CGTN examines the latest wave of violence in Nigeria alongside the limited presence of US military personnel in the country.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Nigeria insecurity persists despite US military deployment
CGTN examines the latest wave of violence in Nigeria alongside the limited presence of US military personnel in the country.
Nigeria slips to 85th in global internet speed rankings as peers pull ahead
Nigeria’s expanding internet access is no longer translating into better online performance, as the country slipped to 85th place globally in internet speed, underscoring growing infrastructure pressure and a widening digital gap with regional peers.
According to the latest Speedtest Global Index by US-based research firm Ookla, Nigeria’s median mobile download speed stood at 44.14 Mbps by December 2025, down seven places from the previous ranking.
The report, which assessed mobile and fixed broadband performance across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), shows that while more Nigerians are online, network quality is struggling to keep pace with demand.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), only three countries made the global top-100 list: South Africa (64th), Kenya (80th), and Nigeria (85th). South Africa retained its regional lead despite dropping five places globally, posting a median mobile download speed of 65.7 Mbps, while Kenya recorded 45.37 Mbps.
The results highlight a growing contrast across the region. While Nigeria continues to face infrastructure bottlenecks, other African markets are making sharper gains through fibre expansion and network modernisation. Côte d’Ivoire, for instance, recorded the biggest improvement in SSA, climbing to 103rd globally with a median download speed of 58.17 Mbps, despite relatively low fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage of between 15 percent and 19 per cent, according to Omdia.
Ookla noted that Côte d’Ivoire’s performance may be boosted by a user base concentrated on higher-speed connections, supported by competitive offerings such as Orange’s entry-level fixed broadband packages starting at 50 Mbps.
Elsewhere, Mauritania posted the largest ranking jump in SSA, rising 24 places to 106th globally after expanding its national backbone with 5,500 kilometres of fibre, with plans to add another 8,000 kilometres under its Digital Agenda 2022–2025.
Six SSA countries now rank within the global top-120, reflecting uneven but accelerating infrastructure investment across the continent.
South Africa remains unique in the region for its widespread use of wholesale-only fibre-to-the-premises networks, a model analysts say has helped improve competition and service quality.
Ookla said improvements in both fixed and mobile network performance typically result from a mix of network optimisation, architecture modernisation, technology upgrades, fibre expansion, commercial migration to higher-speed plans, quality-of-service regulation, and strategic policy support from governments and regulators.
While Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries continue to dominate the MEA rankings, Nigeria’s slide signals a more urgent challenge, in that, without faster, more resilient networks, gains in internet penetration risk delivering diminishing economic returns, especially for digital services, fintech, remote work, and online education.
For Africa’s largest internet market, the message is that connecting more users is no longer enough, speed now matters just as much.
By Royal Ibeh, Business Day
According to the latest Speedtest Global Index by US-based research firm Ookla, Nigeria’s median mobile download speed stood at 44.14 Mbps by December 2025, down seven places from the previous ranking.
The report, which assessed mobile and fixed broadband performance across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), shows that while more Nigerians are online, network quality is struggling to keep pace with demand.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), only three countries made the global top-100 list: South Africa (64th), Kenya (80th), and Nigeria (85th). South Africa retained its regional lead despite dropping five places globally, posting a median mobile download speed of 65.7 Mbps, while Kenya recorded 45.37 Mbps.
The results highlight a growing contrast across the region. While Nigeria continues to face infrastructure bottlenecks, other African markets are making sharper gains through fibre expansion and network modernisation. Côte d’Ivoire, for instance, recorded the biggest improvement in SSA, climbing to 103rd globally with a median download speed of 58.17 Mbps, despite relatively low fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage of between 15 percent and 19 per cent, according to Omdia.
Ookla noted that Côte d’Ivoire’s performance may be boosted by a user base concentrated on higher-speed connections, supported by competitive offerings such as Orange’s entry-level fixed broadband packages starting at 50 Mbps.
Elsewhere, Mauritania posted the largest ranking jump in SSA, rising 24 places to 106th globally after expanding its national backbone with 5,500 kilometres of fibre, with plans to add another 8,000 kilometres under its Digital Agenda 2022–2025.
Six SSA countries now rank within the global top-120, reflecting uneven but accelerating infrastructure investment across the continent.
South Africa remains unique in the region for its widespread use of wholesale-only fibre-to-the-premises networks, a model analysts say has helped improve competition and service quality.
Ookla said improvements in both fixed and mobile network performance typically result from a mix of network optimisation, architecture modernisation, technology upgrades, fibre expansion, commercial migration to higher-speed plans, quality-of-service regulation, and strategic policy support from governments and regulators.
While Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries continue to dominate the MEA rankings, Nigeria’s slide signals a more urgent challenge, in that, without faster, more resilient networks, gains in internet penetration risk delivering diminishing economic returns, especially for digital services, fintech, remote work, and online education.
For Africa’s largest internet market, the message is that connecting more users is no longer enough, speed now matters just as much.
Alex Iwobi and Nigeria push for a lifeline for 2026 World Cup
In recent hours, Alex Iwobi has broken his silence. The Fulham midfielder still holds out hope that the Super Eagles could feature at the 2026 World Cup, as all eyes turn to FIFA and the ongoing administrative dispute with DR Congo.
Speaking to Supersport, Alexander Iwobi voiced a sentiment shared by an entire nation. Despite Nigeria’s sporting elimination in the play-offs, the hope for a lifeline through administrative means remains very much alive in the Super Eagles’ locker room. "We are still waiting. I hope we can go to the 2026 World Cup. It’s a tough choice, because winning AFCON is a huge legacy, but many of my teammates have never experienced a World Cup. I can’t be selfish." he said.
The case hinges on a complaint filed by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), challenging the eligibility of several key DR Congo players (with names like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Epolo, Mario, and Axel Tuanzebe being mentioned).
Although FIFA already dismissed the initial complaint last December, the NFF continues to push for a deeper investigation.
Friday, February 6, 2026
US withdrawal from WHO puts strain on Nigeria’s health budget
Nearly N400 billion, or 20 percent of Nigeria’s 2026 health budget, depends on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) technical support, funding, and disease-surveillance operations. This has raised concerns among experts who believe that the United States’ exit from the global organisation could affect the speed and efficiency of health policy interventions in Nigeria.
From disease surveillance to strategic partnerships in vaccine programmes, training, and medical research, WHO plays a critical role in Nigeria’s health sector. However, with the United States’ withdrawal from the organisation, experts warn that the country’s health budget could come under significant strain.
BusinessDay analysis shows that about 12 items in the 2026 health budget rely on WHO’s technical support, international donor funding, policy guidance, and adherence to global standards. These items together amount to nearly N400 billion, representing about one-fifth of the N2.1 trillion proposed health budget for 2026.
For instance, the allocation for the National Blood Bank Service Commission, item 142 of the 2026 proposed health budget,worth N42.8 billion, largely depends on WHO’s technical support. Blood screening, safety standards, and quality assurance are critical aspects of the commission’s operations and are guided by WHO protocols.
Similarly, the allocation for the National Centre for Disease Control,item 90 of the 2026 proposed health budget,worth N22.4 billion, is heavily dependent on WHO’s technical capacity. Disease surveillance, health-emergency coordination, and laboratory safety standards are largely WHO-led, and any weakening of this capacity could undermine Nigeria’s preparedness for disease outbreaks or pandemics.
Ebuta Agbor, vice president of the Medical Initiative for Africa, expressed similar concerns, warning that Nigeria may need to draw up a supplementary health budget to address potential funding and capacity gaps.
“The withdrawal of the United States from WHO could have significant and unprecedented impacts on sub-Saharan Africa, as over 50 percent of countries in the region allocate less than five percent of their annual budgets to the health sector,” he said.
On the contrary, some budget items, including allocations to Federal Medical Centres, teaching hospitals, and psychiatric and orthopaedic hospitals, are not directly dependent on WHO support, according to BusinessDay analysis.
Recall that U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced on January 22, 2026, that the United States had completed its withdrawal procedures from WHO. As the organisation’s largest donor,contributing between $500 million and $700 million annually, representing 15 to 18 percent of its funding,the U.S. exit has raised concerns among experts about increased health security risks for many African countries.
From disease surveillance to strategic partnerships in vaccine programmes, training, and medical research, WHO plays a critical role in Nigeria’s health sector. However, with the United States’ withdrawal from the organisation, experts warn that the country’s health budget could come under significant strain.
BusinessDay analysis shows that about 12 items in the 2026 health budget rely on WHO’s technical support, international donor funding, policy guidance, and adherence to global standards. These items together amount to nearly N400 billion, representing about one-fifth of the N2.1 trillion proposed health budget for 2026.
For instance, the allocation for the National Blood Bank Service Commission, item 142 of the 2026 proposed health budget,worth N42.8 billion, largely depends on WHO’s technical support. Blood screening, safety standards, and quality assurance are critical aspects of the commission’s operations and are guided by WHO protocols.
