Mayflower School, Ikenne in Ogun State, founded by iconoclastic educationist and political activist, Taiwo “Tai” Solarin and his British wife, Sheila, turns 70 years this month. Those who wonder why the school marks its anniversary, called Mayflower Day, in May…

In Nigeria, and in many countries with underdeveloped economies, the most important periods are the year right before a general election, the year of that election (when the winners emerge), and two years after that election (all the time the…

After weeks of calculations, quiet borrowing, and painful prioritisation, a widow and lecturer II (who preferred anonymity) at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, finally scraped together N30,000, the statutory acceptance fee for her third son, newly admitted into the university…

Two weeks ago, just when the world was still in a jubilant mood after ushering in the new year, Germany was scratched by the cold talons of domestic ecoterrorism. Amid heavy snow in the German capital of Berlin, and temperatures…

The story is told of when in the early 2000s, Vodafone, then the world’s largest telecoms company, commissioned one of the top five global consulting firms to do a report on the viability of coming into the Nigerian market to…

If the Trump administration chooses America First and discriminates against us, why should we do the same to ourselves? I do not want to believe that Tinubu will accept Trump’s prescription on who should benefit from shared health contributions, whether…

Professor Priyamvada Gopal I bring up these developments in Latin America to open a parallax view of two topics in Priya Gopal’s stimulating and forward-looking lecture. The first is the idea from Frantz Fanon about the misadventures of national consciousness…

Tony Elumelu ​Elumelu’s entry into Seplat is more than just a business transaction; it is the manifestation of the Petroleum Industry Act’s (PIA) highest aspirations. As he navigates the complex waters of the energy sector, there is high hope for…

So, who says Nigerian women cannot become governors — and ultimately president? Certainly not history. Certainly not logic. And certainly not competence. What stands in the way is not capacity, but courage: the courage of parties to institutionalise inclusion, the…

Elections are fundamental to democracy but their financial implications are escalating. Between now and 2027, many African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Congo, will hold elections. This is at a time when the rising cost of politics and campaign spending…

When nations grow weary and old formulas collapse, history is often rewritten by credible alliances. When recycled promises become unconvincing, societies search for leadership capable of resetting the political imagination. Nigeria has reached a breaking point, both economically and politically,…

As Nigeria transitions into full election mode for the 2027 general elections, the political temperature is heating up at a scale that puts the country’s democracy under intense pressure. Democratic institutions are struggling to respond to pressures emanating from the…

A colleague recently called my attention to what he described as the increasing rate of death in the country. He spoke about how posts of people mourning their loved ones on social media platforms, especially Facebook, are increasing daily. My…

One day, out of frustration, I decided to take the bull by the horns by writing directly to Tony Elumelu, UBA’s chairman. Don’t ask me how I got his personal email address. I hunted for it. I explained that I…

An online source says, “Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It involves dishonest or illegal acts like bribery, fraud, embezzlement, or nepotism, often by powerful individuals in government, business, or other sectors, to get illicit benefits,…