Perspectives
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‘Coup plot’: A deja vu? By Richard Akinnola
The Defence spokesperson says there was nothing like a coup plot, contrary to the publications of Premium times and Sahara reporters. It reminds me of similar media speculations in 1981 and 1986 respectfully, which turned out to be real. In 1981, it was a coup plot masterminded by a Maiduguri businessman, Bukar Mandara, while the 1986 coup plot was purportedly…
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Nnamdi Kanu’s detention and the implication of Omoyele Sowore’s protest politics, by Oluwadare Ayeni
The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, remains one of the most debated issues in Nigeria’s political and legal landscape. To his supporters, Kanu represents a voice of liberation and self-determination for the Igbo people. To the Nigerian state, however, his activities constitute a direct threat to national sovereignty and constitutional order. When…
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The foundation of regionalism in the Nigeria’s First Republic, by Oluwadare Ayeni
When Nigeria attained independence in 1960, the air was filled with hope, pride, and the promise of unity. Yet, beneath the celebration of freedom lay a tension that quietly shaped the country’s early years, the fear of domination. This fear did not belong to one region alone, it was shared, in different forms, across the federation. While today many believe…
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Youthful exuberance and the Igbo secessionist saga: From Ojukwu to Kanu, by Bukola Oyeniyi
Introduction Throughout Nigeria’s post-colonial history, the Igbo ethnic group has witnessed repeated waves of secessionist agitation – each led by fiery young men in their thirties – that have profoundly shaped Igbo fortunes within the Nigerian state. From the Biafran War under Chukwuemeka “Emeka” Odumegwu Ojukwu in the 1960s to the non-violent independence campaign of Ralph Uwazuruike’s MASSOB in the…
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Oyin, Sànyà and the $100,000 Prize, by Simbo Olorunfemi
“Stories choose us before we ever learn to name them. Sànyà began as a whisper, and today, it sings back through this recognition.” – Oyin Olugbile The first time I got to know about Oyin Olugbile and her book, Sànyà, which last week won the highly-coveted Nigeria Prize for Literature for 2025 was in May, 2023 on ‘Funlola’s page. Apparently,…
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Richer banks, poorer economy: The hidden crisis in Nigeria’s financial system, by Blaise Udunze
Across Africa, banks are getting bigger but not necessarily better. From South Africa’s Standard Bank to Morocco’s Attijariwafa and Egypt’s National Bank, financial institutions are boasting record balance sheets, higher Tier 1 capital, and growing regional footprints. According to African Business magazine’s 2025 ranking of the continent’s top 100 banks, Africa’s total Tier 1 capital climbed to $126 billion, up…
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Nigeria, fight not the World Bank, fix NBS, by Olabode Opeseitan
The Yoruba proverb “ilé la ti n ko èso r’òde” teaches us that the fruit we present to the world is cultivated from within. It’s a timeless truth—whether applied to character, culture, or national credibility. And today, it’s a piercing lens through which to examine Nigeria’s statistical integrity. Senator Jimoh Ibrahim’s recent rebuke of the World Bank’s poverty report—claiming 139…
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Sanwoolu and the imperative of sanitizing Lagos Island, by Tajudeen Olanrewaju
The pivot and the very womb of central Lagos is undoubtedly Lagos Island. It is the heartland of our ancestors . It is the centrality of our beginning, the core provenance that defines our cherished heritage. It is the home of our great men and women. It is the beginning of all the Oba of Lagos from Ado Keme, Gabaro,…
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Local Government Service Commissions, autonomy reform and challenges, by Tunji Olaopa
In delivering the keynote address at the just- concluded 2025 National Summit of the Local Government Service Commissions (LGSCs), I was compelled to observe the significance of the summit coming on the heels of the 2024 reconvened National Council of the Civil Service Commissions of the federation as well as the Biennial Assembly and Conference of the African Association of…
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Another rumour of coup in Nigeria: The return of old shadows, by Idowu Ephraim Faleye
Nigeria is once again caught in the winds of another coup rumour. Although the Defence Headquarters has dismissed any plot as a mere rumour, the conversation refuses to die. People talk about it online and offline. In a country with a long history of military interference in politics, such rumours stir old fears and remind Nigerians how fragile their hard-earned…
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