Gill Malinsky

After nearly 18 years at Google, Jenny Wood now dedicates her time to helping people grow their careers. She does this through her weekly newsletter, Big Small Things, and she hopes to do this with her forthcoming book, “Wild Courage,” due out in March 2025.     

“I made so many mistakes as I rose from entry-level to exec,” she says, adding that “these mistakes included the actions I didn’t take (which led to the most regret) and the actions I did take (some of which were cringe-worthy).”

When it comes to setting yourself up for success in 2025, Wood has a couple of tips.

Figure out your ‘Baltics’ and your ‘Boardwalks’

First, figure out what tasks and projects will actually make an impact. Wood compares this to low-value and high-value properties in Monopoly — you have to determine “what are your Baltics in 2025 and what are your Boardwalks,” she says.

“Agreeing to take notes for every team meeting or showing up early to help decorate for an office party” are Baltics, says Wood. They’re not contributing to your professional progress. On the other hand, “raising your hand to increase a given metric by 20% or volunteering to help drive a reorg and present it to leadership,” are Boardwalks. They will help move you and your company forward.

Ask your boss about their top priorities or read an exec’s newsletter outlining those for the company, then write two to three personal Boardwalk goals for the first quarter of 2025. Every quarter write another two to three.

Ask your boss for what you want

Second, Wood recommends asking for what you want to do next year.

Say your company’s working on two initiatives, a vanilla ice cream and a chocolate ice cream. You get put on the chocolate ice cream team even though you hoped to be put on vanilla. Especially if you’re early in your career, it can seem counterintuitive to say you want to be on that other team. But don’t be afraid to push back, she says.

Say something to your boss like, “I’d really enjoy the opportunity to work on vanilla ice cream,” she says.
“I like the stakeholders on that project. It’s a different product than I’ve been used to. I’ve been working on chocolate ice cream for the last three years. I’d like some variety to learn new skills.”

That push back says you’re a risk taker, she says, “and that’s the kind of stuff that gets you promoted.”

Before the end of this year, figure out what you want to focus on in 2025 then invite your boss to a meeting where you can discuss these objectives.

CNBC

Nigeria's Broad Money Supply (M2) increased significantly by 51 percent year-on-year to N108.96 trillion in November 2024, while currency in circulation reached an all-time high of N4.8 trillion, according to the latest Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Money and Credit Statistics.

The substantial increase in M2, which represents cash, demand deposits, savings deposits, and other monetary instruments, reflects the government's high domestic borrowing. The data showed that credit to the government surged by 54 percent year-on-year to N39.6 trillion in November 2024 from N25.7 trillion in November 2023, while credit to the private sector rose by 27 percent to N75.96 trillion.

Currency outside banks, representing about 96 percent of currency in circulation, grew significantly to N4.65 trillion in November 2024, marking a 50.9 percent increase from N3.08 trillion in the previous year. This trend indicates an increasing preference for cash holdings outside the banking system, despite widespread reports of cash shortages that have led banks to limit daily ATM withdrawals to N20,000 per account.

The currency in circulation has shown steady growth throughout 2024, adding over one trillion naira since January when it was N3.65 trillion. The monthly progression saw consistent increases, from N3.69 trillion in February to N4.04 trillion in June, before reaching the current record level of N4.8 trillion in November.

Other monetary indicators also showed significant growth, with demand deposits increasing by 34.4 percent year-on-year to N31.6 trillion, and narrow money (M1) growing by 38 percent to N36.3 trillion. Quasi-money, including savings and time deposits, rose marginally by 1.96 percent to N72.7 trillion from N71.3 trillion in November 2023.

The overall expansion in net domestic credit reached 91 percent year-on-year, totaling N115.6 trillion in November 2024, up from N60.5 trillion in 2023, highlighting the significant increase in both government and private sector borrowing throughout the year.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced the partial resumption of operations at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), marking a milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to revive its local refining capacity. The refinery, which had been dormant since 2015 due to prolonged repairs, began refining crude oil last Saturday at its Area 1 plant.

This development follows the recent commencement of operations at the Port Harcourt Refinery’s 60,000-barrel-per-day facility, signaling progress in the country’s push to reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed the resumption during a tour of the Warri Refinery on Monday. Accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, Kyari addressed the tour group, emphasizing that the resumption of operations is evidence of ongoing progress.

