News
#ENDSARS: No Real Consequence for Leadership Failures in Nigeria
By Chinwendu Ohakpougwu
I was in Zanzibar, on a work leave when the protest that held Nigeria standstill happened. It was the #ENDSARS – a protest which was largely and primarily against police brutality – but which spiralled to all other things holding the Nigerian nation down.
It was the 20th of October 2020 precisely – and our flight had left for Nigeria from Zanzibar. We had a stop-over in Addis Ababa. Just as we landed in Ethiopia, we received news that flights were grounded from entering Nigeria.
This was the second time I could clearly see a reflection of what I had watched in the movie ‘Sometimes in April’. We had no transit visas and were stranded in a foreign land – with our own country evidently in ruins. It was a painful feeling. It was clear things had gone out of hand.
The airport hotel we were put in felt like some prison. Apparently, they too had received the news of what was happening in Nigeria – and they made sure to treat us in a way that was demeaning.
We were not let out of the hotel. They wouldn’t let us have the keys to our rooms. We slept that night, praying and hoping that the next day we would receive good news from Nigeria. Some of us had started to make plans about taking a flight to neighbouring Ghana, after all, we had the ECOWAS passport.
Miraculously, the next morning, they allowed a few more flights into the country and we took the opportunity. Ethiopian Airlines landed in Lagos in the late afternoon on the 21st of October amidst great tension.
There were soldiers everywhere. We were told not to leave the airport, but most people tried to get accommodation in the hotels around the International airport. They had to walk long distances to these hotels in Ajao.
No cab wanted to leave the airport premises – and those who eventually did charged outrageous prices. As we walked out of the airport premises to find hotels nearby, the young men littered around, blocking the road, yelled at us and cursed us, that we were the mistresses to some of these politicians and are kept away from the chaotic scenes happening back in Nigeria.
They searched our bags and took some items. Soldiers were patrolling like it was Lebanon, the air was too tense and volatile. Eventually, I made it back home, safely.
Fast-forward – it’s 20th October 2021, and I am witnessing the memorial of the #ENDSARS. The feeling is still the same – hurt everywhere, and yet more oppression and injustice can still be seen and felt. It is as though we never picked up any lesson one year after. As a Comms person, I try to look at these things with an industry eye and wondered why the Lagos state governor was not present at the #ENDSARS memorial.
I had an exchange with a friend heavily involved in political PR and he said something that struck me “Two weeks after the 2020 massacre, APC won the election in that same senatorial zone by like 10k votes.
Do you know what 10k votes are? You can mobilize 10k people. So, when I sit with politicians and tell them to care about young people, they can only scoff.
Because there is no consequence to ignoring them. Each time events like this happen, all politicians need to do is ignore their social media accounts for a while, send some other young people to disrupt the activities and the world is fine again.”
This, right here is my vexation with Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB – all that power and influence and yet all they do in the SE is a Sit At Home? What happened to real influence over who wins elections in the SE? What about teaming with the people to pick only the crop of leaders who are fit for the future we want to achieve? Nigerian youths have the numbers – and in all games, numbers are great leverage. Get out and get involved in politics.
The change we desire will not happen on social media. Let us start to strategically get more smart young people into the National Assembly. That is where true and long-lasting change happens.
Chinwendu Ohakpougwu, Head of Corporate Communications, DLM Capital Group
Anambra State has once again demonstrated its leadership in digital transformation, emerging as one of Nigeria’s top three states in the 2025 e-Governance Report published by the Panorama CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI).
According to the report — a collaborative effort between Nigerian Panorama and the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) — Anambra ranks alongside Lagos and Enugu as the leading states in adopting and implementing e-governance practices that foster accountability, transparency, and improved service delivery.
In his remarks, Professor Anthony Kila, Director of CIAPS, emphasized the importance of e-governance in shaping how governments interact with citizens. “The centrality of e-governance allows us to assess the performance of state governments in the country. How the government treats the digital world says a lot about them,” he said.
