columnist

Niger: Trouble in the Neighbourhood

Niger Republic is Nigeria’s next-door neighbour. She is not the best neighbour Nigeria would desire but, as a sovereign nation, we have no control over her. Her economic statistics, population demographics, poverty and security threats – terrorism, insurgency, and inter-communal…

This deity called petrol

By Dakuku Peterside To be precise from the onset, it is apt to posit that the centrality, omnipresence  and ubiquitous nature of petrol in Nigeria has elevated it to the status of a deity in our daily lives. We revere…

Something fishy in our waters

By Dakuku Peterside It is a scientific fact that water and oil do not mix, but in the complex and complicated world of criminal enterprise, this natural law does not apply. It is becoming evident that in Nigeria’s crude oil…

Beyond reactive governance

By Dakuku Peterside Last week, the National Emergency Management Agency   (NEMA) issued an alert warning of the high probability of 14 states experiencing heavy rainfall that might lead to flooding. This is not the first time NEMA and Nigerian Hydrological…

Rescuing the Nigerian Middle Class

By  Dakuku Peterside Last week, I extensively talked with a set of enterprising, upwardly mobile young men and women in Abuja. I chose to label that intera ctive session “lamentations of despairs.” These young people are your typical hustlers. That conversation centred…

Sustaining the momentum of hope

By Dakuku Peterside Every new marriage comes with some level of excitement. This may be due to love, lust, anticipation, or newness. The everyday drudgery of living together and following the routines of life stifles excitement, and soon realities of…

Anatomy of Presidential engagement

By  Dakuku Peterside In the sphere of presidential engagement and communication, Nigeria has had different shades of Presidents, from the docile and absent, laidback, garrison-style communication, taciturn, to the pragmatic. Each shade created the mood and tone of the presidency…

Restoring the spirit of June 12

By Dakuku Peterside Democracy is taken for granted as the best form of government. At least the West told us so. We have also accepted it by default. We have tried multiple facets of democratic systems – parliamentary and presidential…

Sub-nationals: The bumpy road ahead

By Dakuku Peterside Last week I listened to or read the speech of at least a  dozen newly elected Governors, and I must confess they were full of hazard warning signs ahead. Citizens have only one option – brace up…

It’s the dawn of a new era

By Dakuku Peterside Nigerians will pause today for the inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as President and Vice President of the country, respectively. It will mark the end of one era, the Buhari-Osinbajo era, and the beginning of…