Feature/OPED
Fani-Kayode And His Apocalyptic Pessimism
By Akingbade Thomas
I have followed the opinion articles of Femi Fani-Kayode since he started publishing in different news media.
At first, his opinions seem to me to be inspired by patriotism. After some time, he gradually descends into ethnical and partisanship inspired writings. His recent writings have now been conceived in the womb of Judeo-Christian theology.
In his opinion, the root cause of virtually all the challenges confronting national and international community is nothing but the religious conflict amongst the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), and that the solution to these challenges is the ultimate triumph of the Judeo-Christian over Islam.
This easy solution is not original to Fani-Kayode, he has probably just found likeness for this illusionary, apocalyptic and pessimistic solution which is original to the Judeo-Christian theology, which originally evolved from cultural fabric of the Haranites and indigenous Canaanites, the ethnic groups from where the Israelites got their origin genealogically.
I particularly found it amusing that a man who claimed to be soundly educated will now begin to derive inspiration from religious beliefs (as organized into Judeo-Christian theology) that fundamentally, essentially and largely derived it source from superstitions, myths, historical distortions and irrational fears.
Below are excerpts from his article titled: “What Donald Trump will not do,” published by The Eagle Online on August 2: “During the coming election debates, he should do the Nigerian people a favour and ask Hillary Clinton one question. That question is: Why did she and President Barack Obama refuse to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation until late 2014? This was after they had slaughtered over 100,000 innocent Nigerians in a space of four years. If the victims had been Americans, would they have taken so long to designate them as terrorists? Is Nigerian blood not red and do Nigerian lives not matter?
“Donald Trump would never have made such a mistake or tolerated such evil. If he had been the POTUS for the last seven years and not Barack Obama, Boko Haram would have been designated a terrorist organisation five years ago. Unlike Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, when it comes to foreign policy, Donald Trump is incapable of tolerating and accepting evil from those who espouse terrorism and the cold-blooded murder of women and children as a way of life.
“That is the difference between him and them. He knows what to do to the Islamist terrorists and he will support any foreign government that will take a hardline against those that slaughter innocents in the name of their god. He will crush those that wish to establish a new world caliphate in which non-Muslims and moderate Muslims are slaughtered or turned into slaves. Unlike Barack Obama, he will not pamper the terrorists, encourage them in some parts and treat them with kid gloves. Instead he will wage a hard, full-scale, relentless and comprehensive war against them.
“He will, like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, see it as a battle of the forces of light against the citadels of darkness. He will view it as an end-time war between the sons and daughters of God and the emissaries and agents of Satan. He will decimate the ranks of the Philistines, the Amalekites, the Midianites and all the other vultures, vampires and blood-thirsty barbarians in our midst. He will not support a Nigerian government that has a clear-cut religious and ethnic agenda, that seeks to shame and dehumanise Christians and that is attempting to restrict the spreading of the gospel of Christ.”
The question Femi wished to ask Hillary Clinton is belated and a misdirected one. On September 11, 2001, the day terrorist group touched American soil, George Bush, the then president, in his broadcast, said: “We will either bring the terrorists to justice or take justice to the terrorists.” The fulfilment of this promise was immediate and completed when Osama Bin Laden was killed. George Bush didn’t wait for categorization before he acted as president should. My question to Femi is: why didn’t the president and Commander in Chief of Nigeria act decisively in 2010? What justification does Femi have for the Father Christmas acts of the Office of National Security Adviser, from where monies meant for the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram were shared to persons (among whom Femi is alleged to be prominent), who used it to prosecute personal vanities? I am not surprised, therefore, that he’s not still seeing the former president as the person largely responsible for all the atrocities committed by Boko Haram as itemized by Femi earlier. The president had the gun and the dry gun powder (apology to Governor Ayodele Fayose), he just didn’t release fire on Boko Haram for reasons that ranged from ineptitude to wicked political considerations. The sharing of the arms procurement money was taken to a ridiculous level, when, according to the revelation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, among those alleged to have been beneficiaries of this heinous act, are prayer merchants who were given millions of naira for the purpose of what the friends of Femi called ‘special’ prayer, which they went to offer at some places in Asia and Europe. Since Femi now claims to be an end time revivalist, may I ask him the rationale behind the dubious rigmarole to Asia and Europe to go offer ‘special’ prayer for Nigeria, to a God that the bible and Quran says is omniscient, omnipotent and above all omnipresent.
If Nigeria was so corrupt and dark then, to warrant God taking sabbatical in Asia and Europe, thereby making it impossible for him to hear and answer the prayers of these merchants, the likes of Femi forced God on the exodus. I wonder the kind of god Femi is claiming to know and serve. Could this god be author of schemes, tricks and bold face with which persons who were co-power brokers with Femi in the last government raped, plundered, and squandered the commonwealth of this nation? If he is, then this type of god that Femi is high on, is nothing other than primitive, corrupt and vain. These are the very attributes of the persons who had in past years conspired to retrogressively develop Nigeria.
