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TWN NEWS
WEEKLY EDITION
Week Ending: Saturday, 29 March 2026
Palm Sunday Edition | Lagos, Nigeria
Palm Sunday Edition | Lagos, Nigeria
🌿 Happy Palm Sunday! TWN News wishes all our readers and their families a blessed and reflective Palm Sunday. May this holy season bring peace, renewal and joy to every household. 🌿
■ Nigeria's Premier Weekly News Digest
Sunday, 29 March 2026 | Lagos Time (WAT)
📰
Top Stories — 23 to 29 March 2026
News Roundup
💰 Economy & Capital Flows
01
Nigeria's Capital Inflows Nearly Double to $23.22bn in 2025 — A Sign of Investor Confidence
In a striking sign of returning investor confidence, Nigeria's total capital inflows surged by nearly 90% in 2025 to reach $23.22 billion, up from $12.32 billion in 2024. The bulk of the inflow — approximately 85% — was driven by foreign portfolio investment, which climbed to $19.74 billion. Money-market instruments attracted $13.83 billion, bonds saw a near-fivefold jump to $4.89 billion, and equity portfolio investment rose to $2.10 billion. Foreign direct investment also improved modestly to $923 million from $675 million. Analysts caution that while the data underscores a renewed appetite for Nigerian assets, most of the capital is yield-seeking rather than long-term productive investment, leaving the economy somewhat exposed to global financial shifts. Still, the numbers represent the clearest endorsement yet of the Tinubu administration's economic reform programme.
🏦 Banking & Forex
02
Naira Stabilises Near ₦1,357/$; CBN Targets Single-Digit Inflation by Year-End
The Nigerian Naira traded at approximately ₦1,356.74 per US Dollar in the official window this week, holding steady amid the CBN's tightened monetary posture. External reserves hovered around $50 billion, supported by oil production levels of 1.46 million barrels per day and higher global crude prices. CBN Governor Cardoso confirmed that 32 banks have now met the new recapitalisation thresholds ahead of the March 31 deadline — a major banking milestone. The CBN has simultaneously set a medium-term inflation target of 6–9%, as analysts at WorldStage forecast headline inflation cooling to 12.94% by year-end, down from the current 15.06%. Meanwhile, the CBN restricted banking services for chronic loan defaulters and expanded IOC forex repatriation rights to 100% to deepen forex inflows.
⚡ Energy & Infrastructure
03
Power Crisis Costs Nigeria ₦40 Trillion Annually — But Reform Drive Attracts $2bn in Fresh Investment
The Nigerian Independent System Operator revealed this week that the country's chronic power crisis costs the economy an estimated ₦40 trillion ($29 billion) every year — a stark reminder of the urgency behind ongoing power sector reforms. On the positive side, the same reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda have already attracted $2 billion in fresh investments and improved generation capacity. In a significant policy shift, President Tinubu expanded the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative to include electric vehicles, aiming to create affordable, clean mobility options backed by new infrastructure and financing frameworks. NERC also inaugurated a new Forum of Nigerian Electricity Regulators this week to align federal and state-level rules and prevent regulatory arbitrage, a key step toward a coherent national energy policy. The Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport upgrade plan of ₦712 billion was tabled before stakeholders, with private sector participation being central to the proposal.
🛢️ Oil & Gas
04
Gas Exports Hit $10.51bn in 2025, Up 21%; Dangote Cuts Petrol Gantry Price to ₦1,200/Litre
Nigeria recorded a 21% growth in gas exports in 2025, rising to $10.51 billion from $8.66 billion the previous year — a boost largely credited to expanded LNG capacity and stronger global demand driven partly by the US-Iran conflict's disruption of Middle East supplies. The Dangote Refinery reduced its petrol gantry price to ₦1,200 per litre this week, putting further pressure on the NNPC and private importers. ExxonMobil affiliate EEPNL also broke ground on a permanent Shore Base facility, signalling deepening private sector commitment to Nigeria's upstream sector. The NUPRC signed a new Petroleum Exploration Licence with SeaSeis Geophysical for 3D seismic data acquisition in the Niger Delta, the first such licence in three years for offshore exploration in that region. Brent Crude held above $100 per barrel, boosting Nigeria's fiscal outlook beyond its $64.85 budget benchmark.
📊 NGX Markets
05
NGX Crosses 200,000 Mark for First Time — But Ends Week Slightly Lower at 200,913
In a landmark moment for Nigerian equities, the NGX All-Share Index breached the 200,000-point level for the first time in its history this week, briefly touching 200,957.89 on Thursday before closing the week at 200,913.06 — a marginal weekly decline of 0.12% but a year-to-date gain of 29.11%. Market capitalisation stood at ₦128.97 trillion. Total weekly turnover was 3.95 billion shares worth ₦201.31 billion across 359,642 deals, led by the Financial Services sector (72.94% of volume). Top weekly gainers included Wema Bank, Access Holdings, and UBA. The Insurance, Oil & Gas, and Growth indices all recorded gains of over 1.93% and 2.31% respectively. The ICT sector has emerged as a structural market force in 2026, with E-Tranzact's market capitalisation nearly doubling in 12 months. Analysts at Meristem Securities noted investors are moving with urgency to lock in equity positions as fixed-income yields trend lower.
