Feature/OPED
The 10th NASS and Leadership Recruitment
By Jerome-Mario Chijioke Utomi
If there is any perfect example in recent times that demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt that Nigeria is a nation reputed for doing one thing repeatedly and expecting a different result, it is the present intrigues surrounding the nomination or, better still, selection of principal officers for the incoming 10th National Assembly (NASS).
For a better understanding of where the piece is headed, the National Assembly is one of the three arms that make up Nigeria’s presidential system of government. It is statutorily referred to as the Legislative arm. It is independent of the other arms (Executive and Judiciary) and headed by the Senate President, who is assisted by the Deputy Senate President. The Senate President and his Deputy also work with the Principal Officers in the House, including the Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip. The same applies to the House of Representatives, headed by the Speaker and assisted by the Deputy with other officers similar to those mentioned above.
Fundamentally, everyone in the National Assembly is, or ought to be, traditionally interested in the day-to-day existence of the ordinary people in the country and honestly work hard to improve their lives by offering selfless service in the offices they occupy.
From the above clarification, it becomes a worrying concern to this piece and other well-meaning Nigerians as to why the present interference, distractions and involvements from outside, particularly the incoming Executive arm, political parties, ethnoreligious groups, region against another, powerful personalities against each other about how the 10th NASS leadership will emerge.
Qualifying the development as frightening is the awareness that this was a similar leadership recruitment interference witnessed by the outgoing 9th NASS. The house is arguably filled with the best trained and most highly skilled in the history of NASS in Nigeria, but it could not make laws that enhanced the life chances of Nigerians. It is factually backed that the 9th NASS we have today is unrecognizable compared to what the nation used to have in the past.
The facts are there and speak for it. There are so many senators and House of Reps members currently serving. Yet, the present legislative arm of the Federal Government operates as if it is subservient to the executive branch.
The mountain of foreign debt incurred by the present Federal Government and approved by the present 9th NASS without recourse to its harsh impact on both Nigeria and Nigerians is another example of glaring NASS leadership failure that the incoming 10th NASS must avoid.
Ultimately, while this dangerous politicking and scramble for the soul and leadership of the yet-to-be-substituted 10th National Assembly deepens and flourishes, what, however, made the present situation a very curious one is that an exercise like the election of principal officers is constitutionally supposed to be an internal affair within the Assembly. But suddenly, against all known logic, got characterized by national intrigue, with the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), taking time to underline the advantages and otherwise of having a particular lawmaker in a particular position.
Within this period, I have also listened; to and read different arguments by APC advocates, outlining virtues and attributes in support of the current ‘interference’ in Nigeria’s 10th NASS leadership recruitment process.
While some anchored their argument on the time-honoured but deformed political ideology in the country, which insists that the party is supreme and, as a result, the ruling party has the ‘right to detect who becomes what in the forthcoming NASS, others argued that politics is a game of numbers and rides on the wheels of ‘’to whom much is given, much is expected’’. To the rest, the Executive arm of government should have every reason to be interested in the principal officers to emerge at the 10th NASS. To this group, their argument is predicated on the fact that Executive input will assist in promoting a rancour-free relationship between the two arms of the government while ensuring equity, justice and compliance with Federal Character.
Despite the validity of the above arguments, if allowed to fly, this piece sees in the near future ‘a crisis’ approaching that will unnerve Nigerians and cause them to tremble. These present fears expressed cannot be described as groundless as there are grains of truth in all of its concerns.
Aside from the non-promotion of meritocracy, the greater consequences and hidden danger inherent in the ongoing selection and insistence on ‘anointed candidates’’ by the ruling party without recourse to democratize the process and independence of the House is that in the absence of rigorous accountability, incompetence flourishes, dishonesty encouraged and rewarded.
Viewed broadly, the decision to select, endorse or anoint more than anything else exposed systematized personal interest and amplified the fact that our political players had not carefully read the history and human drama surrounding the democracies of ancient Greece and the Roman Republic. From their actions and inactions in the ongoing debate, it is obvious that as a nation, political gladiators in Nigeria are unaware, for example, that democracy disappeared in Rome when Caesar crossed Rubicon in violation of the Roman Senate’s long prohibitions.
History bears eloquent testimony to the effect that right from the referenced moment when Caesar un-politically interfered as well as combined other arms of government with his chief–of–state role, the Roman senate lingered only in form and humoured for decades while the dream of democracy withered away. And as a result of that singular act, democracy, for all intent and purposes, disappeared not just in the affected nation but from the face of the earth for 17 centuries until its rebirth in the United States of America.
This is a great lesson for Nigerian leaders to draw, particularly now that the incoming NASS will have members of the opposition in greater numbers. The truth is that even if such positions must be zoned to ensure equity in geographical spread, senators–elects must be allowed free hands to elect their principal officers from assigned zones. This author, like other well-meaning Nigerians, considers the allocation of positions to ‘anointed candidates’ as unpalatably undemocratic and, therefore, should be discarded.
