Travel News

The current heatwave is having a dampening effect on the high street in the capital and across the country, with retail footfall in London registering a 18.1% drop on Monday morning.

Figures from Springboard’s “Back to the Office” benchmark showed that across UK high streets, footfall was down 7.3%. High streets in coastal towns saw a surge of footfall by 9%.

“The extreme heat occurring today and tomorrow was already impacting footfall in UK retail destinations over the period up to 11am on Monday morning. Typically when the weather is hot and sunny, shoppers gravitate to outdoor locations, and so footfall in high streets tends to increase while decreasing in shopping centres,” Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said.

In city centres across the UK footfall was 11.5% lower than last week and 16.1% lower in Central London.

The Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning on Monday and Tuesday for parts of central, northern, eastern and southeastern England.

“People are clearly working at home today as advised, as Springboard's Central London "Back to the Office" benchmark which tracks footfall in areas of Central London that are in close proximity to offices was down by -18.1%," Wehrle said.

"In sharp contrast, footfall in coastal towns across the UK was up by +9% from last Monday.”

“The only parts of the UK where high street footfall rose from last Monday were Scotland (0.6%), Northern Ireland (0.6%) and Wales (3.2%) where temperatures, whilst still hot, are lower than in England.

“As the day progresses and the heat increases, we are anticipating that the gap between footfall in high streets and shopping centres will widen further.”

The UK Health Security Agency issued a level four warning for England, reminding people to take precautions, including staying indoors and drinking plenty of water.

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - A temperature of more than 40C (104F) was provisionally recorded on Tuesday for the first time ever in Britain, the Met Office said.

The Met Office said the temperature of 40.2C was recorded at London Heathrow at 11:50 GMT.

Kano – Authorities in northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state have suspended a traditional chief after he conferred a royal title on a notorious gang leader wanted for deadly raids and kidnappings.

Parts of Nigeria’s northwest and central regions have been hit by heavily armed criminal gangs known as bandits, who loot villages and abduct and kill residents.

The central government has declared bandit militias to be terrorists but the gangs continue to defy the security forces with attacks and kidnappings.

On Saturday, the traditional emir in Zamfara’s Tsafe district sparked controversy by conferring alleged bandit kingpin Adamu Ada Aleru with the title of Sarkin Fulani, meaning a chief of the Fulani people, also called Peuls.

Nigeria’s traditional chiefs and emirs have no political authority, but are widely respected in their areas as custodians of local tradition and Islam. 

The ceremony at the emir’s palace came after an apparent peace deal with Aleru, highlighting the struggle rural communities face in bandit-infested regions.

Hundreds of Aleru’s comrades emerged from their bush hideouts on motorbikes to attend the ceremony, a palace source told AFP. 

The royal title has sparked outrage.

“Crowning a murderer is dancing on the corpses of the victims,” Senator Shehu Sani, a rights activist from the northwest, said in a tweet. 

On Sunday Zamfara state government announced that the emir would be suspended.

“Zamfara State Government has dissociated itself from the alleged turbaning of a Sarkin Fulani by the Emir of Birnin Yandoto of Tsafe Local Government Area,” the government said in a statement that did not mention Aleru. 

“State Executive Governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle has directed for suspension of the Emir with immediate effect.” 

But a spokesman for the emir defended his actions, saying it was done in good faith to ensure peace in his region, which had suffered “unimaginable horror” from bandit attacks. 

“The title conferred on Aleru was to strengthen the existing peace to which he has played a central role,” Magaji Lawwali said.

“Before the peace agreement, we were under siege and our people were being killed and abducted for ransom on daily basis, but all these have stopped.” 

– Revered leader –

Aleru, 45, commands respect among gangs of bandits and controls hundreds of members, say security sources. 

“He is held in reverence by his men for his ruthlessness and is behind attacks in parts of Zamfara and Katsina state,” one said. 

In 2019, police in Katsina placed a five-million-naira ($12,000-) bounty on his head. 

Bandit attacks have continued despite military operations across the vast Rugu forest, which straddles the northwestern states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna as well as central Niger state. 

Governments in the affected states have resorted to various strategies to try to end the violence, including amnesties, outlawing ransom payments and telecom blackouts to break communications between gangs. 

Authorities are also concerned about the growing links between bandits and jihadist groups from the northeast who are making inroads in the northwest-central region.

“People outside have no idea what we are going through and why we support giving Aleru the title,” said Tsafe resident Attahiru Yahaya.

