By: Dr. Philip B. Olusola, Lead City University, Ibadan There is something profoundly disturbing about the frequency with which Nigerian markets are going up in flames. Hardly does the smoke from one devastating inferno disappear before another is reported, leaving behind charred shops, destroyed merchandise, shattered businesses, and devastated families. Even as this article is being written, another painful reminder has emerged from Ibadan. On Saturday, August 29, 2026, a fire incident was reported at Araromi Market in the Onipasan area of Ibadan North-East Local Government Area, destroying shops and…
Category: Featured
NPERA: A Catalyst for Nigeria’s Economic Transformation Through the Marine and Blue Economy
By: Olurotimi Anifowose The establishment of the Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) should be understood not merely as a change in the administration of Nigeria’s ports, but as a strategic opportunity to use port regulation as a powerful instrument of national economic transformation. Nigeria’s ports are the country’s principal gateways to global commerce. Their efficiency, competitiveness and predictability directly affect the cost of doing business, the competitiveness of Nigerian products, investment decisions, government revenue, employment and the welfare of citizens. When ports are slow, costly or unpredictable, they weaken…
WHEN GOVERNMENT OWES THE RETIREE: THE TIME-VALUE OF MONEY AND THE CASE FOR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT OF GRATUITY
By: Dr. Philip B. OlusolaLead City University, Ibadan. There is a fundamental economic principle that should guide Nigeria’s conversation about pensions and gratuities: money has a time value. A naira available today is not economically equivalent to a naira received several years from now. Inflation erodes purchasing power, investment opportunities are lost, and the person deprived of the money may be forced to borrow, sell assets, or depend on others to meet basic needs. This principle becomes particularly compelling when the money belongs to a retiree. After decades of service…
What Is A Journalism Degree Worth If Newsrooms Want More?
I have been thinking about this question not simply because I have read a recent study on Nigerian newsroom hiring practices, but because I have spent years watching journalism students move through the classroom and attempt to make sense of a profession that is changing faster than the systems designed to prepare them for it. The problem, as I see it, is not that journalism students are unwilling to learn. It is that we are often asking them to prepare for a professional world that has already changed by the…
MFON EKONG USORO: A Trailblazer in Law, Maritime Governance, leadership and National Development is occupying the spotlight today
By: Dr. Ini Adiakpan Mfon is a distinguished legal practitioner, maritime and international trade expert, author, corporate leader and development strategist whose career has been defined by pioneering leadership, institutional reform and service to Nigeria and Africa. A woman of remarkable firsts, she was the pioneer Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and remains its first and only female Director-General. She later became the first and only female Secretary-General of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control, an intergovernmental organisation…
Paying for Darkness: Time to Rescue Nigeria’s Electricity Consumers
By: Dr. Philip B. Olusola, Lead City University, Ibadan. When Nigerians pay for electricity, infrastructure and still have to endure unreliable service, who protects the consumer? Last week, electricity officials arrived in our community in Emure-Ile, Owo with a message that left many residents bewildered: some electricity connections were to be disconnected because the meters were not three-phase. What followed in my own case illustrates a larger problem that millions of Nigerian electricity consumers face every day. My house has three lines, which previously gave us some flexibility to change…
Beyond Conversion: Building a University Ondo State Can Be Proud Of
By: Philip B. Olusola Leadership is ultimately measured not by the number of projects a government announces but by the strength of the institutions it leaves behind. Governments come and go; institutions that are properly conceived, responsibly managed, and sustainably funded can shape generations long after their founders have left office. It is against this background that the Ondo State Government’s decision to transform Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo (RUGIPO) into a specialised University of Agriculture deserves both commendation and careful public reflection. The proposal is much more than the conversion…
Kidnapping Has Become Nigeria’s Undeclared War
By: Dr. Philip B. Olusola Lead City University, Ibadan If there was ever a time for Nigeria to declare an all-out war against kidnapping, that time is now. The disturbing testimony of a 56-year-old woman who spent one month and nine days in the captivity of kidnappers is more than another tragic story. It is a piercing alarm that the nation can no longer afford to ignore. Her allegation that security operations were repeatedly compromised by information leaked from within the security system, if established through a thorough, transparent, and…
Echoes of the Iran War: The Unprecedented Threat Stalking Mideast Oil Tankers
Geopolitical analysts warn that maritime risks for Middle East oil tankers have escalated to heights unseen since the outbreak of the Iran War, following a barrage of attacks targeting an alternative regional trade corridor. The security crisis intensified after a series of hostile strikes disrupted vessels navigating the Red Sea. Tankers had increasingly relied on this alternative waterway after Iran choked off transit through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Tehran has flatly rejected claims by Donald Trump regarding active bilateral negotiations over the maritime blockage. While dismissing assertions that…
The €37,000 Temptation: How Corporal Bashir Umar Shunned Greed, Redefined Wealth at Aminu Kano Airport
……….Inside the story of the Nigerian Air Force soldier who chose institutional honor over a life-altering fortune. In a world where intense economic pressures often dictate human choices, the story of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Corporal Bashir Umar stands as an enduring, rare masterclass in character. On July 16, 2019, Umar—then a low-ranking Aircraftman on a routine security detail at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport—stumbled upon a lost parcel holding a staggering €37,000 in raw cash. At current parallel market valuations, that amount translates to an incredible ₦59.2 Million…