January 20, 2026 – Nigeria Headlines

Story gist: President Bola Tinubu and others mourned the death of the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Saliu Mustapha.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets omitted coverage, absenting that perspective. Center outlet Punch framed the story as ‘Tinubu, others mourn,’ emphasizing collective condolences. Right-leaning The Nation highlighted ‘Tinubu mourns Chief Imam… Sheikh Saliu,’ focusing on the president’s personal tribute and including the cleric’s full name for specificity.

Story gist: Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement on ports development and maritime logistics.

Bias summary: No left- or right-leaning outlets covered the story. Center outlet TheCable reported the signing factually with neutral tone, focusing on the agreement details without emphasis on economic impacts or geopolitics. Left perspective absent, potentially omitting development aid or inequality angles; right absent, missing free trade or investment opportunity emphasis.

Story gist: Gunmen kidnapped more than 160 churchgoers in attacks on churches in Kaduna state, Nigeria, according to clergy.

Bias summary: Left-leaning ABC emphasizes gunmen abducting over 150 worshippers from three churches, focusing on religious targeting. Center BBC details more than 160 churchgoers in twin Kaduna attacks, citing clergy as source. Right-leaning outlets absent, omitting potential emphasis on Islamist threats, security failures, or calls for stronger government action.

Story gist: Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu defended the demolition of structures in Makoko, a floating community in Lagos, Nigeria, and announced palliatives for affected residents.

Bias summary: Left-leaning outlets like The New York Times emphasize human cost with sympathetic framing, calling Makoko the ’19th-Century Venice of Nigeria’ and highlighting thousands evicted. Center outlets like DW.com report factually, describing it as Africa’s largest floating shanty town that ‘must go,’ implying urban necessity. Right-leaning coverage is absent, omitting pro-development or government-defense perspectives.

Story gist: China named the $24.5 billion Ogidigben Gas Park as the top Belt and Road Initiative recipient for 2025.

Bias summary: No left- or right-leaning headlines provided; those perspectives absent, potentially omitting pro-development aid (left) or debt-trap warnings (right) views. Center Financial Times frames skeptically with ‘Beijing pours cash into Belt and Road financing in global resources grab,’ emphasizing aggressive resource strategy over economic partnership.