Pascal Dozie, a renowned Nigerian entrepreneur and business leader has died. He was 86.

According to sources close to the deceased, Dozie died after a battle with old age-related illness.

Dozie, was a man of many parts, best known for founding Diamond Bank and serving as chairman of Pan-Atlantic University.

He was born on April 9, 1939, in Egbu, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Dozie’s educational background includes a degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and a master’s in Administrative Science from City University in London.

Dozie also founded theAfrican Development Consulting Group, which worked with notable clients like Nestle and Pfizer. He served as MTN Group chairman but later resigned and was succeeded by Ernest Ndukwe.

Dozie received the prestigious National Award of the Order of the Niger (OON) for his contributions to Nigeria’s banking industry.

Dozie is survived by his wife Chinyere Dozie, and five children among other relatives.

[businessday.ng]

For centuries, the Kano Durbar has stood as a majestic symbol of northern Nigeria’s cultural pride—an annual celebration marked by regal horsemen, rhythmic drumming, and crowds of admirers drawn from across the globe but for the second consecutive year, that legacy has been paused.

Once again, silence replaced the thunder of hooves and the color of tradition, as the famed Sallah Durbar was cancelled due to security concerns. The decision, announced by the Kano state Police command just days before the festival, has triggered waves of disappointment among tourists, culture custodians, and tourism experts alike.

Tourists Left in the Cold

More than 160 tourists; many of whom had travelled thousands of miles—had arrived in Kano, eager to witness the historic spectacle. Instead, they were met with abrupt disappointment.

“I was terribly disappointed,” said Virgil Taylor, an African-American tourist from the United States.

“As a Black man living in America, it was empowering to come to Kano and witness a celebration of African royalty and heritage. I planned this trip for over a year. The cancellation crushed me,” Taylor said.

Taylor was not alone in his frustration. Among those affected was Lekan Okanlawon, a UK-based Nigerian who had come with a team of polo players and horse riders to attempt setting a Guinness World Record for the largest horse-riding procession.

“We had shipped our horses from the UK,” he lamented.

Speaking further, he said, “We were inspired by the global potential of the Durbar. UNESCO has already recognized it as part of its heritage program. But the sudden cancellation was a huge letdown.”

Economic Ripples Across the City

Beyond the cultural cost, the cancellation has affected the local economy. Traders, hoteliers, and artisans who usually benefit from the influx of guests during the Durbar reported heavy losses.

Yusuf Ibrahim Lajawa, a tourism expert based in Kano, explained the far-reaching impact, “Durbar season is one of the most profitable periods for small businesses. From food vendors to traditional crafts people, everyone benefits from the massive turnout. The suspension doesn’t only hurt culture—it hits livelihoods.”

Lajawa called on government and security stakeholders to find lasting solutions. “This isn’t just about a festival. It’s about heritage, tourism, and economic development. We urge those in power to take action and restore this glorious tradition in full force,” he said.

The Security Dilemma

Security authorities have defended their decision, citing intelligence reports and fears of a possible clash due to the presence of two rival emirs reportedly planning separate Durbar processions.

“We had to act in the interest of public safety, The potential for unrest was too high.” the police maintained.

In a bid to salvage the situation, the 16th Emir of Kano led a modest Eid motorcade. But the alternative procession lacked the grandeur, symbolism, and tourist appeal of the Durbar, leaving many observers underwhelmed.

Preserving a Priceless Legacy

Ahmad Yusuf, Executive Secretary of the Kano State History and Culture Bureau, expressed regret over the repeated cancellations, noting the loss of cultural and economic value.

“We acknowledge the concerns and the disappointment,” he said. “The Durbar is a cultural asset that deserves protection and promotion. Our hope is to work closely with stakeholders to ensure its safe return.”

Founded over five centuries ago, the Kano Durbar is more than a festival—it is a living narrative of tradition, royalty, and communal identity. For decades, it has attracted the admiration of scholars, tourists, and photographers from across the world.

But with back-to-back suspensions, tourism experts now worry that the city’s cultural brand could erode.

“This is not just Kano’s loss. It’s Nigeria’s loss,” said Okanlawon.

According to him, “No other country can showcase this level of royal equestrian culture. If properly managed, it can put Nigeria on the world tourism map.”

The UNESCO-recognized Durbar has over the years served as a magnet for culture enthusiasts from around the world. It is not just a celebration but a convergence of heritage, pride, and economic potential.

With back-to-back cancellations, experts warn that Kano risks losing its place as a premier cultural destination unless deliberate efforts are made to revive and secure the Durbar.

“This is a call to action. The Durbar is our crown jewel. It deserves to shine again,” Lajawa said.

