Nigeria has raised passport fees again — barely a year after the last hike — deepening concerns about access, mobility, and Nigerians’ place in global citizenship. THE Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) announced that starting 1 September 2025, a standard 32-page Nigerian passport valid for five years will cost ₦100,000, and a 64-page passport with 10-year validity would cost […]
THE considered vote of confidence passed on the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, two notable finance and economy persons, no doubt is a big morale booster to the government. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), recently said Nigeria’s two-year-old reforms are restoring […]
…Want President To Confront Insecurity, Other Domestic Challenges Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi, Convener of the Apostolic Roundtable (ART), has expressed concerns that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s frequent international travels have done little to improve the lives of Nigerians. Speaking with Sunday Independent, the cleric and public affairs commentator argued that while the trips may boost […]
WITH the zoning of its presidential ticket to the South ahead of the 2027 election and preparation to hold a defining national convention this November, it would seem like the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) is back on track. But such assumption, according to pundits, would be hasty as the party braces for the fresh intrigues […]
EVERY month, Bolanle Oyebamji was tormented by her menstrual cycle—waves of pain from her lower back, down her legs, and through a swollen, throbbing pelvis. For the recent graduate of Ekiti State University, periods were more than a biological occurrence; they were a disruptive force that derails daily life. That was until a friend suggested she […]
AT just 10 years old, Ladidi Mudi (not real name) wakes at 5:00 a.m. daily. But unlike children her age who prepare for school, her mornings begin with sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes in the home of a stranger she calls “mummy” in Unguwan Rimi, GRA, Kaduna. Though she lives with her employer, Ladidi worries […]
Sola Shittu delves into the complex realities of unmarried Nigerians, particularly women, as they navigate the often-frustrating search for a life partner. He explores the socioeconomic, religious, and cultural forces contributing to a perceived “marriage squeeze,” where the traditional pathways to matrimony are becoming increasingly challenging. From bustling cities to quieter towns, and within church […]
Four years after the introduction of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), Nigeria is pushing for cheaper and cleaner energy through the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF). With 16 projects between 2024 and 2025, there is a need to sustain momentum to ensure the nation ends gas flaring, provides jobs and turns gas resources […]
SOME bureau de change operators have implicated Abdullahi Rogo, Director-General of Protocol to the Kano State Governor, in a multi-billion-naira corruption scandal now under investigation by Nigeria’s anti-graft agencies: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The operators, in detailed statements given to EFCC and ICPC, […]
THERE’S a lot of hype right now about how intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could replace the considerable loss of African exports to the United States (US) precipitated by the Trump administration’s steep tariff hike. Intra-African trade – which, at about 15–16 per cent of all African trade, is relatively low – […]