Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has held high-level investment talks with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote as competition intensifies over the location of a proposed multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in East Africa. The debate centers on whether the refinery will be built in Tanga, Tanzania, or in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa. Analysts say the project could strengthen regional energy security by reducing East Africa’s dependence on imported fuel from the Middle East.
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Video - East Africa competes for multibillion-dollar Dangote refinery investment
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has held high-level investment talks with Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote as competition intensifies over the location of a proposed multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in East Africa. The debate centers on whether the refinery will be built in Tanga, Tanzania, or in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa. Analysts say the project could strengthen regional energy security by reducing East Africa’s dependence on imported fuel from the Middle East.
Nigeria Lassa Fever Crisis Kills 191 Across 23 States
A severe and rapidly escalating outbreak of Lassa fever has claimed 191 lives across Nigeria since the start of the year, overwhelming regional treatment centers and exposing critical vulnerabilities in the nation's infectious disease surveillance networks. The surging death toll highlights a systemic failure to contain a preventable virus that continues to decimate rural and urban communities alike.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday that the viral hemorrhagic illness has now infiltrated 23 states across 106 local government areas. With the median age of victims hovering at 30, the epidemic is systematically striking down the nation's most productive demographic, triggering urgent calls for international medical intervention and sweeping structural reforms.
A Structural Healthcare Deficit
The primary driver of the soaring fatality rate is the late presentation of cases at medical facilities. Early symptoms of Lassa fever—including fever, general weakness, headache, and muscle pain—are frequently misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. By the time patients exhibit the definitive hemorrhagic symptoms, such as bleeding from the mouth, the virus has often caused irreversible organ damage.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, emphasized the lethal consequences of these diagnostic delays. Experts warn that the high cost of treatment and the sheer geographic distance to specialized clinical management centers deter impoverished citizens from seeking immediate care. The financial burden of intensive antiviral therapy can exceed KES 150,000 equivalent per patient, a catastrophic out-of-pocket expense for rural farming families.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Wednesday that the viral hemorrhagic illness has now infiltrated 23 states across 106 local government areas. With the median age of victims hovering at 30, the epidemic is systematically striking down the nation's most productive demographic, triggering urgent calls for international medical intervention and sweeping structural reforms.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The epidemiological data paints a grim picture of a public health apparatus under siege. In its latest situational report covering Epidemiological Week 18, the NCDC revealed that the case fatality rate has skyrocketed to 24.6 percent, a terrifying increase from the 19.2 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The geographic concentration of the virus is equally alarming. A staggering 84 percent of all confirmed infections are isolated within just five states: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue. Bauchi and Ondo alone account for 52 percent of the national caseload, transforming local hospitals into overwhelmed triage centers.
. Total Fatalities: 191 recorded deaths across 23 states in 2026.
. Case Fatality Rate: Surged to 24.6 percent, up from 19.2 percent the previous year.
. Demographic Impact: The 21–30 age group is the most heavily affected, with a median victim age of 30.
. Hotspot Zones: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue account for 84 percent of all infections.
The epidemiological data paints a grim picture of a public health apparatus under siege. In its latest situational report covering Epidemiological Week 18, the NCDC revealed that the case fatality rate has skyrocketed to 24.6 percent, a terrifying increase from the 19.2 percent recorded during the same period in 2025.
The geographic concentration of the virus is equally alarming. A staggering 84 percent of all confirmed infections are isolated within just five states: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue. Bauchi and Ondo alone account for 52 percent of the national caseload, transforming local hospitals into overwhelmed triage centers.
. Total Fatalities: 191 recorded deaths across 23 states in 2026.
. Case Fatality Rate: Surged to 24.6 percent, up from 19.2 percent the previous year.
. Demographic Impact: The 21–30 age group is the most heavily affected, with a median victim age of 30.
. Hotspot Zones: Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo, and Benue account for 84 percent of all infections.
The primary driver of the soaring fatality rate is the late presentation of cases at medical facilities. Early symptoms of Lassa fever—including fever, general weakness, headache, and muscle pain—are frequently misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. By the time patients exhibit the definitive hemorrhagic symptoms, such as bleeding from the mouth, the virus has often caused irreversible organ damage.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, emphasized the lethal consequences of these diagnostic delays. Experts warn that the high cost of treatment and the sheer geographic distance to specialized clinical management centers deter impoverished citizens from seeking immediate care. The financial burden of intensive antiviral therapy can exceed KES 150,000 equivalent per patient, a catastrophic out-of-pocket expense for rural farming families.
