THE Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has called for improved welfare for Nigerian journalists, arguing that the economic security of media workers is closely connected to newsroom independence and democratic accountability. Amupitan made the call on Thursday while delivering opening remarks at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference […]
By TIMOTHY HAGGERTY-NWOKOLO Budget records clash with judiciary’s account A ₦50 million magistrate court project in Erho-Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, has raised questions over the accuracy of the state’s public expenditure records. The 2024 Delta State budget allocated ₦50 million for the construction of the court under the High Court […]
By AUGUSTUS ISICHEI NIGERIA’S football crisis did not begin with the resignation of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board. The resignation simply exposed how deep the problems have become. The 13-member board, headed by Ibrahim Gusau, left office 34 days before the expiration of its tenure. Stakeholders had repeatedly demanded changes as disputes, poor results […]
By OCHUKO EDAFE A Question From the Streets THERE is a question that residents of Delta State can answer more convincingly than politicians can. What has local government autonomy changed in your community? The answer should be visible. It should be found in better roads, cleaner markets, functional primary healthcare centres, improved schools, reliable drainage, stronger […]
By IFEOMA IZUCHUKWU Nigeria’s Post-Subsidy Revenue Boom & the Test of State Fiscal Management The removal of Nigeria’s petrol subsidy radically altered the fiscal environment facing state governments. Between 2022 and 2025, states recorded a sharp increase in actual revenues, with some of the fastest growth coming from states that traditionally operated with much smaller […]
By MAYOR KACHALLA A Presidency, an Allegation & a Trail of Questions FEW allegations involving the Nigerian presidency can be dismissed as mere political noise when they raise questions that strike at the heart of public finance, appointments and institutional accountability. The controversy surrounding Prince Adeyemi and his claims about an alleged federal appointment has […]
By AMINA USMAN ABDULRAHMAN NIGERIA’S ₦68.32 trillion 2026 budget was presented as an instrument for national development. Yet, revelations surrounding some of its provisions have raised troubling questions about how public money is prioritised, scrutinised and protected. The discovery of ₦1.3 billion allocated to the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council has become one of […]
STAKEHOLDERS drawn from government, electoral administration, academia, civil society organisations and the media have called for far-reaching electoral reforms, stronger democratic institutions and increased citizen participation as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections. The call was made on Thursday during the 2026 edition of BEL Dialogue, an annual public policy forum organised by Bel […]
By ESTHER McWILLIS-IKHIDE Internal Documents Reopen One of Nigeria’s Most Contentious Environmental Debates FOR decades, the environmental devastation of Nigeria’s Niger Delta has remained one of the country’s most enduring development crises. Thousands of oil spills, contaminated rivers, dying mangrove forests, abandoned infrastructure, prolonged litigation and deep mistrust between oil-producing communities, multinational corporations and regulators […]
State Government Emphasises Transparency in Public Procurement IN an effort to reinforce public confidence in government spending and infrastructure delivery, the Akwa Ibom State Government has opened its newly procured Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to independent verification by journalists. The exercise followed concerns and public speculation questioning whether the buses recently acquired under the […]