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By Artem Kovalenko

From the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, disregard for the principles of nuclear safety and security has been a persistent feature of Russia’s misconduct.

In particular, Russia has threatened the safe operation of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, raising the risk of a nuclear emergency whose effects would be felt far from the borders of Ukraine.

Four years ago, on March 4, 2022, Russian military forces attacked and seized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – the largest nuclear plant in Europe (6 reactors, 5,700 MW installed capacity).

Russia turned ZNPP into a military base, disrupted its normal operations, damaged infrastructure, detained plant employees, and restricted access for experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency to critical areas of the plant, making a full and objective safety assessment impossible.

Four years of illegal control pose a direct threat to global nuclear security. For the first time in history, a civilian nuclear facility of this scale is being operated not by its lawful operator, but by an aggressor state.

The Russian Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (“Rostechnadzor”) directly controls the operation of the NPP and has already launched an unlawful modernization of the station’s radiation monitoring systems without the authorization of the legitimate operator (Ukraine) and without compliance with IAEA standards.

On July 1, 2023, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated in an interview with Spanish media: “The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is mined — that is a fact. The IAEA confirms that the Zaporizhzhia plant is mined”.

Russia’s activities at ZNPP constitute a systematic violation of international nuclear law and treaty obligations under the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Convention on Nuclear Safety (1994), and UN General Assembly Resolutions ES-11/1 and ES-11/4.As of June 2026, the ZNPP continues to be a critical unresolved issue within the framework of the peace settlement for the Russia-Ukrainian war.

However, Ukraine and Russia maintain fundamentally different visions regarding the settlement of the Zaporizhzhia NPP issue.

Ukraine is pushing for the total restoration of its sovereign control over the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the demilitarization of Enerhodar, emphasizing that Russia must be entirely barred from the plant’s management.

Only this approach complies with international law and stands as the sole option to eliminate the threat of an illegal restart of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Russia demands the preservation of its operational control over the Zaporizhzhia NPP, alongside the scheduled restarting of the station’s nuclear reactors under its domestic Russian regulatory framework.

However, any attempt to restart the nuclear reactors without full compliance with international safety standards and independent regulatory oversight constitutes a direct threat to nuclear safety.

Meanwhile, the US is proposing its own compromise option: tripartite management (Ukraine-US-Russia, 33/33/33%) with the subsequent distribution of the generated electricity.

However, this scenario remains unacceptable because granting Russia any stake in the ZNPP’s management would de facto legitimize the occupation, representing a direct violation of Ukraine’s national sovereignty.

In response to the US initiative, Ukraine proposes a joint US-Ukrainian management structure for the Zaporizhzhia NPP (50/50%).

Under this model, the American side would distribute 50% of the generated electricity, while Russia would be completely barred from the plant’s management.

This option complies with international law and eliminates the risk of legitimizing the occupation of the ZNPP.At the same time, Ukraine’s core position remains clear: the Zaporizhzhia NPP must be fully demilitarized and returned under Ukrainian sovereign control, as this is the only guarantee of nuclear safety for Europe and the entire world.

To prevent a potential nuclear catastrophe, the international community must publicly support the full return of the Zaporizhzhia NPP under Ukrainian sovereign control, while condemning the illegal modernization of the plant and plans to restart its reactors under Russian licenses.

Concurrently, it is of paramount importance to endorse the expansion of the IAEA mission’s mandate to enable full-scale independent monitoring of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.

In turn, China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear-weapon state bearing special responsibility for maintaining the nuclear non-proliferation regime, must use its diplomatic influence on Russia to halt the illegal actions of “Rostekhnadzor” and prevent the restart of the ZNPP reactors.

Thus, the only path to restoring security in Europe is the complete and immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and personnel from the Zaporizhzhia NPP, its return under Ukrainian control, the release of all unlawfully detained individuals, and increased international pressure, including sanctions against “Rosatom” and “Rostekhnadzor”.

The ZNPP was and remains a Ukrainian facility, and its return is not only a matter of Ukraine’s sovereignty, but also a matter of global security.”Artem, a public relations expert, writes from Kyiv, Ukraine.

