Dakuku Peterside

Nigeria’s public policy gambles

By Dakuku Peterside   In July 1986, Nigeria’s military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, launched a public policy initiative hailed as the silver bullet for Nigeria’s distressed economy: the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). A local adaptation of an IMF/World Bank  initiative,…

Nigeria and the illusion of good governance

By Dakuku Peterside  Good governance is universally acknowledged as a critical factor in the progress and development of any nation. In Nigeria, both the elite and the common people share this profound understanding of governance’s impact on the country’s trajectory.…

From the DNC: Lessons for Nigerian political parties

By Dakuku Peterside Nigerians’ profound interest in US elections is no mere coincidence. The roots of this fascination lie deep in the historical and structural connections between the two countries’ political systems. Nigeria’s democracy, modelled closely after the US presidential-style…

China, Nigeria, and hostage aircraft

By Dakuku Peterside Every story has two sides, but when a country’s reputation as  a sovereign and an investment destination comes under threat, it calls for immediate concern and action from its citizens and leaders. The recent unfolding of a…

Nigeria and the symbolism of the Paris Olympics

By Dakuku Peterside Nations, diplomacy, and sports are interwoven. Sports persons and sports teams are, in a sense, representatives of and mirrors of their countries. It is no coincidence that most great nations are also leading sporting countries  because it…

Perspectives on #EndBadGovernance protests

By Dakuku Peterside We are witnessing some of the worst anti-government protests in our recent democratic history, fuelled by economic hardship, hunger and a general feeling of disillusionment among many Nigerians. Whatever the arguments are for or against the protests,…

In government, size matters

By Dakuku Peterside Any government can easily undermine its credibility if it sends mixed signals on essential policy issues or initiatives, flip-flops from one policy or strategic direction to another, and turns essential socioeconomic frameworks into a yo-yo game. The…

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…

The geo-politics of Nigeria’s insecurity

By Dakuku Peterside In the past ten years, the South-East and North-East geopolitical zones, more than other geopolitical zones, have been sites of experiments on insecurity and militia reign. Either terrorists, kidnappers, or militias were testing the will of the…