The long-awaited return of the Benin artefacts by European and American institutions should have marked a simple, triumphant moment: history correcting itself, dignity restored, and Nigerians finally reclaiming fragments of a past violently interrupted. Instead, what we received is a modern drama—complete with plot twists, questionable protagonists, and enough irony to make even Shakespeare rise …
You’re going about your day—walking to a shop, driving to see a friend—when you hear the command: “Oga/Ma, your ID!” A police officer stands before you, expecting you to present your identification. For many Nigerians, this is a common, yet unnerving, experience. It leaves you wondering: Do I have to do this? What law gives …
Nigeria’s story is often told in triplicate: the North, the West, and the East. This tripartite division is more than a cultural or political convenience; it is a reality etched into the very landscape by the country’s great rivers. Flowing from the Bight of Benin, the Niger and its major tributary, the Benue, form a …
Nigeria’s security crisis has endured for decades, not merely because of operational failures, but due to a chronic reluctance to fully deploy the legal powers already available under the Constitution, statutory law, and international obligations. The result is a paradox: a nation constitutionally empowered to defend itself, yet administratively hesitant to act like it.If the …
Where megaphones replace strategy and own-goals are proudly scored in extra time. Nigeria’s approach to diplomacy often feels like someone trying to negotiate a loan repayment by first announcing to the entire village that the lender is wicked — before even asking the lender for an extension. And the recent saga over the attempted transfer …
Continue reading "Diplomacy 101: Nigeria’s School of Public Blunders by Lawson Akhigbe"
Centre for Nigeria Progress 