At least thirty seven dead following gas build-up at Nigerian mine.

At least 37 have died and another 25 have been hospitalised with carbon monoxide poisoning following an incident at a mine in Nigeria on Wednesday 18 February 2025. The mine, at Kampani, near the town of Wase in Plateau State, is a former commercial lead mine which had been re-opened by local artisanal miners. The site has currently been cordoned off by local authorities pending an investigation, and it is possible that further bodies remain underground. The affected miners had been working a night shift at the mine and were discovered by members of the day shift when they entered the mine at 6.30 am local time.

A funeral being held for the victims of an accident at a mine in Plateau State, Nigeria, on 18 February 2026. In accordance with Islamic custom, all of the victims were laid to rest on the day of the incident. The Sun Nigeria.

Artisanal occupations, in which miners from poorer communities occupy sites which have either been decommissioned or mothballed by larger mining companies (decommissioned mines have ceased all operations permanently, whereas mothballed mines are mines which are still considered workable, but where production has been halted for some reason, usually a decease in the value of the mineral being targeted). In these cases local miners extract minerals themselves from the site, typically using traditional hand tools or other low tech approaches. This can be an extremely dangerous activity, as local miners are seldom able to put into place the safety measures a larger company would, and are often working deeper below ground than would otherwise be possible with the tools at their disposal. 

The legal status of such mines makes matters more complicated; law enforcement agencies in some countries are prepared to turn a blind eye to such activities, but the owners of mines, particularly those which have been mothballed, tend to object strongly, placing pressure on law enforcers to arrest and prosecute what they see as illegal miners. This can lead to miners being surreptitious about their activities, and trying to hide them from the local authorities, something which will delay or even prevent rescue operations from being mounted accidents occur.

The approximate location of the 18 February 2026 mining incident. Google Maps.

Carbon monoxide, sometimes known as whitedamp in mines, is typically produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon and/or hydrocarbons, where the oxygen levels are insufficient to produce carbon dioxide. It is dangerous because it does not simply replace the oxygen in the air, as with asphyxiant gasses such as nitrogen, it also binds to the oxygen-receptive sites on the haemoglobin molecule, from where it cannot be removed by normal metabolic processes, thereby removing the victims ability to process oxygen. This means that carbon monoxide becomes hazardous at far lower levels than most other gasses. Since it is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, victims often do not realise they are being poisoned until it is too late. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a common hazard at coal mines, where there is an abundance of raw carbon and a limited supply of oxygen, and can even build up in seams catching miners unaware. However, the Kampani mine produces lead, in an area with a largely igneous terrain and a metals-based mining economy (the town of Wase is noted for the presence of Wase Rock, an exposed volcanic plug forming a pillar-shaped hill) which makes this explanation unlikely. It is possible that the miners were using petrol-fuelled equipment, such as drills, generators, or even ventilators, in an enclosed area with limited oxygen, and that incomplete combustion of fuel led to the formation and build-up of carbon monoxide.

Wase Hill in Plateau State, Nigeria. A former volcanic plug which has remained after the softer outer part of the volcano has been eroded away, it stands 295 m above the surrounding plain of the Benue Rift, and can be seen from 40 km away. Dolapo Moses Apata/Wikimedia Commons.

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Ongoing Diphtheria Crisis affects eight African countries.

Between 1 January and 2 November 2025, 20 412 cases of suspected Diphtheria were recorded across the African continent, with 1252 people believed to have died from the disease (a case fatality ratio of 6%) according to a press release issued by the World Health Organization on 21 November 2025. Eight countries have recorded ongoing epidemics of Diphtheria, Algeria, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and South Africa. Epidemics in some places have been ongoing since 2023, with the disease continuing to spread to new areas. 

In many areas, laboratory confirmation of cases remain the exception rather than the rule, due to a shortage of suitable testing facilities, as well as a shortage of diagnostic equipment. There is also currently a global shortage of Diphtheria Antitoxin, the most effective treatment for the disease, as well as a shortage of suitable facilities for administering the treatment in many areas. Many of the countries affected have extremely fragile healthcare systems, combined with large numbers of displaced persons and in many cases ongoing civil conflicts, leading to a strong possibility of the disease spreading further within the region. This has led the World Health Orgnization to categorise the crisis as a Grade 2 Emergency under the terms of the Emergency Response Framework.

