I first met Hannah Hoechner in May this year, at the Oxford University Pan African Conference. I was outside the conference hall, getting some fresh air and chatting with several people when this friendly long haired brunette came to us and said hello in Hausa. Fascinated, we proceeded to ask her how come she could … Continue reading »
Tagged with Northern Nigeria …
Northern Nigeria: The Disconnect Between Our Leaders and the Rest of Us
It is becoming a tired cliché to note that Nigeria is a country with vast potentials which have remained unrealized due to socio-political and economic challenges of which dearth of transformational leadership is at the heart of all. Again, it is common knowledge that this leadership deficit is more severe in northern Nigeria relative to … Continue reading »
“What is Boko Haram?” ~ A Report by BBC’s Andrew Walker for USIP
Several weeks ago, in an NGO where I was working then, one of the Executive Directors of the organization came to my department, to say hello to everyone. We exchanged pleasantries, and he asked of my nationality, to which I replied “Nigeria“. He then asked what part of Nigeria and I said ”…from the North…”. He … Continue reading »
Nigeria’s First Mass Wedding
On Tuesday 15th May, Nigeria witnessed its first mass wedding in the Northern city of Kano when 100 couples were married off by the Kano state government under a programme to address the high rate of divorces in the state. Mass weddings around the world are nothing new; with the earliest recorded in 324 BC … Continue reading »
Nigeria, Boko Haram and Pervasive Distrust
At around 01.30 am in the wee hours of Tuesday 13th March, while checking local Nigerian and global news as I usually do before heading to bed, I came across an article on the British daily’s website The Independent, titled “On the Trail of Boko Haram” by Andrew Stroehlein, the Communications Director of the International … Continue reading »
Interview with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on Boko Haram and State of the Nation
This post is an excerpt from the February 25th edition of the Nigeria Village Square (NVS) NOW WHAT weekly series of which I am a panel member. It was originally posted HERE. Enjoy!! Now What Podcasts : The NOW WHAT podcasts Series are initiated by a desire to chart a way forward for Nigeria following the … Continue reading »
A People in Terminal Decline
For a while now, I’ve had reason to believe that the people of Northern Nigeria, especially the (in)famous “dominant” group, the Hausa-Fulanis seem to be in terminal decline. Could this conviction have stemmed out of the aftermath of the 2011 Nigerian general elections and the rampage of the Northern youths against the so-called Northern leaders … Continue reading »