Similarly, the allocation for the National Centre for Disease Control,item 90 of the 2026 proposed health budget,worth N22.4 billion, is heavily dependent on WHO’s technical capacity. Disease surveillance, health-emergency coordination, and laboratory safety standards are largely WHO-led, and any weakening of this capacity could undermine Nigeria’s preparedness for disease outbreaks or pandemics.
Ebuta Agbor, vice president of the Medical Initiative for Africa, expressed similar concerns, warning that Nigeria may need to draw up a supplementary health budget to address potential funding and capacity gaps.
“The withdrawal of the United States from WHO could have significant and unprecedented impacts on sub-Saharan Africa, as over 50 percent of countries in the region allocate less than five percent of their annual budgets to the health sector,” he said.
On the contrary, some budget items, including allocations to Federal Medical Centres, teaching hospitals, and psychiatric and orthopaedic hospitals, are not directly dependent on WHO support, according to BusinessDay analysis.
Recall that U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced on January 22, 2026, that the United States had completed its withdrawal procedures from WHO. As the organisation’s largest donor,contributing between $500 million and $700 million annually, representing 15 to 18 percent of its funding,the U.S. exit has raised concerns among experts about increased health security risks for many African countries.
Winners, losers of US exit from WHO
While some experts have raised concerns about the impact of the United States’ withdrawal from WHO on Nigeria’s health system, others argue that it presents an opportunity for the country to become more self-reliant and exercise greater control by dealing directly with the U.S.
Oyebade Funmilade, a public health specialist and expert in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, highlighted an increased disease burden as one of the possible impacts of the U.S. withdrawal from WHO in Nigeria.
“The HIV disease burden could spike if the PEPFAR programme slows its operations due to a shortage of funds,” he noted.
“However, it also creates an opportunity for increased investment in pharmaceutical research and the promotion of local products, thereby reducing our dependence on external sources,” he added.
Neto Ikpeme, a health economist and analyst, pointed out that although the U.S. withdrawal from WHO might affect some ongoing health programmes, it also offers Nigeria an opportunity to deal directly with the United States. He referenced a $2.1 billion five-year health partnership deal between Nigeria and the U.S. signed in December 2025.
“Although the U.S. withdrawal from WHO could slow the progress of some ongoing health programmes, it also presents an opportunity for direct partnerships with foreign partners, giving the country more control, as seen in the recent $2.1 billion deal signed by both countries,” he added.
In addition, African countries with relatively higher health budget allocations, such as Rwanda (18.8 percent), Botswana (17.8 percent), and Niger (17.8 percent), are better positioned to experience minimal disruption from the United States’ exit, according to WHO. In contrast, countries with significantly lower health spending, including Nigeria (4.2 percent), South Sudan (2.1 percent), and Cameroon (2.8 percent), are likely to face greater adverse impacts.
While some experts have raised concerns about the impact of the United States’ withdrawal from WHO on Nigeria’s health system, others argue that it presents an opportunity for the country to become more self-reliant and exercise greater control by dealing directly with the U.S.
Oyebade Funmilade, a public health specialist and expert in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, highlighted an increased disease burden as one of the possible impacts of the U.S. withdrawal from WHO in Nigeria.
“The HIV disease burden could spike if the PEPFAR programme slows its operations due to a shortage of funds,” he noted.
“However, it also creates an opportunity for increased investment in pharmaceutical research and the promotion of local products, thereby reducing our dependence on external sources,” he added.
Neto Ikpeme, a health economist and analyst, pointed out that although the U.S. withdrawal from WHO might affect some ongoing health programmes, it also offers Nigeria an opportunity to deal directly with the United States. He referenced a $2.1 billion five-year health partnership deal between Nigeria and the U.S. signed in December 2025.
“Although the U.S. withdrawal from WHO could slow the progress of some ongoing health programmes, it also presents an opportunity for direct partnerships with foreign partners, giving the country more control, as seen in the recent $2.1 billion deal signed by both countries,” he added.
In addition, African countries with relatively higher health budget allocations, such as Rwanda (18.8 percent), Botswana (17.8 percent), and Niger (17.8 percent), are better positioned to experience minimal disruption from the United States’ exit, according to WHO. In contrast, countries with significantly lower health spending, including Nigeria (4.2 percent), South Sudan (2.1 percent), and Cameroon (2.8 percent), are likely to face greater adverse impacts.
Increased budget, reduced percentage allocation
Nigeria’s health budget increased by 157.4 percent, from N816 billion in 2022 to N2.1 trillion in 2026, BusinessDay analysis shows.
