The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Kwankwaso: The man and his politics

    Kwankwaso: The man and his politics

    • By Abu Mahmud

    Sir: Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the NNPP, has openly stated that he would only defect to another party if offered the presidential or vice-presidential ticket for 2027. Kwankwaso argues that his decades-long political career entitles him to such consideration, insisting that his supporters would accept nothing less.

    Kwankwaso commands a loyal base in Kano, where he is celebrated as a champion of the masses. Beyond that stronghold, however, his career is marked by serial defections—PDP, APC, NNPP—each aligned with personal calculations rather than consistent principles. Supporters call this pragmatism; critics call it political nomadism.

    Recent developments in Kano have punctured the myth of Kwankwaso’s invincibility. The political rupture within the state has exposed a reality long obscured by propaganda: his influence depends heavily on state power. Without control of institutional machinery, his dominance diminishes. Electoral results reinforce this limitation. In the last presidential election, Atiku Abubakar secured over seven million votes, Peter Obi over six million, while Kwankwaso garnered just 1.14 million—nearly all from Kano.

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    Governor Abba Yusuf’s anticipated defection to the APC further signals a shift in Kano’s political landscape. While the Kwankwasiyya movement remains relevant, its grip on state power is weakening. As his influence wanes, he increasingly portrays himself as a victim of betrayal, rallying supporters with narratives that elevate personal loyalty above political evolution.

    In a political manoeuvre aimed at his own survival, a report claimed that the former NNPP presidential candidate formally asked Chief Bisi Akande to help arrange a direct meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu so he could personally negotiate his defection. Akande reportedly refused, stressing that he could not sidestep the party’s established structures, and instead directed Kwankwaso to the official high‑level committee that handles negotiations with prominent politicians seeking to join the party.

    Even though he’s anxious about his political future, he can’t bring himself to tell the youths—whose blind loyalty he still counts on—why the people who stood with him from 1999 onward have walked away. What’s glaringly absent from his story is any reckoning with his own habit of discarding the allies who built his career: Senator Hamisu Musa, Musa Gwadabe, Abubakar Rimi—all side-lined after they helped him rise. Political independence isn’t betrayal; it’s a legitimate pursuit.

    When Abdullahi Ganduje parted ways with Kwankwaso, he endured ridicule and abuse.

    In my view, Kwankwaso and his blindsided supporters should at least appreciate Abba Gida‑Gida’s restraint in not publicly airing the unpleasant experiences that surrounded his rise to governor under the NNPP. Even though the Kwankwaso–Abba clash is, at its core, politics in its truest form—a search for solutions and self‑determination, there remains a clear distinction between betrayal, the pursuit of solutions, and the quest for independence from total submission.

    •Abu Mahmud,

    Hadejia Road Kano.

  • On Nigeria’s perilous state of affairs

    On Nigeria’s perilous state of affairs

    • By Abachi Ungbo

    Sir: It goes without saying that Nigeria is roiled by strong winds that are intent on ripping up its delicate fabric. This has drawn deep concern, and it is leaving everyone watching with bated breath on how it will walk away unscathed. Presently, an asphyxiating atmosphere of fear, bigotry and hatred which is antithetical to nation building has entirely enveloped the country. 

    What we have now is a situation where the huge paper that is spread over the nation’s wall has given way to deep and troubling cracks. The mask on different faces has fallen off, exposing the open declaration of patriotism and allegiance to the country as mere rhetoric. It is regrettable, that the badges of the respective ethno-religious camps are carried with honour.  By and large, national identity is almost non-existent. And, the abounding diversity of the country only attracts scant attention.

    Not a few Nigerians have become brutally cynical about the future of the country. They simply question our nationhood which poses a clear and present danger to our democracy and sovereignty. The social media has turned into a huge battlefield of ethnic, religious and ideological war as well as a simple barometer for gauging the crisis of unity and togetherness brewing in the country. Already, there are growing calls of secession which is spreading apace across the regional boundaries of the country. In fact, we have a host of ‘post Nigeria’ maps making the rounds in the social media showing the country carved along ethnic and religious lines.