Again, even if the above advice and lesson are ignored, another urgent imperative why Nigerians should be concerned about the increasingly sophisticated efforts to manipulate NASS leadership is predicated on the sensitive role that lawmakers are to perform in the nation’s representative and deliberative democracy. If allowed, its negative outcome could set the stage that will selectively control information relevant to collective decision-making in a democracy and strip the House of its power to enact masses-focused legislation.
To, therefore, make the incoming 10th Assembly legislate for the poor, this piece holds the opinion that senator-elects must be given free hands to elect their principal officers as interference can set the stage for abridgement of the freedom of the lawmakers and, by extension encroach on the rights of the masses.
There is equally an urgent need for incoming NASS members to anchor their election of leaders on competence as against party affiliations and other mundane considerations.
This shift in action is important as we cannot solve our political and socio-economic challenges with the same thinking we used when we created it.
Finally, in the words of Thomas Paine, as captured in his pamphlet ‘Common Sense’’, we must all recognize that the Law is King and vigilant adherence to the rule of law strengthens our democracy. It ensures that those who govern us operate within our constitutional structures, which means that our democratic institutions play an indispensable role in shaping policies and determining the direction of our nation’.
This, in my view, is the task ahead of the 10th NASS.
Utomi is the Program Coordinator (Media and Politics), Advocacy for Social and Economic Justice (SEJA), Lagos. He can be reached via je*********@***oo.com or 08032725374
By Owoloye Emmanuel
Every business starts with a problem. For us, that problem was hiding in plain sight.
Across organisations, we kept seeing HR professionals, payroll teams, and business leaders spend significant time navigating processes that should be simpler. Employee records sat across multiple systems, payroll processes required manual intervention, and routine workforce tasks often became more complicated than they needed to be.
As businesses grow, workforce operations naturally become more complex. Yet many organisations still rely on disconnected tools and workflows that create unnecessary friction for both employers and employees.
The consequence is more than operational inefficiency. HR teams spend valuable time managing systems instead of supporting people. Business leaders struggle to access timely workforce insights, while employees experience delays in processes that should be seamless.
These weren’t isolated challenges. They were recurring realities across workplaces, regardless of industry or size.
That observation led us to a simple question: what if workforce management could be easier?
What if HR, payroll, and workforce operations could work together within a single, connected experience?
That question became the foundation for 234 Solutions.
We are building 234 Solutions with a clear belief that workplace technology should reduce complexity, not add to it. Our goal is to help organisations spend less time navigating processes and more time focusing on productivity, growth, and people.
As we prepare for launch, our focus remains simple: building practical solutions for real workplace challenges and helping organisations create better experiences for the people who power them every day.
Owoloye Emmanuel is the founder of 234 Solutions
Scroll through social media today, and you will notice something interesting: everyone is either reacting to a series, quoting a movie line, or debating a character as though they personally know them. Beneath the memes and binge-watch culture, however, lies something deeper. Television remains one of the most powerful tools shaping how Africans see themselves, remember their history, and tell their own stories. In a continent as diverse and expressive as Africa, that matters more than ever.
TV as a Cultural Archive, Not Just Entertainment
Long before streaming algorithms began shaping our viewing habits, television was already preserving African identity. From Nollywood dramas that capture the rhythm of everyday Lagos life to documentaries exploring Maasai traditions and Ghanaian folklore, TV has served as a living archive of the continent’s stories.
It preserves more than entertainment; it preserves language, culture, humour, values, and shared experiences. Unlike fleeting social media content, television allows stories to unfold with depth, exploring the realities of family, tradition, ambition, and modern African life without reducing them to stereotypes. That is the power of TV: preserving not just stories, but perspective.
Why Representation on TV Still Matters
There is a subtle but important truth: if people do not see themselves on screen, they may begin to believe their stories are not worth telling. This is why African TV content is more than entertainment; it is affirmation.
Seeing a character who speaks like you, struggles like you, or celebrates like your community does something powerful. It validates identity and challenges outdated narratives that have historically defined Africa through external lenses.
This is where MultiChoice Group, through platforms such as DStv and GOtv, plays an important role. They do not simply broadcast content; they help distribute cultural memory at scale.
GOtv, DStv, and the Everyday African Viewer
Think about a typical evening in many African homes: the TV is on in the background, someone is laughing at a comedy show, another person is watching a local series, and someone else is catching up on the news. That shared viewing experience remains very real.
Through platforms such as DStv and GOtv, African households are exposed to a blend of local storytelling and global content. More importantly, they have helped amplify African-produced content by bringing Nollywood films, African reality shows, talk shows, and documentaries into mainstream rotation.
It is not just about access. It is about visibility.
A young filmmaker in Lagos today is more likely to believe their story matters because they have seen similar stories broadcast widely. A child in Accra grows up hearing familiar accents and seeing environments that look like their own on screen, not as exceptions, but as the norm.
TV Is Also Shaping Modern African Identity
African identity is not static; it is evolving. Television reflects that evolution in real time.
