Editorial
Tuesday, 01 July 2025 04:50
NewsScroll analysis: Nigeria’s Per Capita Income tumbles to 26-Year low under APC, reversing gains of PDP era
Nigeria’s GDP per capita has plunged to a staggering 26-year low, effectively wiping out the steady economic gains recorded under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) administrations from 1999 to 2015. This emerges from new data by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) visualized by TheCable Index. According to the figures, Nigeria’s per capita income rose consistently during the PDP years, climbing from a mere $482 in 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo to an impressive $3,265 by 2014 under President Goodluck Jonathan. But since 2015, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power, the trend has dramatically reversed, culminating in an…
Monday, 16 June 2025 04:08
NewsScroll analysis: Dangote in monopolistic push with offer of free fuel distribution. Here’s an x-ray of the ‘Greek gift’
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has unveiled a fuel distribution programme that will deliver petrol and diesel across Nigeria with free transportation, starting August 15, 2025. According to a company statement, the initiative targets marketers, petrol station dealers, manufacturers, telecom operators, aviation firms, and other large-scale users. As part of the plan, Dangote has acquired 4,000 CNG-powered tankers and will deploy over 100 tankers to support CNG “daughter” stations across the country. The company described the initiative as a move to eliminate logistics costs, enhance energy efficiency, and contribute to economic development. It also includes a credit facility: buyers who purchase…
Friday, 30 May 2025 04:51
NewsScroll analysis: Tinubu claims economic victory as Nigeria's poverty crisis deepens and rights deteriorate
President Bola Tinubu marked his second anniversary in office Wednesday with bold claims of economic progress, even as international bodies warn of persistent crises and new data reveals the true cost of his reforms on Nigeria's most vulnerable populations. Economic Gains Questioned Amid Worsening Poverty While Tinubu declared that "our economic reforms are working" and promised a "greater, more economically stable nation," the reality on the ground tells a starkly different story. His signature policies since 2023—removing petrol subsidies, cutting electricity price subsidies, and implementing two currency devaluations—have triggered what experts describe as the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation,…
Thursday, 24 April 2025 04:25
NewsScroll analysis: Nigeria's economic performance in numbers — from Jonathan, through Buhari, to Tinubu
Nigeria's GDP figures from 2010 to 2027 reveal striking contrasts in economic performance across three presidential administrations. This analysis examines the economic trends, contributing factors, and implications for Africa's most populous nation. The Jonathan Era (2010-2014): Robust Growth President Goodluck Jonathan's administration oversaw a period of remarkable economic expansion, with GDP growing by 53.97% over five years. Starting at $374.10 billion in 2010, the economy reached $576.00 billion by 2014, representing consistent year-on-year growth. Key drivers: - Oil boom: High global oil prices (averaging over $100/barrel for much of this period) significantly benefited Nigeria as a major oil producer -…
Monday, 24 February 2025 04:17
Editorial: IBB’s book launch - A shameful celebration of villainy
The recent launch of Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, “A Journey in Service”, and the accompanying fundraising for his Presidential Library, is a grotesque spectacle that underscores the moral bankruptcy of Nigeria’s ruling elite. It is a gathering of the very individuals who have, through their actions and inactions, contributed to the systemic decay and chronic underdevelopment of Nigeria. The event, attended by former and current rulers, business moguls, and traditional rulers, was not a celebration of service or legacy but a parade of villains rewriting history to absolve themselves of their crimes against the Nigerian people. Babangida, a former military dictator…
Friday, 14 February 2025 05:02
Editorial: Oh, so it pains you too, Ribadu?
Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), has just had his first taste of what ordinary Nigerians endure daily at foreign embassies. And, oh, how it stings! His outburst yesterday—“They can go to hell!”—after Canada denied visas to Nigeria’s defence chief, Christopher Musa, and other top military officers, is nothing short of poetic justice. Welcome, dear sir, to the world of humiliation, endless rejections, and embassy-induced heartbreaks that regular Nigerians face while trying to escape the mess your ruling class has turned the country into. For years, ordinary citizens have been treated like unwanted visitors by embassies worldwide, all thanks…
Monday, 27 January 2025 04:51
Editorial: VAT sharing formula - balancing equity, justice, and national integration
The ongoing debate over the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing formula in Nigeria highlights deep-seated tensions between equity, justice, and national integration. The current system, which redistributes VAT revenue disproportionately, has sparked significant controversy, particularly between states that contribute heavily to the VAT pool and those that benefit more from redistribution. The proposals by President Bola Tinubu and the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF) reflect differing priorities, with Tinubu emphasizing derivation (60%) and the NGF advocating for equality (50%). To address these issues, a balanced VAT sharing formula must prioritize national integration while ensuring equity and justice. Key Issues in the…
Monday, 20 January 2025 04:56
Editorial: When power is cut from the seat of power
Behold, the once-glowing beacon of governance in Abuja—the Presidential Villa—was plunged into darkness. Not metaphorically this time (although there’s an argument to be made), but literally. The theft of 40 meters of power cables supplying electricity to the nerve center of Nigeria’s political power left its occupants fumbling for flashlights and wondering what it felt like to live like the average Nigerian. Spoiler alert: it’s not fun. How poetic that the very symbol of power became powerless, brought low not by international intrigue or high-level espionage, but by the humble efforts of vandals armed with wire cutters and a keen…
Monday, 16 December 2024 04:58
Editorial: Kemi Badenoch, Kashim Shettima, and the tragic disconnect from Nigeria’s reality
In a recent exchange between Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK’s Conservative Party, and Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, two prominent figures have engaged in a spectacle of misplaced pride and denial that only highlights their disconnect from the harsh realities facing Nigeria today. Badenoch, who has openly criticized the country of her birth, and Shettima, who represents the very political class responsible for Nigeria’s current state of disarray, have both displayed a level of delusion that must be condemned. Badenoch’s remarks about Nigeria are sharp and uncompromising. She describes a country plagued by corruption, insecurity, and political dysfunction,…
Friday, 06 December 2024 04:37
Editorial: Dele Farotimi, Afe Babalola and the Nigerian State in-between them
The arrest and detention of human rights advocate Dele Farotimi is not merely a legal matter; it is a chilling reflection of the growing trend of authoritarianism under the current Nigerian administration. Farotimi’s arrest—executed with the heavy-handed tactics of the Ekiti State Police—is the latest in a long line of actions that have turned the Nigerian state’s security apparatus into a weapon against its own citizens. The circumstances surrounding Farotimi’s detention, particularly the Gestapo-style manner in which he was apprehended, are not just troubling; they are indicative of a disturbing pattern of political intimidation, legal overreach, and the systematic silencing…
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Tuesday, 19 November 2024 04:41
Editorial: Ondo guber election and the irredeemability of Nigeria’s electoral system
The just-concluded Ondo State governorship election has once again exposed the tragic and unchanging reality of Nigeria’s electoral system—a system so deeply entrenched in corruption that it has become a farce. This is not a matter of a few “bad apples” within the system, but a reflection of a political culture that thrives on the exploitation of poverty, the manipulation of vulnerable citizens, and the perversion of democracy. It is a disturbing reminder of the editorial stance we took on September 24, 2024, in which we concluded that Nigeria’s electoral process is irreparably flawed and incapable of producing the leaders…
Thursday, 07 November 2024 04:32
Editorial: Dangote Refinery and the perils of greed in the face of national suffering
Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and the owner of the Dangote refinery, has built his empire on a foundation of ambition and resilience. However, in the pursuit of profit, he seems to have lost sight of the very people who sustain his businesses—the average Nigerians. His recent actions regarding fuel pricing and distribution reflect a troubling trend: an unrelenting greed that prioritizes personal gain over the welfare of the populace. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has rightly criticized Dangote for setting fuel prices that are exorbitantly higher than even imported products, forcing many to seek more affordable…
Tuesday, 05 November 2024 04:50
Editorial: The Derivation dilemma in the Tax Reform Bills
The current controversy surrounding the Tax Reform Bills introduced by President Bola Tinubu highlights a significant and contentious issue: the principle of derivation in the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing formula. At the heart of the matter is a proposed increase in the derivation percentage from 20% to 60% for VAT revenues, a move that has ignited fervent opposition, particularly from Northern political leaders. Their concerns raise critical questions about equity, regional balance, and the historical context of Nigeria’s fiscal policies. Historically, the derivation principle has undergone significant transformations. Initially, during the colonial period, regions retained 100% of mineral…
Monday, 04 November 2024 04:00
Editorial: Underage arraignment - a disturbing descent into authoritarianism under Tinubu
The recent arraignment of 32 minors alongside 76 other individuals for their participation in the #EndBadGovernance protests reveals a chilling reality: President Bola Tinubu’s government is veering dangerously close to authoritarianism. The inhumane treatment of these young detainees, who have been subjected to three months of detention without adequate food or care, highlights not only a blatant disregard for human rights but also an alarming trend toward state repression of dissent. The charges of treason and other serious offenses against these children—some as young as 14—are not only absurd but indicative of a regime willing to weaponize the law to…