Opinion

OPINION By Abiodun Komolafe THE Naira-for-Crude initiative has ignited a profound debate in Nigeria’s economic landscape, yielding tangible results, such as the consistent drop in petrol prices. It is a development warmly received by many citizens. Meanwhile, the Federal Government’s influence on petrol prices demonstrates its authority, even as it raises fundamental questions about the interplay between state power and economic dynamics. If successfully implemented, the initiative could foster economic stability, diminish foreign currency dependence, and redefine Nigeria’s economic trajectory. However, a pressing question lingers: should these price drops translate to a reduced cost of living? The main thing about the Naira-for-Crude initiative is that it was thought of at all...

By Ali Elias OPINION Rekindling Courage in Adulthood Without Losing the Wisdom of Maturity There was a time when life had an edge to it—sharp, bright, immediate. Many of us remember those days not just as youth, but as a season when the world felt alive in our veins. We didn’t merely exist; we surged forward. Life wasn’t something to be managed—it was something to chase, to drink, to devour. In those days, we moved like fire—bold, irreverent, luminous. Fear was a stranger to our vocabulary. We leapt before we looked. We didn’t talk about risk management, politics, economy or long-term planning; we talked about where the music was loudest, where the lights danced hardest, and who still had fuel in the tank at midnight. I remember those nights vividly. We would hop from Ap...

A Rareview feature In a democracy, the judiciary is not just a co-equal branch of government—it is its conscience, a necessary counterweight to executive overreach. Last week, that balance was tested once again in the United States, as the courts stepped in to halt a presidential order that would have barred international students from attending Harvard University. The story unfolded like a collision of ideology and constitutional order. In a controversial move, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation blocking the issuance of student and exchange visitor visas to international students admitted to Harvard, citing national security concerns. Almost immediately, the State Department directed embassies and consulates worldwide to begin denying visas to these students. The order,...

By Ahmad Salkida SOMEBODY (Someday?), I will write a book about running an independent media platform. In it, I will describe how leadership is less about producing groundbreaking content and more about wrestling with the mental strain and financial instability that come with sustaining a mission-driven organisation. The Mental Strain There is a constant dance with self-doubt, a daily battle against the weight of debts, family struggles, and the pressure to appear invincible even as my mental health frays.  Everyone around me expects me to be the superhero, to keep carrying others across even as my own footing slips under the weight of unspoken fears. A Constantly Changing Team As team members come and go, I’m forced to restart the cycle of training and realigning wh...

Image courtesy: CNN By Abolaji Rasaq OPINION THERE’S something about persecution that does two things to a people: it either breaks them, or it makes them beasts of survival. Ask the Jews.  For centuries, they were hunted, hated, and humiliated by empires. But they didn’t vanish. They evolved. They adapted. And today, the Jews are arguably the most powerful tribe in the world economically, intellectually, and politically. Ruthless when necessary.  They are unapologetic about their survival. Now, look at the Igbo. A tribe known for industry, resilience, and brilliance. A people who just want to live, do business, and thrive. But Nigeria doesn’t want that. Nigeria wants control.  Nigeria wants submission. And the one thing the Igbo have never known how ...

Courtesy Wikipedia: President Yoweri Museveni By Ihaze Damian Recent claims circulating on social media and some online platforms allege that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has appointed his daughter, Natasha Museveni, as the Governor of the Central Bank of Uganda. These assertions have sparked discussions about nepotism and the concentration of power within the Museveni family. However, thorough investigations reveal that these claims are unfounded.  The Facts As of April 2025, the position of Governor of the Central Bank of Uganda remains vacant following the death of Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile in January 2022. Since then, Deputy Governor Michael Atingi-Ego has been overseeing the bank's operations in an acting capacity. Both Africa Check and AFP Fact Check ...

By Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN OPINION In our latest policy report, OAL Governance and Economic Analysis and Forecast 2025, I stated that for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to effectively begin the process of national economic recovery, six major reform pillars must be urgently and strategically implemented. These pillars lay the foundation for a new policy direction focused on efficiency, transparency, and economic inclusion.  First and foremost, there is an urgent need for decentralising power in Nigeria. The country's over centralised federal system hinders development, and to achieve growth, power must be devolved to the geopolitical zones, each functioning with economic and administrative autonomy. Devolution will empower local governments with resources and responsibilities on...

By Ali Elias OPINION Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s current president, has recently declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing security concerns. However, his stance on such drastic measures appears to have shifted significantly over the years. Back in 2013, when then-President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa due to escalating Boko Haram insurgency, Tinubu vehemently condemned the decision. In an article titled “Jonathan Bares His Fangs”, published in Premium Times on May 15, 2013, Tinubu accused Jonathan of using security concerns as a pretext for political maneuvering, arguing that such actions undermined democracy and could lead to greater instability. Now, in a striking twist, Tinubu himself has taken a similar path, raising ...

OPINION By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu IN the week in which former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai abandoned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to chart a different political trajectory with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), his son, Bashir, characteristically made it known that “Southern Kaduna residents will keep seeing sheghe if they continue to attack indigenous Fulani herdsmen.” Three things about this, among many, were chilling. One is the absence of any interest in addressing the underlying problem of coexistence between communities. The second is the enthusiastic investment in violence. The third is the indiscriminate nature of the promised violence. This was not the first time an outburst of candour from the El-Rufai clan was laced w...

OPINION By Peter Agba Kalu “1966 Igbo Coup: A Junior Igbo Officer killed His Boss Who Was a senior Igbo officer in front of his pregnant wife for Awolowo And For The Betterment Of Nigeria. Things They Never Revealed For About 60 years. “Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s failure to secure and protect the lives and properties of the Igbos in the North forced Col. Emeka Ojukwu to declare the secession of the Eastern Region from Nigeria in May 1967, leading to the fratricidal Nigerian-Biafran civil war”.  – Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Genetically, by birth l am IGBO foremost before being a Nigerian. I cannot be a Nigerian if l don’t have any ethnic group that I belong to. As a result, having and defending IGBO interest the way the Yorubas, Ijaw, Uroboh, Hausas, Fulanis and Evil etc defend their...