“We live at the mercy of bandits who are well-armed and ruthless, attacking our communities at will without any intervention from the government.”

Yahaya said that since the peace agreement a few months ago, Aleru and his men had not conducted any attacks or kidnappings.

“We will support any move to maintain this,” he said. 

Dana Air says its Abuja-bound Boeing 737 aircraft with registration mark 5N DNA had an emergency landing on Tuesday.

It said that the aircraft had been grounded for immediate attention by engineers.

The airline’s Communication Manager, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa made these known in a statement issued in Lagos.

Ezenwa said that the incident was due to an indication on one of its engines.

He noted that the Pilot-in-command briefed the passengers on the incident and landed the aircraft safely at the Abuja International airport at about 2.52 p.m.

“All the 100 passengers disembarked safely and the aircraft has been grounded for immediate attention by our team of engineers.

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have also been briefed on the incident,” he said.

Ezenwa apologised to passengers on board the flight and reassured customers that the airline would continue to maintain high safety standards. (NAN)

By Chinelo Obogo, Lagos

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has said that the current JetA1, forex scarcity and the closure of the domestic runway (18L) of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, have crippled their ability to continue operations.

In a statement from the spokesperson, Obiora Okonkwo, the AON said the continuous rise in the price of aviation fuel and supply is epileptic and unpredictable at several airports across the country, thereby causing flight delays and cancellations.

The body called on the Federal Government to look critically at the issues raised in the statement as they affect the scarcity and cost of aviation fuel and foreign exchange so as to find ways of ameliorating the problems that are likely to cause a shutdown of the sector.

“The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) would like to notify the general public that the JetA1 crisis which began in late February and deteriorated further through the months of March to May, has further worsened and currently threatening the ability of airlines to continue operations. The price of JetA1 rose suddenly from N200 in December 2021 to over N400 per litre in February. Today the price has skyrocketed to over N800 per litre.

“On top of the continuous rise in the price of Aviation fuel, supply is at best epileptic and unpredictable at several airports across the country thereby causing flight delays, and even cancellations, as airlines queue for fuel at airports across the country.

“Added to the already difficult situation, is the high cost and scarcity of foreign exchange. It is pertinent to note that airlines carry out most of their activities in US dollars which today sells for N630 to $1; and is sadly also, in short supply. To say the least, airlines are in a ‘life and death’ struggle to secure the foreign exchange that they urgently need to acquire spare parts to ensure the regular routine and scheduled maintenance of aircraft. This is a major influence on how quickly a grounded aircraft can be fixed and restored for flight operations, which impacts greatly on the reliability of schedules, growth of the industry and economic growth and sustainability,” AON said.

The body also said the decision taken by the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) at very short notice to airlines has further crippled their operations by causing unsustainable additional operating costs and severely inconveniencing the airlines and passengers.

It said the closure of the main domestic runway of MMA automatically adds an additional 10-15% more fuel costs per sector into and out of the domestic airport in Lagos, based on the additional flight and taxi time incurred as a result.

“The reality of the situation in the industry is exacerbated by the action of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), which in a NOTAM of July 5, 2022, announced the closure of the domestic runway (18L) of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Ikeja, beginning July 8, 2022. The closure is for a period of 90 days.

“In the face of the heavy burden already inflicted on airlines by the worsening Jet A1 crisis, it is most unfortunate that FAAN chose this period to close the runway. The ill-timed and unfortunate decision taken at very short notice to airlines has further crippled air transport operations by causing unsustainable additional operating costs and severely inconveniencing the airlines and passengers.

“The closure of the main domestic runway of MMA automatically adds an additional 10-15% more fuel costs per sector into and out of the domestic airport in Lagos, based on the additional flight and taxi time incurred as a result. The airlines have already felt these additional costs within the first week of the closure of the runway. This unnecessary burden is unsustainable for a 3-month period on the airlines; especially for the fact that the JetA1 crisis has worsened significantly and the situation remains unpredictable.

“Moreover, the additional 30 minutes taxi time to the apron forced on the airlines by the closure of runway 18L impacts negatively on schedule reliability to sunset airports around the country leading to delays and cancellation of late flights to such airports.

“While we welcome the effort by FAAN to install runway lighting on Runway 18L after being delayed for so long, it is pertinent to state that international best practice for such critical airfield infrastructure projects is for the airport operator to enter into discussions with all affected parties, to arrive at an optimal arrangement that allows the work to be done while limiting the inconvenience, economic impact and safety implications on all concerned.