    The current state of affairs is a corollary of the actions of the political class and religious leaders which have been far from been exemplary. They have effectively used their positions as tool of mobilization for selfish ends and oppression which has evidently made the current situation not unexpected.

    It is no news that Nigeria is prostrate by insecurity with a devastatingly high human toll. The reported international dimension to the issue is driving chills down the spines of Nigerians. Unfortunately, illegal mining activities in the hotbeds of the insecurity, massive corruption, complicity of officials among other things are conflating in not only compromising the fight against insecurity but in making it long drawn out. The situation has placed the country in a bad light with threat of foreign military intervention on the grounds of genocide.

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    The economy is still too weak to pull out the mammoth population trapped in the dark hole of poverty. Recently, PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) reported that 114 million – about 65% of the population are projected to be living in poverty in 2026.  This provides a trigger for social unrest. The demand for sacrifices is made on ordinary Nigerians and not the leaders.

    The picture of the former Yugoslavia readily comes to the minds of Nigerians as a convenient case in point of failure in the proper handling of diversity, socio- economic challenges etc. Recall that Yugoslavia was a stable country, an oasis of peace where the different nationalities co-existed before it became a theatre of instability occasioned by economic crisis, secession agenda, clashes between the nationalities etc.

    As a matter of urgency, the trajectory of the country must be rerouted to preclude an implosion. This actually brings us to the place of strategic leadership. The security of lives and properties needs to be bolstered before the country is drawn to a Pre-Hobbesian state. Of consequence in my considered view is the revisit of the recommendations of past national dialogues not least the 2014 national conference which the APC government under the banner of the Nasir El Rufai Committee (2012) concurred with some of its provisions. Both attempts provide solutions to challenges of national development.

    •Abachi Ungbo,

    abachi007@yahoo.com

  • Abandoned Idi-Aba-Abeokuta-Obafemi-Ajebo link road

    Abandoned Idi-Aba-Abeokuta-Obafemi-Ajebo link road

    • By Gbenga Adeoye

    Sir: We bring warm greetings to the Honourable Minister of Works, Sen Dave Umahi and his entire team on the various Renewed Hope Projects going on across the country. One of these great projects is the Lagos-Calabar-Coastal Highway which also passed through Ijebu Water Side in Ogun State as well as the award of Badagry Sokoto Road which passes through Soyoye Rounder area in Abeokuta.

    The night repairs of Sango-Abeokuta Road is also worthy of note and commendable.

    While we have a duty to commend the government when we see performance, we, the Egba people, also have a collective duty imposed on us to call the attention of government to any project(s) that is of economic importance especially where execution of such project (s) is slow, stagnant and sometimes, not even conceived.

    In view of the above, we hereby call your attention to the slow pace of work on Idi-Aba-Abeokuta-Obafemi-Ajebo link road to Lagos-Ibadan which passed through the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta all the way through OGTV, the state government owned television station and others

    We also request that you ensure the designed standard is not lowered after the segment that passed through Abeokuta City, especially in areas that passed through villages as contractors have a way of dropping standards after leaving the main city, thereby reducing durability in some parts of the road.

    In addition to the above request; we are deeply worried over the project for the following reasons:

    The project has dragged for too long having been awarded during the administration of President Buhari. The segment in the town from Federal Medical Centre up to Chrisland University appears good but shortly after, it has become difficult for people to drive through.

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    The newly established Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences (FUMMSA) has its 170 hectares permanent site on the same road at Ajibayo Village and there is no way they can move from their current temporary site to that location if that road construction remains abandoned, stagnant, or slow.

    The road is an alternative road to the old Ibadan Abeokuta road via Apata, Bakatari, Ilugun and Odeda to Adatan in Abeokuta and that also need attention. The road passed through the state-owned television station, OGTV.

