The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Europe

  • Nine high-demand jobs in Europe for degree holders

    Nine high-demand jobs in Europe for degree holders

    Europe’s job market continues to reward specialised skills and advanced degrees, with employers prioritising candidates who combine formal education with hands-on experience. Across sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, and engineering, certain careers consistently offer competitive salaries, rapid career growth, and international opportunities for degree holders.

    If you’re a graduate or professional seeking lucrative opportunities in Europe, these nine careers are currently in high demand:

    1. Medical Specialists

    Doctors, surgeons, anaesthesiologists, radiologists, and other medical professionals remain among Europe’s top earners. These roles require extensive education, residency, and specialist certifications. Countries like Germany, Switzerland, and the UK offer particularly competitive salaries, with private hospitals often providing premium compensation.

    2. Software Engineers and IT Specialists

    As Europe accelerates its digital transformation, software engineers, developers, and IT specialists are in high demand. Professionals skilled in programming, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and system architecture can access lucrative roles in tech hubs such as Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dublin.

    3. Data Scientists and AI Experts

    Data scientists and artificial intelligence (AI) professionals help businesses make sense of complex datasets, develop predictive models, and improve decision-making. Their expertise is sought after across finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and manufacturing, making them some of the most valuable talent in the European job market.

    4. Investment Bankers and Financial Analysts

    Investment bankers, financial analysts, and corporate finance experts manage mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investments. Financial centres like London, Zurich, and Paris remain hotspots for high-paying roles, offering substantial bonuses alongside competitive base salaries.

    5. Engineers and Engineering Managers

    From civil and mechanical engineering to aerospace, energy, and automotive sectors, engineering professionals are crucial for Europe’s industrial base. Engineering managers overseeing teams and projects are especially valued for their leadership and technical expertise. Countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands offer some of the highest-paying positions in this field.

    Read Also: European military forces arrive in Greenland as Trump presses U.S. claim

    6. Airline Pilots and Aviation Professionals

    Senior airline pilots and aviation specialists enjoy some of the highest salaries in Europe’s transport sector. These roles require strict certifications, extensive flight experience, and rigorous training. Pilots flying international routes for major airlines earn particularly lucrative packages.

    7. Corporate Directors and Senior Managers

    Executives, including corporate directors, CEOs, and senior managers, drive strategy, operations, and business growth in multinational companies. Key cities such as London, Frankfurt, and Paris host high-paying leadership roles that demand strong decision-making and management skills.

    8. Pharmacists and Biotech Specialists

    Beyond doctors, healthcare professionals like pharmacists, biotechnologists, and medical researchers are in growing demand. Countries investing heavily in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology—such as Switzerland, Germany, and Ireland—offer competitive salaries and cutting-edge research opportunities.

    9. Renewable Energy and Sustainability Experts

    Europe’s transition to green energy has created a surge in demand for sustainability managers, renewable energy engineers, and environmental consultants. Professionals skilled in solar, wind, and energy efficiency projects can access high-paying roles, particularly in Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, where green energy initiatives are rapidly expanding.

  • Trump as Europe’s nemesis

    Trump as Europe’s nemesis

    At the Berlin conference in 1884, European nations gathered in Berlin, Germany, to share Africa, as one would share a cake. Their only authority to do that was that they wielded enormous military powers which the African peoples lacked. The driving force for them was economic, political and social factors. They wanted secured sources of raw materials, to power their emergent industrial revolution, enhance their national prestige as major powers, and feel good that they are liberating others from ignorance.

    No African nation or people were represented and after the giddy conference, each of the participants went to Africa to tend what they got from what their historians christened the scramble for Africa. While Europeans lived happily thereafter, the savagery and brigandage that went into the invasion, conquest and colonization of the scrambled territory is better imagined. What drew my interest to this history was the lamentation of the President of Germany, (the same country where the war monger, Chancellor Von Bismarck, presided over the unlawful partition and sharing of Africa,) following President Donald Trump’s invasion of Venezuela (subject of my intervention last week) and Trump’s umpteenth threat to use force, if diplomacy fails, to acquire Greenland.

    President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, while urging for caution, said: “It is about preventing the world from turning into a den of robbers, where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want, where regions or entire countries are treated as the property of a few great powers.” That statement tantalized this writer. In very clear words, the revered president of Germany confirmed without equivocation that German Chancellor von Bismarck and those who gathered in Berlin in 1884-1885, to treat Africa as the property of the then great powers were no better than a den of robbers.

    Upon hearing and relishing the confession, I wished Chief MKO Abiola, the most notable leader of those pursuing reparation for the unlawful colonization of Africa, was alive to witness this historical admission of guilt. Those pursuing reparation for the criminal appropriation of the resources of Africa should latch on this statement, as a proof beyond any iota of doubt that the colonization and expropriation of the resources of Africa should be atoned and paid for. Even worse than colonization, was the brigandage that attended slavery, as a business.

    According to AI overview, between 16th to 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million African were forcibly shipped to the Americas. The European nations which participated in this inhuman trade went on to become great economic powers and the African nations, whose strongest segment of their society were taken out as commodities, have not recovered from the human capital expropriation. When Europe moved from plantation-based economy in the new world to industrialization, they changed their strategy in Africa, from slavery to scramble and partition of Africa, for raw materials, mineral resources, markets, and leisure parks.