“We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running,” Kyari said in a video shared by Channels TV. “Although it is not 100 percent complete, operations have commenced. Many people think these things are not real or possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”

The Warri Refinery’s restart underscores the federal government’s commitment to reviving the country’s refining sector after years of operational setbacks and costly fuel imports. While repairs are still ongoing, the resumption of partial operations represents a significant step toward achieving functional and self-sufficient refining infrastructure in Nigeria.

Israel, at UN, warns Houthis risk sharing same fate as Hamas, Hezbollah

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations issued on Monday what he called a final warning to Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militants to halt their missile attacks on Israel, saying they risked the same "miserable fate" as Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria's Bashar al-Assad if they persisted.

The ambassador, Danny Danon, also warned Tehran that Israel has the ability to strike any target in the Middle East, including in Iran. He added that Israel would not tolerate attacks by Iranian proxies.

But hours later the Israeli military announced that it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, prompting sirens to sound across the country, and a top Houthi leader said the group would not end its attacks on Israel.

"The pounding of the entity (Israel) continues and the support to Gaza continues," Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis' supreme revolutionary committee, said in a post on X after the Israeli military announced the missile interception.

The Houthis repeatedly have fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli fire in Gaza.

Danon, in addressing the U.N. Security Council, said that Israel would not tolerate further Houthi attacks.

"To the Houthis, perhaps you have not been paying attention to what has happened to the Middle East over the past year," he said.

"Well, allow me to remind you what has happened to Hamas, to Hezbollah, to Assad, to all those who have attempted to destroy us. Let this be your final warning. This is not a threat. It is a promise. You will share the same miserable fate," Danon said.

Before the meeting, Danon told reporters: "Israel will defend its people. If 2,000 kilometers is not enough to separate our children from the terror, let me assure you, it will not be enough to protect their terror from our strengths."

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Houthis that Israel was "just getting started" following Israeli strikes on multiple Houthi-linked targets in Yemen, including Sanaa airport, ports on the country's west coast and two power plants.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he was about to board a plane at the airport when it came under attack by Israel. A crew member on the plane was injured, he said.

Israel's elimination of the top leaders of the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah and the destruction of their military structure along with Assad's collapse represents a succession of monumental wins for Netanyahu.

Briefing the Security Council meeting, Assistant U.N. Secretary General for the Middle East Khaled Khiari reiterated grave concern about the escalation in violence, calling on the Houthis to halt attacks on Israel and for international and humanitarian law to be respected.

"Further military escalation could jeopardize regional stability with adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions," Khiari said.

"Millions in Yemen, Israel and throughout the region, would continue to bear the brunt of escalation with no end."

Russia's ambassador to the U.N., Vassily Nebenzia, while condemning Houthi missile attacks on Israel, also criticized Israel's retaliatory strikes on Yemen, as well those by what he called the "Anglo-Saxon coalition" of U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea, saying they were "clearly not proportional."

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

No grounds for ending Ukraine conflict – Kremlin

Russian authorities do not believe that the fighting between Moscow and Kiev can be stopped at the moment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Peskov was asked by RIA-Novosti on Monday if there are currently any prerequisites for ending the Ukraine conflict.

The spokesman gave a short but conclusive reply: “No.”

He had reiterated last week that Russia “remains open to talks” to end the hostilities. “However, since there has been no progress in terms of Ukraine’s readiness for negotiations, we are continuing with our [military] operation,”Peskov stressed.

According to the spokesman, the dynamics on the battlefield “are self-evident: we are on the advance.”

In the fall of 2022, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree banning the Kiev government from any talks with Moscow. The legislation remains in force.

Throughout the conflict, Zelensky and his Western backers have been discussing his so-called ‘peace formula,’ which demanded that Russia withdraw from Crimea and the other territories claimed by Ukraine – the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, which officially became part of the Russian state as a result of referendums in late 2022. It also called for Moscow to pay reparations and for the formation of a war crimes tribunal.

Russian authorities have rejected this proposal as unacceptable, “detached from reality” and a sign of Kiev’s unwillingness to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

However, the Ukrainian leader has recently abandoned his talk of “victory,” claiming instead that he wants a “just peace,” coupled with security guarantees from the West in the form of NATO membership, with the status of the new Russian regions undetermined.

