₦airaland Forum

Seriously I don't envy Nigerian business men because they all have their bag of bones.

Real Estate agent by day drug baron by night.

Car dealer by day drug pusher by night.

Nigerians and their get money any how mentality has ruin this Disgraced nation.

I was on Facebook where I heard someone bragging how he made tons of cash online from gaming and how he is thinking about quiting his job because of this new found wealth.

I paid a close attention to his post and discovered he was talking about WAJE and LUDO NAIRA.

So I downloaded and installed the waje and ludo app, credited each with #3000 naira and gave it a try. To my greatest surprise I won #2400 with #500 in waje spin and #1000 with #500 in ludo.

I was so excited to have won in short intervals and happy to discover an app that one can make money from.

But the excitement was short lived as I played subsequent times. All the games I played ended in lose and my money was gone

My advice stay away from waje and ludo naira if you don't want to go broke.

Sapa in Russia. Putin be roaming around forming strong man while hunger dey kpai russians

MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Restaurants and cafes are closing down in Russia at the fastest pace since the start of the war in Ukraine four years ago as consumption stalls even in affluent Moscow.
The closures, visible on streets from the capital to Vladivostok 6,500 km (4,000 miles) east on the Pacific Ocean, point to a significant slowdown in Russia's $2.8 trillion economy, which has so far proved surprisingly resilient in the face of stringent Western sanctions.

At the BonCafe bakery in southwestern Moscow, the shelves are empty of cakes and pastries, the espresso machine is silent and owner Yekaterina Oreshkina, 39, sits amid the dust and regret of a failed business.
"When we opened, we didn't expect such a downturn," Oreshkina, who owns a chain of such cafes, told Reuters over the mosaic-topped tables her children helped to decorate.
For Oreshkina, the traditionally slow January proved the final straw after costs ballooned due to the combination of a 50% rise in ingredient prices, high rent and higher taxes. She closed the bakery but has kept her other cafes open.

Their signature "Napoleon" cake, said to be named after the French emperor who invaded Russia in 1812, is a decadent mille-feuille dessert of multiple puff-pastry and cream layers that costs 2,850 roubles ($37) per kg, or 300 roubles ($4) a slice.
Many Russians, though, are cutting back on discretionary spending - particularly on expensive eating out - at the fastest rate since the shock of the February 2022 invasion.

RUSSIANS TIGHTEN BELTS
Guided by President Vladimir Putin's crack team of economic officials, Russia has reported better average growth than the euro zone over the past four years despite being hit by some 24,000 Western sanctions.
But high interest rates, higher taxes, rising prices and a $20-per-barrel discount for Russian oil are taking their toll - even in Moscow, a vast urban area of 22 million people that has been largely insulated from the worst impact of Europe's deadliest war since World War Two.

"To let" signs are prominent in retail spaces across the capital. Sales of new light commercial vehicles and trucks, a good indicator for the health of the retail and construction industry, fell by 38% to 147,000 units in 2025 and have continued to fall in the first weeks of 2026, Autostat said.
Data from Sberbank, which as Russia's biggest bank sees the ripples of expenditure across the economy, showed that the fall in the number of catering outlets in January was the biggest since 2021 and that restaurant spending hit the lowest in three years in November-early December 2025.

The change is especially striking as major Russian cities saw a restaurant boom before the pandemic, and some politicians bridled at what they saw as Moscow's "decadent frivolity" while soldiers were being killed or injured at the front.
Overall, real consumer spending growth fell to zero in February for the first time in two years, Sberbank data showed. Russia forecasts economic growth of 1.3% this year after 1% in 2025, 4.9% in 2024 and 4.1% in 2023. The International Monetary Fund forecasts 0.8% growth for 2026.

Across Russia's 11 time zones, central bank research showed, people are seeking cheaper options: fast-food or supermarket meals instead of restaurants, discounted food in supermarkets, repairs of cars rather than new purchases, and a cooling housing market.
"Cafe and restaurant closures increased in the capital in 2025 compared to 2024, while the number of takeaway coffee outlets continues to grow," the central bank said.