🧬 DEEP DIVE — AI & THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE
06
How DeepMind, Med-Gemini & AI Are Conquering Diseases That Once Defeated Medicine
AlphaFold: Cracking the Code of Life
For 50 years, determining the 3D shape of a protein — the building block of all life and disease — took scientists months or years of painstaking laboratory work. Google DeepMind's AlphaFold solved this problem with artificial intelligence, predicting the structure of over 200 million proteins with remarkable accuracy. This breakthrough is now directly accelerating research into malaria vaccines, tuberculosis treatments, antibiotic resistance, and cancer therapies. What once took a decade in a lab now takes minutes on a computer. Isomorphic Labs, the spinout built on AlphaFold, is applying this technology to drug discovery across small molecules, biologics, and other modalities — with an ambition to one day solve all disease using AI.
48-Hour Early Warning: Predicting Kidney Failure Before It Strikes
In one of its most remarkable healthcare breakthroughs, DeepMind demonstrated that AI can predict Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) — a leading cause of avoidable patient deaths — up to 48 hours before it would otherwise be detected. Working with the US Department of Veterans Affairs on one of the world's most comprehensive electronic health record datasets, the model correctly predicted 9 out of 10 patients whose condition deteriorated to the point of requiring dialysis. The system has been deployed via DeepMind's Streams app in NHS hospitals, transforming kidney care from reactive to preventative. Clinicians report saving hours per day and catching life-threatening conditions before irreversible damage sets in.
Eye Disease & Breast Cancer: AI Sees What Human Eyes Miss
DeepMind's retinal scan AI achieved a 94% correct referral rate across 50+ eye disorders — matching the performance of specialists with 20 years of experience — and processes each scan in under 30 seconds. This matters enormously in countries like Nigeria where specialist shortages leave millions vulnerable to preventable blindness. The same technology has been scaled globally: Google's diabetic retinopathy screening model has provided over one million screenings in India, Thailand and Australia, delivering diagnoses in as little as two minutes. Separately, Google DeepMind's breast cancer AI, published in Nature Cancer, identified 25% of "interval cancers" that were previously missed in routine screenings — cases that typically only surface after symptoms appear and are far harder to treat.
Med-Gemini: The AI Doctor Scoring 91% on Medical Exams
Google Research and DeepMind's Med-Gemini is a multimodal clinical AI trained natively on medical data — X-rays, MRIs, lab results, genomic data, and the full text of a patient's health history — simultaneously. It scored 91.1% on the MedQA benchmark (the US medical licensing exam standard), outperforming all prior models. Its AMIE research system — which can take a medical history, ask diagnostic questions, and suggest treatment — demonstrated superior diagnostic accuracy compared to human physicians in structured evaluations. By 2026, nearly 90% of hospitals globally are projected to have adopted AI-driven diagnostics and remote monitoring. For Africa, this means a future where specialist-level diagnosis can reach communities where no specialist has ever set foot.
What This Means for Nigeria & Africa
Nigeria finalised its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy this week, seeking legislative approval to become Africa's leading AI hub by 2030. With a doctor-to-patient ratio of roughly 1 per 2,500 people, AI-driven diagnostics represent not a luxury but a lifeline for millions of Nigerians. The same tools detecting breast cancer in London can screen for cervical cancer in Kano, identify tuberculosis in a chest X-ray in Enugu, or flag early-stage diabetes in Lagos — at near-zero marginal cost. The barrier is not technology but infrastructure, data quality, and policy. As Nigeria builds its AI strategy, the health sector must be at the centre of that ambition.
🏥 Health
07
Surging Food Prices Become a Public Health Emergency as Protein Costs Spiral
A surge in food prices across Nigeria is morphing into a public health emergency, as double-digit inflation on essential proteins — including eggs, beans, and fish — pushes millions toward nutritional deficiency. Health professionals are raising alarms about the long-term consequences, particularly for children and pregnant women. The cost of food in Abuja's major markets rose sharply this week, attributed to elevated fuel costs cascading through the supply chain. Workers like Yemi Dairo in Lekki now sleep at their offices to cut transport costs — a vivid illustration of how the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping daily life. The FG was urged to fast-track its agricultural intervention programmes and food supply chain reforms to prevent the crisis from deepening.
🏆 Sports
08
Osimhen Surgery Confirmed; Super Eagles File CAS Appeal Over World Cup Exclusion
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen successfully underwent surgery this week on a fractured right forearm sustained in Galatasaray's UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool. Specialists estimate a 3–5 month recovery, casting doubt over his participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup — even if Nigeria's ongoing legal challenge at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) succeeds. The Super Eagles are challenging DR Congo's alleged use of dual-nationality players who had not completed the legal process of renouncing their European passports before representing DR Congo during World Cup qualification. FIFA's Disciplinary Committee rejected the complaint, but Nigeria has escalated to CAS, with a deadline looming before DR Congo's intercontinental playoff on March 31. Nigeria's wheelchair basketball team is set for Commonwealth Games qualifiers in Angola, and Nigerian striker Terem Moffi impressed for FC Porto in La Liga. President Tinubu highlighted Nigerian talents — including Bukayo Saka, Anthony Joshua, and Eberechi Eze — during his address to King Charles III on the UK State Visit, underscoring the global reach of the Nigerian sporting brand.
