Category Nigeria News

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump played a video that he claimed showed that white people were being systematically targeted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, causing farmers to flee to the United States.

The Oval Office’s typically shaky diplomatic setting became a staging ground for Trump’s claim that white South Africans are being persecuted as a result of the unexpected stunt.

The video was put on a large screen by Trump’s staff, who claimed it showed black South Africans discussing genocide while the media was standing by and Ramaphosa was occasionally unable to speak up.

They are white farmers who are fleeing South Africa, which is very sad. But I hope there is a solution, because I am aware that you don’t want that, Trump said.

Ramaphosa tried to speak repeatedly but was drowned out. He once pleaded that they “talk about it very calmly.”

Nelson Mandela taught us that people should sit down around a table and discuss problems whenever they arise. And he went on to say that this is what we should also discuss.

READ ALSO: US Accepts Boeing Jet From Qatar For Use As Air Force One

Following Trump’s and his billionaire, South African-born ally Elon Musk’s vociferous and unfounded accusations of genocide, the South African leader’s visit was touted as a chance to spruce up relations. Elon Musk was also in the Oval Office when Trump and his billionaire ally visited.

In essence, Ramaphosa said, “We are here to rekindle the relationship between the United States and South Africa.”

In an effort to woo the golf-loving US president, he made his way to the White House along with two of South Africa’s top golfers, Johann Rupert and Retief Goosen, both of whom are world-class golfers.

The three prominent Afrikaners who make up Ramaphosa’s delegation have endorsed Trump’s request to “refuge.” Around 50 Afrikaners have already arrived in the US to accept the offer.

Trump made the offer despite the fact that his immigration crackdown has stopped asylum seekers from arriving from the majority of the rest of the world.

According to reports that his government would offer Musk a deal to run his Starlink satellite internet network in the nation, the president of South Africa was also expected to bring gifts.

The Tesla and Space X CEO has accused Pretoria of “openly racist” laws, a reference to post-apartheid policies that were perceived as a hindrance to Starlink’s licensing.

Land law row

Since the US president’s second term in office began, the administration has been torn apart in South Africa.

It has criticized South Africa’s case involving the International Court of Justice’s inquiry into Israel’s genocide in Gaza, cut foreign aid, and imposed tariffs of 31%, and expelled Pretoria’s ambassador after he criticized Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

A South African land expropriation law signed in January that seeks to correct the historical injustices of white minority rule has been Trump and his team’s main concern.

At Tuesday’s Qatar Economic Forum, Musk, who is in charge of Trump’s radical Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), criticized the land laws.

Why does South Africa have racist laws? he stated.

Despite being only 7.3 percent of the population, land ownership is a contentious issue in South Africa, where the majority of farmland is still owned by white people.

Ramaphosa has refuted Washington’s claim that white-owned land will be arbitrarily sequestered.

Authorities deny that the claims made by right-wing Afrikaner lobby groups that farmers are being killed in targeted killings are untrue.

According to police figures, young black men in urban areas make up the majority of South Africa’s sky-high murder rate.

The Gulf emirate of Qatar offered President Donald Trump’s Boeing 747 for use as an Air Force One on Wednesday, according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Regarding using an aircraft donated by a foreign power to be used as the highly sensitive presidential plane, Qatar’s offer for the jet, which is valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, has raised serious constitutional and ethical concerns.

According to a statement from a Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, the Secretary of Defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal laws and regulations.

According to Parnell, who referred to the US Air Force, “The Department of Defense will work to make sure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered for an aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.”

In a section known as the Emoluments Clause, the US Constitution forbids government officials from accepting gifts from “any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Read more about Trump’s appointment of the leader and the $175 billion design of the Golden Dome defense shield.

Trump, however, has said it would be “stupid” for the US government to not accept the plane, saying there are no moral concerns with accepting it.

When asked if the oil-rich Gulf state would expect anything in exchange, the 78-year-old billionaire responded, “It’s a great gesture.”

That kind of an offer would never be turned down by me,” I said. I mean, I could be a moron and say, “No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.”