[DailyPost]

A Nigerian court has adjourned a tax evasion case against Binance to April 30 to allow the local tax authority to respond to a request by the cryptocurrency exchange to annul an order for court documents to be served on it by email, a lawyer for Binance said on Monday.

The lawyer, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, asked the court to set aside the order because the tax authority did not obtain a leave from the court to serve court documents on Binance outside Nigeria. Binance does not have a physical office in Nigeria.

“On the whole the order for the substituted service as granted by the court on February 11, 2025 on Binance who is … registered under the laws of Cayman Islands and resident in Cayman Islands is improper and should be set aside,” Ikwuazom said.

Nigeria has filed a lawsuit seeking to compel Binance to pay $79.5 billion for economic losses it says were caused by its operations in the country and $2 billion in back taxes, according to court documents.

Authorities blame Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, for Nigeria’s currency instability and detained two of its executives in 2024 after cryptocurrency websites emerged as platforms of choice for trading the local naira currency.

Binance, which is not registered in Nigeria, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously said it is working with Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service to resolve potential historic tax liabilities.

The inland revenue service alleges in documents seen by Reuters that Binance has a “significant economic presence” in Nigeria and is therefore liable for corporate income tax. It is seeking a court declaration that Binance pay income taxes for 2022 and 2023, plus a 10% annual penalty on unpaid amounts.

[TheNation]

The challenges facing the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy have assumed a new dimension, with some state governors explicitly warning their council chairmen against opening an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria for the direct payment of their allocations from the Federation Account.

The latest development represents yet another significant hurdle, nearly nine months after the Supreme Court granted full autonomy to the 774 local governments across the country, paving the way for direct payment of federal allocations.

As part of the Federal Government’s commitment to the Supreme Court judgment, a panel was set up to ensure the implementation of LG autonomy.

In line with its recommendation, the panel directed the Central Bank of Nigeria to open accounts for the 774 LGs for direct payment of their allocation.

This process has, however, faced delays with the CBN and LGs trading accusations.

The immediate-past Account-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and other officials recently commenced talks on the modalities for the LGAs to open accounts with the CBN for direct allocation but are reportedly facing challenges identifying LGAs with democratically elected officials.

A Federation Account Allocation Committee Technical Sub-Committee meeting revealed that only Delta State LGAs had submitted their account details.

Amid the controversy,  fresh investigations by The PUNCH on Monday revealed that some governors have resorted to intimidation and coercion, pressuring their local government chairmen to refrain from opening the designated accounts for direct allocation payment.

Several local government chairmen who spoke with our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, out of fear of victimisation, said their respective governors have instructed them not to open accounts with the CBN for the direct receipt of their allocations.

One chairman revealed that a governor in the South-East region refused to accept 50 percent of the monthly allocations, which was part of the agreement intended to facilitate the opening of the accounts for direct payment.

“Our governor has threatened us (all the chairmen in the state) not to open accounts with the CBN for the direct payment of our allocation”, one of the chairmen of South-East states, who pleaded anonymity, told one of our correspondents.

“We even tried to beg him, seeking to strike a deal, such that if he allows us to open the account with the CBN and our allocations are paid directly, we will remit 50 per cent of the LG allocation to him monthly, but he disagreed. So, this is where we are for now,” the LG chair added.

Further investigations reveal that a significant number of governors are strongly opposed to the opening of CBN accounts, fearing it would sever their long-standing access to local government funds.

However, a negligible number of governors are said to be disposed to the idea of their LGAs opening the CBN accounts.

The PUNCH had reported how some governors met with President Bola Tinubu recently and said they preferred the LGs to open accounts with commercial banks instead of the CBN.

It is unclear if the President is positively disposed to the idea.

Meanwhile, another LG chair, who spoke to The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, explained that the CBN’s stringent conditions might be one of the reasons the governors were not positively disposed to the idea, aside from the fact that it will cut off their access to  LG funds.

A chairman in one of the local government areas in South-West disclosed that the council chairmen in the state have not opened accounts with CBN due to the stringent conditions set by the apex bank.

The chairman said one of the stringent demands is the submission of a two-month statement of account from each local government area, which was not available.

“But as simple as that condition may look, all council areas here in our state can’t meet up. The situation is not peculiar to our state. If you check well, most states can’t meet up simply because their governors are the ones spending their allocation.

“They are only giving those in LGAs whatever they feel like giving them. That is the problem,” the LG boss said.

Other local governments have cited various reasons for the delay in opening CBN accounts. One council chairman in Benue State, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, alleged that certain parties are working together to hinder the process.

He said, “Chairmen across the country are aware that state governors are trying to frustrate the financial autonomy of local government areas. What they are pushing for is for council chairmen to open their accounts in commercial banks where they can easily have access to control the councils’ money.