The allegation of ethnic and religious agenda against this present government by Femi is stale and of no useful effect on the mind of Nigerians who know the shallow places Femi is speaking from. How come Femi has forgotten in a hurry how some religious groups and centres went almost berserk while they were promoting malicious ethnic and religious sentiments against President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 electioneering campaign. If this sinister propaganda couldn’t stop Buhari from winning the election, how can this ridiculous gist of Femi now be of any effect? Femi appears to be living in Nigeria of five years ago. If not, he would have sought other critical and logical basis to engage this government, other than this lifeless sentiment.
The business of managing and addressing the present challenges that confront the national and internal communities is a serious one and requires hard thinking, hard action, urgency and eternal vigilance. The answers to the challenges created by the inevitable conflicts of interests, culture and ideology of societies around the world can’t possibly be found in the easy but fatalistic theology of adherents of organized religious movements.
If in the thinking of Femi is the idea that the myriads of challenges that confront the world today can easily be resolved if we all just pessimistically succumb to the predetermined outcome concocted in the body of the teaching of eschatology, there is no need therefore for him to pretend to be writing about a better Nigeria when his bible has prophetically predetermined that one of the Abrahamic religions will ultimately prevail on the other in Armageddon. He should just patiently wait for the appointed time of fulfilment.
Thomas writes from [email protected].
Nigeria’s financial services industry stands at a decisive crossroads as technology leaders prepare for the January 1, 2027, data residency deadline set by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The regulatory mandate requiring all payment transaction records, customer personally identifiable information (PII), and account ledgers to reside within domestic data centres is forcing a structural re-evaluation of banking IT architectures. For executive teams across the country, navigating this transition without interrupting daily banking operations is becoming the ultimate test of leadership.
For years, the industry’s reliance on foreign hyperscale providers delivered quick elasticity and global tools. However, transferring entire production stacks – encompassing real-time transaction processing, API gateways, and fraud scoring engines – back to local infrastructure requires significant engineering effort. With the country handling billions of electronic transactions annually, CIOs are seeking to preserve system uptime while severing deep operational dependencies on foreign data centres.
Experts have opined that the core challenge confronting financial technology teams is the lack of empirical, vendor-neutral benchmarks for domestic cloud platforms. Evaluating whether local data centres can sustain mission-critical financial traffic requires rigorous stress testing rather than relying on theoretical SLAs. The risk of potential downtime during a live migration makes vendor vetting the most crucial phase of the compliance roadmap.
To mitigate these operational risks, infrastructure partners like MTN are mobilising domestic capacity and technical insights tailored for the financial sector. By offering sovereign cloud solutions and collaborative engineering frameworks, MTN is helping CIOs and startups navigate the migration path with minimal disruption. Their localised infrastructure serves as an operational bridge, providing the uptime and data sovereignty assurances that both institutions and regulators require.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer for MTN Nigeria, put it succinctly when she explained the upside of hosting data locally: “Hosting locally means lower latency, faster response times, and compliance with Nigeria’s data regulations. More importantly, it gives Nigerian businesses control, keeping sensitive financial, health, and government data within national borders.”
As the January 2027 benchmark approaches, the metric for success will depend on technical execution and operational discipline across companies.
By Osasikemwen Ighile
For many Nigerian families, the summer holiday is a season of fun, relaxation, and spending quality time together. But with the kids at home, more outings, higher electricity consumption, and extra entertainment costs, it’s also a period when expenses can quietly pile up.
The good news? You don’t have to choose between making memories and managing your finances. With a few smart habits, you can enjoy the holidays while keeping your savings goals on track.
Here are five practical ways to save smarter this summer.
1. Ditch Cash and Spend Smarter
Ever noticed how cash disappears faster than you expected? Whether it’s buying snacks for the kids, paying for transport, or making quick market runs, spending cash can make it difficult to track where your money goes.
Using a debit card can make it easier to track transactions and monitor spending. FairMoney customers can use their debit card for eligible transactions, subject to applicable terms and conditions. You can make payments conveniently at stores, shop online, and easily monitor your transactions. Instead of carrying cash everywhere, you get a clearer picture of your expenses and can avoid unnecessary impulse purchases.
Small changes like this can make a big difference over the course of the holiday.
2. The Kids Are Home—Stay Ahead of Your Utility Bills
School holidays often mean one thing: the TV is almost always on. From cartoons in the morning to football matches in the evening, your cable subscription becomes more important than ever. Add fans, air conditioners, gaming consoles, and other appliances, and it’s easy to see why electricity bills tend to increase during this period.
Rather than waiting until services are disconnected, planning and paying bills on time help households avoid unnecessary late-payment or reconnection charges. FairMoney customers can pay eligible bills and services through the platform, subject to applicable terms and service availability. You can conveniently pay for Cable TV subscriptions, Electricity bills, Internet subscriptions, Airtime and data for the entire family.