Diphtheria is a highly contagious vaccine-preventable disease caused mainly by the Actinomycete Bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria but also by the related Corynebacterium ulcerans. It spreads between people mainly by direct contact or through the air via respiratory droplets. The disease can affect all age groups; however, unimmunized children are most at risk.

Symptoms often come on gradually, beginning with a sore throat and fever. In severe cases, the Bacteria produce a poison (toxin) that causes a thick grey or white patch at the back of throat. This can block the airways, making it hard to breathe or swallow, and also creates a barking cough. The neck may swell in part due to enlarged lymph nodes.

Treatment involves administering Diphtheria antitoxin as well as antibiotics. Vaccination against Diphtheria has been effective in reducing the mortality and morbidity from Diphtheria dramatically. Diphtheria is fatal in 5-10% of cases, with a higher mortality rate in young children. However, in settings with poor access to Diphtheria antitoxin, the case fatality ratio can be as high as 40%.

Niger is suffering an ongoing Diphtheria epidemic which began in the Zinder Region in November 2022, and which has subsequently spread to the Adadez and Diffa regions, with 34 of the country's 72 districts reporting cases. In 2025, there have been 1926 suspected cases, with 122 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 6.3%), with 765 cases confirmed by laboratory testing. Attempts to combat the outbreak have been hampered by a severe humanitarian crisis, driven by civil conflict, climatic effects, economic breakdown, and a large number of displaced persons, with around 2.6 million people currently reliant upon humanitarian assistance. A vaccination program was initiated in September 2025, with uptake reported to be good, and a second round is being planned.

A woman receives a dose of Diphtheria vaccine in Niger. World Health Organization.

Nigeria has been suffering an ongoing Diphtheria epidemic since December 2022, and has the highest number of cases in Africa. In 2025 till November 2, a total of 12 150 cases were reported (8587 of which have been confirmed by laboratory testing), with 884 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 7.2%). Diphtheria has been reported this year from 240 local government areas in 30 of Nigeria's 36 states. This outbreak is disproportionately affecting children and adolescents, and is being exasperated by a low vaccine take-up rate, with around 71% of the population having received a first dose of vaccine and about 67% having received all three recommended doses. Nigeria is suffering from a shortage of vaccines, a limited ability to carry out laboratory testing, a poor public understanding of Diphtheria, and weak infection control practices.  

A Diphtheria outbreak has been ongoing in Chad since mid 2024, with 4462 cases and 47 deaths reported in 2025 to 2 November, a case fatality ratio of 1.1%. Most of the cases have been among children aged 3-13 years. Chad is currently at the centre of a humanitarian crisis triggered by conflicts in multiple neighbouring countries, as well as political instability within its own borders. It is currently home to 1.4 million refugees, including 870 000 from Sudan, as well as about 300 000 internally displaced people. This makes it hard to assess the vaccination status of much of the population in areas where the outbreak is ongoing.

A patient receiving treatment for Diphtheria at a hospital in Chad. Seigneur Yves Wilikoesse/Medecins Sans Frontieres.

Mali is suffering an ongoing Diphtheria epidemic, which began in the northern part of the country in September 2024, with 430 suspected cases and 29 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 6.7%) in 2025 till 2 November. The epidemic spread significantly during 2025, reaching seven of the country's eleven regions and 30 of 75 districts, including the capital city, Bamako. Mali is currently suffering a complex humanitarian crisis, driven by civil conflict and climate-related disruptions, with 6.4 million people currently reliant on humanitarian assistance. Vaccine uptake is low, with 91% of the population having received a first dose, and only 82% all three recommended doses. The country also has a shortage of Diphtheria Antitoxin, as well as a healthcare system which has been severely overstretched by the multiple crises in the country.