WAR ECONOMY
Russian sources say that while there are certainly problems in the economy, it is still performing remarkably well and they dismiss suggestions of its demise as premature. Besides, Putin is unlikely to change course on Ukraine due to restaurants shutting their doors, they said.
Nevertheless, Putin earlier this month told top economic officials to restore the growth rate and urged them not to simply monitor prices. Just 10 days later, the central bank cut rates by 50 basis points to 15.5%.

Olga Belenkaya, head of the department of macroeconomic analysis at FG Finam, a leading Moscow financial services company, said state statistics showed Russians were saving more and paying off mortgage debt, especially as money became so expensive after the central bank hiked rates to 21% in 2024.
Borrowing costs - advertised by major banks at about 18-19% for unsecured loans to business - have hit small businesses and consumers hard, especially after some lenders imposed stricter limits on consumer credit.

Because we are a goods-based business, we have to borrow constantly, taking on new loans and refinancing old ones," said Yelena Bannikova, the founder and owner of the "VeroVika" Korean beauty store.
"High interest rates have had a very strong impact on us. The refinancing rate is high, and refinancing has become extremely difficult, almost impossible."




https://www.reuters.com/business/russia-many-restaurants-cafes-close-consumption-stalls-amid-major-slowdown-2026-02-19/

Putin is trying to rebuild Prussia in case you don't know.

Peolpe like Putin,Hitler, Trump, Wallace, moghabe, mubutu, idi amin and kin Jong un have one thing in common the are liars and power drunk.

But truth, love, compassion, humanity and faith has and will put them in the pit of history.

brain54:
So what is your point exactly...?


Did you expect Putin to sit and fold his hands and not defend his country while the west played games and run all over his country by making expansions inwards towards his country s border?



Putin has managed and done well with Russian economy so far even with more than 4 years of war with Ukraine.




War is necessary sometimes and even the Bible says they is a time for peace and there is a time for war!

This is scary. Where is that guy that keep posting Russia this Russian that. I hope he is reading this.

Putin will leave Russians broke and hungry.

God bless Ukraine,
God bless the people supporting her.

Life is becoming more expensive," complains Alexander, a Moscow-based advertising specialist who works for a big corporation.

In the course of one month his monthly food budget soared by more than 22% - from 35,000 roubles (£330; $450) to 43,000 (£406; $555).

With Russia's economy hanging somewhere between stagnation and decline, ordinary Russians have begun to feel the pinch from the Kremlin's war on Ukraine, as it approaches its fourth anniversary.

The cost of almost all essentials has gone up in local supermarkets, from eggs and chicken fillets to seasonal vegetables, Alexander has noticed. We have changed the names of everyone we have spoken to for this piece.

Even his daily treat on the way to work - an Americano from a local cafe - has suddenly surged 26% from 230 to 290 roubles.

Prices have risen steadily in Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, driven by a federal budget dominated by the war effort and defence industry.

This in turn has led to rapid economic growth and raised living standards across the country.

Until now, high levels of inflation have gone largely unnoticed by the general population, especially in the big cities such as Moscow and St Petersburg. Big spending masked the mounting economic consequences of the war, as well as Western sanctions and the exodus of foreign investment from Russia.

That rapid economic growth slowed sharply in 2025, and as salaries could no longer keep up with inflation, rising prices started to hit people's pockets.

Then at the start of 2026, supermarket prices jumped by a sharp 2.3% in less than a month, according to data from Russia's statistics service Rosstat.

Everything became more expensive at the start of the year: meat, milk, salt, flour, potatoes, pasta, bananas, soap, toothpaste, socks, laundry detergent, and many medicines too.

Average food basket
Every other January since 2019, the BBC has bought the same selection of 59 basic goods from the same supermarket chain, Pyaterochka, in Moscow. The basket includes vegetables and fruits, dairy and meat products, canned goods and instant noodles, sweets and beverages, including beer.