    The trajectory has since moved to neo-colonialism under which Europe struggles to remotely control Africa, albeit with competition from, America, China and Russia. It is that competition that is driving United States, originally conceived as Europe’s military and economic outpost, crazy, to the consternation of European leaders. Again, the German President Steinmeier, captured the fears: “There is a breakdown of values by our most important partner, the USA, which helped build this world order.” This writer agrees that Trump is destroying the world order, set up by Europe and its allies, principally for their own benefit.

    While acknowledging that Trump’s different world outlook is fraught with immense danger, many in this part of the world, believe that perhaps Europe is getting its deserved comeuppance, for centuries of exploitation of other peoples. Of course, the leaders of Europe would be banking on the next election in US, to return to status quo. In the meantime, they should worry about how much damage Trump will do, before his tenure expires, and whether he would succeed in swinging Americans, to choose at the next election, another president in his own image.

    Hoping the apocalypse won’t come sooner than later. While European leaders lament, Trump at a meeting with oil and gas executives, at the White House, last week, maintained: “If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland, and I am not going to let that happen.” He went on: “One way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland, whether they like it or not.” He argued that the existing Pituffik Space Base agreement, with Denmark will not suffice. He contended: “You defend ownership. You don’t defend leases.”

    On Venezuela, Trump remains upbeat about realizing his economic plans for America, regardless of whose ox is gored. He told the oil and gas executives: “We are going to be extracting numbers in terms of oil like few people have seen.” He continued: “Venezuela is going to be very successful, and the people of the United States are going to big beneficiaries.” He went on: “The plan is for them (oil and gas companies) to spend, meaning our giant oil companies will be spending at least $100bn of their money, not the government’s money. They don’t need government money, but they need government protection and government security.”  

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    The Europeans are apprehensive that China and Russia may want to ape America, elsewhere, more so as President Vladimir Putin of Russia has encouraged US in its quest for Greenland. He argued that Trump’s expressed determination to have Greenland is grounded in historical context, considering that America has been trying to gain the country as far back as 1868. According to CNN, “US interest in Greenland dates back to the 19th century, when then Secretary of State William H. Seward, fresh of the purchase of Alaska from the Russians in 1867, floated the idea of buying Greenland and Iceland from Denmark.”

    During the World War II, US had to protect Greenland territory after Denmark was attacked by Nazi Germany. For this writer, the most tenable reason why US can acquire Greenland is that Danes were never the original inhabitants of Greenland. Their ownership is no different from the way Europe laid claims to countries of Africa, with some living off the resources of Africa, the same way a gang of thieves live off a booty or a loot. The people who should determine the future of Greenland in a fairer world, are Greenlanders, without the interference of Danes.

    The pretence that Greenland is part of Denmark stems from the same mentality that inspires US to want to acquire Greenland. It is a derivative of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s statement that the world is about a den of robbers where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want, where regions or entire countries are treated as the property of a few great powers. If European nations want the world’s sympathy, they should enter into negotiation on how to pay reparation to Africa, for centuries of exploitation through slavery, colonization and neo-colonization.

  • APC faults opposition’s criticisms of Tinubu’s Europe trip

    APC faults opposition’s criticisms of Tinubu’s Europe trip

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged opposition parties to raise the quality of their engagement and stop ” meaningless noise-making” over President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Europe.

    The APC made the call in a statement issued on Monday in Lagos by its Lagos State Spokesman, Seye Oladejo, while reacting to criticisms of the trip by African Democratic Congress (ADC).

    Oladejo said the opposition’s comments reflected a poor understanding of modern governance and international diplomacy.

    “The latest outburst by the ADC over President Tinubu’s Europe trip is a familiar dance of ignorance and desperation.

    “When confronted with serious governance, strategic leadership and results-driven diplomacy, the opposition predictably resorts to noise, misinformation and pedestrian politics,” Oladejo said.

    He said Nigeria could not be governed in isolation in a highly interconnected global environment.

    “Nigeria is not governed from a village square. Serious leadership entails constant engagement with global partners, investors, development institutions and strategic allies,” he said.

    According to him, President Tinubu’s Europe trip is aimed at advancing Nigeria’s economic interests, strengthening bilateral relations, attracting investment and reinforcing the country’s standing in the comity of nations.

    “This trip is not about sightseeing, as the opposition would like Nigerians to believe, but about purposeful engagement to reposition the country,” he added.

    Oladejo said it was misleading to suggest that governance was limited to the President’s physical presence within national borders.

    He said: “Only the intellectually lazy assume leadership is confined to being physically present at home.

    “The President governs with intent, structure and continuity. The machinery of government remains in motion through clear policy direction, delegated authority and strong institutions.”

    The APC spokesman said the opposition’s fixation on presidential travels exposed what he described as its lack of concrete ideas.

    “Having no roadmap, no credible economic alternative and no security blueprint, the ADC has resorted to monitoring flight schedules and issuing press statements rooted in envy and ignorance,” Oladejo said.

    He noted that many of those criticising current foreign engagements had remained silent during past administrations’ trips that produced little value for the country.

