DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 4 | NIGERIA Apocalyptic warnings and threats in a week of escalating violence 19th February 2021 Former head of state urges state governors to speak responsibly, reminding them of road to 1967-1970 civil war General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who took over as head of state after the death of military leader Gen. Sani Abacha in 1998, stepped out of the shadows for a... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 3 | NIGERIA Farmers and fishermen free to sue Shell in landmark case 16th February 2021 Legal battles proliferate over pollution and tax as government braces for oil decline As the pandemic recession and the push for a green energy transition hasten the winding down of the hydrocarbon economy, big oil companies are contending with falling profits... READ FOR FREE
Vol 62 No 3 | NIGERIA The guard changes, at last 4th February 2021 An army on the backfoot could get more resources but will have to beef up its fight against insurgents and tackle communal clashes Sacking the four service chiefs was one of the few things on which Nigeria's Senate, its leading civil society groups and Western ambassadors were unanimously agreed. Insiders at...
DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 3 | NIGERIA After naira falls again, government raises debt ceiling 12th February 2021 Despite differences with the IMF over devaluation, market expects further weakening of currency and more borrowing Although central bank governor Godwin Emefiele is holding to the line that a formal devaluation of the naira is unnecessary – traders claim it is overvalued by as... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 3 | NIGERIAWORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION Okonjo-Iweala to take over as WTO chief within days 9th February 2021 Vaccine distribution, fishing subsidies and e-commerce agreement top the priority list for new the director-general On 5 February, the race to lead the WTO ended, leaving Nigeria's former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the sole remaining candidate. Early in the day South Korea... READ FOR FREE
DISPATCHES Vol 62 No 3 | NIGERIA After mounting security pressure, President sacks service chiefs 28th January 2021 Sacking of the high command is part of a wider security reorganisation Security experts in Abuja estimate that Nigeria's military, being deployed in over 30 of the country's 36 states, is under more pressure today than at any time since... READ FOR FREE
Vol 62 No 1 | NIGERIA Ready to rumble 7th January 2021 As President Buhari looks to his legacy, the jostling for succession will begin in earnest In May, President Muhammadu Buhari will reach the halfway point of his second and final four-year term. It is that point in Nigeria's political calendar, when the main... READ FOR FREE
Vol 61 No 25 | NIGERIA Unbalancing the books 17th December 2020 Promises of grand economic growth have been torpedoed by the Covid-19 pandemic and crashing oil prices This time last year President Muhammadu Buhari and his numerous economic policymakers were optimistic that 2020 could see growth acceleration, job creation, significant infrastructure investments and progress on...
Vol 61 No 24 | NIGERIA Protest, what protest? 3rd December 2020 Official denials over the Lekki shootings fail to stand up against the mounting evidence, while activists are targeted in a clampdown Nigerian government officials continue to downplay the army shootings at youth-led protests against the rogue Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit in October, and are doubling down on...
Vol 61 No 22 | NIGERIA Generals tighten their grip 5th November 2020 Determined to use the #EndSARS protests for their own ends, the securocrats have reasserted their role at the heart of government The Nigerian army's version of the shootings during the October protests was spelled out at a bizarre press conference in Abuja on 2 November by Attorney General Abubakar...