Trump’s use of the aircraft would be prohibited by the leader of the Democratic minority in the US Senate, which was introduced earlier this week.

The Pentagon would be unable to use taxpayer funds to retrofit any aircraft that had previously been owned by a foreign government for use as the presidential plane under Chuck Schumer’s Presidential Airlift Security Act.

Schumer stated in a statement that “Donald Trump has demonstrated time and time again that he will sell out the American people and the presidency if it means putting money into his own pockets.”

There are no guarantees that this plane will be secure, despite the fact that it would require billions of taxpayer dollars to attempt to retrofit and secure it.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Trump supporter, is not required to introduce the bill to the floor of the upper chamber despite the fact that several Republicans have expressed concerns about the proposed gift.

However, Schumer intends to compel a vote by including it as a provisional amendment to spending bills that Republicans will need to pass later in the year.

The Nigerian Police Force has condemned what it described as an “unprovoked attack” by its Intelligence Response Team (IRT) agents on May 20, 2025, at Okhuimwun Community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area in Edo State.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the force’s public relations officer, said the incident occurred on May 20 when the operatives were passing through Edo State from Lagos when they ran into a mob close to the University of Benin (UNIBEN) axis, which had barricaded the road.

The mob reportedly assaulted the police with stones, sticks, and other dangerous objects and violently attacked the University of Benin (UNIBEN) axis.

READ ALSO: Elumelu, Nigeria: A Key to Attracting Investment

The statement read, “The mob attacked the officers with stones, sticks, and other dangerous objects, inflicting serious injuries to two personnel,” according to the statement.

Adejobi praised the officers for demonstrating restraint by abusing force, even in potentially fatal circumstances. According to reports, the injured operators are receiving medical attention and are stable.

He urged its employees to refrain from violent and lawless behavior, citing the fact that investigations have already begun and that anyone found guilty will face legal consequences.

See the following statement in its entirety:

PRESS ELEASE
NPF CONDEMNS A UNREGULATED ATTACK ON IRT OPERATORS IN EDO STATE
‎
As IGP Decides to Start an Investigation into the Oyo Tragic Traffic Incident
‎
The early hours of Monday, May 20th, 2025, at Okhuimwun Community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, in Edo State, the Nigeria Police Force vehemently condemns the unprovoked attack on police officers.
‎
When the operatives encountered a mob that had blocked the road immediately after the University of Benin (UNIBEN) axis, the Force Intelligence Department – Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) were traveling from Lagos through Edo State. Two police officers were seriously injured when the mob reportedly attacked them with stones, sticks, and other dangerous objects in an unlawful display of aggression.
‎
The officers used commendable restraint despite the provocation and threat to life by refraining from using force, which is noteworthy. The officers who were hurt are currently receiving medical attention and are stable.
‎
The Nigeria Police Force issues a warning about unlawful conduct and unprovoked aggression against its employees, who are dedicated to upholding international law and order, and hereby informs the public that investigations have begun and that appropriate legal action will be taken against those who are found guilty.
‎
The Inspector-General of Police has also mandated a thorough investigation into a tragic incident involving Oyo State Police Command and Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OSTMA), which caused the unfortunate demise of 14-year-old boy Kehinde Alade.
‎
The Police Inspector-General expressed regret for the incident and assured that the shooting suspect had been taken into custody while a full-scale investigation was being conducted. He also reaffirmed that the investigation will be transparent and that the findings will be made public to ensure that the deceased young man’s family receives fair treatment.
‎
The Nigeria Police Force reiterates its commitment to safeguarding people’s lives and property, appeals to law-abiding citizens, and uses legal and peaceful methods to file grievances.
‎
‎
ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, MNIPR, MIPRA, FCAI, and
OFFICER FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS,
FORCE CENTRE
‎ABUJA

According to President Bola Tinubu, the growing population of Nigeria requires industrial solutions that will lead to “demographic dividends”.

Tinubu, who made this statement on Wednesday at the Taraba International Investment Summit, mentioned Taravest in the state capital of Jalingo.