    “Under President Tinubu, international engagements are clearly aligned with Nigeria’s economic recovery agenda, foreign direct investment drive, energy transition goals and infrastructure financing,” he said.

    Oladejo said Nigerians could distinguish between leadership focused on national repositioning and opposition politics driven by distraction.

    “Nigerians are not deceived. They see the difference between a President working tirelessly, both at home and abroad, and an opposition trapped in cheap headline-chasing,” he said.

    He advised opposition parties to urgently improve the quality of their contributions to national discourse.

    “As the year winds down and Nigerians look ahead with renewed hope, the opposition must up its game. Serious times demand serious alternatives, not recycled outrage and shallow theatrics,” Oladejo said.

    He reaffirmed the APC’s confidence in President Tinubu, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda is a practical and ongoing process requiring both domestic reforms and purposeful international engagement.

    “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains firmly in charge, decisive, deliberate and globally engaged, for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

    (NAN)

  • Europe hardens positions on Russia over drone, cyber attacks

    Europe hardens positions on Russia over drone, cyber attacks

    •Putin threatens ‘decisive’ response

    Europe must take a more aggressive approach with Russia by shooting down drones that enter European airspace and boarding shadow fleet ships illicitly transporting oil to deprive Moscow of war revenue, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday.

    But, Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday threatened a “decisive” response to any threats against Russia, declaring that Western attempts to subdue the country through sanctions have failed despite their maximum efforts.

    Speaking at a European summit in Copenhagen, Macron and other European leaders called for more sanctions against Russia — notably targeting its energy sector — and emphasised that Ukraine is on the front line in a widening hybrid war against Europe.

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    Indeed, the positions of some of Europe’s leaders toward the continuing drone incidents, acts of sabotage, cyber-attacks and sanction-busting appear to have hardened over two days of talks in Copenhagen, including a closed session among them without phones or advisors.

    Macron urged the more than 40 leaders at the European Political Community summit to simply protect their interests without signaling their intentions to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    “I think the main answer should be more unpredictability and more strategic ambiguity,” he said.

     “It’s very important to have a clear message: drones which would violate our territories are just taking a big risk. They can be destroyed, full stop,” he said. “We are not here to provide the full notice. We will do what we have to do.”

  • The superannuation of Europe

    The superannuation of Europe

    (Have nukes and balls, will travel)

    Nothing lasts forever. Do not let anybody deceive or confuse you that things are fixed and eternal. While civilizations take much longer to unravel, hegemonies collapse regularly and routinely after they have reached the limits of their possibility. Between 1870 when the Germans reached the gates of Paris and 1944 when the French with the help of Americans and Allied Forces managed to expel the selfsame Germans from Paris after a four-year occupation, the dominant order was close to collapse as a result of a war of hegemony among leading nations. Between 1870 and 1944, there were over thirty six documented wars which included encounters in far-flung places such as the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa and America’s confrontation with the Spaniards in both Cuba and the Philippines.  Lonely isolated encounters and explosion of hostilities do not often herald the end of hegemonies. It is when they come together in a global maelstrom that tongues begin to wag about the end of an epoch. In all human history, if there is anything constant about the relentless wars of hegemonies, it is the centrality of arms and superior violence.

      With specific reference to Africa, consider these disturbing facts. Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and the Kingdom of Eswatini formerly known as Swaziland have all fallen off the world map without as much as a whimper. Kenya which again erupted in murderous violence in the past week is probably following close on their heels. The unique nature of postcolonial wars in Africa is that they are fought entirely as civil wars which reflect the vulnerability and fragility of the nation-state prototype imposed on the continent by the departing colonial masters. The peace accord between Rwanda and DRC superintended by Washington is not worth the paper on which it was written.

      The international community no longer cares about what happens on the benighted continent. If they care let them kill off and eliminate themselves to the last person as long as they leave the vast mineral resources intact. The minerals are far more important than the multitude of dehumanized humanity. Whatever remains can be put to better use for the rest of humankind in a way its thieving and unhinged elites could never imagine or contemplate. The cradle of civilization has become an embarrassment and an obscene insult to the rest of humanity.

       The international community did not reach this conclusion lightly. Its own plate is filled to the brim with combustible combos. It is embroiled and embattled on many fronts. The global order is fractured down the line. A local proverb says that if your garment is up in flames and your child’s fabric is also ablaze, you must first put out the fire singeing through you before you can find the mental equilibrium to deal with filial emergency. The Serbs are still nursing their wounds after they were expelled by aerial bombardment from their genocidal siege on Croatia and Kosovo as Tito’s Yugoslavia unravelled in a spiral of blood and mayhem.

