Category: Opinion

I always wonder why it appears difficult for President Bola Tinubu to defeat banditry in Nigeria. The president’s most popular chieftaincy title is Jagaban Borgu. Jagaba means chief warrior in Hausa – one of the two dominant languages in Borgu of Niger State. It would translate to either Balogun or Aare Ona Kakanfo in Yoruba. There was a time in the 19th century when plundering was ‘trade’ where the president got his Jagaba title. They called banditry ‘swadibu’ and the bandits themselves ‘swadio’, a psychedelic term which means “somebody who…

One of the thematic preoccupations of the book, What the forest told me: Yoruba hunter, culture and narrative performance, (2014) is that, inside the forest, there is a consistent superiority war, often fierce, between man and animals. Written by Ayo Adeduntan, Research Fellow at the University of Ibadan, the book averred that, while animals sometimes win this war, succeeding in crushing hunters for supper, many atimes, hunters vanquish these forest dwellers. They fell these notorious animals renowned for bathing in the blood of their human victims. In pursuit of this…

Yes, we are at war! This much we said last week. But the curious and sad thing is that Nigerians don’t seem to know or don’t want to know, and our leaders don’t seem to care. Our security agencies, whose activities are akin to the movement of wavelengths, continue with the aura of “everything is all right” when the trajectory is low, only to chase after those fighting Nigeria when the trajectory shoots up.   When they are at their lowest, it is the law-abiding citizen who gets the short…

The Sustainable Development Goals SDGs , with the global template and transmutation from the Millennium Development Goals MDGs will be eight years old, in line with the UNGA 71 declaration held in 2016.   The coincidence of the appointment of Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire to lead the global body in 2016, along with her recent reappointment in 2023 had demonstrated the domestication and willingness of the extension of the program across board, sub- national in line with its 17 goals to provide succour in all areas to all vulnerable Nigerians .…

According to the World Tourism Organization, tourism generates over $1 trillion in exports annually, creating millions of jobs and stimulating local economies. Be that as it may, it is important to note that Nigeria’s vast growth and development opportunities are being overlooked due to a lack of vision and self-centeredness on the part of its successive leaders, ultimately hindering the greater good and benefiting only a privileged few. This issue pervades all levels of government, from state to local, with authorities neglecting their duties to harness the potential of natural…

Drug abuse among Nigerian youth has emerged as a critical public health and social issue, necessitating multiple intervention strategies. In this article, I will be discussing the role of public relations as a pivotal tool in combating this menace. I will also be examining successful case studies and proposing strategic communication frameworks and aim to provide insights into how public relations can influence behavior change, raise awareness, and rally community action towards a drug-free youth demographic.   The menace of drug abuse in Nigeria has escalated over the years, posing…