“They know that the moment the money is paid to CBN, it will go directly to us, and they will not have access to it. So, that is the reason the governors are frustrating the move.”

However, the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees in Nasarawa State has said it is fully compliant with the directive to open accounts and is prepared to receive funds from the Federal Government.

The NULGE Chairman in the state, Adamu  Sharhabilu, who disclosed this to our correspondent in Lafia on Monday, revealed that the state government and the House of Assembly have been working in collaboration with local government workers to ensure that local government autonomy is fully realized in the state, showing a unified effort to support the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

He noted, however, that despite the cooperation at the state level, the local government councils have yet to begin receiving their allocations directly from the Federal Government

The NULGE chair said, “As I speak with you, all the LG accounts had been opened because we thought that the Federal Government will send our money there, but up till this moment, no LG in Nasarawa State has received allocation directly from the FG.

“For now, there are no obvious plans by the Nasarawa State government to short-change the local government workers or frustrate the LG Autonomy implementation in the state. From our own observation, the governor has been working towards ensuring that local government workers get what is due to them and also enjoy all the benefits of the LG autonomy.

“The monthly allocations are usually sent to the Joint Accounts under the State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. No local government has received funds from the Federation Account.’’

However, another local government chairman in the state, speaking anonymously, attributed the delay to the government’s failure to follow through on its promises.

The official stated, “What we are facing now is the fault of the Federal Government because the federal allocation committee is supposed to send the money straight to the local governments, not the joint account. We have so many accounts to receive the money, but they refused to send the money to the local government coffers.”

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to align itself with the Supreme Court’s judgment and allow for the full implementation of the LG autonomy by ensuring that the funds are paid directly to the LGAs.

 Findings showed that many state chairmen are unaware of the current stage of policy implementation.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Kwara State chapter, Seun Oyinlade, hinted that no council has opened an account with the CBN.

Speaking on the phone on Monday, Oyinlade said, “We are not aware that any of the 16 local government councils in the state have opened an account with the CBN. We do not know if the local government councils in the state operate an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

He said he could not confirm if the state governor was similarly opposed to the direct payment of allocation to the councils.

“Though we heard it as a rumour that governors are trying to frustrate the implementation of the local government autonomy, we are yet to verify the claim. We will confirm if the local government councils have accounts with the CBN when allocation from the Federation Account is paid to them,” he said.

A local government worker in Damaturu, Yobe State, revealed that March salaries were paid through the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, rather than directly from the local governments’  accounts.

He said, “This is a setback in the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling aimed at granting more autonomy to local governments.”

“Even the new minimum wage implementation, local government staff members are yet to benefit from it. The state civil servants have benefited from the new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government. This development has brought some relief to state employees.”

In Zamfara, local government chairmen confirmed that they have yet to open accounts with the CBN.

The state’s ALGON chairman, Alhaji Samaila Moriki, who also serves as the chairman of Zurmi Local Government Area, told The PUNCH that they were still awaiting further instructions before proceeding with the opening of accounts.

He said, “We have yet to open accounts with the CBN because we are waiting for further directives and instructions. Everything is done through due process, and we are waiting for the directives from above. So, that is why we have yet to open accounts with the CBN. We will do that later when things become normal.”

He, however, declined to make further comments on the directives and instructions they were waiting for.

Furthermore, the 44 local government councils in Kano State have yet to open an account with the CBN.

The chairman of Garko LGA,  Saminu Garko, confirmed this, stating,  “None of the 44 local government councils in the state has opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria. But we heard that the apex bank has opened an account for all local governments, and what remains is to regularise the accounts.

“Moreso, the Central Bank of Nigeria has not invited any of the local government chairmen in the state for the regularisation of the accounts, let alone verification of signatories.

‘’We just read in the newspapers that the bank is inviting local government chairmen for the verification exercise.”

He noted that since the Local governments have not opened the accounts with the bank, there was no way the chairmen could be invited for the verification of signatories.

But the ALGON in Jigawa State denied that the governor threatened local government chairmen against opening accounts with the CBN.

The ALGON state chairman, Prof. Abdulrahman Salim, assured that the account opening process is ongoing. “Everything is okay, and our local government areas are still visiting the CBN state headquarters to complete the necessary procedures,” he explained.

 Salim added that “All 774 local government councils, including the 27 in Jigawa State, are expected to open dedicated accounts with the CBN for direct disbursement of funds from the Federation Account as we were directed.

 “Jigawa State’s 27 local government areas are taking steps to open CBN accounts, which will enable them to receive direct allocations and manage their finances independently.”