In 2024, the basket cost 7,358 roubles (£63; $83). Last month, it cost 8,724 (£83; $112) roubles - an increase of 18.6%.

That tallies with Rosstat's own 18.1% measure of overall accumulated food inflation from January 2024 to the end of January 2026.





https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mjrgkk1m8o

My argument is most Nigeria youth don't see a future in science.

You mentioned brasil and football. But you forgot that brasil is a giant when it comes to science.

Brasil is the manufacturer of Embraer aeroplanes that is what most countries in the world are buying to avoid boeing drama.

Brasil have mastered the act in balancing sports, music and entertainment.

Nigeria is just a giant for nothing.

femi4:
You are offpoint

You want to use entertainment as a tool to develop Science n Tech

Is like saying how has Football helped Brazil in developing their economy / improve in science n tech

These are two parallel lines

Like Asake built for his father abi.

MIKOLOWISKA:
They built houses at home
And it helped the musician and his family and friends
At all at all na In bad pass

My taughts actually.

GlozzLab:
Afrobeat has not help Nigeria and Africa in any way. It has not added anything valuable to Nigeria. It only benefits the singer and the producer.

But they are self-reliant.. If there's a race war all these countries you mentioned can stand alone.

Then Africans will rely on what.

bmd1010:
china like Korea n Japan have kpop

My dear in the years to come the world will be so polarised only what you can do a take you through.

Africans lay emphasis on entertainment and this development is costing blacks their dignity.

OneCandleAway:
That's because Africans are better in the heart. Singing, dancing and sports that is strength

Till today I don't know how Afrobeats has helped the Nigerian course.

Many of the so called artist travel abroad to live life
They come back to collect extionist fee for a show then travel back

China don't have Afrobeats, nobody is streaming their music but their solid science back ground has set them apart from their peers.

Though Rema is just a happy go lucky, he hasn't been tested.

I wish him well

American music publication Billboard has come under fire after resharing an article that classified Nigerian Afrobeats star Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, as a “one-hit wonder.”

The post, shared Sunday on the magazine’s official X account, referenced a June 2025 ranking titled “The 25 Biggest One-Hit Wonders of the 21st Century,” where Rema was placed at No. 6 based on the U.S. chart performance of his 2022 global smash hit Calm Down, particularly its remix featuring American pop star Selena Gomez.

“‎After releasing the original “lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-wo-wo-wo-wo”-ing version of “Calm Down” in 2023, Nigeria’s Rema noticed it breaking on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart.

He took a swing and recruited Gomez for the female vocal and, shockingly, she agreed. “I had my fingers crossed,” he told Billboard,” the article reads.


According to Billboard, while the original version of Calm Down gained traction on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, the remix propelled it into mainstream success, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The publication noted that although Rema has since recorded six top-10 entries on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart as of June 7, 2025, he has not returned to the Hot 100.

The No. 3-peaking ‘Calm Down’ was obviously not veteran pop superstar Gomez’s only hit, but Rema has yet to make it to the Hot 100 again, although he has landed six top 10s on U.S. Afrobeats Songs, through the June 7, 2025, chart.”


The ranking quickly sparked debate online, with critics arguing that the label fails to reflect Rema’s broader international success. Many pointed to his extensive catalogue, including tracks such as Dumebi, Iron Man, and Woman, as well as his debut album Rave & Roses, which reached the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Supporters also highlighted his global tours, festival appearances at events like Coachella and Wireless Festival, and collaborations with artists such as Chris Brown and 6lack.

Others, however, defended Billboard’s rankings, noting that the classification appears to be strictly based on performance within the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, rather than global streaming numbers or international chart achievements.

The renewed attention has reignited discussions about the limitations of U.S.-centric metrics in measuring the global reach of Afrobeats, a genre that has expanded significantly beyond American chart frameworks in recent years.