    The road is capable of transforming the economic landscape of Obafe-Ajebo area in that, the diversion of the road at Owojo to pass through Oyebola to Alapako- Oni will create an industrial hub around Ajebo town and villages like, Erunwon, Abiona Mosafejo and Olosun among others.

    The road is useful in decongesting regular traffic and gridlocks at Ogere axis of Lagos Ibadan expressway as motorists going to Abeokuta from Ibadan and vice versa will not need to drive through Abeokuta-Sagamu Interchange.

    Excavation done on the road has now made life very difficult for motorists, whereas it was a smooth drive through as well as a short-cut to Ibadan when it was constructed by the administration of Chief Olusegun Osoba during his tenure as the governor of Ogun State.

    In view of the above, we plead that urgent action be taken to ensure speedy completion of the road as it will have direct positive impact on the economy of Egbaland, Ogun state and Nigeria as a whole.

    While wishing you all the best in the new year, we pray that funds will be available to your ministry to get this project and other ongoing projects completed soonest.

    •Dr. Gbenga Adeoye,

    Egba Economic Summit Group,

    Abeokuta, Ogun State.

  • Let the truth speak in the Bauchi EFCC case

    Let the truth speak in the Bauchi EFCC case

    Sir: In Hausa parlance, there is a popular saying: “If a bride does not mount a horse, it does not mean she was not prepared.” This proverb teaches patience, wisdom, and the danger of rushing to conclusions.

    In recent weeks, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has come under public criticism following the arrest, detention, and prosecution of the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, over allegations bordering on money laundering and terrorism financing.

    Supporters of the Bauchi State Government, including Lawal Mu’azu Abubakar, a media aide and supporter of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, have strongly argued that the EFCC is acting politically and unfairly targeting the governor and his officials.

    On the other hand, a detailed investigative report by Premium Times, based on court documents, official memos, confessional statements, and financial records, presents disturbing allegations that cannot be brushed aside with sentiments or propaganda.

    The EFCC allegations did not come from political opponents, social media bloggers, or opposition propaganda units. They came from, official government records, statements from serving and former Bauchi State officials, cash delivery agents, banking and forex transaction trails, and court filings accepted by a Federal High Court.

    According to Premium Times, millions of dollars meant for “security commitments” were allegedly paid outside the banking system, through cash deliveries in restaurants, supermarkets, and private residences.

    Even more troubling is the allegation that Bello Bodejo, leader of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, received over $2.33 million from Bauchi State sources — some of it allegedly during periods when he was in detention.

    The EFCC further alleges that the Commissioner for Finance himself received nearly $7 million in cash, without acknowledgements or official documentation.

    These are not light accusations. They involve terrorism financing, one of the gravest crimes under Nigerian and international law.

    This is where many political communicators are getting it wrong. When allegations come from EFCC, DSS, DIA, or the courts, it is dangerous and irresponsible to dismiss them as “politics” without evidence.

    Statements like the one allegedly made by Al-Mustapha Haji Sufi on Albarka Radio, claiming the case is purely political, do not help the governor, the state, or the truth.

    If these allegations had come from rival parties, faceless groups, or campaign propaganda, then media defence would be justified.

    But when state funds, terrorism laws, and court processes are involved, the correct response is facts, documents, and explanations, not noise.

    The most important question remains unanswered:  Why was Bello Bodejo paid?

    What service did he render?  Which contract did he execute?  Who approved the payments and under what legal framework? Why were payments made in cash, outside the banking system?

    These are simple questions. They deserve clear and honest answers.

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    If the money was truly for security coordination, then the government should present official approvals, contracts, security briefs, and beneficiary records.

    Silence or political shouting will only deepen suspicion.

     Nigeria is fighting terrorism, banditry, and organised crime. The EFCC, despite its imperfections, is a statutory institution with the legal mandate to investigate financial crimes.

    Distracting investigators, attacking judges, or turning serious allegations into propaganda battles weakens democracy and endangers national security.

    Let the EFCC do its job. Let the courts decide. Let evidence speak.

    Bauchi people deserve clarity, not confusion. Nigeria deserves accountability, not propaganda. Security deserves truth, not politics.

