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The opening of a contested museum in Nigeria, meant to display west African art, has been postponed after protesters disrupted a private visit Sunday, officials said.The Museum of West African Arts (Mowaa) had been due to officially open Tuesday, but this will now be postponed indefinitely, officials said.Mowaa was launched five years ago by Nigerian businessman Phillip Ihenacho in Benin City, Edo State, with the support of its former governor.It's due to house exhibition spaces and archives and aims to host residencies for west African artists and craftspeople, and Sunday was holding a pre-opening event for donors and industry professionals.But around 20 men, some armed with wooden bats, stormed into the museum courtyard, forcing guests to take refuge inside.The group, whose demands were not clear, caused minor damage in the museum courtyard, AFP reporters saw."Protesters entered and began vandalising part of the reception pavilion, where we receive visitors, then they stormed inside the front section, where the exhibition area is located," Ihenacho said.After around two hours, guests were escorted away in buses to a nearby hotel.The museum has sparked tensions between the former state governor and his successor, an ally of the city's traditional ruler, Oba Ewuare II, who says he should be in charge of the museum.Benin for years has been trying to recover artefacts seized during the colonial era, in particular the "Benin Bronzes" looted more than 120 years ago.Most of the ornate bronzes were seized by British soldiers in a retaliatory raid on Benin, and then auctioned off or sold to museums across Europe and the United States.Ihenacho said he believed the protesters were "representatives from the palace" of Oba Ewuare II. "We have never pretended to be anything other than the Museum of West African Art," Ihenacho added.

Qatar Charity in co-operation with Nigeria’s Katsina State Government, has implemented a variety of income-generating projects, economically empowering 160 individuals, including women, orphans, and vulnerable groups.The initiative aims to restore dignity, create opportunities, and enable beneficiaries to achieve economic independence. The implementation of these projects coincides with the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development, scheduled to take place in Doha from November 4 to 6. The summit aims to reaffirm global commitment to social development, address existing gaps, accelerate efforts to eradicate poverty, promote full employment and decent work, and achieve social inclusion.The income-generating projects included the distribution of 100 sewing machines, 20 passenger tricycles, 20 cargo tricycles, and 20 grinding machines, benefiting individuals from across the state.Beneficiaries were nominated by the state government and verified by Qatar Charity using a rigorous process that prioritised vulnerability, business skills, and readiness. Speaking at the ceremony, Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, described the initiative as more than material support, emphasising its role in restoring dignity and creating opportunities for vulnerable citizens. He urged beneficiaries to use the items wisely to start small businesses, generate income, support their families, and improve their livelihoods through hard work and discipline.“The empowerment items are more than material support – they are tools for transformation and steps toward economic independence,” governor Radda stated. Governor Radda acknowledged Qatar Charity Nigeria’s critical role in humanitarian work across Katsina State and Nigeria. “Your work is planting seeds of change, and we are deeply grateful,” he said, pledging to expand such initiatives to empower every orphan, widow, and vulnerable person in the state.Assem Abu al-Shaer, country director of Qatar Charity’s Nigeria office, emphasised the transformative impact of the empowerment items, noting that each piece of equipment will help beneficiaries generate income and create opportunities for others.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation met Monday with Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.During the meeting, the two parties discussed ways to enhance existing partnerships between EAA and Nigeria, to reduce the number of out-of-school children, and empower the youth through employment and training opportunities.

Gunmen attacked a village in Zamfara State, northwestern Nigeria, killing a man, wounding his wife, and kidnapping 18 people, all women and children.Residents said the attackers belonged to gangs known for kidnapping and cattle-rustling, and stormed Birnin Zarma village early in the morning as residents were preparing for dawn prayers."The bandits attacked the village around 5 a.m. while people were preparing for morning prayers," Birnin Zarma resident Ibrahim Bello said. "They broke into a house and shot dead a man and injured his wife before herding 18 women and children out of the village."Lawal Umar, a resident of the neighboring town of Bukkuyum, said the attackers were believed to be from the neighboring Anka district, where they maintain camps in a nearby forest.He added that forces stationed in Bukkuyum were unable to repel the attack due to the flooding of a river separating the town from the village of Birnin Zarma, which prevented the timely arrival of security reinforcements.Birnin Zarma is located about 170 km from the state capital, Gusau, and residents are still waiting for a ransom demand from the kidnappers for the release of the hostages.For years, the states of northwestern and central Nigeria, particularly Zamfara, have witnessed a wave of violence perpetrated by armed gangs known locally as "bandits," who have recently intensified their attacks on rural villages.