“Going forward, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) wish to use the medium to graciously show appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and leadership of the National Assembly, especially the Committees on Aviation, for their concern, and previous interventions, which led to a mutually beneficial and cost-effective three-month aviation fuel supply window through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). That intervention greatly impacted on the aviation sector and solved what would have been a major national embarrassment.

“However, the issue is yet to be fully and generously resolved. We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to, once again, look critically at the issues raised in the statement as they affect the scarcity and cost of aviation fuel and foreign exchange so as to find ways of ameliorating the problems that are likely to cause a shutdown of this very nationally essential service sector, which had contributed, and continues to contribute, to national economic development through jobs creation, taxes and increased commercial activities,” AON said.

By Anthony Osae-Brown

(Bloomberg) -- The Nigerian central bank’s plan to rein in inflation that’s a at five-and-a-half-year high may prove to be even more difficult after diesel prices tripled in June and show little signs of relenting.

Average diesel prices increased 203% from a year earlier in June to 733.8 naira ($1.74) a liter, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday. That’s the highest level since at least June 2016, its data shows. Diesel prices have risen further to 780 naira a liter this month. 

The statistic office does a monthly survey of fuel prices that are deregulated and used to calculate inflation data. 

The high prices are likely to stoke inflation that the central bank’s monetary policy committee said Tuesday it is focused on quelling as it raised its benchmark interest by 100 basis points. Governor Godwin Emefiele said high levels of price growth has “negative consequences, particularly on the purchasing power of the poor, as well as retarding growth.”

Diesel prices have surged since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Nigerian businesses and most of its population rely on the fuel because of a shortage of power. Poor maintenance and insufficient investment in the transmission network have resulted in only about a third of the country’s installed capacity being dispatched by the grid daily -- a fraction of what’s needed in a nation of more than 200 million people.

Nigeria has moved up three places as its passport is ranked 100th out of 116 countries, but it is still among the least powerful in Africa, the latest 2022 Henley Passport Index shows.

Ghana, Togo, South Africa and 41 other African countries have more powerful passports than Nigeria’s, according to a BusinessDay analysis of the report.

The index published by Henley & Partners, a London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, ranked 199 passports based on the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

A passport is an official travel document issued by a government to its citizens who intend to travel outside the country.

According to the index, Nigeria’s passport only guarantees visa-free access to 46 countries of the world.

Seychelles’ passport is the most powerful in Africa and the 28th in the world. Its passport holders have access to 153 countries without visa payment.

Mauritius’s passport is ranked second in Africa and 33rd globally with access to 146 countries. South Africa is third in Africa and ranked 55th in the world with access to travel to 105 countries. Botswana is ranked fourth in Africa and 65th all over the world with access to 87 countries without paying for a visa.

Read also: Lagos ranked 171 out of 172 liveable cities in the world- EIU

Namibia is ranked 76th in the global ranking and fifth in Africa. Its passport carriers have access to 79 countries. Among the top 10 in Africa are Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania.

The other African countries with better passports than Nigeria include Zambia, Tunisia, The Gambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Benin, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Gabon.

Others are Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Equatorial, Guinea, Guinea, Mali, Togo, Chad, Niger, Algeria, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Liberia, Congo (Rep.), Djibouti and Ethiopia.

Globally, Japan’s passport is ranked as the most powerful in the world as it allows a holder to enter 193 countries around the world.

The African countries with the least powerful passports are Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's response to the increase in migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats is poor and officials are clearly overwhelmed on some days, an independent inspection found in a report published Thursday.

The review by David Neal, the chief inspector of borders and immigration, was among critical reports published this week on the British government's handling of migration.

Authorities have been struggling to cope with increasing numbers of people fleeing countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq to seek asylum and better opportunities in the U.K. Since the start of the year, around 15,100 people have reached British shores after crossing the English Channel — one of the world's busiest shipping lanes — from France in unseaworthy vessels like rubber dinghies. The figure is almost double the 7,735 recorded last summer.

On April 13, 651 people made the crossing in 18 boats — the highest daily total so far this year.

“The volume is unprecedented, and on some days the system is clearly overwhelmed," Neal said.

“Systems, processes and resourcing pathways, which months into the crisis should be routine, codified, auditable and familiar, have been delivered at 'best effort.’ This is not good enough," he added.

Neal described the department's data as “inexcusably awful” and said its security check equipment was "often first generation and unreliable."

The inspector said his report was submitted to Home Secretary Priti Patel in February, and should have been published in April. He said he was “frustrated” by the way the Home Office sat on his findings for months before publishing them on Thursday.