    History will not remember who shouted the loudest. It will remember who stood with facts and integrity.

    This too shall pass — but only the truth will remain.

    •Yasir Shehu Adam (Dan Liman), Bauchi.

  • Nigeria’s pervasive culture of impunity

    Nigeria’s pervasive culture of impunity

    Sir: Nigeria today labours under a quiet but corrosive crisis: a reign of impunity that has seeped into politics, religion, culture, business, and even private relationships. It is not merely that wrongdoing occurs—every society contends with crime and moral failure—but that wrongdoing is explained away, justified, celebrated, or ignored.

    Evil no longer hides. It performs openly, confident that nothing will follow. In the political space, individuals loot public resources with breath-taking boldness. Due process is treated as inconvenience. Institutions meant to enforce quality assurance, accountability, and rule of law are weakened or compromised. Politicians are no longer public servants; they are worshipped like deities. Their wealth, often of questionable origin, is paraded as proof of divine favour. Convoys replace character. Luxury becomes legitimacy. Followers gather like flies around abundance, not asking how it was made, only hoping some crumbs will fall.

    This worship is dangerous. When citizens suspend conscience for patronage, they become accomplices. When sycophants defend the indefensible, impunity gains a human shield. The loyalist who claps for corruption today will cry tomorrow when the system devours him. History has never been kind to professional praise-singers.

    In the economic sphere, employers and entrepreneurs frequently breach contracts, neglect appointments, and exploit labour under the excuse of “hustle culture.” Workers are used to achieve ends and discarded without dignity. Promises mean little. Integrity is optional. Yet the same society prays for prosperity without justice, growth without structure, and blessing without order.

    Religion, which should be society’s moral conscience, has not escaped contamination. Many religious leaders speak with the lips of God while walking in darkness. The pursuit of power, relevance, and influence has pushed some into questionable spiritual alliances, double-speaking altars, and theatrical righteousness. Congregations are fed words while character starves. When faith becomes a performance and not a discipline, it produces noise, not light.

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    Socially, relationships are increasingly transactional and distorted. Love is confused with leverage. Bodies are traded for access. Manipulation, seduction, and emotional exploitation masquerade as romance. Marriages suffer under gas-lighting, infidelity, and the quiet erosion of trust. Authority is mocked, commitment is treated as imprisonment, and responsibility is postponed indefinitely. The matrimonial bed, once sacred, is casually defiled in pursuit of status or convenience.

    Culturally, darker practices persist beneath modern appearances. Rituals, sacrifices, incantations, and spiritual attacks are still deployed against perceived enemies. The recent actions of the Anambra State government under Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo—detaining notorious native doctors and confronting ritual violence—highlight how deeply rooted these practices remain. A society cannot claim enlightenment while secretly consulting darkness. Progress cannot coexist with blood-stained shortcuts.

    Even in Enugu State, people disguise in masquerade uniforms while celebrating festivals, feasts or ancestors to stab, maim or injure rivals; enemies perceived to be more successful than them.

    Even the youth are not spared. Many young girls, instead of developing skills, character, and intellectual capacity, are pressured—or choose—to measure worth by social media validation, hook-ups, and fleeting attention. Platforms designed for connection have become marketplaces of the self. This is not empowerment; it is exploitation disguised as freedom.

    At the heart of all this is complacency. Nigerians have become too skilled at explaining away evil. “That’s how the system works.” “Everyone does it.” “If you don’t do it, someone else will.” These statements are not wisdom; they are surrender. A nation that normalizes wrongdoing will eventually lose the moral language to challenge it.

    Systems do not heal themselves. Cultures do not reform by accident. Transformation begins when individuals withdraw their consent from evil. This is a word of caution to sycophants and loyalists who mastermind impunity: history does not remember you kindly. When the tide turns—and it always does—your loyalty will not save you. Power is transient. Truth is not.

