Sometimes, columnists fly a kite to test an idea or to provoke public discourse on an issue. Twice in recent months, I did so rather successfully. First, on July 3, I wrote a piece titled “2027: The theoretical case for Jonathan’s return to power” (Vanguard, July 3, 2025). I was probably the first columnist to float […]

Last week, I received an email that made me cringe. The grammar was perfect, the punctuation flawless, but the tone was so harsh it could have frozen coffee. The sender—a department head—had technically followed every rule we’d discussed in previous columns, yet the message landed like a slap across the face. This got me thinking: we’ve […]

One of the absurdities of Nigeria’s pseudo-democracy is the fact that those clamouring for President Bola Tinubu’s second term are not flaunting his achievements. Instead, the battle cry is the need for him to complete his “constitutionally guaranteed” two terms of eight years, not minding that there is no such guarantee in the 1999 Constitution, amended […]

I struggled for hours to decide on the headline for this article. It happens sometimes. Yesterday morning, I watched a television programme where the presenters and guests used “KWAM-this-and-that” to describe the recent unruly behaviours in our aviation industry caught on viral videos. “King” Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, alias De Ultimate, KWAM-1, may not exactly be a […]

When I made the point that those who chose to criticise the Bariga LCDA for renaming some bus-stops in Lagos without looking at the action that provoked that reaction were being one-sided, I was merely calling for fairness in our evaluation of that episode. I affirmed the right of the LCDA to make that decision and […]

“Economics have an awkward way of overriding all other considerations“–  John Buchan Recapitulating on previous  experiences will definitely give us the direction towards which we can posit an argument whether we should be optimistic or otherwise about Nigeria’s present and future prospects. For, without a recourse to past experiences, the ability to make an informed […]

When the article, ‘Don’t let 9Mobile die’, was published in February 2022, the service provider had nearly 13 million lines. It was struggling for life and had so many people wishing it well. It had commitments it could hardly meet and some of us thought it was better for relevant stakeholders to work for its survival […]

The future of Tertiary Education in Nigeria: A case for more Private Universities     It is a notorious fact that education is capital intensive such that government alone cannot effectively fund it. To require government today to direct all its resources towards education will translate into the neglect of other important aspects of the economy such […]

Freedom is the lifeblood of democracy, but even freedom needs guardrails. In Nigeria today, the race to form new political parties ahead of the 2027 elections is testing that delicate balance between liberty and order. On paper, this is democracy at its most vibrant: citizens freely associating, fresh platforms emerging, political diversity expanding. However, in practice, […]

From last week, continues the narrative of General Yakubu Gowon’s many achievements before his overthrow on July 30, 1975. Of particular reference is the establishment of many companies with significant Federal Government shareholdings. Unfortunately only few of these companies are still operating or existing today.   In the domestic front, there were bodies like the National Bank […]