NIGERIA: Buhari’s final full-year budget stays true to form
On 7 October, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2022 appropriation bill to both houses of the national assembly. In some respects, the draft budget builds on last year’s tendency of putting forward sensible assumptions on some accounts, while others remain as illusory as e… Become a member to read the rest of this article […]
NIGERIA: Goodluck Jonathan’s potential comeback
Rumors that former president Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015) may soon be defecting from his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to become the ruling party’s flagbearer for the 2023 presidential election may not be unsubstantiated. However, an impo… Become a member to read the rest of this article
NIGERIA: How FX scarcity, VAT spat point to 2023
As the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continues to clamp down on USD sales in the parallel market, the soaring demand for the greenback in that segment may be fueled by the onset of the political campaigning season. In the same vein, the controversy around the jurisdiction over Va… Become a member to read […]
NIGERIA: As PIB becomes PIA, fuel subsidy will test reform efforts’ seriousness
On 18 August, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated a steering committee to see through the implementation over the next 12 months of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which he had signed into law earlier this week. The quick formation of the committee, which will report directl… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
NIGERIA: Southern governors draw lines in the sand on PIB, presidency
Even though both houses of the National Assembly passed the notorious Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) last week, there is a potentially protracted period of suspense in the offing before a harmonized version emerges for President Muhammadu Buhari to sign. In their meeting on 5 July… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
NIGERIA: More suspense regarding Buhari’s succession
President Muhammadu Buhari continues to kick the question regarding his own succession down the road by extending the mandate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s care-taker committee by another six months. Accordingly, the date of the first national party convention since Ju… Become a member to read the rest of this article
NIGERIA: Strategic implications of Boko Haram leader’s alleged death
On 20 May, a usually well-informed local news outlet reported that Boko Haram’s notorious leader Abubakar Shekau had died following a firefight with members of rivalrous splinter group Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). While Shekau has had a habit of resurrecting when… Become a member to read the rest of this article
NIGERIA: Scrapping official FX rate may signal return to Eurobond market
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has tacitly removed from its website information quoting the official exchange rate at NGN 379 per USD, indicating that the CBN may have finally abandoned the official rate. This would be in line with views expressed by Finance Minister Zainab Ah… Become a member to read the rest […]
NIGERIA: Armed secessionists may target the Niger Delta, but obstacles remain
Over the weekend, 12 police officers were killed in a string of attacks targeting police stations in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states. If it can be substantiated that these attacks were indeed perpetrated by the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the paramilitary wing of the secessionist… Become a member to read the rest of this […]
NIGERIA: AFRICOM invitation highlights scale of security challenges
On 27 April, President Muhammadu Buhari made a thinly veiled plea to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to relocate the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) from Germany to Nigeria. Regardless of the offer’s actual attractiveness from a US point of view, Buhari’s unexpected r… Become a member to read the rest of this […]