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  • Commonwealth nations stand for reparations

    Commonwealth nations stand for reparations

    By Olabode Lucas

    At the last Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) held in Apia, the capital of Samoa island, it was resolved that the lingering issue of reparations for the odious transatlantic slave trade which went on for many centuries should now come to the front burner for equitable discussions. The meeting felt that there should be “conversation” on the vexed issue of reparations for the transatlantic slave trade in order to douse the justified searing anger among many nations in the Commonwealth on this horrendous blight on humanity.

    As expected at the meeting, Britain, which is the chief perpetrator of horrendous slave trade in human history, stoutly opposed this resolution through its new Prime Minister, Sir Keith Starmer. King Charles of Britain who is the titular head of the Commonwealth also offered no apology for this rape on humanity which for centuries saw many millions of Africans uprooted from their ancestral homes to work in plantations in the Caribbeans, and the Americas.

    The Commonwealth is a free association of Britain and some sovereign independent states which were former British colonies. The Commonwealth was formed in 1931 with mainly five white countries – Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the then white-dominated South Africa. Later, all former British colonies automatically became members on attainment of independence. India and Pakistan joined in 1948, Sri Lanka known then as Ceylon joined in 1948, Ghana in 1957 and our country, Nigeria joined in 1960. At present, the organisation comprises of 56 independent countries located in Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe and Australasia with a population of 2.7 billion people.

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    In recent times membership of the Commonwealth has been opened to countries that were not former British colonies, and this has allowed African countries like Cameroons, Rwanda, Togo and Gabon to be admitted as members. The organisation is administered by a Secretary General who is given the status of a Head of State. At the Samoa meeting, Shirley Ayorkpor Botchwey, a former Foreign Minister of Ghana was elected as the next Secretary General of Commonwealth, and she will take over the administration of the Commonwealth in April 2025. She will be the second African to hold this post. The first African to hold this post was our revered Chief Emeka Anyaoku who gave the Commonwealth a focused leadership between 1990 and 2000. During his time, immense pressure was exerted that led to the collapse of the much-hated apartheid regime in South Africa.

    The Commonwealth has several agencies that are involved in promoting trade, education, sports and technical assistance among member countries. However, it is the decisions taken at its biannual conferences that always engage the attention of the world. In view of the diversity of its members in economic development, political and social orientations, Commonwealth meetings are always very acrimonious.

    The first notable contentious issue that faced the Commonwealth in the early days was the membership of the apartheid South Africa which was one of the founding members. At its London meeting in 1961, the issue came up and leaders like Diefenbaker of Canada, Tunku Abdul Raham of Malaysia and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana successfully fought for the expulsion of South Africa because of its evil policy of apartheid. In the seventies, the issue of Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in Southern Rhodesia instigated by the dour Ian Smith dominated the Commonwealth meetings. Through the persistence of the Commonwealth leaders, the rebellion of Ian Smith was brought to an end. At the Lusaka summit of Commonwealth in 1979, Britain was forced to act leading to the independence of Zimbabwe on April 28, 1980.

    The Commonwealth was also in the forefront in the struggle to end the inhuman system of apartheid in South Africa. The issue of South Africa dominated Commonwealth meetings for many years from early seventies to early nineties when the heinous apartheid was finally dismantled. The evil regime was finally brought down through economic sanctions and isolation in many world events, especially sporting activities. The Commonwealth countries were very vocal in getting these measures against South Africa in place. Eventually, South Africa as a democratic country re-joined the Commonwealth in 1994 under the revered Nelson Mandela.

    After the collapse of apartheid in South Africa, the attention of the Commonwealth was shifted to other daunting political problems afflicting the world. Such problems included the enthronement of democracy and rule of law especially in Africa where military rule was the order of the day then. The Harare Declaration of 1991 expressed Commonwealth commitment to democracy. Nigeria was hammered with expulsion in 1995 when the malevolent regime of Sani Abacha executed Ken Saro Wiwa when the Commonwealth meeting was taking place in Auckland, New Zealand. Nigeria was readmitted to the Commonwealth only when democracy was restored in the country in 1999.