The Home Office said it has accepted all of Neal’s recommendations and it has already changed the way it managed migrants arriving in small boats.

A separate independent report, also published Thursday, said U.K. border officials have been “ineffective” and “possibly counter-productive” in preventing migrants from making small boat journeys to British shores.

That review, by former Australian immigration minister Alexander Downer, said the U.K. Border Force's boats aren't designed for conducting search and rescue operations.

British authorities have been criticized for their increasingly tough measures to try to stop the small boat crossings. In April, the government agreed a controversial deal with Rwanda to deport some migrants who entered the U.K. illegally to the east African country.

The first such deportation flight was scheduled to take off last month, but the plane was grounded after a last-minute intervention from the European Court of Human Rights.

Opponents, including Church of England leaders and the U.N. refugee agency, have condemned the move as immoral and inhumane.

Nigeria’s civil aviation regulator has suspended the operations of Dana Air with immediate effect, citing safety concerns and its financial position.

Dana operates a mixed fleet of Boeing MD-83s and 737s.

But the Nigerian civil aviation authority states that it is suspending the carrier’s air transport licnce and air operator’s certificate with effect from 20 July.

The regulator says it has conducted a recent financial and economic health audit on the airline, the results of which have generated concern.

It says the findings reveal that Dana is “no longer in a position to meet its financial obligations and to conduct safe flight operations”.

Lagos-based Dana had undergone a financial and economic health audit

While the authority acknowledges the “negative effect” on passengers’ travel plans, it states that safety “takes priority over all other considerations”.

The airline states that all its flights have been cancelled owing to an “ongoing operational audit”.

Dana had experienced an incident just a day earlier, on 19 July, when a 737-300 conducted an emergency landing at Abuja after an engine indication.

It says all 100 passengers disembarked safely and the aircraft (5N-DNA) was grounded for inspection.

A flight chartered by the U.K. government, carrying at least 21 people from Nigeria and Ghana, has landed in Lagos, Nigeria. The U.K. has at the same time announced a "major new agreement" with Nigeria to collaborate on migration issues, following similar arrangements with Ghana and Rwanda.

Thirteen Nigerians were removed to Lagos on the June 30 flight, according to the U.K. Home Office, which is responsible for migration issues in the country. The flight then carried on to Ghana, where eight Ghanaians disembarked. The flight is believed to have been operated by Portuguese charter carrier Hi Fly, but the company did not respond to a request to confirm. The Home Office declined to comment.

It is unclear why exactly the people on the plane were deported, though the Home Office described 11 of those removed as "foreign national offenders" and a further 10 as "immigration offenders."

Typically, a deportation order is made when a foreign national is convicted of an offense and sentenced to at least 12 months. These can range from serious crimes, to something as minor as shoplifting or drink driving. The Home Office stated the combined prison sentences for the 11 foreign national offenders was over 64 years, which is around six years on average.

According to a U.K. government minister, over 10,000 people had been deported from the U.K. between January 2019 and May 2022.

Earlier, protestors gathered outside the female-only Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre in northern England, which is run by facilities company Mitie. The protestors demonstrated and shouted pro-refugee slogans as a bus, believed to have been carrying some of the deportees, left the center. Several protestors were arrested, according to a BBC reporter.

It has been reported that among those slated for deportation on the flight were mothers and grandmothers, many of whom had been in the country for decades, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community who had been seeking asylum in the U.K. One gay Nigerian man believed (though not confirmed) to have been on the flight had previously told the Guardian he feared for his life if returned to Nigeria.

The government has repeatedly come under fire for allegedly deporting people to situations where they face grave danger, as well as taking steps to speed up the removal process, which critics say pose "grave human rights violations."

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The U.K. only ever returns individuals to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the courts deem it is safe to do so. All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant caselaw and the latest country information."

Deportations from the U.K. have been increasingly in the spotlight this year since the Home Office announced plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda (though this is separate from the partnerships with Nigeria and Ghana). Initially the plan was believed to be an "offshore processing" system, wherein people would have their asylum claims for the U.K. processed in Rwanda. But it is now understood people will be made to claim asylum in Rwanda itself, with no option to return to the U.K.

The plan has met fierce criticism from human rights organizations including the UNHCR, as well as from British politicians and sectors of British society. In June, the first scheduled flight was cancelled after a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights, though Home Secretary Priti Patel, said the government would not be deterred in their plan and were arranging future flights.