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By SonnyAragba-Akpore

With an upgraded number of teams from 32 to 48 as the new normal, the game of Football gets more exciting as FIFA and TikTok announce a partnership that will make viewing the matches seamlessly available via livestream. 30 content creators have also been appointed to document behind-the-scenes activities, ready for streaming.

The partnership between FIFA and TikTok will run until December 2026 in the first instance. This is the first of its kind in football history, making the matches more accessible, with an innovative partnership set to bring millions of fans even closer to the action and excitement at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

TikTok, one of the planet’s most influential and dynamic destinations for mobile video content, will become FIFA’s first-ever Preferred Platform. This will lead to enhanced collaboration and integration, enabling TikTok to offer more comprehensive FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage, including more original content, while becoming the go-to place for fans and creators throughout the tournament.

This first-of-its-kind Preferred Platform agreement builds on the groundbreaking tie-up between FIFA and TikTok for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, which resulted in tens of billions of views. TikTok says that users can access its FIFA World Cup 2026 hubs within the main TikTok app by searching “FIFA World Cup.” These hubs are powered by TikTok Gameplan, a suite of products designed to help sports teams, leagues, and broadcasters increase discovery and deepen fan engagement. “The hub is where users can go to discover content, creators, and broadcaster highlights from the tournament.” The TikTok innovation is happening for the first time at a time FIFA upgraded the number of teams participating in the 2026 World Cup tournaments from 32 to 48 teams spread in 12 groups of 4 teams each.

TikTok last week announced the launch of a new stand-alone app in the United States of America (USA). The app will be dedicated to cultural milestones like the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The new app is named and styled TikTok Pro Events, and “allows users to engage with other fans, explore trending videos, and access curated creator feeds. TikTok says users aged 18 and above can earn “Stars,” “which can be redeemed for exclusive benefits, by completing fan-focused activities within the app, such as searching for trending hashtags, visiting the FIFA World Cup hub, and sharing content.

These exclusive benefits include official FIFA World Cup merchandise through a dedicated in-app redemption store, TikTok Shop coupons, or the opportunity to direct TikTok-funded charitable donations through a partnership with Feeding America. The new concept will elevate access, opportunities and promotion of original content for fans as part of FIFA’s strategy to engage with third-party social platforms. The Partnership will be anchored by TikTok’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ hub and include behind-the-scenes access, a global creator programme and more.

Event’s Media Partners to benefit from additional curated content and live-streaming possibilities. FIFA Secretary General Mattias  Grafstrom was quoted as saying that “FIFA’s goal is to share the exhilaration of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with as many fans as possible, and we can’t think of a better way to further that mission during the biggest event in sports history than to have TikTok as the tournament’s first Preferred Platform,” “This is an innovative and creative collaboration that will connect more fans across the globe to the FIFA World Cup in unprecedented ways, bringing them behind the curtain and closer to the action than ever before. As football grows and evolves – uniting an increasing number of people – so should the way it is shared and promoted.”

​Running until the end of 2026, the partnership also unlocks significant opportunities for official FIFA World Cup 2026 Media Partners on TikTok, including the ability to live-stream parts of matches, post more curated clips and access special content produced by FIFA for TikTok.  Broadcasters will also be able to monetise their FIFA World Cup™ coverage through TikTok’s premium advertising solutions. Finally, TikTok will implement anti-piracy policies that support and protect FIFA’s intellectual property.

The Preferred Platform partnership will be anchored by TikTok’s immersive FIFA World Cup 2026 hub, a bustling nexus powered by TikTok Gameplan that will enable fans to discover engaging content that brings the 48-team tournament to life alongside match ticket and viewing information, as well as participation incentives like custom stickers, filters and gamification features. For the first time, FIFA and TikTok will build a robust creator programme that will provide a select group of global TikTok creators with game-changing access to incredible behind-the-scenes moments such as press conferences and training sessions- and, in the process, give fans unique, relatable perspectives on the FIFA World Cup experience on TikTok.