    With this Harare Declaration of 1991 in place, it is difficult to fathom the rationale behind the admission of African countries like Cameroons, Togo and Rwanda into the Commonwealth family. Any keen observer of the political scene in Africa will find it difficult by any stretch of imagination to regard these African countries as democratic. Cameroons is under the grip of ageing dictator, Paul Biya, Paul Kigame of Rwanda rules the country with iron fist through brutal suppression of the Hutu majority, while the tiny Togo has become the dynasty of Eyadema clan. Many anti-democratic countries like Fiji, Burma, Pakistan and even Nigeria had been at one time or the other been expelled from the Commonwealth, it is therefore double standard to admit these undemocratic African countries into the Commonwealth.

    From the above incursion into laudable interventions of the Commonwealth in contentious issues in the past, it is obvious that the Commonwealth has impacted positively on irritating political problems especially in Africa. Its meetings can no longer be regarded as talking shops.

    Now that the Commonwealth has decided to bring the issue of reparations for the detestable transatlantic slave trade for discussions, one could only hope that something concrete will be done by Britain and other slave-trading European countries like Holland, Spain, France and Portugal to pay for their past horrendous misdeeds on humanity. Their heinous actions which spanned many centuries of human existence were a corrosive blight on humanity.

    On this issue of reparations discussed at the Commonwealth meeting, Britain is now again in the dock as it was during the series of Commonwealth meetings on ways of ending political impasse in Southern Rhodesia and South Africa. British history praised William Wilberforce for his heroic role in stopping the reprehensive slave trade by Britain but British history cleverly ignores Sir Eric Williams who in his 1938 D.Phil. thesis at Oxford University proved conclusively that Britain abolished slave trade not because of any altruistic reason but because it was no longer profitable as a result of the industrial revolution. Sir Eric William later became Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

    I commend the Heads of Commonwealth countries for their latest stand on reparations for the atrocious transatlantic slave trade. They should resist any attempt by the British government and its monarch to water down their legitimate demand. The scar of slavery is still very evident in Africa, in the Americas and the Caribbeans even though the wicked trade in human cargo ended about two centuries ago. I am sure the late Moshood Abiola who championed the case for reparations before he died will be happy in his grave at the turn of events on this issue of reparations.

    •Prof. Lucas writes from Old Bodija, Ibadan

  • Commonwealth leaders defy UK, agree to discuss reparations

    Commonwealth leaders defy UK, agree to discuss reparations

    • Tinubu congratulates Ghana’s new Secretary General of organisation

    Commonwealth heads have resolved to discuss reparations for the  trans-Atlantic slave trade despite initial resistance by the United Kingdom.

    Fifty six heads of government including UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, agreed at their meeting which ended yesterday in Apia,Samoa that the “time has come” for a conversation on the issue.

    Sir Keir himself acknowledged calls for “discussions on reparatory justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade.

    The Commonwealth heads’ statement said  it is time for a “meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation.”

    Sir Keir said there had been no discussions about money at the meeting, and that the UK is “very clear” in its position that it would not pay reparations.

    Expectedly,King Charles III who addressed the  Commonwealth leaders at the commencement of the Samoa meeting offered no apologies for the role of  the UK in the slave trade which saw millions of Africans enslaved and forced to work, largely on plantations in the Caribbean and Americas.

    He merely said “I understand from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate.”

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves  had  earlier told the BBC that  UK would not pay reparations for slavery.

    Meanwhile, the Commonwealth  yesterday unveiled  Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, as  its new Secretary General,the  second African to lead the Commonwealth Secretariat in its 75-year history.

    Read Also: The Commonwealth is more relevant today than it has been in decades

    The first African to hold the position was Nigeria’s Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who served from 1990 to 2000.

