With the conclusion of party primaries ahead of the forthcoming elections, Nigeria’s political conversation has predictably centred on winners and losers, defections, grievances and celebrations. But beyond the immediate theatre of contests lies a deeper question: are our political parties becoming democratic institutions or do they remain vehicles for powerful individuals and vested interests? The […]

The shock emergence of gridlock on the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway last week should worry every Nigerian who remembers the dark days when the nation’s busiest port corridor became a symbol of administrative failure. For more than two decades, the Apapa traffic nightmare inflicted untold hardship on residents, motorists, businesses and port users. Thousands of productive hours were wasted […]

Recently, another International Workers’ Day (IWD) was concluded with the customary fanfare of vibrant marches, impassioned speeches and recycled pledges to prioritise labour welfare. Yet, for the Nigerian workforce, the gap between political rhetoric and socio-economic reality has never been wider. With inflation relentlessly eroding the naira’s value and the cost of living reaching unprecedented […]

The colourful Durbar that typically marks Eid-el-Kabir in Kano was suspended this year, marking the second cancellation in a decade. Two men lay claim to the throne of the Kano Emirate. Muhammadu Sanusi II, the reinstated 16th Emir, and Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed 15th Emir, each chose to suspend the event rather than risk […]

Clearing a 20-foot container in Cotonou ports, Benin Republic costs N7–8 million versus N14–15 million in Nigeria. A 40-foot container costs N13–14 million in Benin versus N19–20 million, sometimes hitting N25 million in Nigeria’s ex-bonded terminals. Importers save N3–4 million per box by routing through Cotonou. This stark N18 million gap reveals a crisis eating […]