Reclaiming Africa’s Economy: A Historical and Structural Diagnosis Africa’s Poverty Paradox AFRICA is widely described as poor, yet it holds some of the world’s largest reserves of arable land, minerals, energy resources, and a youthful labour force. This contradiction—abundance coexisting with deprivation—has prompted renewed scrutiny of the continent’s economic history. Scholars increasingly argue that Africa’s […]
Defending Systems That Were Never Yours ACROSS Africa, a growing debate surrounds those who defend governance systems inherited from colonial powers. Some argue that adherence to law, due process, and democracy signals education and enlightenment. Yet, critics assert that the very systems these individuals uphold were designed not to empower Africans but to control them. […]
By MARY EFOMBRUH “Experts and Execution: Can Nigeria’s Tax Law Reforms Weather Ambiguity?” The Stage: Nigeria’s Tax Law Overhaul NIGERIA’S sweeping tax reforms — brought into effect on 1 January 2026 through the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA) and supporting legislation — aim to simplify the tax system, eliminate nuisance levies, and make taxation more efficient and […]
Beyond Bullets: A Crisis of Meaning NIGERIA’S insecurity is often measured in casualties and territory lost. Less examined is the country’s changing moral response to violence. Death is now so frequent that it barely disrupts public life unless it aligns with a powerful narrative. This has produced a troubling reality: Nigerians no longer grieve automatically. […]
Revisiting Nigeria Before the Colonial Map THE modern Nigerian state is often treated as an ancient, fixed political entity. In reality, Nigeria is a relatively recent creation, formally established in 1914 through British colonial amalgamation. Long before this administrative act, the territory now known as Nigeria was home to multiple sophisticated and autonomous civilisations, each […]
STRUCTURAL POWER & INCUMBENCY ANALYSIS Defections as Strategy, Not Sentiment WHEN a significant majority of Nigeria’s state governors migrate to a single ruling party ahead of a general election, it is rarely an expression of ideological conversion or sudden public admiration for performance. Rather, it is a calculated alignment of political power—one rooted in the […]
State Creation and Regional Strategy: Weighing the Anioma, Adada and Anim Proposals THE agitation for an additional state in Nigeria’s South-East has gained renewed momentum amid longstanding concerns about political imbalance within the federation. Central to the current debate are three proposals—Anioma, Adada and Anim—each advancing different visions […]
By JULIET EKANEM Talent Abundance, Systemic Deficit ACROSS major African cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Johannesburg and Cape Town, a consistent pattern emerges: a population rich in skill, creativity and entrepreneurial drive, yet constrained by structural weaknesses that limit sustainable success. Observers of Africa’s informal and formal economies frequently encounter young men and women capable […]
Historical Analogy and the Return of Power Politics A World Drifting from Rules to Force RECENT global developments have reignited an uncomfortable debate among scholars and policymakers: is the international system retreating from rules-based governance toward an older, harsher logic of power? The renewed American interest in Greenland under President Donald Trump, alongside escalating trade […]
Why Nigerians Are Pushing Back Against New Tax Laws NIGERIA’S new tax laws were officially slated to take effect on January 1, but rather than signalling a smooth reform process, their rollout has ignited intense resistance, scepticism and debate across economic, legal and civic spaces. From labour activists and civil society groups to economists and […]