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Cabinet reshuffle in Nigeria
On Tuesday, several personnel changes were announced in the Nigerian cabinet. According to media reports, President Bola Tinubu dismissed Finance Minister Wale Edun and Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ahmed Musa Dangiwa. The State House, however, stated in a press release on Wednesday that both had resigned from their posts—Edun, among other reasons, for health reasons. Taiwo Oyedele (50), who had only been appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance in March, was named as Edun’s (70) successor. Dangiwa is succeeded by Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, whose appointment was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, stated that the cabinet reshuffle was intended to improve the implementation of economic policy measures under the “Renewed Hope Agenda”.
Oyedele, who took office as minister on Thursday, is seen as a key figure behind the tax reforms of Bola Tinubu’s government that took effect at the beginning of the year. Observers view his promotion as an indication that the Tinubu administration intends to continue pushing forward with structural reforms—particularly in tax administration and public finance—ahead of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in January 2027. This is because the government faces significant economic challenges. Despite a recent increase in foreign direct investment inflows, the fiscal situation remains strained. High inflation, a weakening currency, and substantial debt service obligations are weighing on economic development. Added to this are additional financial burdens on the population resulting from government-initiated reforms, which have recently led to repeated protests (Press Review CW 32/2024). Last week, new guidelines issued by the National Broadcasting Commission regarding pre-election broadcast coverage also drew criticism. Presenters were prohibited from expressing personal political opinions or disseminating content deemed divisive. While the commission justified this by citing the need to curb disinformation and inflammatory rhetoric, critics see it as a potential restriction on press freedom and public political discourse.
With about nine months to go before the elections, the security situation in Nigeria remains tense. In the northeast, the country is facing ongoing violence from Boko Haram and the Islamic State affiliate “Islamic State in West Africa Province”, while in the northwest, insecurity caused by armed groups is on the rise, and destabilization in the Sahel region is further exacerbating security pressures. Against this backdrop, Nigeria’s Defense Minister Christopher Musa and his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler signed a defense cooperation agreement on Saturday that provides, among other things, for the training of special forces, cooperation in the aviation and naval sectors, and collaboration in arms production. The agreement is seen as part of Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its military partnerships and reduce its dependence on traditional partners such as the United States. Turkey has significantly expanded its security and economic presence in Africa in recent years and is now considered the world’s leading exporter of armed drones.
10th International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa in Dakar
On Tuesday, the tenth edition of the International Forum for Peace and Security in Africa concluded in Dakar, Senegal. Delegations from 37 countries attended the two-day security conference, including Sierra Leone’s President and current ECOWAS Chair, Julius Maada Bio, and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. The German Federal Government was represented by Serap Güler, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office. In total, around 100 experts, along with representatives of governments, regional blocs and international organisations, took part. The conference focused on the governance of critical raw materials, political transitions, cybersecurity, as well as regional integrity and collective security.
The conference, held this year under the theme “Africa facing the challenges of stability, integration and sovereignty: what sustainable solutions are there?”, was opened by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who traditionally serves as its patron. In his address, he called on African states to develop a joint strategic response to the continent’s security challenges. This, he argued, should include the operationalisation of the African Standby Force and the development of a continental defence industry. He also stressed the need for increased investment in youth in order to counter growing radicalisation and the threat posed by violent groups.
Discussions also centred on political tensions in West Africa and the increasing spread of terrorism from the Sahel to the coastal states of the Gulf of Guinea, including Benin, Togo and Ghana. In this regard, the forum built on the Sahel conference held in Lomé, Togo, on Saturday, which sought to discuss a new strategy for the region. In both Lomé and Dakar, Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop and his Nigerien counterpart Bakary Yaou Sangaré repeatedly accused “foreign” and neighbouring states of financing and supporting terrorism. In his speech in Dakar, Diop referred to an alleged attack by Ukrainian mercenaries in Mali, alluding to claims that Ukraine supported rebel groups in northern Mali in 2024—an allegation that Ukraine has firmly denied. He also spoke of an “information war” against the Sahel, a narrative echoed by Sangaré, who accused foreign media of portraying a distorted image of his country through one-sided reporting on terrorist attacks and negative developments. He likewise reiterated allegations that foreign states, including France, were financially supporting terrorism in Niger, without providing concrete evidence.
The 10th International Forum for Peace and Security in Africa (Forum International de Dakar sur la Paix et la Sécurité en Afrique) took place against a backdrop of growing transnational threats and the erosion of multilateral cooperation. Established in 2014, the forum has since developed into an important platform for strategic dialogue on a new African security architecture. According to the organisers, Germany is among the conference’s co-funders.
Special news
On Sunday, the Afrika-Forum e.V. installed an information panel at Wilhelmstraße 92 in Berlin regarding the stolen commemorative plaque honoring the Berlin Conference of 1884–85. Since 2005, the plaque provided information about the conference and served as a reminder of colonial violence and historical responsibility. It had been reported stolen in February of this year (Press Review CW 6/2026). The newly installed information board is intended to draw attention to the theft and garner support for installing a new commemorative plaque at this historically significant site. The site where the conference was held is regarded as a key place for confronting German and European colonial history in the public sphere.
In other news
On Thursday, Pope Leo XIV’s ten-day tour of Africa came to an end in Equatorial Guinea. Since 13 April, he has visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. The central theme of his trip was his criticism of corruption, social inequality and the exploitation of natural resources. In Equatorial Guinea, the Pope met prison inmates, commemorated the victims of the 2021 series of explosions, and celebrated a Mass attended by around 100,000 faithful, including the president’s family. During the Mass, he denounced income inequality and human rights violations in the country. Previously, he met President João Lourenço in Angola and called for peace and reconciliation at the pilgrimage site of Mama Muxima (“Mother of the Heart”). In Cameroon last week, he urged the government to do more to promote peace in light of the long-running conflict with separatists. The trip began in Algeria, where Pope Leo XIV visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, among other sites, and called for mutual respect between Muslims and Christians. There, he met President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The trip underscores Africa’s growing importance to the Catholic Church: approximately 280 million believers live on the continent. During the visit, tensions also arose with US President Donald Trump after the Pope had previously criticised the violence in the Near and Middle East.