    Botchwey’s  tenure will commence  on April 1,2025.

    A former lawmaker, Botchwey,61,  served as foreign minister for seven years, notably steering Ghana’s two-year tenure on the UN Security Council, ending December 2023.

    She has backed the drafting of a free trade agreement among Commonwealth member states and has previously said she stands for reparations.

    President Bola  Tinubu has congratulated her on her election to the post.

    Nigeria supported Botchwey’s bid for the position.

    The President in his congratulatory message expressed confidence in her leadership abilities and was optimistic that she would  advance the Commonwealth’s efforts in fostering economic and political partnerships, as well as strengthening the bloc’s influence in global affairs.

    He highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to a Commonwealth that champions intra-Commonwealth trade, African exports, and increased African representation at the United Nations, particularly in the bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council.

    President Tinubu also extended his gratitude to the outgoing Secretary-General, Baroness Patricia Scotland, acknowledging her years of leadership and wishing her well in her future endeavours.

    Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga said the President  “ looks forward to working with the incoming Secretary-General to advance the Commonwealth’s vision of fostering peace, equity and prosperity for all member nations.

    “The President reaffirms Nigeria’s commitment to championing a Commonwealth that prioritises strengthening intra-commonwealth trade, African exports, and a unified presence at the United Nations that supports an African bid for a permanent representation at the Security Council.”

  • The Commonwealth is more relevant today than it has been in decades

    The Commonwealth is more relevant today than it has been in decades

    Commonwealth leaders are meeting this week on the island of Samoa for our bi-annual summit. Intense discussion over free and fair trade, security, and climate action are occupying us 56 members – all friends and allies.

    If an alliance of primarily English-speaking nations rooted in common law and shared commitment to global rules didn’t exist, one would need to be created. Like-minded countries would naturally come together to amplify their values while also providing a mechanism to lend collective heft to the individual economic and geopolitical interests of each member.

    The world already has such an organisation, and its bi-annual leadership forum – the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) – is it. Yet, every two years like clockwork, the usual, ill-informed questions about the purpose and future of this oldest international organisation of partner nations appear: How can it survive its members becoming republics? What is the purpose of an institution that is neither a single market nor a regional political union?

    The organisation’s demise has been predicted for decades, mostly because of the misunderstanding that becoming a republic means Commonwealth exit. Quite the opposite: it is in fact a path most members have trod.

    When Nigeria became independent in 1960, the Commonwealth comprised ten member nations, three of which were republics. Nigeria became a member upon independence and then the fourth republic in 1963 – transitioning from retaining the late Queen as head of state to an elected presidency. Today, the Commonwealth boasts fifty-six members, of which two-thirds are republics. A few more would hardly rock the boat.

    History aside, today the Commonwealth is more relevant than it has been in decades. The world is moving beyond regional trade and governance blocs, shifting towards global networks of nations with shared interests across regions and hemispheres.

    The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – spanning the Americas and Asia, and with the accession of the UK, Europe and binding 12 countries in a trade-based pact – is one example; the Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS), an intergovernmental organisation of low-lying coastal and small island countries, comprising 39 nations stretching across all corners of the globe is another. Though one is for trade, the other for political salience, both are based not on geography but on a common interest – the convening principle for which the Commonwealth is the original item. 

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    While multi-continental, global networks are back in favour, that doesn’t mean the Commonwealth could not benefit from a rethink. As President of the Commonwealth’s second most populous state, I believe more can and should be done together on economic cooperation and mutual political support.

    Nigeria would like to see more significant intra-Commonwealth trade, an opportunity in we have collectively underachieved as an alliance. Take Africa. Twenty-one of the continent’s countries are also Commonwealth member nations. All are members of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), a 54-country continent-wide free trade zone.