The country cannot live off raw products and unprocessed minerals, according to the President, who was accompanied by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Instead, it requires factories that add value, clusters that encourage innovation, and industrial parks that create impact.

We are aware that the growing population calls for an industrial solution. But visionaries are essential above all. We need people who can see beyond the narrow confines of trade and into the worlds of industry.

Aliko Dangote is a must-have. Tony Elumelu is a must-have. Africa is currently facing a global growth trajectory, and Nigeria will either reverse or reverse it, he added.

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According to Tinubu, the projected rise would result in a demographic disaster if not well-harnessed, making Nigeria the third-most populous nation on earth by 2050.

440 million people will be in our country by 2050. And how will you handle the anticipated population growth? We have two options: turning the anticipated bulge into demographic dividends, or a demographic disaster that will enslave everyone.

I think we have the resources, the capacity, and the men to turn our young people into growth engines. Europe as a whole is aging. Asian tigers are getting older as well; He claimed that China is getting older.

He claimed that given the global talent gap, Nigeria could use its young, resilient population.

The President stated that during the former administration of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the oil industry generated $35 billion in 2011. India generated $ 120 billion in outsourcing in the last year. The opportunities are endless, then.

In spite of the intonation, I believe the majority of the Western audiences here could understand what I was talking about because there are more English speakers in Nigeria than India.

The Indian variety is superior to the Nigerian English, with all due respect. Is this my fault? And we benefit from being closer to Europe.

Let us unite into one, because poverty knows no ethnicity, no religion, or no tribe, regardless of our political affiliations, religious beliefs, tribal or sectional backgrounds. Let’s band as a people. ”

Why is an investment summit important?

More than its breathtaking mountains and other attractions, he noted that the summit was significant because Taraba contributes strategically to the country’s shared prosperity.

He asserted that the other’s parts are a gift from one another. Each one complements the other in such a way that often the sufficiency of one region is replaced by the sufficiency of the other.

No region of this country can thrive in isolation, so we must first realize that this is where we must be as a nation. We are here because of this; that’s why this summit is significant. ”

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Tinubu claimed that the world was experiencing a new wave of the industrial revolution, which would require that Nigeria’s productivity grow to reflect the size of its population.

It requires that farmers in our area switch to tractors and harvesters instead of horses and cutlasses. It requires that our energy suppliers move beyond domestic and household energy to energizing large-scale industries.

Our mining industry must also change in line with international standards and requirements. In this way do we compete with the rest of the world. He continued, “This is how we maintain our relevance.”

However, he claimed that the Federal Government’s reforms were deliberate steps in creating an environment where business thrives, while investors’ competence is not a guarantee but rather a gamble.

The President continued, “We seek collaborators and partners in progress.” Following this gathering, the government will support you in every way possible. We don’t observe things from a distance. We are here to support you and offer the institutional support needed to realize your goals. ”

A bill that seeks to regulate informal employment and authorize private job agency licensing to protect the rights of informal workers has been moved for second reading in the Senate.

Senator Mohammed Sani Musa is the sponsor of the proposed legislation, known as the Informal Sector Private Employment Agencies (Regulation) Bill 2025.

The bill also grants the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) regulatory authority, giving it the same authority as it does for domestic workers, apprentices, interns, and other unregulated jobs.

Senator Musa, who was the subject of the debate on the Senate floor, stated that the bill was intended to address “the informal sector’s widespread labor rights violations, abuse, and lack of regulation,” which he characterized as a crucial but fragile component of the workforce in Nigeria.

He noted that the informal sector suffers from unfair working conditions, low wages, and poor social protections despite its economic importance.

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The bill would give the NDE authority to grant licenses to private employment agencies and make sure their operations adhere to “standardized, transparent, and fair practices” according to the senator.

He added that authorized organizations would be required to keep a database of employees in the informal sector, safeguard their rights, and ensure that hiring only takes place under fair conditions and by employees who are employed by legitimate businesses.

Additionally, the bill recommends that licensing officers be appointed across the country to monitor and enforce the proposed regulations.