Last week, the Washington Post reported, citing a senior member of Zelensky’s government, that officials in Kiev are “starting to believe” that the conflict with Russia will be resolved in 2025. The shift in attitude is a direct result of US President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to put a swift end to the fighting once he returns to office, according to the paper.

During his end-of-year press conference earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is open to negotiations with Kiev without any preconditions other than those already agreed in Istanbul in 2022.

These terms involve a neutral, non-aligned status for Ukraine – prohibiting it from joining NATO – as well as restrictions on the deployment of foreign weaponry in the country. Putin also stressed that any talks must take into account the realities on the ground that have emerged since 2022.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Scores of Ukrainian and Russian POWs head back home after swap

Ukraine and Russia carried out a new exchange of prisoners of war on Monday, with the two sides bringing home a combined total of more than 300 former captives.

Kyiv brought home 189 former captives, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russia's Defence Ministry said, while the Russian ministry said 150 Russian servicemen were returning home.

The Russian ministry said the captives had been released in Belarus, Moscow's close ally in the 34-month-old war with Ukraine, and would be transferred to Russia.

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Reuters Television footage in Ukraine showed waiting spouses and some servicemen, many wrapped in blue and yellow national flags, weeping openly as they were reunited well after dark outside a building.

A child's incredulous voice resounded over a mobile telephone: "Dad, is that you?"

"My son is 5 years old now, the last time I saw him he was 2 years old," said Serhii, who was captured by Russian forces at the Azovstal steel mill in the southern port Mariupol, which withstood a siege for nearly three months in 2022.

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"That's why my son probably didn't recognise me. I used to have a beard and hair. I lost 20 kg (44 pounds)."

For some former captives the return to freedom involved adjustment.

"Even now I'm holding my hands behind my back, it has become a habit of mine," said Roman Borshch, 29. "Now I have to get used to being a free person again."

Video posted by the Russian Defence Ministry showed smiling servicemen on a bus, some calling their families.

"We'll soon be home. How are the children? How is our boy?" said one man.

"I am overwhelmed by emotion," said another. "I still can't quite believe that this has happened, that I am back home, that the ministry made such efforts, that we are remembered and valued."

Zelenskiy thanked United Arab Emirates authorities and other partners for facilitating the swap. The United Arab Emirates acknowledged it helped arrange the exchange.

"The return of our people from Russian captivity is always very good news for each of us. And today is one of such days: our team managed to bring 189 Ukrainians home," Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

There was no immediate explanation for why more Ukrainians than Russians were listed as released; the freed Ukrainians included civilians who had been in Russian captivity.

Zelenskiy said the returning Ukrainians included soldiers, sergeants and officers from frontline areas and two civilians who had been captured in Mariupol.

BESIEGED STEEL MILL

Denys Prokopenko, commander of the 12th Special Forces "Azov" Brigade that defended the Azovstal mill, said 11 of his men were among those returning. Prokopenko was brought home in an earlier swap.

The Ukrainian body overseeing prisoner swaps said it was the 59th exchange between the two sides since Russia's February 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbour. The swap brought to 3,956 the number of Ukrainian detainees brought home.

It said those brought home this year included Ukrainian nationals serving what it described as "so-called sentences" imposed by Russian courts for various offences.

In the last swap in October, also carried out with assistance from the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Ukraine each brought home 95 detainees.

RT/Reuters

Ukraine has about a month before it runs out of artillery shells, and the US Congress cannot agree to ship more. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is dead. The slaughter in Gaza continues with no end in sight. The Yemeni Houthis are attacking ships in the Red Sea. The North Koreans are testing intercontinental ballistic missiles. In normal times, pessimism can look like an intellectual fad. In times like these, it becomes a starker form of realism.

The post-1945 world order – written into international law, ratified by the United Nations, and kept in place by the balance of nuclear terror among major powers – is hanging by a thread. The United States is divided against itself and stretched to the limits of its capabilities. Europe is waking up to the possibility that, come November, America may no longer fulfill its collective-defense obligations under Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Faced with this new uncertainty, Europe is cranking up its defense production, and European politicians are screwing up the courage to persuade their electorates that they will need to ante up 2% of their GDP to guarantee their own safety.

The Western alliance doesn’t just face the challenge of doubling down on defense while maintaining unity across the Atlantic. It also now faces an “axis of resistance” that might be tempted to threaten Western hegemony with a simultaneous, coordinated challenge. The lynchpin of this axis is the Russia-China “no-limits” partnership. While the Chinese supply the Russians with advanced circuitry for their weapons systems, Russian President Vladimir Putin ships them cheap oil. Together they have imposed autocratic rule over most of Eurasia.

