Feature/OPED
Buhari, Nigerians and Misplaced Regret
By Jerome-Mario Utomi
Nigerians could argue that the entire problem (both real and probable) currently confronting the nation are caused by the inability of the present administration to effectively secure the nation and manage the nation’s resources.
From that point, the story is well known. Such an argument cannot be viewed as lacking in merit particularly as the Muhammadu Buhari led administration has no excuse for not engineering prosperity lavishly promised in 2015.
The situation becomes a crisis of the sort when one remembers that across the world; well-known leaders in the past had upon assumption of office faced a more precarious situation than what President Buhari met on ground.
Yet, such leaders were able to turn around the fortune of their nation.
Take as an illustration, in 1932, Franklin D Roosevelt, the Democratic Party candidate, United States of America was elected president in the midst of the great depression. At the time of inauguration in 1933, one-quarter of the labour force was out of a job, with many thrown into poverty. Industrial production had fallen and investments had collapsed.
But within two years of his administration, he revived the economy and moved to the next stage of his agenda. He signed the social security act which introduced the modern welfare state into the United States pension at retirement, unemployment benefits and some public health care and disability benefits. When asked how? He responded thus; “extraordinary conditions call for extraordinary remedies”
Obviously an alluring account, and a lesson that any leader desirous to serve and save his people must internalize, however, beyond this understanding, one can make a stronger case that the problem, failure/failings of the present administration in Nigeria was more related to the failure of followership than leadership.
People often dismiss such a line of thinking even when it is the truth. It is argued that ‘there is always the relationship between cause and effect, especially in efficient causality. The relationship is a relationship of participation; the cause being the whole; the effect being the part. The causal efficiency is directly proportional to the substantial perfection’.
The truth is that the inefficiency of this administration did not just start. It all started just immediately after the 2015 general elections. Despite this awareness of challenges/underperformance, Nigerians, against all known logic, during 2019, voted the administration for the second time.
So, in my view, Nigerians are to a greater extent the architect of the current challenge in the country. Tragically unique is that presently, they (Nigerians) are both the victims/causality of such political miscalculations. So, one can understand why the current regret and shout of good old days by Nigerians qualify more as misplaced.
Just before you argue with me, this piece will clarify the above claim by examining the issues, challenges and failures recorded between May 2015 – May 2019 that ordinarily should have acted as an emblematic pointer to Nigerians that there exists deeply troubling development if the administration is voted back to power.
Fundamentally, apart from the fact that the nation’s economy within the period under review(first term), and under President Buhari’s watch went into recession and unemployment/underemployment got to a galloping stage, our mind eyes tell us that President Muhammadu Buhari’s first tenure was neither impressive nor exemplary.
Rather, it was wantonly characterized by insecurity, poor strategy for development, lack of focus on sectors that will improve the conditions of living of the people, such as education, health and agriculture. Consequently, this led to the affirmation of Nigeria as the world poverty capital, a development that analysts believe has its root in the administration’s constant blame of others for failed projects and inability to live up to expectations.
It was equally obvious that within his first term in office, Mr President did not grow a democracy that guarantees social justice and promotes social mobility or take action in the following areas: strengthening the economy, tackling insecurity, job creation, and development of the power sector and massive infrastructural development.
Again, it should be clear from the summary given above that, the inability of Mr President to pick the right people as Minister and give them their rightful position, which of course is the first responsibility of a good leader, not only set the stage for the socio-economic challenges currently bedevilling the nation but has finally become an unusually costly burden for Nigeria and Nigerians.
Yet, there exists another costly mistake that has finally brought the nation to its socioeconomic knees.
It is the fact that after going through, and observing with dissatisfaction Mr President’s not too impressive or better still, below-average performance, between May 2015 and 2019, Nigerians against all known logic went ahead to have him re-elected for the second time in office.
More specifically, another event within Mr President’s first term in office that probably did more than anything else to convince Nigerians with critical interest to look differently at the out of ordered direction the administration was taking the country was Mr President appointments/constitution of his cabinet.
Aside from enjoying a long gestation period, President Buhari, in making those appointments appeared to be unmindful of the fact that the first opinion that is formed of a leader’s intelligence, according to Niccolo Machiavelli, is based on the quality of men he has around him.
For when they are competent and loyal, he can always be considered wise, because he has been able to recognize their competence and to keep them loyal. But when they are otherwise, the ruler is always open to adverse criticism because his first mistake has been in the choice of his ministers.
Still, on the appointment, the nation’s 1999 Constitution underscored the need to base all appointments on the provisions of Paragraph 8(1)(b)of Part 1 of the third schedule of the 1999 constitution, which among other provisions, clearly stipulate that the Federal Character Commission must ensure the equitable distribution of all appointments and positions at the federal levels among the federating units.