    Nigeria does not lack intelligence, faith, or resources. What it lacks is courage—the courage to say no, to demand better, to refuse participation in decay. Change will hurt. Accountability will inconvenience many. A nation that celebrates hoodlums, negotiates with bandits and terrorists even criminals would never remain in the path of peace and progress. That culture and attitude must change lest the nation will continue to bleed quietly. The choice before us is stark: reform or rot. And history is already taking notes.

     •Obiotika Wilfred Toochukwu, Nkono-Ekwulobia, Anambra State.

  • Of high inputs vs. low output prices

    Of high inputs vs. low output prices

    Sir: The current agricultural landscape presents a heartbreaking paradox for the Nigerian farmer. While we celebrate the availability of food, the market prices for agricultural products have plummeted, often falling below the actual cost of production. Meanwhile, the cost of essential inputs—fertilizer, high-yield seeds, herbicides, and diesel for irrigation—continues to soar, driven by currency fluctuations and removal of subsidies.

    When a farmer spends N10,000 to produce a bag of grain but is forced by market glut and lack of storage to sell it for N7,000$, we are not witnessing “cheap food”; we are witnessing the systemic bankruptcy of our rural economy. If this continues, the “success” of this season will lead to a total abandonment of farms next season, resulting in a catastrophic food shortage by 2027.

    To prevent this, the Nigerian government must move beyond being a spectator and become a strategic “off-taker.” We can look to countries that have successfully balanced low consumer prices with high farmer profitability:

    India uses a Minimum Support Price (MSP) system where the government guarantees a “floor price” for over 23 crops. If market prices fall too low, the government buys the produce directly from farmers, ensuring they never sell at a loss.

    In Brazil, the government intervenes through the  Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos  (PAA) food acquisition program. Through this, the government purchases food directly from smallholder cooperatives at fair market prices and distributes it to schools, hospitals, and social programs. This guarantees a steady market for farmers regardless of price volatility.

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    In the United States, the government provides robust crop insurance and direct subsidies that cushion the effect of high input costs, ensuring that even if global prices drop, the farmer remains in business.

    For Nigeria to survive this transition, the federal and state governments must:

    Re-establish the commodity boards: We need a structured system to buy back excess grain during harvest to stabilize prices.

    Use the strategic grain reserves: Use the current surplus to stock national silos, which will provide a buffer when the “lean season” arrives.

    Direct input support: Instead of cash transfers, provide “input vouchers” specifically for fertilizers and seeds to lower the entry cost for the next planting cycle.

    •Michael Adedotun Oke, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

  • Super Eagles: A good fight against Morocco

    Super Eagles: A good fight against Morocco

    • By Ogunbowale, Tolulope Sobiye

    Sir: It was a silent night full of hopes and expectations. Nigeria faced Morocco in the AFCON semi-finals 2025, it was more than a football match. It was a test of strength, patience, belief and national pride. From the first whistle to the very last kick, the Super Eagles showed they came prepared for battle. Even though the result did not favour Nigeria, who could honestly say the team did not fight?

    Both sides approached the game with caution and determination. Morocco, backed by their home crowd, pressed hard while Nigeria answered with discipline and controlled attacks. Yet the match was filled with moments that frustrated Nigerians deeply. Referee’s decisions were questionable and biased. Super Eagles were repeatedly stopped and rough challenges that went largely unpunished affect the flow of the game. How does a team maintain composure when every promising move is stopped by the whistle?

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     The deafening home support for Morocco, which created an intimidating atmosphere that tested the nerves of the Nigerian players. Of particular interest is that limited tickets were sold out to Nigerians just to reduce the number of supporters in the stadium. Still, Super Eagles stood firm. Was it not remarkable that despite all these pressures, they refused to lose focus?

    As the match went on, fatigue set in but the Super Eagles did not lose their composure or their team spirit. They chased every ball, defended every inch and kept searching for a breakthrough. Even in extra time, when exhaustion threatened to overwhelm them, they pushed forward with courage. They were determined. Did they look like a team ready to surrender? Not for a second. Any country with such team will be so proud of them.

