Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was assassinated at home in Zintan
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi and once seen as his heir apparent, was killed Tuesday by four masked gunmen at his residence in Zintan, western Libya. His political adviser, Abdullah Othman and lawyer Khaled al-Zaidi confirmed the 53-year-old’s death on Facebook, with his political team describing it as a cowardly and treacherous assassination.
The attackers disabled surveillance cameras before breaking into his home and shooting him in his garden. The Libyan Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation, though the identity of the assailants remains unknown. Saif al-Islam had been living in Zintan since his 2011 capture during Libya’s civil war, first as a prisoner until 2017 when he was released under amnesty, then plotting a political comeback. He faced an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes and had announced plans to run for president in 2021, though those elections were indefinitely postponed.
US deploys military team to Nigeria
The United States has dispatched a small team of military officers to Nigeria, the first acknowledgement of US forces on the ground since Washington launched airstrikes on Christmas Day targeting Islamic State affiliates. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of US Africa Command, said the deployment followed his meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year and brings unique capabilities to augment Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
The move comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions after President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christian citizens from Islamist militants. Nigeria firmly rejected claims of Christian genocide, saying armed groups target people regardless of faith. The US has supplied military equipment and conducted reconnaissance missions across Nigeria as the country battles Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and other armed groups that have intensified attacks on military convoys and civilians.
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Trump extends Africa duty-free trade program through 2026
President Donald Trump signed legislation Tuesday extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act through December 31, 2026, retroactive to September 30, 2025, when the program expired. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said his office would work with Congress over the next year to modernise the program to align with Trump’s America First trade policy and provide more market access for US businesses, farmers, and ranchers.
AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market for over 1,800 products and supports hundreds of thousands of African jobs. The US House initially passed legislation for a three-year extension, but the Senate reduced it to one year. In 2024, $8.23 billion worth of goods were exported under the accord, with half coming from South Africa and one-fifth from Nigeria. The program’s expiration had forced exporters to absorb high tariff duties and put jobs at risk.
FG to deduct N3.6trn from FAAC for electricity subsidies
Nigeria’s Federal Government will deduct N3.6 trillion from the Federation Account over three years to fund electricity subsidies, with N1.2 trillion earmarked for 2026, 2027, and 2028. The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework shows that the funds will be transferred to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading before revenue distribution to federal, state, and local governments.
The framework represents a shift from the Federal Government bearing electricity subsidy costs alone to spreading the burden across all tiers of government. Budget Office Director-General Tanimu Yakubu said President Bola Tinubu directed that subsidy costs be made explicit, tracked, and fairly shared to avoid hidden liabilities and recurring crises in the power market. The federal government incurred N1.98 trillion in electricity subsidy obligations in 12 months from October 2024 to September 2025, according to Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission reports.
Nigeria attracts $18.2bn in new oil investments, 28 field development plans
Nigeria secured $18.2 billion in oil and gas investments through 28 new field development plans signed in 2025, with an estimated production potential of 1.4 billion barrels. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri disclosed that four of the seven major Final Investment Decisions announced across Africa between 2024 and 2025 were taken in Nigeria.
Lokpobiri attributed the investment surge to the full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, which provided stable fiscal frameworks and predictable contract terms. Project One Million Barrels, launched in October 2024, lifted crude production to between 1.7 million and 1.83 million barrels per day, representing a 20 per cent increase. Active oil rigs jumped from 14 in 2023 to over 60 currently, while completed asset divestments by international oil companies added approximately 200,000 barrels per day to national output.