Mauritania is suffering a Diphtheria outbreak which began in September 2024, and has spread to 11 of the country's 53 departments, with 849 suspected cases and 33 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 4%). Mauritania has a fairly high vaccination rate for Diphtheria, with 95% of the population having received a first dose of the vaccine, and 86% having received all three doses, but it is also currently home to a population of 118 000 Malian refugees, with vaccine records only available for about 10% of this population. The epidemic also coincides with an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in the same areas. Efforts to combat these outbreaks has been hampered by poor funding, logistical problems, and a shortage of skilled healthcare workers.

A child receiving treatment for Diphtheria at the Mbaerra Refugee Camp in Mauritania. World Health Organization.

A Diphtheria outbreak began in Guinea in June 2025, with 476 suspected cases and 123 deaths (a case fatality ratio of 25.8%, currently the highest of any affected country). Four of the country's 38 prefectures have been affected, although the outbreak is centred on the gold mining areas of Kankan, particularly in Siguiri District. Only 70 cases have been laboratory confirmed, largely due to a lack of facilities. Guinea also has a low vaccine uptake, with only 77% of the country having had a first vaccine dose, and 63% having received all three recommended doses. The country also has a chronic shortage of Diphtheria Antitoxin, as well as few facilities for treating patients.

Algeria is generally considered to be Diphtheria-free, with a high vaccination rate (98% of the population having received at least one vaccine dose, and 92% having received the recommended three doses). However, in recent years the southern part of the country has become host to a large number of displaced people, fleeing conflict zones in the Sahel Region. In 2024 this area suffered a Diphtheria outbreak in which over 900 people were infected and 119 people died (a case fatality ratio of 13%). A new outbreak was reported in southern Algeria in October 2025, with 13 people infected and two deaths. 

Uniquely among affected countries, the Diphtheria epidemic in South Africa is unrelated to the ongoing crisis in the Sahel Region. The country has a long history of sporadic outbreaks, although these are usually small and quickly contained. The current outbreak, however, first appeared in Western Cape in October 2023, and quickly spread to KwaZulu-Natal, since when it has proven hard to contain. In 2025 till November 2, a total of 106 cases of Diphtheria have been reported in South Africa, all of them laboratory confirmed - a total which includes 37 asymptomatic carriers. The epidemic is still centred on Western Cape, but cases have also been reported in Limpopo, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga. Vaccination cover remains low in South Africa, with 76% of the population having received a first dose and 74% all three doses, and this is believed to be worsening. South Africa is also affected by the global shortage of Diphtheria Antitoxin, as well as a health service stretched by multiple other issues.

Geographical distribution of Diphtheria outbreaks in Africa, January 2025 until 2 November 2025. World Health Organization.

Diphtheria is a recurrent problem in many areas of Africa, with 18 789 cases reported between 2020 and 2022. However, this has become much worse since 2023, with 57 000 cases and about 2000 fatalities reported in 2023 and 2024, across  Algeria, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and South Africa, with Guinea, Niger, and Nigeria being the worst affected. The disease particularly infects children under 15, and females more than males. About 50% of those infected in 2020-24 are thought to have been unvaccinated. 

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The Museum of West African Art Archaeology Project.

The city of Benin in southern Nigeria (not to be confused with the modern Benin) formed the capital of the Kingdom of Benin (or Edo) between about 1200 AD and 1897, when it was sacked and burned by a 'Punitive Expedition' led by Admiral Sir Harry Rawson. Following this event, loot taken from the city was sold by the officers involved to museums across Europe and North America, a group of artefacts known collectively as 'Benin Bronzes' due to the large amount of exquisite bronze-ware among the collections, although the term is used to refer to all looted items from this period, regardless of the material from which they were manufactured.

Gaining the return of these artefacts has been a long term goal for many people in Benin, and indeed Nigeria and the Nigerian diaspora, and many (though not all) western museums have agreed to return objects from their collections. To this end, in 2020 architect Sir David Adjaye was commissioned to design a museum in Benin to house those artefacts, a museum due to open on 11 November 2025, as the Museum of West African Art.

