Nigeria’s Middle Class Grapples with Rising Debt Amid Cost-of-Living Crisis The Slow Erosion of a Once-Stable Social Class FOR decades, Nigeria’s middle class represented the country’s economic backbone. Teachers, journalists, civil servants, healthcare workers, bankers, engineers, lecturers and entrepreneurs occupied a social position that allowed them to provide for their families, educate their children, support […]
Recording Police Conduct: Between Public Accountability & Law Enforcement Authority THE increasing use of smartphones has transformed ordinary citizens into real-time observers of public events, including interactions between law enforcement officers and members of the public. Across Nigeria, videos recorded by citizens have frequently documented police checkpoints, arrests, traffic stops and other official activities, often […]
Public Art, National Memory & an Unanswered Mystery THE unexplained disappearance of The Drummer, a monumental sculpture credited to renowned Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu from the former NITEL headquarters in Lagos, has drawn renewed attention to longstanding concerns over the management, documentation and preservation of Nigeria’s public artistic heritage. While unofficial accounts indicate the sculpture […]
The Pattern Behind Nigeria’s Reform Agenda WHENEVER the Federal Government unveils a major reform initiative, the public conversation increasingly shifts beyond the merits of the proposal itself to a more fundamental question: whether the policy will be implemented effectively and sustained beyond the initial announcement. This recurring pattern forms the basis of a commentary examining […]
By AUSTINE OKIEMUTE KPEDI A Renewed Call for Prudence Amid Renewed Tensions AS debates over identity, traditional authority and political influence continue to shape public discourse in the Warri axis of Delta State, a public commentator has appealed to the Itsekiri people, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, and prominent Itsekiri leader, Chief Ayiri Emami, […]
Northern Nigeria Faces Escalating Food Crisis as Hunger Reaches Decade-High Levels NORTHERN Nigeria is confronting one of its most severe humanitarian emergencies in recent years following a warning by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) that more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected states are experiencing acute food insecurity. The latest assessment, released […]
A Symbolic Restoration Amid Broader Budget Cuts A newly awarded federal contract to restore and regild four historic equestrian statues near the Lincoln Memorial has become the latest flashpoint in the debate over the spending priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration. The project, valued at approximately $5 million, involves applying 23.75-karat gold leaf to the […]
Executive-Legislative Rift Escalates in Oshimili North A deepening political crisis within the Oshimili North Local Government Council in Delta State has raised fresh concerns about the independence of local government legislatures, respect for judicial authority and the growing role of security agencies in political disputes. At the centre of the controversy is the Leader of […]
Is Tinubu’s Political Dominance in Lagos Entering a New Phase? Examining the Shifting Dynamics of Power Introduction FOR more than two decades, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has remained the central figure in Lagos politics. Since leaving office as governor in 2007, he has continued to exert enormous influence over the state’s political direction, earning a […]
By ALIYU MUHAMMAD How I See Nigeria’s Economic Transformation Since 2015 Numbers That Tell Their Own Story THERE are moments when statistics speak louder than political speeches. For me, one of those moments begins with the year 2015. When President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan left office, the exchange rate stood at roughly ₦198 to one US dollar, […]