It’s now official: Nigerian students and others studying in the United Kingdom can no longer bring their family to the country as dependents, except under specific circumstances. The restriction had been speculated for days now, and it will affect the families of Master’s degree students and many other post graduates. But the policy, which comes into effect next January, is being …

Some years ago, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man invited media leaders to a luncheon at then Protea Hotel in Ikeja to mark his 55th birthday. Some of his guests sat around him at the centre table. They chatted freely. Discussion about our country, the state of the economy soon veered into the absurdity of our country, being a major crude …

Judging by his utterances, body language and scorecard in the last four years, one could safely conclude that Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has decided that the reward for his hard work is more work. The dust had barely settled on the last governorship election, where Abiodun predictably clinched reelection before he started talking about and demonstrating the shape …

Until the Fourth Republic, 29th May was just an ordinary day. No United Nations’ Day, No International Day. No global anniversary. Nothing, except that John F. Kennedy, the assassinated United States President, was born on 29th May 1917. My problem started with the 1914 Amalgamation and Flora Shaw’s (Lord Lugard’s wife) Nigeria. We can’t forget the sweat and blood of …

“What kind of landing is this”? That was President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2015 as the presidential jet made a difficult landing in Malta, which hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that year. The President and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; and the others in the aircraft were rattled by what was later explained to …

The advance team of 31 officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Sunday departed for Saudi Arabia from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. The team made up of 21 NAHCON officials and 10 Medical Personnel will be in Saudi Arabia for the final preparation to receive the first set of Nigerian pilgrims from Nassarawa State who …

The last word may not have been heard on the expected configurations of the leadership of the incoming 10th National Assembly; not even with the zoning arrangements purported to have been unveiled by the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In the zoning formula, which was reportedly worked out in consultation with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola …

There have been calls for the life broadcast of the on-going Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. There is the logic that this will strengthen democracy and improve public access to information. It will also bring justice to the doorstep of Nigerians. Law and Justice should not be a privilege but a right to people on the street. Access to legal procedures …

With food inflation at over 22 per cent and national debt of about N78 trillion, the topic of discussion everywhere you go is the Nigerian economy. How are we going to survive as individuals and as a country? What will the incoming administration do differently and what needs to change? How will the economy bounce back? How can we create …

A young man was led into my office as the editor of The PUNCH one day decades ago; his name: Ibe Eresia-Eke (where is he now?), Executive Chairman (as title-crazy Nigerians often over-burden the title “Chairman” as if, standing alone, it is not “executive” enough!) of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State. He should be happy  being an …