    Bi-lateral agreements between AfCFTA and leading Commonwealth economies such as the UK, India, and Australia would create a web of interlinked trade agreements among Commonwealth nations, driving closer cooperation and deeper integration across the Commonwealth. Britain has proposed a UK-AfCFTA trade agreement. Others should follow.

    Nigeria urges larger Commonwealth economies to prioritise importing materials and foodstuffs from African Commonwealth nations. Supported by bilateral trade agreements, there’s no reason why African coffee or fresh produce couldn’t be offered to Western Commonwealth members at preferential rates in exchange for investment in local processing industries. This would not only integrate our economies but also provide nations like Britain with affordable products they can’t grow while creating jobs in Africa – reducing the need for migration by offering better opportunities at home.

    Nigeria and all African nations seek Commonwealth support for a bid for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council. Africa remains the only continent without a permanent seat on this crucial global decision-making body, even though it has been the subject of 70 per cent of its resolutions since the end of the Cold War. Africa remains a constant focus of the Security Council yet lacks a constant say.

    The Commonwealth has finally begun caucusing as a group at the United Nations, a development that surprisingly only became official a few years ago. While not every vote is or should be taken as a bloc, one thing is clear: securing an African seat on the UN Security Council with Commonwealth backing would supercharge the relevance of our 56-country family. This move would decisively prove the Commonwealth’s importance and silence doubts about its future.

    Far from done, the Commonwealth’s time has come.

  • ‘The Commonwealth is more relevant today’

    ‘The Commonwealth is more relevant today’

    Commonwealth leaders are meeting this week on the island of Samoa for our bi-annual summit. Intense discussion over free and fair trade, security, and climate action are occupying us 56 members – all friends and allies.

    If an alliance of primarily English-speaking nations rooted in common law and shared commitment to global rules didn’t exist, one would need to be created. Like-minded countries would naturally come together to amplify their values while also providing a mechanism to lend collective heft to the individual economic and geopolitical interests of each member.

    The world already has such an organisation, and its bi-annual leadership forum – the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) – is it. Yet, every two years like clockwork, the usual, ill-informed questions about the purpose and future of this oldest international organisation of partner nations appear: How can it survive its members becoming republics? What is the purpose of an institution that is neither a single market nor a regional political union?

    The organisation’s demise has been predicted for decades, mostly because of the misunderstanding that becoming a republic means Commonwealth exit. Quite the opposite: it is in fact a path most members have trod.

    When Nigeria became independent in 1960, the Commonwealth comprised ten member nations, three of which were republics. Nigeria became a member upon independence and then the fourth republic in 1963 – transitioning from retaining the late Queen as head of state to an elected presidency. Today, the Commonwealth boasts fifty-six members, of which two-thirds are republics. A few more would hardly rock the boat.

    History aside, today the Commonwealth is more relevant than it has been in decades. The world is moving beyond regional trade and governance blocs, shifting towards global networks of nations with shared interests across regions and hemispheres.

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    The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – spanning the Americas and Asia, and with the accession of the UK, Europe and binding 12 countries in a trade-based pact – is one example; the Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS), an intergovernmental organisation of low-lying coastal and small island countries, comprising 39 nations stretching across all corners of the globe is another. Though one is for trade, the other for political salience, both are based not on geography but on a common interest – the convening principle for which the Commonwealth is the original item. 

    While multi-continental, global networks are back in favour, that doesn’t mean the Commonwealth could not benefit from a rethink. As President of the Commonwealth’s second most populous state, I believe more can and should be done together on economic cooperation and mutual political support.

    Nigeria would like to see more significant intra-Commonwealth trade, an opportunity in we have collectively underachieved as an alliance. Take Africa. Twenty-one of the continent’s countries are also Commonwealth member nations. All are members of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), a 54-country continent-wide free trade zone.

    Bi-lateral agreements between AfCFTA and leading Commonwealth economies such as the UK, India, and Australia would create a web of interlinked trade agreements among Commonwealth nations, driving closer cooperation and deeper integration across the Commonwealth. Britain has proposed a UK-AfCFTA trade agreement. Others should follow.

