Perspectives
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From Detty December to a $4 billion industry: How Ghana built a year-round tourism powerhouse, by Chioma Ahaghotu
Ghana’s rise as a $4 billion + vacation destination is no accident. In 2024 alone, the country welcomed over 1.2 million international visitors and generated its highest tourism revenue in history. What began as the buzz of “Detty December” , a month of high-energy concerts, beach festivals, art shows, and cultural events , has evolved into a year-round tourism engine.…
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Brilliance, eccentricity, and the burden of the star, by Babafemi Ojudu
From Lagos to Los Angeles, the story repeats: great art is rarely born from tidy minds. Here’s why society both worships and resents its brightest lights. One humid morning in 1977, a lanky musician in a robe of fury arrived at Dodan Barracks, Nigeria’s seat of power, with a coffin. Fela Anikulapo Kuti placed it at the gates in defiance…
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Oba Adetona and the hypocrisy of religionists, by Bolanle Bolawole
Whereas my resolution was not to comment on the controversy surrounding the burial of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, pressure from readers caused me to rethink. “Are you afraid?”, one of them asked me. “Is it that you have nothing to say?”, another bellowed. Neither! I just felt it was much ado about nothing! There are more…
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Defending ourselves against atrocities, by Jibrin Ibrahim
This week, the Zamfara terrorism kingpin, Bello Turji, released 32 kidnapped persons and agreed to stop attacking farmers, following a series of meetings with some Islamic clerics in his hideout. This was disclosed by Musa Yusuf, a cleric popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, who revealed the development at a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna. Terrorist Turji was also reported to…
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President Tinubu, the north and distortions of politics, by Tunde Rahman
Two years in the saddle, has President Bola Tinubu undercut the Northern region in the management of the country’s affairs and distribution of political appointments and development projects? Has he reneged on the promise made to the Northern elites three years ago in Kaduna that he would run an all-inclusive government, protect the national interest and be fair to every…
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Adieu Kabiyesi Alara: A man of great character, by Raheem Akingbolu
Perhaps because of my personal relationship with our late Kabiyesi, Oba Adegoke Olu-Adeyemi, the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, it has been extremely tough for me to script anything down since his exit. Today, we mourn, we reflect and we celebrate. As a testament to his enduring legacy, Oba Adeyemi’s impact on the community will forever be cherished. Alara lived and…
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When flight meets fury: The K1 incident and the anatomy of a national reckoning, by Folorunso Adisa
At Nnamdi Azikwe Airport, Abuja, a drama unfolded that rippled far beyond the tarmac. It involved Wasiu Ayinde Anifowose, famously known as K1 De Ultimate. The story began stark and unsettling, with a seemingly innocuous flask. K1 claimed it contained water prescribed by his physician, filled at the VIP lounge. But suspicion gripped security officials. Denied boarding, K1’s frustration boiled…
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Why Goodluck Jonathan should not run in 2027, by Azuh Arinze
As speculation builds around the 2027 Nigerian presidential contest, a palpable bid is gaining momentum. Of course – not from Jonathan himself – but from selfish political elites seeking a stopgap candidate. Interestingly, history, principle, and political prudence offer strong reasons he should resist the allure and bait. The first is what I want to call legacy over becoming a…
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The madness of the Fuji king, by Ugo Egbujo
When I was growing up, The Madness of Didi was my favorite book title. I carelessly applied it to both the sane and the insane. Every outburst of irrationality was the madness of Didi. In Obi Egbuna’s The Madness of Didi, Didi spends 30 years in England, enduring racism and oppression. After killing six policemen, he is imprisoned and deported…
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The ValueJet saga: One coin, two ugly sides, by Olawale Olaleye
Celebrated fuji music legend, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, with the stage name, K1 De Ultimate, yesterday, offered his apology over Tuesday’s incident at the local wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, involving him and an airline operator, ValueJet. Aside from describing the incident as unfortunate and one in which someone of his status should not have been found, he…
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