Rema has not publicly responded to the ranking as of press time


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/02/billboard-labels-rema-a-one-hit-wonder-faces-backlash/

Fayose where is Bob risky
Talking with both side of his mouth.

Nigerias first runs lady doing her choir. I won't blame her.

To be a fraud is not easy at all

The first lady’s visit came months after Mr Tinubu splashed millions of dollars on Republican lobbyists to burnish his tainted reputation in Washington following Mr Trump’s 2025 remarks denouncing Nigeria as “a disgrace” under his leadership.

There are things money can't buy.

Things like righteousness, love, conscience and truth.

Remi is playing the runs girl script very well but time will tell.

I dedicate this song to Remi Tinubu

Money can't buy you love
By Ralph tresvant

I blocked Remi Tinubu from using my platform to cover up Christian ‘genocide’ in Nigeria: U.S. Broadcaster

American TV show host Tony Perkins has revealed that First Lady Remi Tinubu approached him to discuss religious freedom issues in Nigeria, but he rejected her request because he does not want his platform used to cover up for happenings in Nigeria.


Mr Perkins, who hosts Washington Watch, disclosed this during an edition with U.S. lawmaker Chris Smith on February 4, when religious freedom was discussed.

Mr Smith was speaking about President Bola Tinubu’s government denying the killing of Christians in Nigeria and yet hiring American lobbyists to downplay the issue when Mr Perkins revealed Mrs Tinubu approached him to be featured on his platform.

“The First Lady of Nigeria was here this week, and in fact, they wanted to come on the programme to talk about religious freedom, and I said, ‘I’m not gonna meet with them or have a meeting with anybody,'” Mr Perkins said.

The broadcast journalist added, “I’m not gonna give them a platform to cover up what they’re doing in Nigeria.”

The first lady did not immediately respond to Peoples Gazette’s request for comments.



Mrs Tinubu visited the U.S. and attended the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. Her presence was recognised at the event by President Donald Trump, a development that pro-Tinubu supporters celebrated as a major diplomatic win for the Nigerian government amid pressure from the U.S. government.

Mr Tinubu has been under pressure from the American government since Mr Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over the alleged killing of Christians in November.







https://gazettengr.com/i-blocked-remi-tinubu-from-using-my-platform-to-cover-up-christian-genocide-in-nigeria-u-s-broadcaster/

Confused he goat. Wear your cap and stop pretending.

No sir. A Pharisee can't be a Christian. If you had read the scriptures you would know why Jesus called them wolves in lamb clothing.

Pharisees are modern day hypocrites. They bare traditional titles yet they claim they still do the work of Christ.

You can not serve two masters the same time.

Kobojunkie:
He is a Christian. A Pharisee is instead an Israelite, one of those referred to as a lying pen/scribes of Israel. A Christian who is a non-Israelite is merely a different dubber of the idea that is Christianity. Even Mohammedans can be considered a part of Christianity since they also claim to believe in Jesus Christ, even though they worship Mohammed instead. 🥱🥱🥱

A PHARISEE

Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy "

May the Lord open our eyes to to wiles of the devil.

Have a blessed week. IJN

Nigeria Immigration has vested interest in this matter.

Selective justice is corruption too.

Why is the Nigeria Immigration not investigating sheik GUMI. A man that was arrested and deported

Fresh evidence has emerged showing that a key document presented by prominent Nigerian lawyer Mike Ozekhome to a London tribunal to claim ownership of a house in North London was a fake, triggering criminal charges against the senior advocate.

Ironically, the document was admitted by the British court as genuine because there was no evidence to the contrary. The issuing authority in Nigeria has now confirmed that the document is fake.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) confirmed that a Nigerian passport submitted as evidence in the high-profile property dispute was never legitimately issued.

In a letter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the NIS stated that the passport booklet number A07535463, presented to support Mr Ozekhome’s ownership claim, was never utilised due to a defect and consequently has no record of a holder in its database.