    Nigeria urges larger Commonwealth economies to prioritise importing materials and foodstuffs from African Commonwealth nations. Supported by bilateral trade agreements, there’s no reason why African coffee or fresh produce couldn’t be offered to Western Commonwealth members at preferential rates in exchange for investment in local processing industries. This would not only integrate our economies but also provide nations like Britain with affordable products they can’t grow while creating jobs in Africa – reducing the need for migration by offering better opportunities at home.

    Nigeria and all African nations seek Commonwealth support for a bid for permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council. Africa remains the only continent without a permanent seat on this crucial global decision-making body, even though it has been the subject of 70 per cent of its resolutions since the end of the Cold War. Africa remains a constant focus of the Security Council yet lacks a constant say.

    The Commonwealth has finally begun caucusing as a group at the United Nations, a development that surprisingly only became official a few years ago. While not every vote is or should be taken as a bloc, one thing is clear: securing an African seat on the UN Security Council with Commonwealth backing would supercharge the relevance of our 56-country family. This move would decisively prove the Commonwealth’s importance and silence doubts about its future.

    Far from done, the Commonwealth’s time has come.

  • Nigeria, Commonwealth to boost employment, tech development

    Nigeria, Commonwealth to boost employment, tech development

    The Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, in partnership with the Commonwealth, is planning to address unemployment by launching an AI Academy to train millions of Nigerians in Artificial Intelligence.

    According to a statement signed by Dr. Felix Ale, the Director of Media and Corporate Communications of the National Space Research and Development Agency, the minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Nnaji, during a meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, highlighted that the partnership aims to ensure that Nigerians receive training in this field.

    The Commonwealth is an association of 56 countries working towards shared goals of prosperity, democracy, and peace. The Commonwealth Secretariat is the intergovernmental organisation that coordinates and implements much of the Commonwealth’s work, supported by a network of over 80 organisations.

    The discussion is centred on the Commonwealth AI Academy, a flagship project of the Commonwealth Artificial Intelligence Consortium supported by Intel with a focus on delivering specialised AI courses tailored for various sectors.

    The minister said: “This partnership with the Commonwealth and Intel will enable millions of Nigerians to gain practical, industry-ready AI knowledge, positioning Nigeria as a leader in AI adoption and innovation across Africa.”

    He noted that this initiative comes at a critical time, as Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, up from 5.0 per cent in Q3 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

    The NBS report further indicated that the unemployment rate among youth aged 15-24 years stands at 8.4 percent, highlighting the urgent need for effective skill development programs.

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    The AI Academy aims to enhance its use in governance, agriculture, and healthcare.

    This initiative supports the Commonwealth’s broader goals of creating a safe, inclusive, and equitable digital space for its citizens.

    Nnaji added that the AI Academy intends to address various developmental challenges, including climate change and public health, by providing marginalised communities with accessible training.

    The Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland commended Nigeria’s leadership in the Commonwealth and reiterated the importance of AI in driving sustainable development. 

    The Commonwealth AI Academy she said will not only create a new generation of AI professionals but also ensure that knowledge and resources are utilized to tackle pressing global challenges, benefiting the entire Commonwealth.

  • Commonwealth secretary hails High Commissioner in UK

    Commonwealth secretary hails High Commissioner in UK

    The Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland, has described as exemplary the performance of Nigeria’s outgoing High Commissioner in United Kingdom Sarafa Isola.

    In a letter, Scotland said Ishola’s tireless efforts have contributed to the strengthened of bond between Nigeria and the Commonwealth.

    “As a long-standing and valued member of the Commonwealth family and one of Africa’s largest democracies, your legacy of active participation and meaningful interventions in meetings and ministerial events as well as in ensuring Nigeria maintained its position as one of the top eight contributors, will not be forgotten and will serve as a model for others.

