On the eve of Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, I reflected on Harold Smith. He’s not widely known in Nigeria. And that’s probably to be expected for a man whom the British establishment ostracised for decades for daring to be different, before his death. He was everything the British colonial authorities didn’t want him to be, and […]

Abusafiah Ramzy Ibrahim, a Nigerian-Palestinian who has lived peacefully in the country for 35 years was abducted from his Abuja home on August 22, 2025. The suit-wearing, shadowy Nigerian security agency with diplomacy as camouflage, was accused of the act. Nothing was heard of Ramzy; he seemed simply to have disappeared from the earth’s surface. […]

On Tuesday night, I appeared on Charles Aniagolu’s Arise TV show, alongside Dele Farotimi and Professor Jibrin Ibrahim. We had been invited to discuss my view that most of today’s Nigerians deserve bad leadership because they don’t protest significantly when they are subjected to endless injustices and governance deficits. Nigeria can and should be a great […]

On October 1, Nigeria marked its 65th anniversary as an independent country and Nigerian leaders, as usual, used the opportunity to preach the gospel of peace and unity. Nigeria, many insisted, is the handiwork of God. President Bola Tinubu led the choir in his nationwide broadcast with this rallying cry: “While our system and ties […]

President Bola Tinubu cancelled yesterday’s Independence Anniversary parade at the last minute. No reason was given for the cancellation beyond the government’s “deep regret” for the “inconvenience caused”. Given that it was about Nigeria’s 65th anniversary as an independent state, a milestone, the cancellation was significant. Yet, in truth, it was just as well the parade […]