Additionally, a wide group of creators will receive the opportunity to use and co-create FIFA archival footage. “Football has experienced explosive global growth on TikTok over the past few years, and as FIFA’s first-ever Preferred Platform, we’re excited for fans to experience the FIFA World Cup 2026 beyond the 90 minutes, with exclusive content and unprecedented creator access,” said James Stafford, Global Head of Content, TikTok. During this World Cup, TikTok users will experience a dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 Hub featuring custom stickers, gamification, and behind-the-scenes content from 30 global Creator Correspondents.

Fans can also track live conversations and trending clips on the newly launched TikTok Pro Events standalone app. The tournament, taking place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 host cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico, brings a major shift in how fans follow soccer online. Key features and experiences users will encounter on TikTok include the Main App Hub is accessible by searching “FIFA World Cup, this nexus is powered by TikTok Gameplan. It aggregates official match schedules, ticket information, viewing details, and user-generated content. A standalone app built specifically for US users aged 18+ to track live conversations and participate in fan activities to earn in-app rewards like “Stars”.

FIFA and TikTok selected a global team of 30 content creators to provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access to press conferences, training sessions, and the fan experience. Creators and fans will gain access to co-create content using historical FIFA archive footage.

Despite the prospects of innovation, Tok has received queries on how it is protecting the data of Americans. For instance, on May 29, 2026, U.S. Democratic Senator Ed Markey formally asked TikTok’s newly ​formed U.S. joint venture and cloud computing giant Oracle(ORCL.N) to open a new tab to explain how they ‌are protecting the personal data of American users and preventing foreign entities from influencing which videos American users are shown on the app.

The move comes four months after TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, finalised a ​deal to transfer control of the app’s U.S. user data and operations to the ​joint venture TikTok USDS in a bid to avoid a government ban on ⁠the platform, which is used by more than 200 million Americans.

“The divestment deal has ​left Congress and the American people rightfully wondering whether President Trump’s TikTok deal is a ​national security risk,” Markey said in letters to Oracle and TikTok USDS. Oracle is one of TikTok USDS JV’s three managing investors. In January, TikTok said the venture will retrain, test and update TikTok’s content recommendation ​algorithm on U.S. user data, and the algorithm will be secured in Oracle’s U.S. ​cloud.

TikTok USDS, Oracle and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lawmakers have expressed frustration ‌with ⁠the lack of details about the transaction but have yet to hold any hearings. President Donald Trump opted not to enforce a law passed in April 2024 requiring ByteDance to sell its U.S. assets by the following January or face a ban – a measure upheld by ​the Supreme Court.

ByteDance said ​TikTok USDS Joint ⁠Venture LLC will protect U.S. user data, apps and algorithms through data privacy and cybersecurity measures. It has disclosed few details about the divestiture. Markey asked ​Oracle and TikTok USDS to release details on “how they are protecting ​against national ⁠security risks, including potential Chinese-driven algorithmic manipulation.” He also urged Oracle to detail its contractual terms for the review of the underlying ByteDance source code.

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By Dr Austin Maho

A recent article published by Farooq A. Kperogi in his sydicated weekly column , titled : “How Chinese Miners Fuel Nigeria’s Terrorist Banditry”, raises an urgent question: What is the nexus between illegal mining and Nigeria’s security challenges?

It is a discussion Nigerians must have. However, going through the article, it quickly narrows into a familiar pattern: “Chinese miners fuel banditry”. The evidence cited does not support that causal leap. Worse, the framing obscures the real drivers of violence, ignores Chinese victims of the same crisis, and recycles a geopolitical cliche that paints Chinese investment as uniquely predatory. Nigerians deserve to know the truth, not creating a foreign bogeyman to wish away a national crisis.

Blaming “Chinese miners” oversimplifies a complex crisis and risks xenophobic scapegoating of innocent foreigners.

1. Illegal mining is a symptom, not the disease. Banditry predates Chinese presence. Kperogi himself concedes that “illegal mining is not the sole driver of Nigeria’s insecurity.” That caveat should be the headline, not a footnote. Banditry in Zamfara exploded between 2011-2014, long before Chinese-linked companies became visible in the area. The 2019 Zamfara mining ban was imposed because bandit attacks were already rampant, not the other way around.

