Lovers and haters of Nigeria

One character of the Nigerian political leadership that has become entrenched and which has not been in the overall interest of the country since independence in 1960 is the penchant of the leaders to always underrate serious national issues. The…

Federalism and its quaint Nigerian version

It was Professor Dotun Phillips, a development economist then of the University of Ibadan, who in the 1970s theorised a seminal differentiation between growth and development. His analogy of a grown child who critically lacks the possession of the requisite…

Our very own dear country, Nigeria!

I personally do not know what people enjoy about Nigeria or of being part of it. I, however, know many things that people from all over the country do not like and/or are not happy with, about her. Some of…

The economics of COVID19 and its implications for Africa’s Development: A Glimpse

The emergence of COVID-19 from Wuhan, China in December 2019 was declared a global health emergency on January 30 and a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020. The impact of the pandemic was likened to another World War II exposing the fragile healthcare…

The difficulty of doing business in Lagos is driving out tech startups

When East-African motorcycle-hailing startup SafeBoda announced its expansion to Nigeria last year, the initial plan was to launch in Lagos—the major economic hub. But that soon changed. The startup’s proposed expansion came in the thick of regulatory tensions between Lagos’…

Buruji Kashamu (1958 -2020) By Reuben Abati

Buruji Kashamu, Nigerian politician, entrepreneur, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and a controversial public figure, has gone the way of all mortals — one of the high-profile victims of the global scourge called COVID-19 — which has…

Whither the NDDC?

Crude oil or the black gold was first discovered in Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa state in 1956 four years to the nation’s political independence. Some political analysts have opined that if this discovery had come much earlier, the…

Does Burna Boy’s collaboration with Sam Smith absolve him of homophobia?

As Afrobeats continues to trickle into mainstream international music markets and gain a foothold, it has allowed for new, hybrid sounds, collaborations that have unravelled the versatility and adaptability of homegrown artists. Burna Boy has been edging towards this direction…

Eton College: Nigerian author recalls racist abuse

In our series of Letters from Africa, journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani speaks to one of the first African students at the UK’s prestige Eton college about his experience of racism in the 1960s and 70s, and about his views on…

‘I can’t breathe’

Sir: I can’t breathe…why is society so toxic? Why is being a certain colour a death sentence? Is it a crime to be black? Why should people step out of their homes knowing that their lives are being jeopardized; all…