    Then came the penalty shootout, the cruellest ending any match can offer. Under the bright lights and unbearable pressure, Morocco held their nerves even after losing the second penalty shot Nigeria came with a good fight but the penalty was not in our favour. And Nigeria’s journey to the finals stopped. But was this truly a failure? Or was it the kind of performance that demands respect?

    The Super Eagles reminded Nigerians of something powerful: resilience. They carried the hopes of millions with dignity. In a nation where people struggle daily against hardship, seeing our team stand tall in the face of frustration and adversity felt deeply familiar and inspiring.

    This is why the match stands as a good fight in itself. Not because of the result but because of the heart displayed. Despite the pressure of the crowd, the heavy pitch, the officiating frustrations and the emotional strain, Nigeria never broke. The players left everything on the field.

    Nigeria may not have reached the final but the Super Eagles gave us something greater which includes pride, belief, sportsmanship and the assurance that our football future remains bright. Sometimes, the fight itself is the victory.

    •Ogunbowale, Tolulope Sobiye,

    <favour0405@gmail.com>

  • Making education accessible and relevant

    Making education accessible and relevant

    • By Daniel Ighakpe

    Sir: The inability of our educational system to provide youths with the demands of industries has led to increased frustrations. The teaching and learning that takes place in Nigerian schools, even at the basic education level, must look beyond simply promoting literacy and numeracy. Vocational education and training needs to be given serious attention, too. There is also a need for the government to collaborate with the private sector. Vocational education necessitates stronger partnerships between school and industries to ensure that students gain valuable real-world experience. Companies can provide internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training, thereby helping students transition smoothly from school to the workforce.

    With the rise of technology, there has been greater emphasis on ensuring that everyone has the digital skills needed to thrive in the digital world. Also, there is growing recognition that education is essential for addressing the climate crisis. Efforts are being made to integrate environmental awareness and sustainability into the school curricula. Integrating climate education into the school curricula and training will foster climate-conscious citizens and leaders, making it a powerful tool for mitigating climate change. This is because educated individuals are more likely to adopt sustainable practices, understand climate risks and support climate policies.

    Also, education for climate action can help provide green skills like technical, socio-emotional and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical) skills that are needed for jobs in a sustainable economy. It also fosters innovation to help tackle the climate challenge.

    Furthermore, education drives climate action as it prepares communities for climate impacts, teaching disaster preparedness, resilience, and coping mechanisms. Youths educated in climate action can become powerful advocates in driving behavioural change, innovation and adaptation, as well as demanding action from governments and institutions.

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    Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come with the potential to enable new forms of teaching, learning and educational management. Teachers, being the primary users of AI in education, are expected to be the designers and facilitators of students’ learning with AI. To assume this responsibility, teachers need to be supported to develop their capabilities to leverage the potential benefits of AI, while mitigating its risks in education settings and wider society. AI tools should never be designed to replace the legitimate accountability of teachers in education. While AI offers opportunities to support teachers in both teaching as well as in the management of learning processes, meaningful interactions between teachers and students, and human flourishing, should remain at the centre of the educational experience.

    Education is a fundamental human right, a public good, and a public responsibility. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all, it will be difficult to break the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind.

    Nigeria is a ‘country of the young,’ with around 43 percent (almost half the entire population) currently under the age of 15. Nevertheless, it is reported to have the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, even though primary education is officially free and compulsory.

    This constitutes a serious problem. Many people feel that the main purpose of education is to earn a living. However, some educated people are unemployed or do not earn enough money to meet basic needs. This may cause some parents to think that it is not beneficial to send a child to school. But it is good to note that schooling does more than prepare someone to make money. Education equips an individual for life in general.

    However, even for children who attend school, there still exist some challenges that can hinder the child from receiving proper education. These challenges include: overcrowded classrooms, which make learning difficult; the absence of suitable learning facilities due to poor funding; a poorly remunerated and therefore unhappy teaching staff; and so on.