The Agricultural Vector
Lassa fever is primarily transmitted to humans through direct contact with the urine or feces of the infected multimammate rat. The deeply entrenched agricultural practices in Nigeria's middle belt and northern regions inadvertently create perfect breeding grounds for the rodents. Poor post-harvest storage allows rats to contaminate food supplies, bridging the species barrier.
Furthermore, climate change and erratic rainfall patterns are forcing rodent populations closer to human settlements in search of food. Without comprehensive environmental sanitation protocols and aggressive community education regarding safe grain storage, medical interventions remain purely reactive.
Voices From the Frontline
The crisis is taking a severe psychological and physical toll on healthcare professionals. The NCDC report confirmed that an additional healthcare worker contracted the disease during the latest reporting week, underscoring the lethal risks faced by frontline responders operating in under-equipped facilities.
Treatment centers in Owo and Irrua are stretched beyond capacity. Medical personnel report dire shortages of personal protective equipment and ribavirin, the primary antiviral drug used to treat the infection. The constant exposure to highly contagious bodily fluids without adequate biomedical safeguards threatens to precipitate an exodus of specialized infectious disease clinicians.
Lassa fever is primarily transmitted to humans through direct contact with the urine or feces of the infected multimammate rat. The deeply entrenched agricultural practices in Nigeria's middle belt and northern regions inadvertently create perfect breeding grounds for the rodents. Poor post-harvest storage allows rats to contaminate food supplies, bridging the species barrier.
Furthermore, climate change and erratic rainfall patterns are forcing rodent populations closer to human settlements in search of food. Without comprehensive environmental sanitation protocols and aggressive community education regarding safe grain storage, medical interventions remain purely reactive.
Voices From the Frontline
The crisis is taking a severe psychological and physical toll on healthcare professionals. The NCDC report confirmed that an additional healthcare worker contracted the disease during the latest reporting week, underscoring the lethal risks faced by frontline responders operating in under-equipped facilities.
Treatment centers in Owo and Irrua are stretched beyond capacity. Medical personnel report dire shortages of personal protective equipment and ribavirin, the primary antiviral drug used to treat the infection. The constant exposure to highly contagious bodily fluids without adequate biomedical safeguards threatens to precipitate an exodus of specialized infectious disease clinicians.
Global Implications
The Nigerian epidemic reverberates beyond West Africa. Lassa fever is classified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen with pandemic potential. The absence of a licensed vaccine means that containment relies entirely on isolation and rigorous contact tracing.
Global health organizations, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières, have deployed tactical teams to assist Nigerian authorities. However, relying on foreign medical non-governmental organizations to patch structural deficits in a sovereign nation's healthcare grid is ultimately unsustainable.
As the death toll approaches 200, the Nigerian government faces a stark imperative. Without immediate capital deployment to decentralize testing laboratories and subsidize antiviral treatments, Lassa fever will continue its silent, annual massacre of the nation's youth.
The Nigerian epidemic reverberates beyond West Africa. Lassa fever is classified by the World Health Organization as a priority pathogen with pandemic potential. The absence of a licensed vaccine means that containment relies entirely on isolation and rigorous contact tracing.
Global health organizations, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Médecins Sans Frontières, have deployed tactical teams to assist Nigerian authorities. However, relying on foreign medical non-governmental organizations to patch structural deficits in a sovereign nation's healthcare grid is ultimately unsustainable.
As the death toll approaches 200, the Nigerian government faces a stark imperative. Without immediate capital deployment to decentralize testing laboratories and subsidize antiviral treatments, Lassa fever will continue its silent, annual massacre of the nation's youth.
Dangote plans major Atlantic port project in southwest Nigeria to support oil, fertilizer exports
The project, which spans more than 10,000 hectares across parts of Ogun and Ondo states, forms part of the group’s Vision 2030 strategy aimed at strengthening its position in manufacturing, logistics and export-led industrialisation.
The proposed port would be located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State, extending towards Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State along the Atlantic coastline. Dangote Industries said the facility is intended to serve as a logistics and industrial hub for imports, exports and regional trade.
Dangote Industries, the parent company of the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Petroleum Refinery, as well as fertiliser and cement businesses, said the port would support exports of fertilisers, petrochemicals and refined petroleum products, while also facilitating imports of heavy industrial equipment and potentially future liquefied natural gas exports.
The Lagos refinery, which has been expanding exports of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel across African markets, is projected to double its output to 1.4mn bpd within 30 months.