     For almost three years, Russia, their fellow-traveller in Slavic hyper-nationalism, has subjected Ukraine to a slow-motion demolition with America, Europe and the rest of the world looking askance unable to do anything about the horrific carnage. The old map of the Middle East has been torn to shreds with Israeli emerging as the new law-giver and colonial superpower. Gaza is reduced to apocalyptic rubble and this past week it was the turn of Iran to be subjected to high-tech blitz by the combined power of America and Israel. Trump spoke of a possible nuclear obliteration of the ancient civilization and the Israeli High Command warned darkly that the Iranian Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had lost the right to exist. It was a grim reminder of an oxymoronic formulation: civilized savagery or modern barbarism has become the new norm. Even our old primitive ancestors would have winced in fright at the images coming out of Gaza. Their own savagery was delimited and circumscribed by the fact that they had no access to modern weapons of mass destruction. The world has become a far more dangerous and threatening place. With China warming its cockles for its inevitable Taiwanese dinner, it is going to get nastier. The meticulous and mercilessly precise Chinese are merely waiting for the locked door to swing open on its own before they pounce.

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    The more modern and civilized humanity has become the more savage and unreconstructed their inner essence has turned out. Weak people and poor nations have no place in the new arrangement. The global subalterns can talk but they cannot be heard. It is the muffled rumbling of impotence. Walter Benjamin famously noted that there is no record of civilization which is not at the same time a record of barbarism. But this time around there is no record of barbarism which is not enshrined in the new code of modernity. With its back to the wall and its hands tied from behind, Iran was forced to eat the humble pie and accept a humiliating Pax Americana handed down by the new Supreme Global Leader, Taoiseach Donald Trump. Let the world know that a new international order has dawned.

      As the triumphant convoy of the American president swept past the NATO headquarters this past week with hubristic glee, you got a sense that something was not quite right. The atmosphere was of chilly and chilling solitude. There were no crowds to welcome and cheer on the all-conquering American chieftain. It was a grumpy and self-absorbed old man that slouched out of the sedan wearing his characteristic mixture of a frown and a grimace. The man of peace was not at peace with himself. The strains and drains of the sleepless nights were showing. Unlike the plucky, devil may care Benjamin Netanyahu whose older brother was killed during the raid on Entebbe, Donald Trump, for all the bluff and bluster, is not your natural warrior. He seems to harbor a profound distaste for blood and gore which may yet be the saving grace and abiding luck of Western civilization.

     It was after all the Israeli prime minister who showed him how it could be done and how the Iranians with their hysteric ranting could be taken down by high precision bombing and reduced to whimpering nonentities in their own homestead. The Israeli tail has been wagging the American body for quite some time and only God knows how that one will pan out in the coming months. Perhaps that was why Trump appeared so preoccupied even in pomp and glory. The Netanyahu question is even more compelling than the Putin puzzle as Trump is bound to find out. But what made the NATO drama more compelling was the surreal sight of European leaders tumbling and stumbling over themselves in groveling self-abasement to pay homage and compliments to the American leader who appeared to be the least interested in their sedulous inanities. The American president was in no mood to compliment any of them as he shunned and ignored them as they lined up for photo-ops whooshing and wheezing over the unsmiling autocrat from across the Atlantic who seemed to have a full measure of their cadging and wheedling.

       This is not Great Europe as the world knew it. This was no longer the Europe of Winston Churchill, Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt, Charles de Gaulle, Giscard Valery D’Estaing , Harold Wilson, Harold Macmillan, Margaret Thatcher and Sir Peter Carrington who once famously dismissed an American Secretary of State as a purveyor of Boys’ Scout Diplomacy. This was in response to his being privately shaded as a duplicitous bastard by the no-nonsense American four-star general. The new generation of European leaders have grown fat and unproductive on American largesse and are mortally afraid of the feeding bottle being snatched away by a vengeful and furious Trump who has seen through the charade of a multilateralism in which America is expected to pick the tab for protecting Europe against predators and for fighting its wars for them. Not being warrior-statesmen in the mold of Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle or a fierce amazon like Margaret Thatcher, European leaders are content to let Americans fight their wars for them so that the citizens can have a life of bliss and peaceful prosperity. Donald Trump is having none of that subsidized indolence. Although his country remains stupendously rich, Trump is insisting that the pains and pangs of war ought to be more evenly spread around.

    With the painful riot act dropped on them from the American throne like a mega-ton bomb, European leaders looked like supplicating sissies before an all-powerful global sovereign this past week. Now that America has abandoned all pretenses to multilateralism, it is going to be a bareknuckle contention all the way and Europe will find itself reduced to the status of a neo-vassal continent. European countries will find themselves in the excellent company of their former African colonies. There is no point in settling the order of precedent between coolies and serfs. This past week one watched with colonial satisfaction as Donald Trump barked at the Spaniards, the first real superpowers of the modern world, for being remiss in coming up with their NATO levies. It was all grimly reminiscent of Benito Cereno, a remarkably clairvoyant novella by Herman Melville, the great American nineteenth century novelist, which accurately predicted the humbling and superannuation of Imperial Spain. The puny Spanish sea-men cut a truly pathetic figure as the incredibly devious African sailors who had mutinied in high seas ran them aground in an unfurling web of intrigues and silent power plays as the burly, superbly fit Americans watched proceedings with stern interest ready to restore order at short notice.

       It was a truly astonishing insight into the absorbing dynamics of historical superannuation such as can only come from a creative genius. It may well be that the European statesmen, as wily masters of historical temporizing, may be playing for time, hoping that the long run of events will restore parity and sanity. It is said in local parlance that sometimes you may have to dress a dangerous mad person in the resplendent garb of a prospective much sought after bridegroom just to assure your safe passage. Unfortunately, the short and long term optics does not appear to favour such rosy optimism.