If Ukraine’s exhausted defenders are forced to concede Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the Donbas region, the Eurasian axis of dictators will have succeeded in changing a European land frontier by force. Achieving this will threaten every state on the edge of Eurasia: Taiwan, the Baltic countries, and even Poland. Both dictatorial regimes will use their vetoes on the UN Security Council to ratify conquest, effectively consigning the UN Charter to history’s dustbin.

This partnership of dictators works in tandem with a cluster of rights-abusing renegades, led by Iran and North Korea. The North Koreans provide Putin with artillery shells while plotting to invade the rest of their peninsula. The Iranians manufacture the drones that terrorize Ukrainians in their trenches. Meanwhile, Iran’s proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis – are helping Russia and China by tying down America and Israel.

Unless the US can force Israel into a long-term ceasefire, it will find itself struggling to control conflicts on three fronts (Asia, Europe, and the Middle East). Not even a country that outspends its rivals on defense by two to one can maintain a war footing simultaneously across so many theaters.

The idea that democracies around the world will join up with America and Europe against the authoritarian threat seems like an illusion. Instead of joining with the embattled democracies of the Global North, the rising democracies of the Global South – Brazil, India, and South Africa – seem unembarrassed to be aligning with regimes that rely on mass repression, the cantonment of entire populations (the Uighurs in China), and shameless murder (Navalny being only the most recent example).

To be sure, the authoritarian axis currently is united only by what it opposes: American power. It is otherwise divided by its ultimate interests. The Chinese, for example, cannot be overjoyed that the Houthis are blocking freight traffic through the Red Sea. The world’s second most powerful economy doesn’t have all that much in common with an impoverished Muslim resistance army or with theocratic Iran.

Moreover, both Russia and China remain parasitic beneficiaries of a global economy that is sustained by US alliances and deterrence. That is why they still hesitate to challenge the hegemon too directly. However, like sharks, they smell blood in the water. They have not only survived US sanctions but continued to prosper, replacing their dependence on embargoed markets with new markets in Latin America, Asia, and India. Both Russia and China have discovered that American control of the global economy is not what it once was.

This discovery of American weakness might tempt them to risk a joint military challenge. As matters stand, US diplomacy and deterrence have successfully kept the axis divided. CIA Director William Burns and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan are keeping the channels open to China. Blowback American strikes against Iran have apparently convinced the theocrats to rein in Hezbollah and the militias in Iraq – though not the Houthis, whom nobody seems able to control.

It doesn’t take strategic genius to see the opportunity China and Russia might be contemplating. If they decided to mount an overt challenge to the American order – for example, with a coordinated, simultaneous offensive against Ukraine and Taiwan – the US would struggle to rush weapons and technology into the breach.

Nuclear weapons would not necessarily deter China and Russia from risking a coordinated attempt to take Taiwan and the rest of Ukraine. All parties would pay a horrendous price, but Russia has shown what it is willing to expend in Ukraine, and both China and Russia may believe that there will never be a more opportune moment to overthrow American hegemony. If they were to combine forces, we would face the most serious challenge to the global economic and strategic order since 1945.

Nobody has any idea what the world would be like on the other side of such a confrontation. We cannot even assume, as we have always done, that America would prevail if faced with a simultaneous challenge from two formidable powers. If a pessimist is someone who imagines the worst in order to forestall it, we should all be pessimists. Keeping the authoritarian axis from becoming a full-fledged alliance should be America’s first-order priority.

Project Syndicate

Marcel Schwantes

Ever felt like you’re invisible at work—like no one sees you, hears you, or values what you bring to the table? Psychologists actually have a term for this: anti-mattering. It’s that sinking feeling of being insignificant, and when people experience it, they tend to check out, lose motivation, or walk away entirely.

We often think top talent quits because of money or new opportunities elsewhere. For many, sure. But for high performers, there’s another, quieter reason: They don’t feel like they matter. The solution is to reverse course. In six words:

Make people feel like they matter.

Unlike pay raises or competing job offers, mattering is something self-aware leaders and managers have the power to control every single day.

In a study of 200,000 employees across 741 companies, compensation ranked dead last as a reason high performers left. What topped the list instead? Things like purpose, growth opportunities, and—most important—relationships with their leaders.