Paying bills on time can help reduce the risk of late payment consequences or applicable reconnection charges. Summer is filled with birthdays, outings, family visits, and spontaneous spending. While these moments are worth enjoying, your savings shouldn’t take a holiday.
3. Enjoy the Holidays—but Don’t Pause Your Savings
A simple strategy is to save first before spending. FairMoney customers can also use eligible savings products, such as FairSave and FairTarget, to set aside money towards specific financial goals, subject to the applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements, even if it’s in small amounts. Already planning for the next school term? FairMoney customers can also use eligible savings products, such as FairSave and FairTarget, to set aside money towards specific financial goals, subject to the applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements. Already planning for the next school term? Consider setting aside money regularly towards your school-fee goal. FairTarget can be used to help you organise savings around specific financial goals, subject to the applicable product terms, conditions and eligibility requirements. By starting early and saving consistently, you can better prepare for school-related expenses when the new term begins.
4. Plan Weekly Family Activities Instead of Daily Spending
The holidays don’t have to be expensive to be memorable. Instead of spending money every day on outings, cinemas, or restaurants, create a simple weekly activity plan. One weekend could be a family movie night at home. Another could be a picnic in a nearby park, a cooking competition, indoor games, or a visit to relatives.
Planning activities ahead helps you control spending while still giving everyone something to look forward to. Sometimes, the best memories cost very little.
5. Buy Household Essentials in Bulk
With everyone at home, groceries seem to disappear twice as fast. Instead of making frequent trips to the store, which often lead to impulse purchases, consider buying regularly used items in bulk.
Depending on the retailer and quantity purchased, some household essentials may offer better value when purchased in bulk.. You’ll spend less on transportation, reduce unplanned shopping, and avoid running out of important items.
Summer should be about creating happy memories not financial headaches. By spending more intentionally, paying your bills on time, planning ahead, and staying committed to your savings goals, you can enjoy everything the season has to offer without putting unnecessary pressure on your finances.
A few smart habits today can make the months ahead much easier. And that’s a win for every household.
Osasikemwen Ighile is the Brand Manager for FairMoney Microfinance Bank
Feature/OPED
Beyond the Screen: How Sports and Entertainment Keep Nigeria’s Economy Moving
When we talk about Nigeria’s economy, the conversation usually centres on oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing and technology. But there is another industry quietly creating jobs and driving economic activity: entertainment and sports. Most times, we only see the finished product. We watch the show, cheer during the match and move on to the […]
When we talk about Nigeria’s economy, the conversation usually centres on oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing and technology. But there is another industry quietly creating jobs and driving economic activity: entertainment and sports. Most times, we only see the finished product. We watch the show, cheer during the match and move on to the next thing. What we do not always see is the amount of work that happens before those moments reach our screens.
Take Big Brother Naija
When viewers tune in and see the housemates moving around the Big Brother house, it is easy to forget that the house itself is a product of many people’s work. From the interior designers and set builders who create the spaces to the electricians, carpenters, painters and technicians who bring them to life, an entire team works behind the scenes before the first episode even begins.
Once the cameras start rolling, the list gets even longer. Producers, directors, camera operators, sound engineers, editors, stylists, makeup artists, caterers, production assistants and security personnel all have a role to play. Then there is everything that happens outside the house. Publicists, photographers, videographers, digital teams, content creators and media platforms all contribute to keeping the conversation going. The housemates may be the faces audiences remember, but they are only one part of a much bigger entertainment ecosystem.
Sports have a similar impact
When the Super Falcons play a major game, the focus is naturally on the players and what happens on the pitch. But outside the stadium, the game can mean business for viewing centres, food vendors, restaurants and bars. Sports analysts and commentators have more to cover, content creators have something new to create around and businesses selling jerseys and football merchandise get an opportunity to make sales.
A major sporting event can turn an ordinary evening into a busy one for businesses that have little to do with what happens on the pitch. That is the part of sports and entertainment that is easy to overlook. The value is not only in the stars we see or the content we consume. It is also in the network of people whose skills and businesses keep these industries moving.
And this is where DStv and GOtv become an important part of the picture. They do more than give audiences access to the shows, matches and moments they care about. They connect the people producing this content with millions of viewers who keep the industry going.
Every time someone tunes in to Big Brother Naija, follows the Super Falcons or settles in for a major sporting event, they are engaging with an industry that supports producers, creatives, technicians, businesses and other professionals.
The impact of sports and entertainment, therefore, goes beyond what happens on the screen. By bringing some of the biggest entertainment and sporting moments to Nigerian audiences, DStv and GOtv help keep this ecosystem active, visible and working. Because sometimes, when we sit down to watch, we are not just consuming entertainment. We are also supporting an industry that provides jobs.