     In keeping with protocols, it is appropriate to end this drama of trading places with another conceit. At the end of the eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin, the great American author, inventor, publisher and statesman, arrived in Paris as the ambassador and representative of the new nation. His gaiety, ebullience and devil may care aplomb astonished and alarmed the Parisian high culture in equal measure and led them to conclude that it was only in America that such a person could serve as ambassador. It was meant as a sly putdown but it was an ironic compliment. Last week and centuries after as Donald Trump swept through the NATO Headquarters with his gruff disdain for polite conversation and diplomatic etiquette, the same European high culture would have concluded that it was only in America that such gung-ho militarism and bad manners could be associated with the highest office in the land. The joke is on them. Donald Trump is the supreme law-giver.      

  • Lessons learned from Europe

    Lessons learned from Europe

    The European game of soccer is always enchanting to watch. It also always has the trappings of the big events – gripping, nostalgic feeling; beginning with the preparatory events outside the arena and all side-kicks as the fans in their numbers flock into the stadium through the gates as we call them here, but turnstiles as they are called over there.  These days, most stadia have massive lifts to quicken the movement of fans out of the venues. Will anyone here dare to use lifts in Nigeria with our chaotic electricity? No chance.

    The scenes within and outside the stadium are electrifying, which puts you in the mood wherever you are seated before, during, and after the game.

    I always cherish the media coverage of the big games, especially the moments that captured how the fans, kids, young boys, girls, adults, and the aged troop into the stadium wearing shades of the two sets of jerseys depicting when they started watching the two teams play. In Europe, all competitions have television coverage pacts to beam games live. And media personnel made the most of the television rights.

    Among the distinguished fans and their families are the yoyos, urchins, hooligans, and drunkards clutching to their glasses of beer with one hand, and the other hand holding the bottle of booze. In other climes, the security architecture ensured the operatives carried canisters of tear gas, not guns to ward off those roughnecks eager to disturb public peace. Neatly dressed and polite operatives ensured that nothing untoward happened.

    One read in amusement how the foreign press wanted to call out Lamine Yamal in the previews, equating the European Nations Cup between Spain and Portugal at the Allianz Arena in Germany to Cristiano Ronaldo versus Yamal. Ronaldo had already scored his 46th career goal compared to the enterprising but immensely talented Yamal.

    Some mischievous fans started whispering the Greatest Of All Times (G.O.A.T) argument, which was made famous in the heydays of Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

    What stands out in the execution of the plans to host events rests in a lot of training and rehearsals. Where one facet’s powers end is where the next begins. In the chain of strategists is the high levels of professionalism they bring to the stadium to stop any form of fracas until the events end. The security architecture trains and retrains their operatives; and they are polite and ready to help you locate the entry points into the stadium.

    One only hopes that the NFF chiefs can appreciate the fact that policing the stadium on match days starts three days to the event; policing the stadium on match days is guesswork.

    Once you have gained access inside the stadium, you will find out the level of preparedness to address the processes responsible for effective crowd control. Inside the stadium, you see trained stewards who at the snap of your fingers would walk towards you, asking what the issue was. The European Nations Cup final game gave the fans something to cherish in the years to come. On paper, nobody gave the Portuguese a dog chance to lift the trophy. Punters placed bets on Spain to lift the trophy. Yes, Spain’s new kids didn’t anticipate any upset from the Portuguese. They had the right to feel that they could lift the trophy, which didn’t happen.

    Kudos to the two finalists who played their hearts out, resulting in the 2-2 draw after 120 minutes. When Morata shot the ball tamely towards Portugal’s goalkeeper, Costa, he stretched full length to save the ball from entering. The Portuguese scored their final kick from the penalty spot to win the trophy. Having beaten the Spaniards, this writer searched in vain for Portugal’s Minister and indeed their soccer federation chieftains to see if they would celebrate the way their Nigerian counterparts did at the end of the pointless competition.

    The story of the commission’s bigwig being invited to watch the Unity Cup final game wasn’t enough reason for him to storm the field to take pictures with the trophy. Retired defender Pepe was invited by UEFA as a guest and we saw the role he played in accompanying the trophy to the dais, where he placed it.

    We saw how the Portuguese celebrated one of their own. It wasn’t surprising when the players beckoned on Pepe to dance with them on the podium.

    Let us hope that our sports administrators learned a few lessons from watching the European Nations Cup with the Portuguese emerging as victors, with Renaldo in tears at 40 years old. Ronaldo scored the second goal to tie the game at 2-2 in regulation time. It was his 938th career goal and a befitting glory for him.

    Nigeria’s previous ugly league

    When in 1990 some respected Nigerian soccer administrators conceptualised the Nigeria Professional League body, they were responding to the new trends in the beautiful game in other climes. These men couldn’t stomach the mediocrity associated with the Nigerian game. They wanted a departure from the tardy past to embrace the new dawn where very good players could earn a living outside the country. The wise men foresaw the future, where with a new mentality to matches, the country could one day play at the senior World Cup.