    To deal successfully with these challenges, other sectors of the society particularly the private sector, media, and community can support the efforts of the government by providing aids and grants to educational institutions, building new classroom blocks in public schools, donating educational infrastructure such as school furniture, textbooks, libraries, etc. Some private organizations and individuals could even identify some less-privileged out-of-school children, verify them, and sponsor their education.

    A good education is one of the greatest assets that we can ever invest in for our future. So, let us all join hands together to ensure a good education for all!

    •Daniel Ighakpe,

    FESTAC Town, Lagos.

  • Illicit drugs and the challenge of addiction

    Illicit drugs and the challenge of addiction

    • By Christiana Daniel

    Sir: Nigeria’s fight against illicit drugs has intensified in ways that are impossible to ignore. Across the country, seizures have increased, trafficking routes have been disrupted, and criminal networks have come under sustained pressure. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been at the centre of this effort, expanding its operational reach and reinforcing the message that drug trafficking carries real consequences. These actions have improved security, reduced the brazenness of drug markets, and reassured many communities that the state is present and alert.

    Yet for all this progress, many Nigerians still encounter drugs in their everyday environments. Familiar faces linger in the same spots, open drug scenes re-emerge, and drug-related petty crime continues to unsettle neighbourhoods. This reality is often misinterpreted as enforcement weakness, but a closer look reveals a different truth. The persistence of drugs on the streets is driven less by the failure to stop supply and more by the continued presence of people who are already dependent on drugs and have nowhere else to go.

    Decades of research in criminology and public health show that once dependence takes hold, demand becomes stubbornly resistant to pressure. Prices can rise, dealers can be arrested, and routes can shift, but the dependent user keeps searching. This is why many low-level drug offenders appear repeatedly in arrest records. They are not hardened criminals adapting to enforcement; they are individuals trapped in a cycle of addiction, relapse, and survival. Without treatment, enforcement clears the street temporarily, only for demand to recreate the market.

    Modern drug policy increasingly recognizes drug dependence as a chronic health condition influenced by social and economic realities. Unemployment, trauma, displacement, untreated mental health conditions, and social exclusion all raise the risk of problematic drug use. Punishment alone does little to address these drivers. Evidence from multiple countries shows that while enforcement is necessary to maintain order, long-term reductions in drug use and drug-related crime depend heavily on accessible treatment and rehabilitation services.

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    This is why rehabilitation is not a soft option or a diversion from security priorities; it is a core security tool. Every dependent person who receives effective treatment represents one less steady customer for street dealers, one less repeat arrest for law enforcement, and one less vulnerable individual feeding the illicit drug economy. Studies consistently show that treatment and rehabilitation reduce relapse rates, cut drug-related offences, and ease the burden on courts, prisons, and policing. In practical terms, rehabilitation locks in the gains that enforcement creates.

    NDLEA’s evolving approach already reflects this understanding. Beyond seizures and arrests, the agency has increasingly emphasized counselling, treatment referrals, and rehabilitation as part of its broader mandate. This integrated thinking aligns with global best practice. However, the scale of drug dependence far outstrips the current capacity of rehabilitation facilities. Many communities lack functional centres altogether, while others rely on informal or overstretched options that cannot support sustained recovery.

    Expanding rehabilitation infrastructure is therefore not a critique of what has been done, but a logical extension of it. More treatment centres, trained addiction professionals, structured aftercare, and community reintegration programmes would reduce relapse and break the cycle that returns people to the streets. Effective rehabilitation does more than detoxify; it restores dignity, rebuilds skills, and reconnects individuals to families and productive life. Where recovery systems are strong, drug markets shrink naturally because demand fades.

    Nigeria’s drug control challenge will not be resolved by choosing between enforcement and compassion. The country has already demonstrated resolve through strong law enforcement. The next phase of progress lies in matching that resolve with investment in recovery. A society cannot arrest addiction out of existence, but it can treat it out of circulation. When lives are restored, streets remain clean not because they are constantly cleared, but because fewer people are driven back to them.

    • Christiana Daniel,

     Jalingo, Taraba State.