The roots are well documented: decades of state neglect, collapsed agricultural livelihoods, farmer-herder clashes exacerbated by climate stress, proliferation of small arms after Libya’s collapse, and the hollowing out of traditional conflict-resolution systems. In Niger State’s Shiroro LGA, communities were displaced by terrorists like Dogo Gide and ISWAP before any foreign company showed up. Mining did not create the terror. Terror created ungoverned space, and all kinds of actors local, foreign, criminal rushed into the vacuum.

To say Chinese miners “fuel” banditry reverses cause and effect. As Engr. Adamu Garba Musa asked: “If bandits are disturbing people, how come the company is working successfully?” The answer is grim but obvious: companies survive by paying what villagers cannot – protection levies, extortion, coercion, shakedown or their investments goes up in flames. This is not sponsorship. Conflating the two criminalizes victims of coercion.

2. Chinese nationals are victims, not masterminds, of kidnapping and banditry.

If Chinese-linked firms were financing bandits, why are Chinese citizens routinely kidnapped by those same bandits? The record is public:

June 2022 : Four Chinese workers abducted for ransom at a mining site in Shiroro, Niger State.

January 2023: Two Chinese nationals kidnapped in Ogun State. One police officer killed during the attack.

October 2023: Three Chinese expatriates taken in Osun State; millions allegedly paid for release.

March 2024 : A Chinese engineer abducted in Zamfara. Local police confirmed bandits demanded N100m.

August 2025: 2. Two Chinese miners killed in Kaduna when bandits attacked their site.

These are not isolated. The Chinese Embassy in Abuja has repeatedly issued security alerts and, in February 2026, called allegations of terror financing “completely baseless” while reaffirming “zero tolerance” policy toward its companies or citizens engaging in illegal mining abroad. It urged Chinese firms operating in Nigeria to strictly comply with Nigerian laws and regulations, and said the Chinese government supports legal enforcement by the Nigerian government against any individual or entity found violating those laws.

The statement also pushed back on narratives linking Chinese miners to banditry, noting that Chinese citizens have themselves been frequent victims of kidnapping and violent attacks at mining sites across Nigeria. The embassy called for objective, fact-based reporting rather than generalizations that stigmatize foreign investors. It reaffirmed China’s commitment to working with Nigerian authorities to promote lawful, orderly mining cooperation and to jointly safeguard security, adding that Beijing is willing to cooperate with Nigerian investigations and take action against any Chinese nationals proven to be involved in illegal activities.

No businessman kidnaps his own assets. The pattern is clear: Chinese firms, like Nigerian ones, operate in high-risk zones because minerals are there. They hire security, pay levies under duress, and sometimes lose staff. That makes them victims of state failure, not authors of it.

3. Narrowing it down to the “Chinese” label hides a Nigerian problem: elite complicity and regulatory failure

Every credible report Kperogi cites names the same prime mover: “politically connected Nigerians.” Dr. Maurice Ogbonnaya’s ISS work indicts “politically connected Nigerians”. The ENACT brief blames “Nigerians in high positions of authority”. The WikkiTimes investigation references licenses held by Nigerian companies, Eso Terra Investment Limited and Majelo Global Resources Limited.

In Nigeria’s mining sector, foreigners cannot hold titles directly. They partner with Nigerian license holders, who handle community relations, security, and politics. When WikkiTimes reports that “bandits were paid N3 million every week”, the question is: who negotiated that? Who knew the Dogo Gide faction’s account number? The fixers, facilitators, and profit-sharers are Nigerian. Chinese are mainly hired hands in the mines to provide their technical expertise and financing. Yet the headline becomes “Chinese Miners.” This is how structural corruption is laundered into ethnic outsourcing. We fire the cook and keep the menu.

4. “80% illegal” does not equal “80% Chinese”. The NEITI/ANEEJ report cited by Reuters says 80% of mining in the Northwest is illegal. It does not say 80% is Chinese. Artisanal and small-scale mining in Nigeria employs 500,000+ Nigerians, per the Ministry of Solid Minerals. They dig without licenses, sell to middlemen, and pay local chiefs. Chinese buyers are part of a long chain that includes Lebanese, Indian, Nigerian, and Togolese traders. Singling out one nationality distorts the narrative, and leads to ethnic profiling.