Today, audiences see:
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Young Africans balancing tradition and modern dating culture
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Stories tackling mental health in African households
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Fashion and music influences spreading through TV series
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Political satire shaping public conversation
Conversations that were once confined to homes are now being explored on screen, giving audiences the language to discuss issues that were previously unspoken.
In many ways, television is doing what oral tradition has always done: passing stories, values, humour, warnings, and history from one generation to the next. The difference is that today’s griots are writers, directors, and broadcasters.
The Future: From Watching to Owning Our Narratives
The next stage of African storytelling is not just about being seen; it is about ownership.
As more African creators produce content and platforms continue to invest in regional storytelling, television becomes more than a mirror. It becomes a tool for shaping how Africa is represented to itself and to the world.
While streaming continues to grow, television, particularly accessible platforms such as GOtv, remains one of the most effective ways to reach everyday audiences across different income levels and regions. After all, storytelling only matters if people can access it.
African stories are not new. They have always existed in families, on streets, in markets, in history books, and through oral traditions. What television has done, and continues to do, is give those stories a stage wide enough for millions to experience them at once.
The next time you watch a local series or documentary on DStv or GOtv, remember that you are not just being entertained. You are participating in the preservation of African identity itself.
By Kehinde Ogundare
Ask a tech entrepreneur in San Francisco what AI means for their business, and they are likely to talk about competitive advantage, product differentiation, and scale. Ask a small business owner in Kano or Onitsha the same question, and the conversation shifts entirely.
For many Nigerian SMEs, the priority is keeping the lights on, managing costs, and finding sustainable ways to grow in a challenging economic environment. This difference in perspective explains why the global AI conversation, often shaped by assumptions about stable infrastructure, deep capital, and abundant technical talent, frequently fails to address the realities facing Nigerian SMEs.
This matters because Nigerian SMEs are not a peripheral concern. In 2024 alone, MSMEs contributed 46.32% to Nigeria’s GDP, accounting for 96.9% of businesses and 87.9% of employment. These businesses are the backbone of the Nigerian economy, and if AI is going to mean anything for Nigeria’s development, it has to work for them in the daily conditions they actually operate in.
However, research drawing on empirical data from 144 Nigerian SMEs found that inadequate infrastructure, low digital literacy, skills shortages, and regulatory gaps are collectively preventing them from meaningfully engaging with AI. Awareness of AI is high and growing. What is missing is a clear and honest conversation about what adoption actually requires in this specific context. The barriers are real, but none of them are insurmountable. The question is whether the tools, pricing models, and support structures being offered to Nigerian SMEs are designed with those barriers in mind, or whether they have been built for another market entirely.
Subscription models making AI affordable for small businesses
When most small business owners hear “AI,” they imagine expensive software, specialist consultants, and a hefty upfront bill.
That assumption is not entirely wrong, but it describes a particular way of buying technology, not AI itself. The shift that makes AI genuinely accessible at the SME level is the move away from large, one-time capital purchases towards tools that charge a predictable monthly subscription. Businesses can pay for what they use, scale back when necessary, and avoid the debt that a major technology investment can create.
The deeper opportunity here is consolidation. Many SMEs are already spending money across multiple disconnected tools—one for invoicing, another for customer records, another for stock tracking—none of which talk to each other. An integrated platform that handles several of these functions together, with AI built in, can actually cost less than the sum of those separate subscriptions while giving business owners a clearer picture of their operations.
With margins already under pressure, any technology a business adopts needs to visibly show an increase in productivity or bottom line. Subscription-based, integrated platforms, priced transparently and honestly, are the model that best fits this reality.
Infrastructure challenges demand a mobile-first approach
No conversation about technology in Nigeria is complete without confronting the infrastructure problem, and AI is no exception. Nigeria continues to face major infrastructure barriers, including limited broadband access, unreliable power supply, and high data costs, all of which constrain deeper AI adoption. These are structural features of the operating environment that any sensible technology strategy must account for today.
The electricity situation alone is significant. The World Bank estimates that the lack of stable electricity costs Nigeria’s economy approximately $26.2 billion annually, equivalent to about 2% of GDP, forcing many businesses to run on expensive diesel generators. That cost ripples outward.
In practical terms, AI tools built for Nigeria cannot assume a stable broadband connection or a computer that is always powered on. The tools that will actually get used are the ones that work on a smartphone, consume minimal data, and can function offline when connectivity drops, syncing back up when it returns. The mobile phone is already how many Nigerian SME owners run their businesses. AI that meets them there, rather than demanding infrastructure they do not have, is AI that has a genuine future in this market.
The direction is clear: build capability from within, using tools that make that possible. Recent AI performance research reveals that 64% of African workers are already actively using AI at work, signalling massive grassroots readiness and driving forward-thinking organisations across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa to aggressively prioritise internal upskilling frameworks to bridge the talent gap.
As the policy groundwork is being laid, the commercial ecosystem is beginning to respond. What remains is a clear-eyed acceptance that AI tools built for this market need to look different from those built for markets with different realities. Low cost, low bandwidth, and usability for non-technical people are not modest ambitions; they are the actual requirements. Build for those realities, and AI has a real future in Nigeria’s SME economy.
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