On the night of January 15, 1966, a coup d’etat took place in Nigeria which resulted in the murder of a number of leading political figures and senior army officers in Lagos, Kaduna and Ibadan. This was the first coup in the history of our country and 98 per cent of the officers that planned and led it were Igbo. From the political class those that were killed included the following: Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Prime Minister, who was abducted from his home, murdered and whose body was dumped somewhere along Lagos-Abeokuta Road; Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Premier of the old Northern Region, who was killed in the sanctity of his own home together with his wife and his security assistant; Chief S.L. Akintola, the Premier of the old Western Region, who was gunned down in the presence of his family and Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, the Minister of Finance, who was abducted from his home, brutalised, murdered and dumped in a bush.

We all know that aircraft seats are not the most comfortable – they are just about OK for the period of the journey. At times due to lateness or failure to check in online some people travelling together have been assigned seats away from each other. They are advised at times to politely ask other passengers if they would swap seats. If this is fine by you, just accept politely and swap, if you prefer to stay in your assigned seat, simply apologize for not being able to do so; they will understand.

When Governor Udom Emmanuel was declared winner of the April 11, 2015 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akwa Ibom State erupted in rapturous joy, the type that can only be compared with a football loving nation winning the FIFA Senior World Cup. No doubt, that was an incontrovertible proof that the people’s will had prevailed and that the uncommon transformation of the state as started by former governor Godswill Akpabio would not suffer any painful and premature termination as has most times been the case in most states in Nigeria.

For the year 2016, many people have several wishes, hopes and aspirations, and many of them are personal. But I have one desire only and that is to see a Change in my home state, Taraba. Things are so bad in the state that it will indeed take a miracle worker to salvage it. From immense […]

This essay is part of a special edition being published in partnership with Foreign Affairs, titled “African Farmers in the Digital Age.” This anthology explores the future of African food systems and the role that digital solutions can play in overcoming the isolation of smallholder farmers and speeding up rural development.