Russia has formally received Nigeria’s newly appointed Ambassador, Joseph Sola Iji, in a ceremony that underscored both nations’ commitment to deepening diplomatic, economic, and strategic cooperation.

The Russian authorities warmly welcomed the Nigerian envoy, reaffirming Moscow’s dedication to strengthening bilateral relations with Abuja across key sectors including energy, agriculture, trade, technology, and security.

During the reception, Russian officials expressed optimism about expanding partnership opportunities, describing Nigeria as a vital player in Africa and a key partner in multilateral forums such as BRICS, where Nigeria holds partner country status.

Ambassador Iji is expected to focus on advancing mutual interests, building on the longstanding diplomatic ties between the two countries, which recently marked 65 years of formal relations.

The development comes as Nigeria continues to diversify its international partnerships under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, seeking enhanced cooperation in areas that support economic growth and national development.

Both sides pledged to work towards concrete outcomes in trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges in the coming months.

• Social media platforms

The United Arab Emirates announced a social media ban for children under 15 on Thursday, joining a growing group of countries including Australia, Britain and Canada to take similar measures.

Social media platforms will have to monitor and disable accounts created by under 15s or risk being blocked, a cabinet resolution said, giving them a 12-month transition period.

“The resolution sets the minimum age for social media use at 15 years,” the official WAM news agency said, citing the cabinet resolution.

“Children below this age are prohibited from creating, using, or operating personal accounts on social media platforms.”

They are also barred from “accessing the full features of such platforms, including social interaction, publishing, commenting, sharing, joining public groups, open channels, or any large-scale interactive spaces”, it said.

Explosions and sustained gunfire were heard early Thursday at the airport and military airbase in Niger’s capital, Niamey, in what a security source described as an apparent attack on the facility.

Witnesses said the first explosions occurred at about 6 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), with sporadic gunfire continuing for nearly two hours afterwards. Security forces reportedly sealed off the area as the incident unfolded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, and a government spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The incident comes months after an Islamic State affiliate operating in the region claimed responsibility for an attack on the same airport in January.

At the time, the group said it had targeted air command headquarters and drone assets, claiming to have “delivered a direct blow” to the Sahel country’s counterinsurgency operations.Niger, alongside its Sahel neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, has faced persistent attacks from jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

The violence has killed thousands of people and displaced millions across the three countries.

According to witnesses, explosions and gunfire echoed across the area on Thursday morning as security personnel moved to secure the facility.

Following the January attack, Niger’s Defence Ministry said militants arrived on motorcycles but were swiftly repelled by security forces. Four soldiers were wounded during the assault. ▼