Category columnist

Books from the heart of a nation

By Dakuku Peterside Nigeria is a complex and multifaceted country that elicits various thoughts and viewpoints. Yet, there is some order in disorder. My recent journey through books about contemporary Nigeria or autobiographies of Nigerians brought this reality to light.…

Towards genuine LG autonomy

By Dakuku Peterside Last week, Nigeria’s Supreme Court took a fundamental step towards dismantling the grip of state governors on the local government(LG) system and local government funds. The Supreme Court ruling on a suit filed by the attorney general…

Cholera in hard times

By Dakuku Peterside Yemen, a West Asian country  in the Arabian Peninsula, reported one million cases of cholera in March 2018. The world shook. At that time, Yemen was in a civil war, leading to the Stockholm Agreement between feuding…

Beyond national profligacy

By Dakuku Peterside Jonathan Tepperman’s book, “The Fix,” is about how some nations fixed significant social challenges like inequality, corruption, and civil wars using innovative leadership and policies. No one has yet written a book about how nations fix profligacy.…

South Africa: Economics above politics

By Dakuku Peterside South Africans voted in national and local elections on May 29, exactly one year after Nigeria inaugurated its current president. Since 1994, this election has been the most significant post-apartheid election and the most unpredictable in the…

The scourge of rising inflation

By Dakuku Peterside An increasing number of Nigerians are being  driven into poverty, not by choice, but by the current political and economic climate, shaped by stringent macroeconomic policies. These policies, such as subsidy removal, devaluation of Naira, and increase in…

Bad law, needless levy

By Dakuku Peterside A few weeks ago, Nigerians were startled by a legislation that had largely escaped public awareness. This legislation, which has since undergone substantial amendment, carries profound implications for the financial health of every Nigerian, sparking widespread controversy.…

Air Peace, Capitalism, and National Interest

By Dakuku Peterside Nigerian corporate influence and that of the West continue to collide. The rationale is straightforward: whereas corporate activity in Europe and America is part of their larger local and foreign policy engagement, privately owned enterprises in Nigeria…