“What we cannot afford to disagree on is the value of a Nigerian life” —Dr. Declan Onwudiwe In one of my previous op-eds in Pilot News, I exhorted President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu. I made that call as a scholar of terrorism and political violence, but his release did not happen. Today, I argue that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s broadcasts may, paradoxically, have done more to draw attention to the predicament of ordinary Hausa...

“It is imperative to pursue bold policy choices” —Dr. Declan Onwudiwe I would argue that a country as large and ambitious as Nigeria cannot afford to route most of its maritime commerce through a single gateway. Therefore, Nigeria needs to build modern seaports in southeastern Nigeria, not as an act of regional favoritism but as a national economic imperative. New ports would reduce logistics costs, ease congestion in Lagos, attract investment, stimulate manufacturing, create jobs,...

“Nigeria’s challenge is not capability, but the courage to reclaim its indigenous defense legacy” —Dr. Declan Onwudiwe Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, manifested in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and rural violence, has exposed a troubling reality: Africa’s most populous nation remains heavily dependent on foreign arms for its security. Yet Nigeria once possessed extensive indigenous metallurgical and weapons-production capabilities. Reviving that capacity, under strict regulation and state oversight, may be one of the country’s most overlooked security options....