Despite the clarity of this provision, Nigerians with critical minds have observed with dismay a high magnitude of visible infringement. While recalling that any leader who disobeys the law becomes a threat to the constitution he swore to protect, they concluded that there has never been such brazen abuse of the principle as witnessed in this administration.
To avoid repetition of similar challenges in the future, particularly as the nation races toward another general election come 2023, I hold the opinion that Nigerians must recognize that at the minimum, followers’ needs to have/gain a thorough understanding of their prospective leaders and his or her context. At intervals, they need to demand, commend or contradict their leader’s goals and pressure his or her strengths and weaknesses. Evaluate his/her organizational and personal objectives; discover his/her long suits and blind spots, his preferred style of working; does he or she thrive on conflict or try to minimize it?
Definitely, without this information, there is bound to be unnecessary conflicts, misunderstandings, and other problems will be inevitable.
Jerome-Mario Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos. He could be reached via je*********@***oo.com/08032725374.
By Onah Ishioma Adaeze
As a beginner, choosing between stocks and forex for your investment goals in 2026 can feel overwhelming. Before investing your hard-earned money, it is important to understand how both markets work.
While both markets present investors with opportunities to grow their wealth, they also differ in terms of volatility, liquidity, market hours, and leverage. Stocks involve owning portions of a company, while forex has to do with trading a base currency against a quote currency.
In this article, we will be going through the basics of stocks and forex, pointing out their differences, and helping you decide which asset better suits your investment journey in 2026.
What is Stock Trading?
When it comes to stock trading, you are buying shares of a company, which makes you a shareholder of that company. As a shareholder, you may be entitled to receive dividends whenever the company decides to pay dividends.
As for those companies that do not pay dividends, there are other benefits a shareholder may enjoy, like being called upon to attend shareholder meetings and having voting rights on certain company matters.
On a global scale, over $100 trillion worth of shares are traded annually. Also, the rising popularity of AI companies and technological innovations continues to drive investor participation and market growth.
If you’re an investor looking to buy and hold capital assets, then stock trading is definitely for you, as it allows for short-term, medium-term and long-term investment goals.
When you buy shares of a company and the company performs well, your shares increase in value. Another benefit of stock trading is access to index funds and ETFs.
These funds consist of companies that are grouped under an index. They are carefully selected and monitored under the fund, sparing the investor the stress of actively tracking the fund.
They can be a way of building a long-term, diversified portfolio, and some of these funds may pay dividends.
What is Forex Trading?
Forex trading has to do with buying one currency and selling another. With a pair like USD/JPY, USD is the base currency being bought against JPY, which is the quote currency.
In order to execute a trade in the forex market, you have to analyse and make predictions based on price movement, as well as pay attention to what’s going on in the global news scene.
The forex market runs twenty-four hours every weekday, with over $9 trillion traded in the market every day. Being the largest financial market in the world, there is very high liquidity.
Forex trading involves buying one currency against another, making predictions based on price movements on the forex charts. Price moves based on the activities of large institutions like hedge funds, big banks, the government, etc.
The forex market runs 24 hours a day, every weekday, with global forex turnover reaching $9 trillion per day in the BIS 2025 survey. Being the largest financial market in the world, there is very high volatility and price fluctuations.
At the same time, there is high liquidity in the market, which means that currency pairs can easily be bought and sold without hassle. Highly liquid instruments that are traded regularly include: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and gold (XAU/USD).
As a retail trader, knowing when to enter and exit the market is important. As easy as it is to make profits from price fluctuations, it is also very easy to lose money if the market moves against you. This is why it is important to set stop losses and take profits. This helps manage your trading capital.
Major Differences Between Stocks and Forex
While investing in stocks and forex can yield great capital gains, there are lots of ways in which they differ.
As a beginner, stock trading provides opportunities for long-term investments, ensuring slow but consistent returns for wealth building. But if you are looking for an active, short-term style of investment, then forex trading is for you, as it allows you to enter and exit the market within a shorter time frame.
Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing an asset to invest in all boils down to personal preference. At the same time, if you are not averse to risk, nor opposed to asset diversification, then it’s okay to invest in both.
For beginner investors in 2026, stock trading is easier to understand and get into, especially because of mutual funds, index funds and ETFs. With those funds, you don’t have to be an expert to start investing. You can just buy a fund that suits your needs and hold it over a long period of time.
If you are an investor who enjoys technical analysis, highly volatile and liquid markets, as well as trading under short time frames, then forex trading is the right pick for you.
Conclusion
You do not need to put all your eggs in one basket. There are investors who invest in both stocks and forex simultaneously. When starting out, you can start investing in stocks while learning forex. Take calculated risks and do not invest above your means. Diversify your investments and remember, when starting out, you should prioritise acquiring knowledge over profits.
Onah Ishioma Adaeze is a finance writer who is passionate about simplifying complex concepts into easily digestible pieces. Her hobbies are reading and watching anime
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.
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