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    “As Chair of the Accreditation Committee for two consecutive years, you have played a crucial role in enhancing the accreditation process and ensuring new associations reflect the values and the principles of the Commonwealth. The committee has benefited from your leadership, guidance, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of the secretariat,” the letter stated.

    The Commonwealth Secretary General noted that as the Nigerian envoy prepare to depart UK, she offered her heartfelt congratulations on the successful completion of his term and gratitude for his sustained support and encouragement.

    “You have represented your country with dignity and honour and your support and your contributions have left an indelible mark. I have no doubt that your next endeavour will be equally impactful and successful, and I wish you and your family the very best,” the letter added.

  • Impossible request

    THE request by Nigeria for reforms in the Commonwealth to make it more relevant to member countries is good. But, while we support innovations that will impact on citizens of member countries, we doubt if the proposal by the foreign minister, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, for the removal of visa requirement amongst member countries will fly. The minister, represented by the Director of European Affairs, Oluremi Oluide, made the call at a ceremony to mark the 70th Commonwealth Day celebration.

    In a paper titled: ‘A connected Commonwealth’, the minister reiterated a request made by Nigeria about 10 years ago, to allow citizens of the 53-member countries to travel amongst member states without visas. According to the report: “Nigeria went to the extent of letting the Commonwealth know that as a common wealth of people, we should begin to think of the possibility of everyone within the Commonwealth community to be able to travel within the community without the use of visas.”

    Considering Nigeria’s economic challenges, resulting in high unemployment, especially amongst the youths, such a proposal will be a welcomed idea by many Nigerians. Indeed, many would even call it a patriotic idea. But in making the proposal, the minister apparently did not ask himself why the economically advanced members of the Commonwealth should throw their borders open to laggard members to push the burden of their economic mismanagement to them.

    Of note, in the 1960s when Nigeria got her independence, the country was economically at par with some of the Commonwealth countries which today are close to being referred to as first-world countries. For instance, India, Malaysia and Singapore which are currently huge economic successes had comparatively similar per capita GDP with Nigeria in the 1960s. With GDP of 36.54 USD billion in 1960, India in 2017 had a GDP of 2597.49 USD billion, and with a population of 1.3 billion people, its economy represents 4.19% of the world economy.

    On its part Nigeria, with an estimated population of 199 million in 2019, had a GDP of 375.77 USD billion in 2017, which represented 0.61% of the world economy. In 1960, Nigeria had a GDP of 4.20 USD billion. So, when Nigeria, with its huge youth population, which is substantially unemployed, makes such a call, the super powers in the Commonwealth will not take her serious. As our diplomats should know, many of the citizens of the countries which operate reciprocal visa-free regime don’t suffer economic disadvantage, and as such their citizens will not need to permanently migrate to the other countries.

    Unfortunately, that is the challenge Nigeria faces, and, in our view, the solution to the problems lies within. It lies in intensive economic renewals, the type that will create massive employment opportunities. Luckily, the Federal Government is already engaged in such, through the railway renewal programme. In our view, labour intensive projects like railway, roads, dams and similar projects are what we need, more than platitudes as the foreign minister engaged in at the Commonwealth anniversary programme.

    Our position should however not derogate from the need to make the Commonwealth a more relevant organisation than it currently is. Instead of asking countries to open its borders to stragglers, coordinated exchange programmes on education, skill acquisition, technology transfer and other forms of training programmes to help the citizens of countries in the Commonwealth gain skills will be more acceptable to the economically advanced members. Interestingly, the leader of the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom, is presently struggling to exit the European Union, and here our foreign minister is asking them to open their borders in a relationship her citizens will abhor.

  • Buhari assures Commonwealth scribe on credible polls

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said that no effort will be spared to ensure the general elections starting from Saturday are credible.

    According to him, people have more confidence in a government elected in free and fair polls than one that wangles its way into office through artifice and subterfuge.

