
Dozens of worshippers kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria's northern Kaduna state have returned home weeks after their abduction, police have confirmed.
They were among 177 people seized last month from three churches in the remote village of Kurmin Wali.
The 80 people escaped on the day they were taken but hid in neighbouring villages for a fortnight "due to fear of being captured again", state police spokesman Mansur Hassan told the BBC.
The authorities say efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining 86 people still being held. The attack was part of a wave of kidnappings for ransom affecting many parts of Nigeria, but no group has said it was behind the abductions.
The raid was initially denied by police, who only confirmed the kidnappings on 21 January after local residents had reported to the BBC that 177 worshippers were abducted, with 11 escaping shortly afterwards.
The official response drew criticism from Amnesty International, which accused Nigerian authorities of "desperate denial".
The rights group urged officials to "take immediate and concrete measures to prevent rampant abductions that are gradually becoming the norm in Nigeria."
In November, more than 300 students and teachers were taken from a Catholic school in Niger state, which neighbours Kaduna, before being released in two groups.
Nigeria faces multiple, overlapping security challenges beyond kidnappings, including an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and frequent clashes between herders and farmers in central regions over land and water.
Security experts say efforts to tackle these crises are hampered by corruption, poor intelligence sharing, and underfunded local police forces.
The security situation has drawn international attention. In December, the US conducted airstrikes in north-western Nigeria on Christmas Day, targeting two camps run by an Islamist militant group.
Following the action, President Donald Trump warned of further strikes if attacks on Christians in the West African nation continued.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is home to more than 250 ethnic groups and is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with significant mixing in central regions.
The government maintains that people of all faiths have been victims of the widespread violence.
By Madina Maishanu, BBC
They were among 177 people seized last month from three churches in the remote village of Kurmin Wali.
The 80 people escaped on the day they were taken but hid in neighbouring villages for a fortnight "due to fear of being captured again", state police spokesman Mansur Hassan told the BBC.
The authorities say efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining 86 people still being held. The attack was part of a wave of kidnappings for ransom affecting many parts of Nigeria, but no group has said it was behind the abductions.
The raid was initially denied by police, who only confirmed the kidnappings on 21 January after local residents had reported to the BBC that 177 worshippers were abducted, with 11 escaping shortly afterwards.
The official response drew criticism from Amnesty International, which accused Nigerian authorities of "desperate denial".
The rights group urged officials to "take immediate and concrete measures to prevent rampant abductions that are gradually becoming the norm in Nigeria."
In November, more than 300 students and teachers were taken from a Catholic school in Niger state, which neighbours Kaduna, before being released in two groups.
Nigeria faces multiple, overlapping security challenges beyond kidnappings, including an Islamist insurgency in the north-east, separatist violence in the south-east, and frequent clashes between herders and farmers in central regions over land and water.
Security experts say efforts to tackle these crises are hampered by corruption, poor intelligence sharing, and underfunded local police forces.
The security situation has drawn international attention. In December, the US conducted airstrikes in north-western Nigeria on Christmas Day, targeting two camps run by an Islamist militant group.
Following the action, President Donald Trump warned of further strikes if attacks on Christians in the West African nation continued.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is home to more than 250 ethnic groups and is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with significant mixing in central regions.
The government maintains that people of all faiths have been victims of the widespread violence.
Nigeria charges nine with 2025 massacre that killed 150
Nigerian prosecutors filed 57 terrorism-related charges on Monday against nine men accused of carrying out a deadly attack on Yelwata community in Nigeria's central Benue state in June 2025 that killed about 150 people.
Benue sits in Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt, the fault line between the Muslim north and Christian south. Years of violence over land, religion, and ethnicity have proved hard for the authorities to rein in.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, say the defendants held planning meetings, raised funds, procured weapons, and mobilised fighters across several states ahead of the June 13 attack, one of the deadliest rural assaults in years.
The filing says ringleader Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono and others met in neighbouring Nasarawa state to raise cash, issue orders and recruit fighters. Several defendants are accused of supplying AK-47s, aiding the gunmen or providing safe sites for planning.
Prosecutors say the raid torched homes and caused heavy casualties in Yelwata in Benue's Guma district.
Plagued by Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings, Nigeria is under pressure to restore security since U.S. President Donald Trump accused it last year of failing to protect Christians. U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets on December 25. The Nigerian authorities say they are cooperating with Washington to improve security.
By Camillus Eboh, Reuters
Benue sits in Nigeria's volatile Middle Belt, the fault line between the Muslim north and Christian south. Years of violence over land, religion, and ethnicity have proved hard for the authorities to rein in.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, say the defendants held planning meetings, raised funds, procured weapons, and mobilised fighters across several states ahead of the June 13 attack, one of the deadliest rural assaults in years.
The filing says ringleader Ardo Lawal Mohammed Dono and others met in neighbouring Nasarawa state to raise cash, issue orders and recruit fighters. Several defendants are accused of supplying AK-47s, aiding the gunmen or providing safe sites for planning.
Prosecutors say the raid torched homes and caused heavy casualties in Yelwata in Benue's Guma district.
Plagued by Islamist attacks and mass kidnappings, Nigeria is under pressure to restore security since U.S. President Donald Trump accused it last year of failing to protect Christians. U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets on December 25. The Nigerian authorities say they are cooperating with Washington to improve security.
Friday, January 30, 2026
Nigerian government acts to dispel religious targeting concerns
Nigeria’s government is working to calm fears that the country’s current security challenges are religiously motivated. This follows the abduction of 163 Christians during coordinated attacks on two churches in the northwest earlier this month. The assaults drew global attention and reignited concerns about the safety of religious groups across the country.
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