This isn’t surprising. Managers play a huge role in whether people stay or go. People want to feel like they matter. They want to experience more positive, meaningful interactions and be recognized for their unique contributions.

3 Steps to Make People Feel Like They Matter

Offering some employees their desired salary to keep them around longer is certainly an option, but it’s not sustainable under undesirable work conditions and poor managers with inadequate people skills.

Managers must realize that they have plenty of power when it comes to creating the right environment and opening up opportunities that align with employees’ personal and professional goals.

To future-proof your retention strategy and ensure people feel fulfilled by the work they are doing, here are three ways to start the process.

1. Make a way for career development

Today’s employees not only want the ability to grow their careers, but also the opportunity to explore different career paths.

Career development is no longer just about moving up the career ladder to the next position; it’s also about trying on different hats and learning new skills. Employees are interested in pursuing opportunities that align with their skills and interests and that empower them to create a career path on their own terms.

Employers need to replace traditional career ladders with lattices that enable their people to grow—not just vertically, but across departments and functions.

2. Align your company’s values to employees’

More and more, employees want to work for a company that aligns with their values. Jobs are not looked at as merely a means to pay bills but instead are increasingly viewed as part of their identity. Job seekers are looking for a more authentic connection between corporate and personal values.

A real concern is that many of the newest members of the workforce think their employers leave a lot to be desired when it comes to aligning corporate values with their personal beliefs.

If you want to hold onto top talent in the current environment, you need to make sure your people believe in the work they’re doing. 

3. Recognize your employees

Study after study—too many to mention here—has been published highlighting the importance of meaningful workplace recognition. For employees to find meaning in their work, they need frequent validation and recognition that what they do day-to-day matters in the context of the greater goals of the organization.

In one survey I tracked, employees recognized in a previous month were 29 percent more likely to agree with the statement, “The work we do at my organization has meaning and purpose for me,” compared with those who have never been recognized.

Inc

The World Bank has fully disbursed a $1.5 billion loan to Nigeria in record time, following the government's implementation of major economic reforms. The loan, part of the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) Development Policy Financing initiative, was released in two tranches within six months of approval.

Key Details:

- First tranche: $750 million (IDA credit) - 12-year maturity, 6-year grace period

- Second tranche: $750 million (IBRD loan) - 24-year maturity, 11-year grace period

- Approval date: June 13, 2024

- First disbursement: July 2, 2024

- Second disbursement: November 2024

The rapid disbursement was triggered by Nigeria's implementation of three major reforms:

1. Fuel Subsidy Removal

- Complete deregulation of the fuel market

- Petrol prices now aligned with international market rates

- Over fivefold increase in fuel prices since mid-2023

2. Tax Reform

- New tax bill submitted to National Assembly in October 2024

- Proposed VAT increase to 10% by 2025

- Measures to simplify tax compliance

- Expanded input tax credits for businesses

3. Social Protection Reform

- Mandated use of National Social Registry for social programs

- Introduction of N25,000 cash transfers to vulnerable households

- Target: 15 million households (currently reached: ~4 million)

- CNG vehicle conversion program launched

Public Response and Impact:

- Protests in major cities over increased living costs

- Government defends reforms as necessary for economic stability

- Relief measures implemented but facing implementation challenges

Broader Context:

- Nigeria has secured $6.95 billion in World Bank loans over 18 months

- Additional $1.65 billion in loans under consideration for 2025

- Current World Bank debt: $16.32 billion (38% of Nigeria's external debt)

- Projects in pipeline focus on displaced persons, education, and nutrition

The World Bank has praised Nigeria's commitment to reform, noting the unprecedented speed of implementation while acknowledging the challenging impact on citizens.

Nigerian human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has credited the collective voices of Nigerians for his release after a 20-day detention in Ekiti State. Farotimi was held on charges of criminal defamation and cybercrime, stemming from allegations he made against senior lawyer Afe Babalola in his book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.

Farotimi, who was granted bail of N30 million and released on December 24, expressed profound gratitude to Nigerians for rallying behind him. In a heartfelt social media video titled The Walk to Freedom, he broke down in tears as he recounted how the support of a united populace transcended ethnic and religious divisions.