    The pioneers’ dreams came to pass in 1994 with Nigeria’s Super Eagles qualifying for the USA ’94 World Cup using players who had been exported to Europe to hone their skills which were still lethargic as a result of obsolete facilities across the country. The elite class was structured out of the old order. The quasi-professional league witnessed a lot of improvement, except that the ownership structures didn’t quite change with most of the teams owned by the government. The few private clubs (Leventis United FC of Ibadan, Abiola Babes FC of Abeokuta, New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City, Flash Flamingoes FC of Benin City, Julius Berger FC of Lagos, Iwuanyanwu Nationale FC of Owerri, etc) left their marks, although they were eventually emasculated by the government teams which had tremendous cash which their administrators used to corrupt the system.

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    In fact, games involving these teams and their traditional local rivals threatened public peace, as security operatives had to be at their best to ensure peace before, during and after matches. In one of such needless skirmishes, Bendel Insurance FC’s chairman, the late Major Ojo lost his life in a car crash very close to the stadium while trying to rescue the match referees from being lynched by irate fans. Gallant soldier, if you ask me. May his soul continue to rest in peace.

    The rot in the league was such that we had predictable victories for home teams ably aided by dubious calls of match referees, who most times are cajoled into taking such decisions. Who would blame the referees when their entitlements were being paid by the home side? The administrators further bastardised the league by introducing boardroom points in connivance with officials in the former NFA’s league department. It was that bad.

    During the trying periods of the Nigeria league, IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan (3SC) won the Cup Winners Cup in 1976. They were dethroned as champions in 1977, with the games between 3SC and eventual winners Enugu Rangers International very problematic. The second leg game had to be played on neutral ground in Kaduna, no thanks to the lunacy of the irate fans. NNB and Bendel Insurance at different years won the WAFU Cup for keeps, with Bendel Insurance winning the Confederations Cup in1994 along with the WAFU Cup for the third time in the same year. It must be said that 3SC won the Confederations Cup in 1992; the trophy was donated by the late Chief MKO Abiola.

    Many have called those victories pyrrhic because it didn’t represent how badly the league was organised. In these years, there wasn’t any deliberate plan to train the coaches, officials and even educate the players about new trends in the game, which is dynamic.

    But today, Gbenga Otolorin Elegbeleye and Davidson Owumi have changed the narrative of the league for the good of the game.

  • Europe must match its global ambitions with means

    Europe must match its global ambitions with means

    • Europe sees the threats it faces and voices the will to respond but lacks the political courage to act. National interests and the fear of domestic backlash from populist movements continue to paralyze the continent’s ability to project power. Juraj Majcin writes.

    On 9 May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman delivered his now-famous declaration, calling for European unity and deeper cooperation on a continent still reeling from the devastation of war. He emphasized that “Europe will not be made all at once,” but rather “built through concrete achievements.” Seventy-five years later, the EU can point to a range of those achievements: from the creation of a single market and a common currency to a dramatic expansion of membership, from the original six founding countries to the current 27.

    Conventional wisdom suggests that Europe’s founding vision was to prevent another devastating war. While peace was undoubtedly a core objective, American historian Timothy Snyder offers a more nuanced interpretation. In his view, the real impetus for European integration came not only from the horrors of war but also from the collapse of European empires—both continental (e.g., Austro-Hungarian) and overseas (e.g., British and French). Faced with the decline of external influence, Europe was forced to look inward to secure prosperity through closer cooperation.

    Europe’s post-war retreat

    This interpretation is more relevant than ever in today’s world, marked by renewed great power rivalry, rising nationalism, and growing conflict. For decades after World War II, under the shelter of American security guarantees, Europe largely withdrew from global power politics. The Suez Crisis in 1956 symbolically marked the end of Europe’s global military ambitions. Instead, the EU bet on a future shaped by a rules-based international order, free trade, and multilateralism – hoping the world would become more like Europe.

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    Russia’s war on Ukraine shattered that illusion. The war – and Europe’s resolute, if sometimes uneven, response – has been called a defining moment, even “Europe’s hour.”

    The EU has provided unprecedented support for Ukraine, including breaking taboos by funding military aid through the EU budget. Yet the crisis has also exposed deep structural weaknesses. Unanimity rules in the European Council make swift decision-making nearly impossible, often leading to watered-down compromises. This not only dilutes Europe’s global influence but also invites authoritarian actors such as Russia and China to exploit its internal divisions.

    Internal divisions and unanimity

    Europe often proclaims its desire to be a serious geopolitical actor, particularly in confronting Russia, engaging with China, or managing a more transactional United States under Donald Trump. But actions rarely match rhetoric. Member states frequently resist giving Brussels the authority or resources to act on their behalf. Calls for Europe to “speak with one voice” ring hollow when leaders undermine those who try to do just that. The recent harsh criticism of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Kaja Kallas—a clear and principled voice on European values and interests—illustrates this contradiction.

    In short, Europe sees the threats it faces and voices the will to respond – but too often lacks the political courage to act. National interests and the fear of domestic backlash from populist movements continue to paralyze the continent’s ability to project power. Yet no single European country, acting alone, can realistically claim to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global powers like the United States or China.