“The Olokola Port project is a major step in opening up Nigeria’s economic potential, strengthening trade, reducing pressure on existing ports, and supporting industrial growth,” said MD for Infrastructure and Logistics Capt Jamil Abubakar, as quoted by The Punch.
“With its strategic location, Olokola would serve as a key gateway for exports and imports, boosting Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global trade,” he added.
Abubakar said the proposed facility had been designed as part of an integrated industrial and logistics ecosystem intended to strengthen regional commerce and supply chains across Africa. He added that Dangote Industries would maintain engagement with host communities throughout implementation.
Apart from creating jobs and attracting foreign direct investment and, the company said it would support Nigeria’s export diversification strategy and strengthen participation in intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, president of the conglomerate, said last week he is considering Kenya as the preferred location for a proposed 650,000 bpd refinery in East Africa, shifting focus away from an earlier plan centred on Tanzania.
Meanwhile, he is targeting a valuation of around $50bn for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery ahead of a planned stock market listing later in 2026, which could sell up to a 10% stake through the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
Nigerian army says joint US strikes kill 175 ISIL fighters in country’s northeast
Nigerian forces working with the United States claim to have killed 175 ISIL (ISIS) fighters in a series of joint strikes in the country’s northeast in recent days.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday that operations conducted with the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) destroyed checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, military equipment and financing networks used by ISIL and the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has led a years-long struggle in the region.
“As of 19 May 2026, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS terrorists have been eliminated from the battlefield,” Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major-General Samaila Uba said in a statement.
“The joint strikes have further reinforced what the Armed Forces of Nigeria have consistently done over the years – hunt down and kill terrorists anywhere they are in Nigeria,” Uba said.
The announcement comes after AFRICOM said it had carried out attacks on Sunday in coordination with the Nigerian government. It also follows Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reporting that Abu Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIL’s second-in-command and also known as Abu-Mainok, was killed along with “several of his lieutenants” in a joint Nigeria-US strike.
The Nigerian Army said al-Minuki oversaw key ISIL operations in the Sahel and West African region.
After the announcement of al-Minuki’s death, Tinubu thanked US President Donald Trump in a post on social media for his “leadership and unwavering support”.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” Tinubu said.
The Nigerian military on Tuesday also reported the killing of another senior fighter, Abd-al Wahhab, who it said was responsible for coordinating attack planning and propaganda for ISWAP, as well as two senior ISWAP members, identified as Abu Musa al-Mangawi and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir.
Since suffering major setbacks in the Middle East, ISIL has pivoted towards Africa, which accounted for 86 percent of the group’s global activity in the first three months of 2026, according to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.
The US announced it had sent troops to Nigeria in February, in what was deemed a mostly advisory and training role, but the joint operations reported in recent days appear to signal a more active US involvement in the country.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters said on Tuesday that operations conducted with the US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) destroyed checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, military equipment and financing networks used by ISIL and the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has led a years-long struggle in the region.
“As of 19 May 2026, assessments indicate that 175 ISIS terrorists have been eliminated from the battlefield,” Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major-General Samaila Uba said in a statement.
“The joint strikes have further reinforced what the Armed Forces of Nigeria have consistently done over the years – hunt down and kill terrorists anywhere they are in Nigeria,” Uba said.
The announcement comes after AFRICOM said it had carried out attacks on Sunday in coordination with the Nigerian government. It also follows Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reporting that Abu Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIL’s second-in-command and also known as Abu-Mainok, was killed along with “several of his lieutenants” in a joint Nigeria-US strike.
The Nigerian Army said al-Minuki oversaw key ISIL operations in the Sahel and West African region.
After the announcement of al-Minuki’s death, Tinubu thanked US President Donald Trump in a post on social media for his “leadership and unwavering support”.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” Tinubu said.
The Nigerian military on Tuesday also reported the killing of another senior fighter, Abd-al Wahhab, who it said was responsible for coordinating attack planning and propaganda for ISWAP, as well as two senior ISWAP members, identified as Abu Musa al-Mangawi and Abu al-Muthanna al-Muhajir.
Since suffering major setbacks in the Middle East, ISIL has pivoted towards Africa, which accounted for 86 percent of the group’s global activity in the first three months of 2026, according to crisis monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.
The US announced it had sent troops to Nigeria in February, in what was deemed a mostly advisory and training role, but the joint operations reported in recent days appear to signal a more active US involvement in the country.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Video - Nigeria housing crisis worsens amid rising costs
Nigeria’s housing crisis is deepening as rising rents, construction costs and mortgages make decent homes unaffordable for many families. Stakeholders say the country needs over 500,000 new homes annually for the next decade to meet demand.
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