“Nigeria Could Not Happen to Me”

“Because you wouldn’t see me as a Yoruba man or a Christian, you spoke for me,” Farotimi said, highlighting how Nigerians united for justice. “Your voices found me even beyond the walls of prison. In our collective, we could not be silenced.”

The activist described his arrest as an “abduction” rather than a lawful detention and vowed to pursue legal redress against those responsible.

The Case and Public Outcry

Farotimi’s legal troubles began with the publication of his book, where he accused Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, of manipulating Nigeria’s judicial system for his clients. Babalola petitioned the police, citing 31 excerpts from the book as defamatory. This led to Farotimi’s arraignment on multiple counts of criminal defamation and cybercrime.

Despite the severity of the charges, Nigerians rallied around Farotimi, with prominent figures like Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore advocating for his release. Sowore’s AAC and Revolution Nowmovements also mobilized in his support.

A Humbling Experience

Farotimi described his time in prison as both revealing and transformative. “Prison is a finishing school,” he remarked with a touch of humor, adding that while he appreciated the “free accommodation,” the food left much to be desired.

The experience, however, underscored the systemic flaws in Nigeria’s judicial and correctional systems. Farotimi called for justice not just for high-profile detainees but for the countless nameless individuals languishing in prison without due process.

A Nation United

The activist praised Nigerians for setting aside their differences to demand justice. “You all spoke as one, and because of that, Nigeria couldn’t happen to me,” he said.

He also acknowledged the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) for rejecting a request by Babalola’s law firm to disbar him, ruling that the allegations pertained to his role as an author, not as a practicing lawyer.

A Book’s Unexpected Rise

Farotimi’s arrest inadvertently boosted the sales of his book, which topped Amazon’s bestseller list in the elections category within 24 hours of his detention. This surge in popularity reflects a growing public interest in Nigeria’s human rights and justice issues, particularly among younger readers.

Looking Ahead

Farotimi remains committed to advocating for systemic reforms. He vowed to defend himself against all charges and to seek accountability for his detention. “I will ensure that some lawyers never practice law in this country again,” he declared.

Through his ordeal, Farotimi’s story has become a rallying cry for justice, a testament to the power of collective action, and a reminder of the strength of a united Nigeria.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned a recent military parade involving Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, calling it a troubling example of the government’s increasing personalisation of state institutions. His criticism aligns with concerns raised by Senator Ali Ndume, who lamented that Nigeria’s democracy is being undermined by a shift towards personalised governance.

In a statement released by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the parade as a “gross violation of military tradition” and demanded an investigation into what he termed an “unwarranted and nauseating display.” Atiku questioned the legitimacy of the “Nigeria Cadet Network,” the group involved in the parade, noting it is not a recognised entity within the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“What is even more alarming is the brazen use of firearms by civilians in this so-called parade,” Atiku stated. “This is happening at a time when illegal arms proliferation is already a dangerous problem in the country.”

Atiku’s criticism underscores the growing sentiment that the current administration is blurring the lines between personal and official roles. His call for accountability included a warning that the integrity of the Nigerian Armed Forces must be protected from political and familial interference.

Ndume Weighs In: “Democracy Has Lost Its Essence”

Adding his voice to the issue, Ndume, who represents Borno South, accused the Tinubu administration of personalising governance. In an interview with Deutsche Welle Hausa, Ndume lamented that the ideals of democracy—government of the people, by the people, and for the people—are being eroded.

“The government of the day is now ‘personalised,’” Ndume said. “Democracy is losing its essence because it no longer serves the masses. Instead, it seems to revolve around individual interests.”

Ndume’s frustrations echo his personal experiences in the Senate, where he claimed to have faced consequences for “speaking the truth.” He revealed that he was removed as Chief Whip in the 10th Senate and suspended without salary during the 8th Senate for opposing entrenched interests.

A Growing Critique of Leadership

Both Atiku and Ndume’s statements highlight a broader concern about governance under Tinubu. Atiku’s condemnation of the military parade for Seyi Tinubu and Ndume’s critique of personalised government underscore the growing perception that democratic norms are being sidelined.

Atiku urged Nigerians to hold leaders accountable, warning that unchecked personalisation of power threatens the country’s democratic foundations. Ndume, reflecting on the plight of the masses, added, “The sacrifices of the poor cannot continue to be ignored while the government operates as a private affair.”

The controversies highlight the urgent need for reforms to restore public trust in Nigeria’s democratic and institutional processes.