The said booklet was reported stolen and was never personalised. Consequently, it does not exist in the Service’s Electronic Management System, and no Certified True Copy is available,” the NIS said.

The agency’s preliminary findings indicated that the passport booklet had personal data “unlawfully superimposed on it with numerous inconsistencies on the data page, suggesting significant irregularities in its production.”


Judge Ewan Paton of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) had admitted the passport as genuine evidence during the UK proceedings. In his September 2025 judgment, the judge noted that a man named Tali Shani existed and gave evidence in that name


A certified copy of an official Nigerian passport was produced both to the Land Registry and this Tribunal, stating that Mr. Tali Shani was born on 2nd April 1973. I do not have the evidence, or any sufficient basis, to find that this document – unlike the various poor and pitiful forgeries on the side of the ‘Applicant’ – is forged, and I do not do so,” the judge had stated.

However, the NIS findings have now established that the passport was indeed fraudulent.


Criminal Charges Filed
Relying on the NIS findings, the ICPC has filed criminal charges against Mr Ozekhome at the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of receiving property through corrupt means and using forged documents.

The charges were filed on 16 January by Ngozi Onwuka of the ICPC High Profile Prosecution Department, following calls for the commission to prosecute the senior lawyer.

Court documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show that Mr Ozekhome faces three criminal counts.

The first count alleges that sometime in August 2021, he directly received House 79 Randall Avenue, London, purportedly given to him by one Mr Shani Tali in a transaction the ICPC says constitutes a felony under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.


The second count accuses the senior lawyer of “making a false document”, namely a Nigerian passport bearing number A07535463 in the name of Mr Shani Tali, with the intent to support a claim of ownership of the London property. This charge is filed under the Penal Code of the Federal Capital Territory


In the third count, Mr Ozekhome is accused of “dishonestly” using the allegedly false passport as genuine to support the property ownership claim when he had reason to believe the document was false.


The Property Dispute
The controversy began in August 2021 when Mr Ozekhome applied to transfer the property at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, into his name. He claimed it was a gift from a man who presented himself as Tali Shani, said to be the property’s owner, in appreciation for legal services.

He admitted, however, that he never knew Mr Shani until January 2019, more than two decades after the disputed purchase, and had no personal knowledge of how the property was acquired or managed in earlier years.

The Nigerian lawyer told the tribunal that, after being introduced to Mr Shani in 2019, he provided several legal services for him, ranging from advisory work to court appearances, and that the property was later gifted to him in 2021 as an expression of gratitude.

He described Mr Shani as a wealthy farmer and businessman engaged in cattle, groundnuts, mangoes, and real estate, and said Mr Shani came to see him as a father figure.

Mr Ozekhome declined to provide evidence of the alleged legal work, citing client confidentiality. He also denied paying the £500,000 mentioned in Mr Shani’s statements, insisting that the transfer was entirely “gratuitous and that the value of his professional services exceeded any monetary consideration.”

As part of the verification process required by the Land Registry for the application, Mr Ozekhome provided a copy of a Nigerian passport, certified as a true copy by an English solicitor.

The passport stated that Tali Shani (male) was born on 2nd April 1973 in Plateau State, Nigeria. This means he would have been 20 years old when the title to the property was registered. No copy of any birth certificate was provided.

Mr Ozokhome’s application was challenged in September 2022 by Westfields Solicitors, claiming to represent “Ms Tali Shani,” who insisted she was the registered owner of the property since 1993.

She claimed that she had never signed any transfer and was “outraged” by Mr Ozekhome’s application.


Tribunal’s Verdict
In its verdict, the tribunal held that the case was built on a network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents, but concluded that Mr Useni was the genuine purchaser of the property back in 1993.

Judge Paton of the UK Tribunal ruled that the house was secretly bought in 1993 by the late General Jeremiah Useni, the former Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, using a false identity.

