columnist

Wishful thinking as a state strategy

By Dakuku Peterside It is cultural in Nigeria to wish your loved ones a prosperous new year. There is nothing wrong with having such lofty aspirations. Of concern is that, lately, this culture has crept into governance and development. Our…

2023: Reflections and future outlooks

By Dakuku Peterside The passing 2023 was a year of significance for Nigeria’s political and economic landscape. Reflecting on the year underscores the need for heightened vigilance against the emergence of small ,yet consequential political challenges that threaten our democratic…

Cashless festivities

By Dakuku Peterside The world is moving into a new financial epoch. The era of physical currency is fading, making way for the rise of a cashless society thriving on digital transactions. In a cashless world, financial inclusion is both…

FDI: Tackling poor signaling 

By Dakuku Peterside Nigeria faces unprecedented economic uncertainties and desperately needs to “bend the curve” on most economic indices. Even the optimistic people among us struggle with what to hold onto to defend our slide into economic quagmire. This results…

The drum for electoral reforms

By Dakuku Peterside John Dewey, an American philosopher of the 20th century, argued that “we do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.” At the core of this statement is the critical role of reflection in the…

Dark chapter for the Judiciary 

By Dakuku Peterside In 1961, the Prime Minister of Nigeria, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, enjoined Justice Adetokunbo Ademola to “never waiver from the truth” and charged him that if he committed a crime and was brought before the justice, he should…

George Weah’s ways

By Dakuku Peterside In his famous drama, Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare penned one of the most recognisable descriptions of greatness: “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” George…

Dearth of integrity in public life

By Dakuku Peterside The integrity issue in Nigerian politics and public life has been a topic of discussion and concern for many years. Like many other countries, Nigeria has faced challenges related to corruption, lack of transparency, and ethical issues…

Politics of Statistics in Nigeria

By Dakuku Peterside Statistics should help settle arguments, in theory. We assume they provide stable reference points that everyone – no matter what their opinion, persuasion, belief, or politics is – can agree on. However, there has been a global…

Budget of booby traps

 By Dakuku Peterside  There is a deafening silence in the land over the state of the economy. No right-thinking person can take this silence or mood of the nation for granted. This eery silence is invariably linked to a cost-of-living…