  • Are regulators signalling a new era of accountability?

    Are regulators signalling a new era of accountability?

    Sir: For years, Nigerian consumers have complained, sometimes loudly, sometimes helplessly, about poor services. Airlines, telecom operators and banks were always the biggest culprits. In fact, flight delays became routine, dropped calls almost normal, and unexplained bank charges a recurring irritation. What often followed were apologies, excuses and the almost obligatory regulatory silence.

    It now appears that that era may finally be ending.

    Recent moves by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), alongside a growing pattern of firm enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), suggest that regulators are beginning to assert their authority more forcefully. The message is becoming clearer: protect consumers, or pay the price.

    The NCAA’s recent warning to domestic airlines over chronic flight delays marks one of its strongest public stances in recent years. In a sector long shielded by sympathy for “operational challenges,” the regulator has now signalled that patience is wearing thin.

    According to NCAA data, between September and October 2024 alone, domestic airlines recorded 5,225 delays and 901 cancellations out of 10,804 flights. This means that nearly half of all flights were delayed. While weather and technical issues are unavoidable realities of aviation, the NCAA argues that persistent inefficiency, poor planning and weak communication are not.

    What appears to have triggered the tougher tone is not just the delays themselves, but how passengers are treated when things go wrong. Complaints about lack of information, poor handling at terminals and disregard for First Needs Compensation have become increasingly common.

    By referencing JetBlue’s $2 million fine in the United States for chronic delays, the NCAA is clearly signalling its intent to align Nigeria’s aviation regulation with global best practices. Support for airlines, the regulator insists, must now be matched by accountability and service improvement.

    The NCC’s warning to telecom operators follows a similar pattern: longstanding consumer frustration, followed by a regulator armed with data and renewed resolve.

    Telecom subscribers have endured dropped calls, slow internet speeds and unstable connections, even as tariffs increase and digital dependence deepens. The NCC’s response has been to partner with Ookla to produce a transparent, data-backed assessment of network performance across operators.

    The results were revealing. MTN emerged as the strongest performer nationally, while others showed notable weaknesses, Globacom with high latency and jitter, Airtel grappling with transition challenges, and 9mobile delivering inconsistent service across regions.

    More important than the rankings, however, is the regulatory shift they represent. By grounding enforcement in independent performance data, the NCC is moving away from abstract warnings to evidence-based regulation.

    Underperforming operators can no longer hide behind generic claims or marketing slogans.

    The commission’s message is blunt: improve network quality, especially latency and stability, or face sanctions.

    In a digital economy where banking, commerce, education and healthcare increasingly rely on connectivity, poor service is no longer a minor inconvenience; it is a systemic risk.

    Unlike the NCAA and NCC, the Central Bank of Nigeria has already shown what tough regulation looks like in practice.

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    Over the past few years, the CBN has sanctioned several banks and financial institutions for regulatory breaches ranging from Know-Your-Customer (KYC) failures and anti-money laundering lapses to poor consumer protection practices. In some cases, banks have been fined billions of naira, publicly named, or restricted from certain operations.

    Taken together, the actions of the NCAA, NCC and CBN point to a potential turning point in Nigeria’s regulatory culture. For too long, regulators were perceived as either underpowered or overly sympathetic to operators, often citing harsh operating environments as justification for weak enforcement.

    For operators, the implications are clear. Compliance can no longer be treated as a box-ticking exercise. Investments in infrastructure, customer service, communication systems and operational planning are no longer optional; they are survival strategies.

    For consumers, the shift offers cautious optimism. Stronger regulation does not automatically translate to better service, but it creates the conditions for improvement. When penalties are real and enforcement credible, behaviour changes.

    The real test, however, lies ahead. Warnings must be followed by action. Sanctions must be consistent, transparent and fair. Regulators must resist pressure, lobbying and regulatory capture.

    Yes, after years of looking the other way, Nigeria’s regulators appear to be waking up. The question now is whether they will stay awake.

    •Elvis Eromosele, elviseroms@gmail.com