All the members of the household were gathered in the living room. Some were sitting. Some stood. But everybody was talking at the same time. Ruckus. Confusion. Tension. Hauwa, Alhaji’s second wife stood beside her packed, neatly arranged luggage. She was determined to go, yes. She was determined to leave that compound and Alhaji’s home that day. The other two …

For avid followers of Nigeria’s sociopolitics, the name Samuel Ortom regularly hums in the ear like the droning rhythm of the busy bee. The man who has been governor of Benue State for almost eight years, is outspoken, fearless, even daring. He is never shy of intruding into the tooth-picking, complacent comfort zones of those whose actions and inactions, have …

Due to the kind of tension that was generated during the campaigns leading to the just concluded 2023 general elections, it was not unexpected that there would be some ugly consequences. Unfortunately, one of the unpleasant events is the ongoing commentary regarding alleged misgivings between host communities where you find a lot of persons from South eastern Nigeria. Tempers flared …

When the general election begins to divide us in ways we have never seen before, it is because there’s so much at stake for political actors and it was not surprising that the 2023 elections turned out to be most consequential in recent history as predicted. But we do not have to burn down the country because we disagree with …

From Accra to Cape Town images of Nollywood, Nigeria’s popular movie footprint, are a common staple in homes across the continent as are the sights and sounds of its pop icons who are also amongst Africa’s biggest. When politics is on the menu, however, it does not appear that the rest of the continent has the same appetite for what …

The United States has announced an increase in certain non-immigrant visa application (NIV) processing fees. The increases, published in the Federal Register Tuesday, will be effective on 30th May 2023. “The fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas, will increase from $160 to $185. …

Many will hate to admit it, but it seems that, perhaps, it has become quite lucrative these days to be a cybercriminal.   Firstly, it is a thriving business. For instance, according to the FBI, there was a 207% increase in in reported case of cybercrime reports between 2008 and 2021, and almost $7 billion (₦3,223,080,000,000) in losses last year. In …

The death on Sunday, 26th March 2023 of General Oladipupo Diya brought memories – fond or otherwise – flooding our memory, chief of which must be the coup – real or concocted – that Diya and other Generals were alleged to have been implicated in on 21st December 1997, aimed at  toppling the vile dictator, General Sani Abacha. In all, …

On 8th February, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced a 50 percent reduction in the fares of all state-owned transport services including LagFerry, RagRide, and the BRT. The price slash also affected the mini last mile buses. The governor equally announced a support programme for the vulnerable segments of the society. This support programme was made up of a …

Meaning of MPR and how it is used in controlling money supply The MPR (Monetary Policy Rate) is the benchmark interest rate used by Financial Institutions to determine lending rates. When CBN increases the MPR, it becomes more expensive for individual and corporates to borrow from financial institutions and this will in turn slow down productive activities. This makes it …