    Just as economic integration was the founding fathers’ answer to the collapse of European global influence after World War II, political unity must now be the response to the challenges of the 21st century. If Europe is to safeguard its interests and values in a turbulent world, it must finally equip itself with the tools and authority to act, not just talk.

  • FULL LIST: 27 European countries Nigerians can visit in 2025 with one visa

    FULL LIST: 27 European countries Nigerians can visit in 2025 with one visa

    In a big win for Nigerian travellers, a valid Schengen visa opens the doors to 27 European countries, making it easier and more affordable to explore Europe.

    Whether for tourism, business, education, or visiting family, Nigerians can enjoy visa-free travel within the Schengen zone once granted a visa by any of the member states.

    The Schengen visa allows holders to travel freely across borders without internal checks, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

    As of January 1, 2025, Romania and Bulgaria have become full Schengen members, meaning Nigerians can now travel to these countries with an existing Schengen visa, including by land, air, or sea.

    Note that countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Cyprus are not part of the Schengen Area. You’ll need separate visas to visit those destinations.

    Here are 27 countries Nigerians can visit in 2025 using a single Schengen visa:

    1. Austria

    2. Belgium

    3. Croatia

    4. Czech Republic

    5. Denmark

    6. Estonia

    7. Finland

    8. France

    9. Germany

    10. Greece

    11. Hungary

    12. Iceland

    13. Italy

    14. Latvia

    15. Liechtenstein

    16. Lithuania

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    17. Luxembourg

    18. Malta

    19. Netherlands

    20. Norway

    21. Poland

    22. Portugal

    23. Slovakia

    24. Slovenia

    25. Spain

    26. Sweden

    27. Switzerland

  • Five most affordable study countries in Europe

    Five most affordable study countries in Europe

    Europe has long been a top choice destination for international students due to its diverse academic offerings, rich cultural heritage, and world-class education. 

    Over the years, an increased numbers of students seek affordable options that provide excellent value for money, hence studying in the cheapest universities in Europe presents a unique opportunity for students to receive a quality education while minimising financial burdens.

    Several European countries offer tuition-free or low-cost education, especially for EU/EEA students, and in some cases for non-EU students as well. 

    Many of these universities offer programs in English, eliminating language barriers for non-native speakers,and at the same time, students are immersed in diverse cultural settings, gaining invaluable intercultural experience.

    Studying in Europe offers affordable educational and rich cultural experiences. Here’s an overview of five cost-effective countries for international students:

    1. Germany: Public universities in Germany charge minimal tuition fees, typically between €100 to €350 per semester, covering administrative costs. 

    Application Criteria: Applicants must possess a recognized secondary school diploma and demonstrate proficiency in the language of instruction, either German (TestDaF, DSH) or English (IELTS, TOEFL) for programs taught in English.

    Cost of Living: Monthly living expenses range from €850 to €1,200, varying by city. Major expenses include accommodation, food, transportation, health insurance, and study material.

    Accommodation: Student dormitories are affordable, costing between €250 and €400 per mont. Private rentals are available but may be more expensive, especially in larger cities.

    Top Affordable Universities: University of Göttingen

    University of Mannheim

    Technical University of Munich (TUM)

     University of Heidelberg

    Availability: Germany offers a wide range of programs across various disciplines, many of which are available in English, making it accessible to international student, but it is advisable and respectful to your host to be able to speak some German, and there are plenty of resources online that enable you to learn German free of charge.

    2. France: French public universities offer low tuition fees: €170 per year for a Bachelor’s degree, €243 for a Master’s, and €380 for a Doctorate. Non-EU students pay higher rates, around €2,770 annually for Bachelor’s and €3,770 for Master’s programs. 

    Admission requires a secondary school diploma and language proficiency.

    Cost of Living: Monthly living expenses range from €850 to €1,200, varying by cities. Major expenses include accommodation, food, transportation, health insurance, and study material.

    Accommodation: Student dormitories are affordable, costing between €250 and €400 per mont. Private rentals are available but may be more expensive, especially in larger cities.

    Top Affordable Universities: University of Göttingen

    University of Mannheim

    Technical University of Munich (TUM)

     University of Heidelberg

    Availability: Germany offers a wide range of programs across various disciplines, many of which are available in English, making it accessible to international student.

    3. Poland: Tuition fees for English-taught programs in Poland range from €2,000 to €6,000 annually, with medical programs costing more. EU citizens may study for free in public institutions. Poland’s blend of history and modernity offers a unique study experience. 

    Application Criteria: Applicants must have a recognized high school diploma and demonstrate language proficiency in Polish (for programs taught in Polish) or English (IELTS/TOEFL) for English-taught programs.

    Cost of Living: Monthly living costs are affordable, averaging €400 to €700, covering accommodation, food, transportation, and other essentials.

    Accommodation: Student dormitories cost between €100 and €200 per month. Private rentals are available, with prices varying by city.

    Top Affordable Universities include: University of Warsaw

    Jagiellonian University

    Adam Mickiewicz University

    University of Wroclaw

    Availability: Poland offers a wide array of programs in various fields, with many universities providing courses in English to cater to international students.

    Poland’s blend of history and modernity offers a unique study experience. 

    4. Slovenia: EU students and those from select countries study tuition-free at public universities; others pay €2,000 to €15,000 annually, depending on the program.  