An aerial view of the new Museum of West African Art in Benin, Nigeria. Museum of West African Art.

The museum has been built on a site previously occupied by a hospital built in the 1970s, and before that a police barracks from the early twentieth century. Before this, the area had been a part of the historic Palace Complex of Benin, with the clearing and excavation of this site for foundations creating the opportunity for the first major archaeological excavation in Benin for over 50 years.

To this end, the Museum of West African Art Archaeological Project was set up as a collaborative project between the Museum of West African Art, the British Museum, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, the Cambridge Archaeological Unit, and Wessex Archaeology. This project involved the training and employment of ten early-career Nigerian archaeologists, who were given the opportunity to undertake placements in London, Cambridge and Cyprus, as well as 58 additional fieldwork roles.

In a paper published in the journal Antiquity on 23 October 2025, Caleb Folorunso of the Museum of West African Art and the University of Ibadan, Sam Nixon of the Department of Africa, Oceania and Americas at the British Museum, Segun Opadeji, also of the Museum of West African Art, Abidemi Babalola, also of the Department of Africa, Oceania and Americas at the British Museum, Charles Le Quesne, again of the Museum of West African Art, Anna Adamu of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Marcus Brittain and Matthew Brudenell, of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at the University of Cambridge, and Chris Breeden of Wessex Archaeology, present the initial results of the archaeological work at the Museum of West African Art site.

Wider site context: (a) map of Museum of West African Art  Campus and excavation zones within Benin City; (b) Rainforest Gallery excavations in foreground and Institute building top left. Folorunso et al. (2025).

A series of pits at the site reached a maximum depth of 3.0 m, with straitified cultural layers reaching to depths of between 1.45 and 1.60 m. The oldest radiocarbon dates obtained came from the first millennium AD, although these were below any cultural layer. The main settlement layers begin in the mid fourteenth century, progress through a peak cultural stage in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, recording the palace through to its destruction in 1897, and above this layers associated with the colonial police barracks and post-colonial hospital.

Map showing excavation locations. Folorunso et al. (2025).

The area excavated covered a large portion of the former complex, including the 'wives quarter' or erie, a zone formerly occupied by a number of shrines, as well as a number of other buildings recorded on nineteenth century maps. A number of walls and floors from the earliest phases of occupation were excavated and examined, with final phase, eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings following the same axis as earlier buildings, implying a continuity in urban planning. The wives quarter was surrounded by a substantial earthen wall and a large wooden gate, close to which was a 5 m pit, which may have served as a source of building material.

Plan of structural complex (upper levels) excavated in Area 4 highlighting key areas of interest: (1) & (3) moulded chalk (nzu) arrangements; (2) arranged inverted pots; (4) oven feature and associated pottery; (5) cowries in complete pot; (6) inverted pot; (7) chalk spread; (8) pottery spread and bottles. Folorunso et al. (2025).

The large excavated building contained substantial evidence of ritual activities at the site, including upturned pots, caches of Cowrie shells (also in pots), and moulded chalk arrangements, and is interpreted to have been a shrine. This building also contained over 100 glass bottles, most of which appear to have contained gin, with trade marks such as Africana, Van Hoytema, and Van Marken. These were found alongside Giant Snail shells and quantities of iron, making it likely that they were offerings at a shrine.

Stratigraphy in Area 5: structural levels 1–7 (a)–(c) and work in progress (d)–(e). Folorunso et al. (2025).

The excavations also uncovered evidence of artisanal activity, including pits containing charcoal and traces of metal slag, thought to date from the nineteenth century. Also found were pieces of crucibles and fragments of copper alloys, although these are still under investigation. Over 120 000 pieces of pottery and ceramics were unearthed, including imported glazed wares, although most were of local origin. Other finds included smoking pipes, beads, glass bottles and metal objects. The ceramic fragments appear to represent a sequence, which has the potential to be developed and applied to other sites, although this is also still being worked on. Plant remains include crops such as Oil Palm, Pearl Millet, Cotton, and Foxtail Millet. Many pollen samples have also been collected, which in combination have the potential to shed light on changing agricultural practices and diet over the history of the site.

