Tag: Dakuku Peterside
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Kukah on accidental leadership – By Dakuku Peterside
In reflecting on Nigeria’s leadership journey, Bishop Matthew Kukah, a Catholic priest, activist, and philosopher, delivers a searing observation: “Almost every leader who came to power did so by accident.” With these words, he stirred an hornets’ nest, igniting a spirited discourse on the nation’s perennial struggle with leadership.
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Citadels of indiscipline – By Dakuku Peterside
Universities are meant to be the heart of a nation’s progress—places where the brightest minds are nurtured, and the moral compass of future leaders is set.
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Trust and economic recovery – By Dakuku Peterside
Nigeria’s economy is charting a course from the tempestuous waters of the “Red Zone,” a realm of acute instability filled with uncertainty and wavering hope. Now, it navigates the “Amber Zone,” a twilight of cautious recovery, where the faint glow of progress meets the shadows of persistent challenges. Yet, the horizon beckons with the promise…
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The minors: A reflection of decay in society – By Dakuku Peterside
When voices rise in waves of protest, deeper wounds are laid bare—truths woven into our laws and ethics, waiting to be unearthed. In Nigeria, one such moment emerged in the #EndBadGovernance protests, where voices for change faced harsh reprisals. The arrest and prosecution of 76 individuals, among them children, echoed like a somber drumbeat across…
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Airfare: Flying beyond reach – By Dakuku Peterside
A military officer who served as Nigeria’s Aviation Minister between 1985 and 1993 during the Babangida years once remarked that air travel was a luxury not meant for the poor. At the time, this comment sparked public outrage for its apparent insensitivity. Yet, more than thirty years later, that statement has proven eerily prophetic, as air travel has…
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Tunji Alausa and Nigeria’s grand education strategy – By Dakuku Peterside
The challenges in Nigeria’s educational sector are complex and pressing, encompassing poor quality, inadequate funding, limited access, and an outdated curriculum. The World Bank reports that Nigeria’s education sector is severely underfunded, with only about 7% of the federal budget allocated to education in 2024, well below the UNESCO-recommended 15-20% needed to make a meaningful…
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Nigeria and the 2024 Nobel Prize – By Dakuku Peterside
In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson for their groundbreaking research into how political and economic institutions shape nations’ prosperity—or failure. Their work, particularly in the influential book “Why Nations Fail”, emphasises that the quality of their institutions largely determines the success of nations.
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Rivers of crises – By Dakuku Peterside
The ongoing economic crisis has reached every corner of the nation, touching the rich and poor, urban and rural dwellers alike. With inflation rates climbing to about 33% as of August 2024, living costs have risen dramatically. Food prices alone have skyrocketed by more than 30%, placing a significant strain on household incomes. Families that…
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Thoughts on Nigeria’s food insecurity – By Dakuku Peterside
Nigeria is grappling with a multitude of significant challenges, each akin to a ‘ticking time bomb’ that threatens national stability. Among these, the most pressing yet underappreciated is food insecurity. Despite its critical nature and its direct link to national security, food insecurity has not received the urgent attention it requires from the federal and…
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Cabinet Revision: Realism versus Expectations – By Dakuku Peterside
Nigeria is in the grip of a severe economic crisis, with high inflation, volatile exchange rates, and a steep rise in the cost of living. The inflation rate, which soared to over 30% in the second quarter of 2024, has put