By JULIET EKANEM FROM its parades of election banners to the pomp of state inaugurals, Nigeria presents itself as a democracy. Yet peel back the layers, and what emerges is something far darker: a kleptocracy built on the laws of appearance, not justice. Defining the Kleptocracy A true democracy is one in which power both […]
By NJORIGE LYNUS FOR decades, Nigeria’s political class has been dogged by one recurring scandal: certificate forgery. From governors to ministers, senators to presidents, the allegations cut across party lines, generations, and governments. Recent revelations about Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, have once again pulled the issue into public view—reviving questions about […]
By DAVID JOHN-FLUKE WHEN U.S. Senator Ted Cruz stood before Congress last week to introduce the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, his message was clear — and damning. He accused the Nigerian government of enabling what he described as the “systematic extermination of Christians.” The Texas senator’s speech, later echoed on his podcast […]
By STELLA JOHNSON OGBOVOVEH EVERY basket of tomatoes, every bag of rice, and every tuber of yam that reaches Nigerian markets carries an invisible tax — a toll extracted not by law, but by corruption. Across the nation’s highways, truck drivers ferrying food items are bled dry at countless checkpoints manned by police, soldiers, road […]
By ANDERSON (ANDY) CLIFF MARIA Corina Machado, a leading figure in Venezuela’s fight for democracy, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Her win is not just a personal honor — it is a message of hope for millions in Venezuela and around the world who seek freedom and justice. A Lifelong Advocate for […]
By HAUWA MAGANA NIGERIA’S latest ranking as the country with the lowest life expectancy in the world is not just another statistic — it is a national indictment. The 2025 United Nations global health report places the nation’s average life expectancy at 54.9 years, a figure that underscores decades of policy failure, systemic neglect, and […]
By TIMOTHY HAGGERTY-NWOKOLO IN international politics, nothing ever “just happens.” Every conflict, coup, and crisis often fits into a well-worn pattern — one that begins with a problem, escalates into chaos, and ends with a “solution” that benefits everyone except the people on the ground. Across Africa, that script appears to be replaying itself once […]
By MELVIN KOFFA ACROSS Nigeria, governors are facing growing public anger and scrutiny — not because of a lack of funds, but because of what analysts describe as a lack of vision, accountability, and willpower to translate the ongoing revenue windfall into real progress. Over the past year, allocations to states from the Federation Account […]
By AUGUSTINA McSOLOMON-OGHAKPERUO AT first glance, the Makurdi Ultra Modern International Market still bears traces of its former life—a grid of empty stalls, fading signboards, and abandoned trading spaces. But inside what was once a bustling commercial hub now thrives a different kind of economy—one of survival. The market has become Benue’s largest camp for […]
By NJORIGE LYNUS LET’S be honest—most people will tune out the moment religion enters the conversation. But for those still willing to think critically, here’s what’s really unfolding on the global stage. China is quietly winning the economic war with the U.S. The U.S. knows it can’t compete industrially anymore; its economy only appears […]