Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu’s recent interventions in South Africa, Ethiopia and Ghana offer a timely illustration of a foreign policy that places citizens at its centre. In an age when diplomacy is often measured by summit photographs and policy statements, her approach reminds us that its primary purpose should be the […]

The lynching and burning of Malama Ummulkhairi in Maraban Jos, Kaduna State, is a stain on our national conscience. Taken into police protective custody recently after an unverified allegation that she intended to steal children, the mother of four was nevertheless seized by a mob and killed. That a citizen could be removed from state […]

The controversy surrounding the spending practices of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) has once again highlighted the urgent need for strict oversight of Nigeria’s zonal Development Commissions. These agencies were created to serve as vehicles for accelerated regional development, not platforms for bureaucratic excess, questionable expenditures or administrative extravagance. The concerns raised over the […]

Nigeria’s battle against illicit drugs has reached a decisive moment. As the world marks the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the warning from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODOC) that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture must be accepted as more than rhetoric. The expanding availability of cannabis, opioids and […]

The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, and its uninterrupted flow is essential to global stability. Every day, approximately 21 million barrels of crude oil—roughly 21 per cent of global petroleum consumption—pass through this narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. To nickname it a “special international waterway” and treat it as […]