Documents before the tribunal confirmed that the acquisition was made under a false identity, “Philips Bincan,” a practice consistent with findings by the Royal Court of Jersey in a separate 2022 case that exposed Mr Useni’s use of coded names like “Tim Shani” to conceal wealth.

However, the tribunal rejected Mr Ozekhome’s account. “Mr Tali Shani… did not purchase this property himself in 1993, and so had no title of his own to pass to the respondent,” the judge said.


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/854888-854888exclusive-nigeria-immigration-service-says-document-ozekhome-gave-british-court-is-fake.html

Saudi is waking up while Nigeria have gone comatose.

I hope that those hisbah minions are reading this. Having a safe space is not by destroying alcoholic beverages but by regulating them. Saudis are beginning to come to terms with reality. Hence the sale of alcohol

Is ironical that the north that boasts of sharia, yet have many northern youths drinkimg alcohol, engaging prostitutes and are very good at Premier lotto.

I don't know how long Nigeria will keep up with this deception, But when the centre can not hold. Things fall Apart.

Saudi Arabia has quietly started to allow wealthy foreign residents to buy alcohol, a huge change after a 73-year ban. Commentators expect that the relaxation will eventually be extended to tourists, as Sameer Hashmi reports from Riyadh.

For decades, Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter has stood apart from the rest of the capital city – an affluent enclave of embassies and upscale residences, with shaded walkways, greenery and a café culture that draws young Saudis and expatriates alike.

Now, tucked inside a discreet, unmarked beige complex within the exclusive neighbourhood, a small store has become a discrete testing ground for one of Saudi Arabia's most sensitive policy shifts – the controlled sale of alcohol to wealthy non-Muslim foreigners.


Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's two holiest sites, banned the sale of alcohol in 1952. But as part of a broader effort to reshape its image, the kingdom has rolled out sweeping social and economic reforms in recent years, presenting itself as a more moderate and investment-friendly society.

Under the leadership of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, the kingdom has reopened cinemas, hosted major music festivals, lifted the ban on women driving, and curtailed the powers of the once-feared religious police.

But the quiet expansion of legal alcohol sales is arguably the boldest experiment yet.

The liquor shop first opened in Riyadh in January 2024, but entry was initially restricted to non-Muslim diplomats. Under new rules introduced without announcement at the end of 2025, wealthy, non-Muslim foreign residents can now also go there to purchase beer, wine and spirits.

To be eligible, an expat must either hold a Premium Residency permit, which costs 100,000 Saudi riyals ($27,000; £19,300) a year; or show that he or she earns at least 50,000 riyals per month.

The Premium Residency scheme has varying eligibility criteria, and is typically open to senior foreign executives, investors, and professionals with specialised skills


In both the case of permit holders and those without, they will have to show their residence ID card to security guards at the door. This details their religion and residency status.


# A bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label whisky cost me $124 (£90). But I don't mind paying the premium – a British company executive



Those who don't have the permit will also need to take a company-issued salary certificate or letter. Foreign tourists are not eligible to enter the store.

Several customers who have purchased alcohol from the outlet spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity.

Mobile phones are sealed in tamper-proof bags before customers are allowed inside. Queues can stretch for more than an hour, though people say the experience is relatively straightforward once inside.

One European expatriate described the store as "well-stocked", with prices "two to three times" higher compared to Western markets, but significantly lower than on Saudi Arabia's black market.



Alcohol purchases are governed by a complex points-based monthly quota system, customers say, but one generous enough to allow each person dozens of litres of spirits each month. Diplomats receive discounts on their purchases.

There has been no official announcement by the government. Several buyers say they initially learned about the change through word of mouth. The store name doesn't even show up on online maps.

"A friend just shared the location with me on Google Maps," said one Asian expatriate




https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20260204-saudi-arabia-is-lifting-the-alcohol-ban-for-wealthy-foreigners

Oshiomole the crooked dwarf. How market.

When Mali retaliated americas visa ban many political pundits in nairaland taught of it as a save face mode.