The report evaluated states based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including website security, up-to-date content, public engagement, availability of online services, policy updates, and user accessibility. Anambra’s performance reflects the state’s deliberate investment in digital infrastructure and its commitment to leveraging technology as a tool for inclusive governance.
Reacting to the recognition, the Managing Director/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, described the report as a welcome validation of the efforts being made under the leadership of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, to reposition Anambra as a liveable and prosperous smart mega-city.
“This is not just about being tech-savvy,” Agbata said. “It’s about using digital tools to create real impact — making the government more accessible, responsive, and transparent. Anambra is building a digital future that works for everyone.”
The CGPI Report recommended that all states intensify efforts to train public servants, maintain digital platforms effectively, and build user-friendly systems that keep citizens informed and empowered. For Anambra, this recognition serves both as a milestone and a motivation to scale new heights.
As the journey continues, Anambra remains focused on setting the pace for e-governance in Nigeria in line with the Governor’s mantra of Everything Technology & Technology Everywhere.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the National Assembly to reject the Tinubu administration’s request to borrow $24 billion, warning that the move would significantly deepen Nigeria’s debt crisis.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the advocacy group warned that the proposed borrowing would raise Nigeria’s total debt stock to an estimated ₦183 trillion—an amount it described as “clearly not sustainable and not in the public interest.”
“The National Assembly must immediately refuse to approve the Tinubu administration’s request to borrow $24 billion,” the group said. “The growing national debt is not sustainable and not in the public interest.”
SERAP expressed concern over the heavy burden of debt servicing, which it said is already consuming a substantial portion of government revenue, leaving little room for critical public investment.
Nigeria’s total public debt is projected to surpass ₦180 trillion following the president’s latest loan request. The borrowing plan includes a proposal for over $21.5 billion in external loans, which equates to ₦33.39 trillion at the official exchange rate of ₦1,590 per dollar. The administration is also seeking approval for a domestic bond issuance worth ₦757.9 billion to settle outstanding pension liabilities.
President Tinubu said the 2025–2026 borrowing plan targets key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, water supply, security, and employment generation. He noted that the plan is also intended to cushion the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The total loan request comprises $21.5 billion, €2.19 billion, and 15 billion Japanese Yen, alongside a €65 million grant. Tinubu assured lawmakers that the funds would be directed toward development projects across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with emphasis on rail networks, healthcare infrastructure, and poverty alleviation programs.
On pension-related borrowing, the president explained that the proposed bond issuance is aimed at clearing backlogs under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The measure, he added, has already received approval from the Federal Executive Council and is expected to improve retirees’ welfare, restore trust in the pension system, and inject liquidity into the economy.
Nigeria’s public debt has surged in recent years, rising by 48.6% in 2024 to ₦144.66 trillion—up from ₦97.34 trillion in 2023. The Federal Government accounts for 95% of that total.
Firm Reports a 48% Increase in Malicious Packages Threatening Software Supply Chains
Senate Passes Harmonised Report on Tax Reform Bills
FG to Provide High-fibre Internet in 12 Universities by Year End
The Silent Killer of Great Companies: A Guide To Why Your Processes Will Break (and How to Fix Them)
EFCC Witness Admits Writing Off Arik Air’s $2.3M Debt Amid N76Bn Fraud Trial
E-Financial3 days agoEFCC Recovers over N20Bn Stolen by Hackers from 6 Banks in Nigeria
Telecom3 days agoEngr. Ikechukwu Nnamani Receives Two Prestigious @ABoICT Awards
E-Financial2 days agoFidelity Bank Plc Wins 2025 DBN Innovation Award for MSME Support
E-Business2 days agoNigeria Among Hotspots as Kaspersky Warns of Rising Ransomware Threat in Africa
Telecom3 days agoFG to Deploy 80 Percent of 7000 Telecom Towers to North
E-Financial3 days agoPonzi Scheme Operators Risk N10m Penalty, Others- IST Chair
News3 days agoEFCC Recovers Funds, Arrests Suspects in N1.3 Trillion CBEX Crypto Fraud
E-Financial3 days agoUBA Launches *919# Advance Top-Up Feature for Instant Access to Customers