Selected material culture: (a) metallurgy; (b) other finds. Folorunso et al. (2025).

Post 1897 finds at the site include a European cemetery, believed to have been founded shortly after the fall of the city and now mapped for the first time. A building complex made from mud bricks with mortar, interpreted as a potential early governor's residence, and a cache of colonial era police regalia.

While the window of opportunity for excavations was short, and studies of the excavated material are still ongoing, the Museum of West African Art Archaeology Project is already the most comprehensive archaeological study of the City of Benin, providing new information on all eras including the Kingdom of Benin in the immediate pre-conquest phase and the early colonial period. The project has the potential to greatly improve our understanding of urbanism, architecture, artisanal practice, ritual, trade, diet and the environment of pre-colonial Nigeria. The work has the potential to help establish the Museum of West African Art as a new, world class, research centre.

The Museum of West African Art was due to open on 11 November 2025, however, that opening has now been delayed, following a series of protests at the site on Sunday 9 November. These protests centre around the ownership of artefacts within the museum, many of which were looted by the British military in 1897. Many local people believe that these artefacts should be returned to the Kingdom of Benin, and therefore be placed in the custody of the current traditional ruler of the city, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II (CFR), the Oba of Benin.

Protesters at the Museum of West African Art on Sunday 9 November 2025. Toyin Adedokun/AFP/Getty Images.

The Museum of West African Art is a Federal Nigerian institution, and the protesters felt that, in containing objects they associate with the traditional office of the Oba, the museum was falsely presenting itself as a royal institution. The museum itself insists that it does not own any of the objects within it, but merely acts as a repository, exhibition centre, and place of study. This enables it to hold artefacts which European institutions have only returned on 'permanent loan', as well as exhibitions of art from other countries, or modern artists.

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Thirteen confirmed deaths and many more missing following collapse at gold mine in Zamfara State, Nigeria.

Thirteen people have been confirmed dead and as many as a hundred more may be trapped underground following a collapse at an artisanal gold mine (gold mine dug with traditional hand tools) at the village of Kadauri in Zamfara State, Nigeria, on Thursday 25 September 2025. Fifteen miners have been pulled from the mine alive since the incident, five of whom are reported to be suffering from a variety of injuries. The incident is thought to have been caused by heavy rains associated with the end of the West African Rainy Season, which can cause sediments to liquefy, destabilising mine pits.

The approximate location of the Kadauri Gold Mine. Google Maps.

West Africa has a distinct two season climatic cycle, with a cool dry season during the northern winter when prevalent winds blow from the Sahara to the northeast, and a warm rainy season during the northern summer when prevalent winds blow from the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. These warm winds from the Atlantic are laden with moisture, which can be lost rapidly when the air encounters cooler conditions, such as when it is pushed up to higher altitudes by the Jos Plateau of central Nigeria and Shebshi Mountains on the border with Cameroon.

Rainfall and prevalent winds during the West African dry and rainy seasons. Encyclopaedia Britanica.

Informal artisanal mining is common in many parts of Africa, including Nigeria, which like may other countries has granted concessions to mining companies in areas where small-scale artisanal mining has traditionally helped to supplement the incomes of subsistence farmers. However, little of the money from such projects tends to reach local communities, which often leads to ill feeling and attempts to continue mining clandestinely, often at night or under other unfavourable conditions, which can put the miners at greater risk.

This is particularly problematic in areas such as Zamfara State, which has been badly impacted by the current political instability in the Sahel Region, with militias and bandit groups from both Nigeria and neighbouring states thought to be active in the region. These groups tend to see locally produced gold as a resource with which to fund their campaigns, leading to clashes between local and outside miners, some miners being forced to work in slave-like conditions to satisfy the demands of militia groups, and a general decline in safety in and around mines. Gold mines in Zamfara are also known to contain unusually high levels of lead, which has led to incidents of lead poisoning among miners and mining communities.

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