Moreover, the same ministry Kperogi credits for reform has licensed Chinese firms that do operate legally. Examples abound: Segilola Gold in Osun, Ganfeng Lithium in Nasarawa, and others are publicly listed, pay taxes, royalties, and publish ESG reports. In February 2026, the ministry announced 388 new mineral buying centers to formalize trade. Many Chinese buyers have registered. The government’s own data shows a move toward compliance, not a conspiracy.

5. The geopolitical context: who benefits when “China” is the villain? Kperogi’s piece lands in a crowded media ecosystem where “China in Africa” is shorthand for exploitation. Western outlets have run dozens of stories on Chinese illegal mining in Ghana, Zimbabwe, and DRC. Some are factual; many are thinly sourced. The pattern is to frame China as a unitary actor – “China” mines, “China” bribes, “China” funds terror – while Western firms are “companies” and Nigerian elites are “collaborators.”

That framing has costs. In 2023, a viral rumor that “Chinese miners were arming bandits” triggered attacks on Chinese workers in Zamfara. In 2024, the House of Reps had to debunk claims that Chinese firms were importing weapons. Narrative has body counts. Nigeria should not be a proxy in great-power competition. Our security analysis must be evidence-led, not geopolitics led. If a Canadian or Australian firm paid bandits to access a site, we would call it what it is: corporate criminality under duress. We would not indict Canada.

6. What a serious policy response looks like – without xenophobia. Kperogi ends with six proposals. Most are sound. But they will fail if built on a faulty diagnosis. Here’s a refined version:

1. Map the entire value chain, not just the foreign face. Publish beneficial owners, yes including Nigerian PEPs. Name the local chiefs who collect surface rents, the DSS officers who escort minerals, the customs agents who clear containers.

2. Traceability must be nationality blind. Blockchain or paper, the standard should apply to every buyer: Chinese, Lebanese, Nigerian. The 388 buying centers are a start. Expand them.

3. Prosecute the extorted and the extorter differently. A company that reports bandit levies to NSA should be treated as a witness, not a sponsor. Create a safe harbor for firms that disclose payments under duress. That dries up terror financing faster than arrests.

4. Secure mines the way we secure oil facilities. The reason bandits don’t tax oil fields is the Joint Task Force. The Mining Marshals arresting 350+ people is progress. Scale it, and embed military cover for legal sites.

5. Diplomacy, not demagoguery. China has leverage over its nationals. In 2024, Beijing blacklisted 3 firms caught in Ghana’s galamsey. Nigeria should give the Chinese Embassy a docket of allegations and demand action. Public shaming without due process just drives illegality underground.

6. Fix the livelihood crisis. Banditry pays because farming doesn’t. No amount of mining reform will work if 70% of Zamfara youth are jobless. Formalize artisanal miners into cooperatives, as Alake suggests. Give them equipment, not just arrests.

Nigeria’s minerals should be a blessing. Today they are a curse. But the curse is not Mandarin. It is impunity. It is the governor who takes a cut, the general who sells a license, the chief who rents his forest, and the bandit who taxes everyone.

Chinese firms that break the law should face the law. So should Nigerian firms. So should the officials who enable them. But to suggest that “Chinese miners fuel banditry” is to substitute a slogan for a strategy. It tells villagers in Shiroro that their enemy is a foreigner, not the governance void that left them defenseless.

Many Chinese nationals have been kidnapped, killed, and extorted in this crisis. They want what Nigerians want: roads without ambushes, sites without levies, contracts without bribes. An enabling environment for legal business is not a Chinese demand. It is a Nigerian right.

We should listen to Prof. Tade Aina and dig deeper. But let’s dig for the truth, not for a scapegoat. Banditry will end when the Nigerian state returns, with laws, with force, and with legitimacy. No embassy, East or West, can do that for us.

Dr Austin Maho is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and publisher of Daybreak Nigeria