Unknown to them president assimi goita knows his onions.

Mali is one of the Sahel state that is rich in rare earth minerals and solid minerals.

Mali's strategic position in Sahel connects West, North, East and South of Africa

Malis nuclear program backed by Russia could make Mali first black Africa super power.

Mali's history of resilience can be traced back to Mansa Musa empire. The richest king in the world.

Africa is blessed but God has cursed black Africans with bad leaders

America have come to beg Mali with their tail between their legs.

Let me leave you with the words of Marcus Garvey '' Africa for Africans''

God bless Cyril Ramaphosa
God bless Assimi Goita
God bless Ibrahim Traoure
God bless Paul kagame

The US has declared a stark policy shift towards three West African countries which are battling Islamist insurgents and whose military governments have broken defence ties with France and turned towards Russia.

The state department announced that Nick Checker, head of its Bureau of African Affairs, would visit Mali's capital Bamako to convey the United States' "respect for Mali's sovereignty" and chart a "new course" in relations, moving "past policy missteps".

It adds that the US also looks forward to co-operating with Mali's allies, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, "on shared security and economic interests".

Absent from the agenda is the longstanding American concern for democracy and human rights. The Biden administration had halted military co-operation after coups
deposed the elected civilian presidents of all three countries between 2020 and 2023, with Niger's Mohamed Bazoum still locked up in his own residence.

The US statement makes explicit a radical change in policy that had become increasingly evident over the 12 months since Donald Trump returned to the White House.

The shift started with the shuttering of USAID – a key provider of development support to the region – days after the president was sworn in for a new term.

This was followed by repeated signals of a much narrower focus on security and mineral resources, with both development and governance sidelined.

The announcement of Checker's visit goes further in openly declaring respect for Mali's sovereignty. The message will resonate in Bamako and allied capitals, where military leaders have built their appeal by striking pan-Africanist themes and rejecting former colonial power France.

Burkina Faso's military leader, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, presents himself as a standard-bearer in resisting "imperialism" and "neo-colonialism". Through vigorous social media promotion, he has gained huge support for this stance and personal popularity among young people across the continent and beyond.


The Trump administration has made plain that it is unconcerned by the regimes' rejection of the European-style constitutional model of elected civilian government.

Massad Boulos, senior adviser for Africa at the state department and a Trump confidant, last year told the French newspaper Le Monde: "Democracy is always appreciated, but our policy is not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. People are free to choose whatever system is appropriate for them."

This attitude marks a stark change.

During the Biden era Gen Michael Langley, head of the US military's Africa Command (Africom) from 2022 to 2025, stressed the importance of good governance and environmental issues, as complements to military support.

However last year, following Trump's return to the presidency, he said that supporting the fight against terrorism was now the main focus.

And that certainly seems to be the priority in West Africa, a message reiterated by Rudolph Attalah, a senior counter-terrorism official, on a visit to Bamako last year.

Then last month Africom's deputy head, Gen John Brennan, confirmed that the US was continuing to actively support the three military-run countries in their struggle against jihadist groups, and Islamic State in particular

The motives for Trump's shift in approach seem to be threefold.

The US, like Europe, remains seriously concerned about the long-term security threat posed by the jihadist groups now operating across the Sahel - the semi-arid stretch of land south of the Sahara Desert. According to some definitions, the region now accounts for half of all the world's terrorism deaths.

Although almost all the casualties are local, there is concern in the US that the governments' loss of control of much of their territory could allow the emergence of safe havens for jihadist groups to develop further and expand.

Diplomats and analysts routinely now describe the region as the "epicentre of global terrorism", which could present a long-term international threat.

In the "tri-border region", where Mali, Burkina and Niger converge, the West African offshoot of Islamic State (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, ISGS) is particularly active.

A fresh reminder of the scale of threat that it poses came only last week with an attack on the airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.




.https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckglwnrx437o

Wrong choice for Nigerians. Atm will wear him out.