Poverty is not an accident, not an unfortunate side effect of bad governance, but a deliberate strategy that fuels campaigns

I promised to share my perspective on paternity fraud and other issues this week.  I want to start with the various types of marriages prevalent in Nigeria and the implications. Traditional marriage: In Africa, we do traditional marriages. The man pays a bride price and the couple get parental consent and blessings. Some Christian denominations will not […]

Mrs Obehi Ogbeh turned 75 early this week. Drums were not rolled out. Understandably. It was, in any case, always going to be a quiet affair with close friends, children, grandchildren and her constant companion of fifty years in attendance. A bigger thanksgiving party was being thought of for later in the year when their union would […]

How war-torn Sudan, a country in the grip of two power-hungry generals, thrashed Nigeria 4-0 in the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) underlines the deeper challenges that have stymied the development of Africa’s most populous country.  Just as Nigeria is blessed with football talent, boasting arguably the highest number of professional footballers from the continent playing across […]

When I wrote that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, is an animal that eats its curator for lunch, it sounded like a stretch. But so far, the tenure of Bayo Ojulari as group chief executive officer is proving it. This might not be obvious if you look solely at Nigeria’s current crude oil sales.  […]