🌐 Nigeria & the World
09
UK-Nigeria Sign Three Landmark Agreements During Tinubu's State Visit; Cardoso Warns on Middle East Risk
Nigeria and the United Kingdom this week signed three significant agreements covering migration management, border security, and bilateral trade during President Tinubu's State Visit to London. The visit, which included an audience with King Charles III, positioned Nigeria as a key UK strategic partner in West Africa. CBN Governor Cardoso, however, struck a cautionary note, warning that the escalating Middle East conflict — particularly the US-Iran standoff — poses a significant risk to Nigeria's economy through oil market volatility and import cost inflation. African central banks, including Nigeria's, paused rate-cut cycles in response to the global uncertainty. On trade, Nigeria's import bill from Europe fell by ₦5.36 trillion in 2025 even as total imports rose, reflecting the growing impact of the Dangote Refinery on reducing refined product imports.
🤖 Technology & Policy
10
Nigeria Finalises National AI Strategy, Targets African Leadership by 2030
Nigeria finalised its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy this week, now awaiting legislative approval. The strategy targets making Nigeria a global AI hub by 2030, built on five pillars: digital infrastructure, talent development, data governance, ethical AI deployment, and innovation ecosystems. The NCC simultaneously announced a new Telecoms Identity Risk Management System to combat SIM fraud and protect the growing digital economy. GDP projections of 4.4–4.49% for 2026 from the IMF and domestic economists reflect cautious optimism, with the WorldStage Macroeconomic Outlook describing Nigeria as "turning the corner." SMEs, however, remain under severe pressure, with many micro-businesses in Lagos and Abuja reporting the toughest consumer environment in five years as high interest rates dampen demand.
🌱
Food for Thought
Weekly Reflection
Wanting Less — and Finding Everything
There is a quiet revolution that does not make headlines, does not trend on social media, and is never announced from a podium. It is the revolution of a person who decides — finally — that enough is enough. Not in the sense of defeat, but in the most liberating sense: I have enough. I am enough.
We live in an age of relentless wanting. Every advertisement, every scroll, every comparison tells us we are lacking — that happiness sits just beyond the next purchase, the next promotion, the next milestone. And yet, surveys of human wellbeing consistently show that beyond a threshold of basic comfort, additional wealth contributes remarkably little to genuine happiness or life satisfaction. The greatest poverty, it turns out, is not the absence of money. It is the absence of meaning, of connection, of community.
What if, as a society, we redirected our collective energy toward meeting true needs — not manufactured desires? True needs are universal and finite: clean water, nutritious food, safe shelter, quality healthcare, education, love, dignity, and belonging. They are the same in Lagos as in London, in Kano as in Kyoto. Once these needs are genuinely met for all, something extraordinary happens: we discover we do not need the rest nearly as much as we thought we did. And in that space — that relieved, open, grateful space — we find room to give, to care, to build community, to love more freely.
A community that is not anxious about survival is a community that can afford generosity. A world that is not exhausted by the pursuit of excess is a world that can listen, connect, and create together. This is not idealism. It is mathematics: when basic needs are universally met, the return on human cooperation and creativity compounds in ways no individual accumulation of wealth ever could.
We do not need to want less of life. We need to want less of the things that distract us from truly living it.
We live in an age of relentless wanting. Every advertisement, every scroll, every comparison tells us we are lacking — that happiness sits just beyond the next purchase, the next promotion, the next milestone. And yet, surveys of human wellbeing consistently show that beyond a threshold of basic comfort, additional wealth contributes remarkably little to genuine happiness or life satisfaction. The greatest poverty, it turns out, is not the absence of money. It is the absence of meaning, of connection, of community.
What if, as a society, we redirected our collective energy toward meeting true needs — not manufactured desires? True needs are universal and finite: clean water, nutritious food, safe shelter, quality healthcare, education, love, dignity, and belonging. They are the same in Lagos as in London, in Kano as in Kyoto. Once these needs are genuinely met for all, something extraordinary happens: we discover we do not need the rest nearly as much as we thought we did. And in that space — that relieved, open, grateful space — we find room to give, to care, to build community, to love more freely.
A community that is not anxious about survival is a community that can afford generosity. A world that is not exhausted by the pursuit of excess is a world that can listen, connect, and create together. This is not idealism. It is mathematics: when basic needs are universally met, the return on human cooperation and creativity compounds in ways no individual accumulation of wealth ever could.
We do not need to want less of life. We need to want less of the things that distract us from truly living it.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about."
— Rumi, 13th Century Persian Poet & Mystic
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. It always seems impossible until it is done."
— Nelson Mandela
"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'Universe.' He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
— Albert Einstein
This week, TWN News invites you to sit with one question: What would I do differently if I were no longer afraid of not having enough?
The answer to that question may be where your truest life begins.
The answer to that question may be where your truest life begins.
TWN
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