However, the percentage share of the health budget allocation remained relatively stable over the five-year period but declined by 1.3 percentage, from 5.5 percent in 2025 to 4.2 percent in 2026.
Stakeholders in the health sector have raised concerns, noting that the allocation does not meet the Maputo Declaration target of 15 percent annually.
Taiwo Obindo, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APIN), highlighted the impact of low funding in the health sector.
“Nigeria’s health budget falls short of the Maputo Declaration target of 15 percent, further putting the country’s health system at risk of poor emergency response and threats to lives,” he noted.
Nigeria’s health budget increased by 157.4 percent, from N816 billion in 2022 to N2.1 trillion in 2026, BusinessDay analysis shows.
However, the percentage share of the health budget allocation remained relatively stable over the five-year period but declined by 1.3 percentage, from 5.5 percent in 2025 to 4.2 percent in 2026.
Stakeholders in the health sector have raised concerns, noting that the allocation does not meet the Maputo Declaration target of 15 percent annually.
Taiwo Obindo, President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APIN), highlighted the impact of low funding in the health sector.
“Nigeria’s health budget falls short of the Maputo Declaration target of 15 percent, further putting the country’s health system at risk of poor emergency response and threats to lives,” he noted.
By Faith Donatus, Business Day
Survivors recount terror of Nigeria massacre where people were burned inside houses
When no one attended, they went on a rampage, killing people and torching houses, he said.
Salihu is the traditional chief of Woro, a small, Muslim-majority village in west-central Nigeria where alleged jihadist gunmen are reported to have perpetrated a massacre late Tuesday.
Details were still emerging from the attack, but it was one of the country’s deadliest in recent months. According to the Red Cross, the death toll stood at 162 people, and the search for bodies was ongoing.
Badly shaken, Salihu recounted the night of terror he survived as the attackers killed two of his sons and kidnapped his wife and three daughters.
Around 5pm, the gunmen “just came in and started shooting”, the 53-year-old chief told Agence France-Presse on Thursday, clutching his Muslim prayer beads in his hand.
“All those shops that are within the road, they burnt them … Some people have been burned inside their houses,” he said.
Salihu survived by hiding in a house, then fled to the neighbouring town of Kaiama.
The attack lasted until 3am, he said.
“When the day breaks, the corpses we see, it’s too much,” he said.
Agence France-Presse reporters who visited Woro found it deserted except for a handful of men searching for bodies and burying the dead.
Large parts of the village had been reduced to piles of ash and rubble, with the remains of burned-out vehicles strewn across its dirt roads.
Resident Muhammed Abdulkarim said he had been standing by the road when he saw a group of what looked like soldiers in uniform approaching.
Then he realised they were “bandits”, he said.
“They started chasing people, catching people, tied them by their back,” he said.
“We just hear, pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa. They are shooting them (in) their heads.”
Abdulkarim, 60, lost 12 family members in the attack, and his two-year-old son was abducted, he said.
Woro, a village of several thousand people, sits near a forest region known to serve as a hideout for jihadist fighters and armed gangs, groups that have fuelled nearly two decades of violence in Africa’s most populous country.
It is a Muslim community, but its residents want nothing to do with radicalised jihadist groups, said Salihu, the village chief.
“People don’t want to follow their ideology,” he said.
When a radical group sent a letter saying they planned to come to Woro to preach, no one attended, he said.
Salihu alerted the local security services.
“I think that is what brought the anger to come and just kill people like that in the community,” he said.
The governor of Kwara State gave the death toll from the attack as 75.
But residents reported burying upwards of 165 bodies.
The attackers kidnapped another 38 people, mostly women and children, said local assembly member Sa’idu Baba Ahmed.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the “beastly attack”, deploying an army battalion to the troubled region and blaming the Islamist movement Boko Haram - though the name was often used generically for jihadist groups in Nigeria.
Kwara State is racked by violence by armed “bandit” gangs and jihadist groups that have been extending their range from northwestern Nigeria farther south.
In October, the al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil in the state, near Woro.
Nigeria’s northeast is meanwhile the scene of long-running violence by Boko Haram and a rival offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Nigeria is broadly split between a Christian-majority south and a Muslim-majority north.
US President Donald Trump has alleged there was a “genocide” of Christians in Nigeria - a claim rejected by the Nigerian government and many independent experts, who say the country’s security crises claim the lives of both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.
Washington has alternately pressured and aided the Nigerian government in its fight against jihadist violence.
On Christmas Day, the United States launched strikes targeting jihadist militants in northwestern Nigeria.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the massacre in Woro as a “terrorist attack”, and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)