The reported killing of Abu-Bilal al-Manuki, a senior commander of the Islamic State and widely described as the second-in-command of ISIS globally, by joint United States and Nigerian forces may represent one of the most consequential counterterrorism successes recorded in the Lake Chad conflict in recent years. More than...
OPINION
By Prof. LEONARD KARSHIMA SHILGBA – Nigeria has become a nation perpetually “fighting insecurity,” yet insecurity appears to be fighting back with greater sophistication, wider reach, and frightening resilience. Every budget cycle produces another avalanche of “security votes,” “security interventions,” “security procurements,” and “security operations.” More patrol vehicles are...
South Africa has pursued post-apartheid policies, the consequences of which we are seeing today. The country has a terrifying, soft underbelly which is now completely hopeless and uncompetitive in today’s evolution; and therefore, it has to misdirect its aggression against soft targets such as fellow Black Africans. This is...
Nigeria doesn’t lack policies. It lacks people who can make them stick. That’s where Dr. Adebowale A. Adedokun comes in. Appointed Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, in November 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, Adedokun isn’t an outsider parachuted in for optics. He’s been in the BPP...
By DR (MRS) SAADAT YETUNDE YUSUF – Politics often presents moments that define not only the future of a party, but also the character of its leadership culture. For the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State, the build-up to the 2027 governorship race is gradually becoming one of...
By PROF LEONARD KARSHIMA SHILGBA – Today, I join millions of Benue people and well-wishers across Nigeria and beyond in celebrating the 60th birthday of His Excellency, Hyacinth Alia — priest, leader, reformer, and Governor of Benue State. Life’s journey is often mysterious in its unfolding. For decades, Fr....
Africa’s energy journey is often portrayed as a stark choice between climate responsibility and development. In reality, the continent faces a more nuanced challenge: finding a fair, gradual energy transition that matches its unique needs and ambitions. Technology and innovation can drive this change, helping secure affordable and sustainable...
At critical moments in the life of public institutions, reform-minded leadership often attracts resistance, controversy, and organised opposition. This has been the historical pattern across government agencies, universities, regulatory bodies, and examination institutions. The ongoing tensions within the Nigerian office of the West African Examinations Council should therefore be...
At just 50, Matthew Tonlagha’s life has orbited the full cycle of human accomplishments. From general welfare, education support, healthcare provision, community development, youth empowerment, job and wealth creation, and security of lives and physical infrastructure. In case, you don’t know him, Tonlagha is the Chairman of Maton Engineering...
A few weeks ago, I analyzed the electoral prospects of some prominent Benue gubernatorial hopefuls—among them Sebastian Hon, Herman Hembe, Terhemba Shija, Mathias Byuan, and Mike Aondoakaa—against the incumbent governor, Hyacinth Alia. With the exception of Hembe, these figures are widely perceived as political associates or loyalists of George...
From Equatorial Guinea to Tanzania, from Accra to Addis Ababa, and now, from Nairobi to Kigali, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with sartorial elegance and swashbuckling confidence, is traversing Africa preaching Nigeria’s reform story to the world. While the echoes of President Tinubu’s economic reforms have since reverberated across every...
Inside the two-tier captivity system of Fulani ethnic militias — where faith determines who suffers, how much a life is worth, and whether a hostage comes home at all. The terrorists conveniently called bandits by the media had a rule. They stated it plainly, in the open, in front...
Another electoral cycle is fast approaching. Individuals and political parties across Nigeria are mobilising and preparing. January and February 2027 are no longer a distant future. After the elections, one thing is clear, the leadership configuration of the country will be altered for good or bad. Debates and permutations...
By LEONARD KARSHIMA SHILGBA – There is a quiet but devastating irony in modern Christianity: the Church that began in homes now struggles to function without cathedrals; the faith whose Founder “had nowhere to lay His head” now measures spiritual success by the acreage of its auditoriums; and the...
When the Economist described Nigeria over 18 years ago as a “democracy by court order”, it ventured into prophetic journalism. In the period since then, partisan politicians have become comfortable with playing second fiddle to judges, a sizeable number of whom have emerged as the most avid tribe of belligerents in...
The key failure of the post-colonial state in Africa – transcending both ideology and individual personality – is a refusal to grasp the importance of succession planning. This failure haunts every sector, from politics to the economy, to the very way our society is held together. Without a plan...
In my Ph.D. class in governance and leadership, at the Abuja Leadership Centre where we are dealing with the comparative analysis of governance and leadership in Africa, we just treated the intractable issue of institutions and accountability. We noted how institutional integrity upholds and sustains accountability, but unfortunately, how...
INTRODUCTION: NATION AT WAR CANNOT AFFORD A SECOND FRONT Nigeria is not at peace. Across the North East, North West, and North Central, our armed forces are locked in daily combat against terrorists and bandits. Thousands of soldiers are deployed forward, often without rotation, facing an enemy that watches...
If there is one thing the 2015 presidential election must have taught us,it is that we mustn’t be too absolved in changing a government we are dissatisfied with to carefully scrutinize the option before us.Most Nigerians felt they deserved better than Goodluck Jonathan and didn’t pay much attention to...
Seeking redress for reputational damage typically involves civil litigation for defamation (libel or slander), seeking damages for harm to reputation and the attendant emotional distress. In certain instances, financial losses are involved. Victims can pursue legal remedies, including monetary compensation and injunctions to stop further publication. In seeking redress,...