    Buhari made the remark when the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after attending the signing of the Peace Accord at the International Conference Centre.

    He said: “One Nigeria is non-negotiable. Over two million people died in the civil war we fought, and when people elect their own government through a free and fair process, they have more confidence in such government.

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    “We will not spare any effort to organise credible polls, and people should come out and vote for their choices.”

    Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, expressed pleasure that the Commonwealth was showing keen interest in the Nigerian election.

    He appreciated him for coming all the way to be a part of what would engender free and fair polls.

    The Secretary-General described Nigeria as “a treasured member of the Commonwealth family,” saying signing of the Peace Accord would lead to better voter turnout, “as they would have seen the commitment to peace by all the main actors.”

    She commended what she described as President Buhari’s “calmness and good humour,” even as the polls approach, stressing: “When Nigeria is healthy, vibrant and strong, the whole of Africa is strengthened.”

    Rt. Hon. Scotland also lauded “the energetic way” the President has pursued issues of security and anti-corruption, pledging that the Commonwealth stands ready to assist Nigeria at all times.

  • Buhari greets Anyaoku at 86

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who turns 86 on Jan. 18.
    The president’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Thursday.
    The message read, “Buhari joins family, friends and professional colleagues of the career diplomat in celebrating the many years of lofty achievements and contributions to the development of Nigeria, Africa and Commonwealth of nations.”
    The president particularly lauded Anyaoku’s personal interventions in promoting good governance, democracy and peace in many nations of the world.

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    He also saluted the historical role Anyaoku played in the fight for the emancipation of South Africa from apartheid regime.
    Buhari further cited Anyaoku’s exemplary role in the “political, diplomatic and developmental issues that had shaped the Africa continent,” including the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity, now called the African Union.
    He described Anyaoku as a visionary elder statesman and applauded “his uncompromising position on the unity of Nigeria, which he has  relentlessly pursued, without compromise’’.
    The president prayed that God should grant the octogenarian longer life, good health and more strength to continue to render selfless service to his fatherland.

  • Nigerian-German writer named regional Commonwealth short story prize winner

    Nigerian-German writer Efua Traoré has been named  the regional winner for Africa of the 2018 Commonwealth Short story prize.

    Traoré won with a first person narrative that sees a 13-year-old boy wrestle with the question of what it means to find True Happiness.

    The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is awarded for the best piece of unpublished short fiction from the Commonwealth.

    It is the only prize in the world where entries can be submitted in Bengali, Chinese, English, Malay, Portuguese, Samoan, Swahili, and Tamil.

    The international judging panel, chaired by the novelist and poet Sarah Hall, chose the five regional winners – tackling issues from abortion to transgender identity, from religion to mental illness – from a shortlist of 24, with 5182 stories submitted from 48 Commonwealth countries.

    The Commonwealth Short Story Prize is run by Commonwealth Writers, which develops and connects writers across the world and tackles the challenges they face in different regions.

    Commonwealth Writers is the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation.

    Director-General of Commonwealth Foundation, Vijay Krishnarayan, said of this year’s winners: “ These remarkable stories are testament to the vitality and range of writing from around the Commonwealth, to the importance of a truly international prize: one that works across linguistic and cultural boundaries.”

    Sarah Hall said: “Each of the winning regional stories speaks strongly for itself in extraordinary prose, and speaks for and beyond its region, often challenging notions of identity, place and society.”

    “Individually, the stories exhibit marvellous imaginative and stylistic diversity; together, they remind us that our deeper human concerns and conundrums are shared, and that the short story form is uniquely adept at offering the reader a world in which she or he might feel a sense both of belonging and un-belonging, might question his or her understanding of the world.”

    Efua Traoré said: “Africa – and in particular Nigeria – has the most amazing story-tellers. This prize gives me the humbling feeling of being part of something great. I am truly honoured.”