    Application Criteria: Applicants need a recognized secondary school diploma and must demonstrate language proficiency—Slovenian or English, depending on the program.

    Cost of Living: Monthly expenses range from €400 to €700, covering accommodation, food, transportation, and other livin costs.

    Read Also: 10 European countries that grant Nigerians easy visas

    Accommodation: University dormitories cost between €100 and €250 pe month. Private rentals are available, with prices varying by city.

    Top Affordable Universities include: 

    University of Ljubljana

    University of Maribor

    University of Nova Gorica

    Availability: Slovenia offers a variety of programs, with several universities providing courses in English, making it accessible to international students.

    5: Greece: Public universities in Greece have low tuition fees, around €1,500 per year for international students. Admission requires a high school diploma and may include entrance exams. 

    Cost of living: Monthly living costs are approximately €600 to €900, covering accommodation, food, transportation, and other essentials.

    Accommodations: University dormitories are affordable, and private rentals are available, with prices varying by location.

    Top Affordable Universities includes: 

     National Technical University of Athens

    University of Crete.

    Greece’s rich history and Mediterranean climate provide a unique educational environment.

    Each of these countries offers affordable education and a distinctive cultural experience, making them attractive options for international students seeking quality education in Europe

  • Lekki, Italy-based businessmen arrested over illicit drug shipments to Nigeria, Europe

    Lekki, Italy-based businessmen arrested over illicit drug shipments to Nigeria, Europe

    Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Lekki-based businessman and proprietor of Damillionz Takeout, Arokodare Damil Ebenezer allegedly in connection with the shipment of 60 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, from the United States of America to Nigeria.

    The 43-year-old businessman was arrested at Bay Lounge, Admiralty Way, Lekki area of Lagos where he does his illicit drug business on Monday 24th March 2025 while he was expecting to take the delivery of his latest drug consignment.

    This was contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.

    Babafemi said the arrest followed the seizure of his cargo that arrived Nigeria in seven big cartons at a logistics company in Lagos on 12th March by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation.

    “After his arrest, he was taken to his Lekki home for a search during which 94grams of the same psychoactive substance, cannabis crusher and other drug paraphernalia were recovered. 

    “This brings the total weight of the drug seized from him to 32.24 kilograms.

    In his statement, he claimed he started the illicit drug business in 2017,” Babafemi said. 

    The spokesman said an attempt by another businessman Omoruyi Terry to allegedly export 1,400 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 800 grams to Italy was also been thwarted by NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos. 

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    Babafemi said Omoruyi was intercepted at the screening point of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport on his way to Italy via a Qatar Airways flight.

    According to the statement, investigation revealed the suspect is an Italy based frequent traveler and logistics agent.

    It reads: “In Katsina, four suspects: Baraka Abubakar, 40; Haruna Alitine, 23; Muhammad Babangida, 20; and Hamisu Lawal, were arrested on Friday 28th March during an intelligence led raid operation at Godai village in Daura LGA where 684 blocks of compressed skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 423kg and 86,000 pills of diazepam were recovered from them. 

    “The three male suspects were arrested while repackaging the diazepam tablets into other containers while Baraka, the female suspect was apprehended with the heaps of skunk in her house.

    Not less than 13,198 kilograms of cannabis sativa were destroyed in Edo forests across parts of the state between Monday 24th and Friday 28th March by NDLEA operatives who also evacuated 158kg of same substance for possible prosecution. 

    “The forests where no fewer than four cannabis plantations were discovered and destroyed include: Uhen forest, Ovia North East LGA; Sobe, Owan West LGA; and Amahor forest in Igueben LGA.

    “In Niger state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on Friday 28th March intercepted a black Toyota Corolla car marked SLM 137 SV and arrested the two occupants in possession of 179 blocks of compressed skunk with a total weight of 77.6kg concealed in false bottom of the vehicle. 

    “The two suspects are: Paul Christopher, 46, and Lucky Star Anumie. In another operation, 50kg skunk was on Saturday 29th March recovered from the home of a suspect, Isa Iliya, who is currently at large, in Wawa village, Borgu council area of the state.

    “While 108.5kg of skunk was recovered from lockup shops at Aria New Market, in Enugu metropolis, Enugu state by NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 25th March, 25kg of same substance was seized from a suspect Abdulrazak  Saka at Kilako Area of Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday 24th March. Another suspect Suli Saheed, 50, was nabbed with 2.5 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud and 515 grams of Colorado, at Olomi Academy area of Ibadan, Oyo state.

    “With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

    “These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Blessed Martins International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state; Model Ideal College, Enugu; Oto-Awori Senior Secondary School, Ijanikin, Lagos state; and Command Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa state, among others.”

    While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Edo, Kwara, Niger, Enugu, Oyo and Katsina Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated. 

    He extended eid-el-fitr greetings to them, their families, other stakeholders and Nigerians at large.

    “May the spirit of obedience and sacrifice that defines this special day guide and strengthen us as we remain steadfast in our pursuit of a drug-free society. May Allah continue to bless and guide us and may our collective efforts bring us closer to a safer and healthier society for all,” the NDLEA boss added.