“The CBN has been instrumental in facilitating local government autonomy by providing a platform for local governments to open accounts and receive direct allocations,” he stressed further.

“The delay in opening CBN accounts has been attributed to administrative bottlenecks, including the failure of the apex bank to fix a date for the biometric data capturing to complete the process.”

He claimed that nearly all the necessary steps had been completed, with only biometric capturing remaining for some local governments, adding that “the chairmen are currently waiting for the CBN to schedule a date for them to revisit the office for biometric data capturing.”

The NULGE leadership in Jigawa State could not be reached to confirm Salim’s claims.

However, a NULGE official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, quipped, “It will not come to us as a surprise if governors really don’t want the local government autonomy, they can change the process entirely.”

•Beijing calls US tariffs intimidation

•EU offers zero-for-zero tariff

•Global market continues to plunge

United States of America President, Donald Trump, has threatened to impose additional 50 per cent tariff on Beijing if it does not withdraw its 34 per cent retaliatory tariffs on Washington.

China, the second largest economy in the world, had reacted swiftly to the import tax announced by Trump last week, slamming Washington with 34 per cent tariff even as the rest of the countries continued to weigh their next move, opting either to negotiate or put their retaliatory tariffs forward. 

If the extra 50 per cent tax is implemented, that would bring the total import tax on China to 104 percent, roughly doubling the cost for companies bringing their goods from China to US in less than a month.

In a similar move, President Trump had threatened to hit alcohol from Europe with a 200 percent tax and also place a 50 percent tariff on Canada’s steel and aluminium “if they team up to work against American’s interest”.

However, both sides reached a kind of concessions  and the hikes never materialised. 

As the clash between both countries (US and China) rages on, Beijing has described Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” as intimidation, stressing that threats and pressure are not the right way to deal with China.

The Spokesperson for Chinese Foreign Ministry,  Lin Jian, speaking during a press conference stated that the tariffs are typical unilateralism and protectionism and economic bullying, adding that U.S. tariffs in the name of reciprocity only served its interest at the expense of other countries.

Jian, therefore, urged countries to jointly oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism and safeguard the international system and the multilateral trading system, according to the United Nations and World Trade Organisation values, respectively.

“The abuse of tariffs by the United States is tantamount to depriving countries, especially those in the Global South, of their right to development,” said, citing a widening gap between the rich and poor in each country and less developed countries suffering a greater impact.

“All countries should uphold consultation, joint construction and sharing, and genuine multilateralism”, he said.

Meanwhile, the European Commission, said it has offered a zero-for-zero tariff deal to the US to avert a trade war with Trump as the EU ministers agreed to prioritise negotiations, while striking back with targeted countermeasures next week.

The 27-nation bloc faces 25 percent import tariffs on steel and aluminium and cars and broader tariffs of 20 percent from Wednesday, April 9, for almost all other goods under Trump’s policy to hit countries Trump believes impose high barriers on U.S. imports.

Ministers overseeing trade in the bloc met in Luxembourg yesterday to debate the EU’s response and discuss relations with China where many agreed that the priority was to launch negotiations to remove Trump’s tariffs, rather than fight them.

This is even the stock markets around the US, Europe and Asia have continued to plunge on the back of the tariff war. In US, major markets continued to slump with the Dow Jones falling by 4.4 percent at mid-day, the S&P 500 lost 4.7 percent while the Nasdaq fell by five percent.

In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index closed down 13.22 percent, marking a 28-year low for the exchange.

In Taiwan, a 9.7 percent drop at close resulted in a record low for Taipei’s TAIEX index

In Europe, the UK’s FTSE 100 index fell to its lowest level in a year, dropping by nearly six percent, while Germany’s Dax plunged almost 10 percent at the start of trading yesterday.

This comes as the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said tariffs, which are a tax on imports, are a “huge challenge.”

Trump’s officials have continued to be dismissive the impact of the tariff war on the global economy and stock markets.

Peter Navarro,Trump’s trade adviser, said that the administration has been seeing a “beautiful situation” with the stock market and prices since the tariffs were introduced and advised businesses not to panic about what they are seeing on the stock market.

According to him, “any discussion of recession seems silly.”

It was during the latter part of the 1960s – around 1968 or 1969. There was no mobile phone, no social media. There was the ubiquitous radio that provided news daily. In certain households television was also available.

Despite the absence of social media, people were well-informed about events and people. For example, we were aware that there was a young commissioner in the government of Western State under Governor Adeyinka Adebayo. The young man was known simply as Olunloyo. 

He was said to be a talented mathematician. As commissioner for education, he would visit secondary schools and assess their operations. He would reprimand school principals and teachers who were underperforming. He would give instructions on what should be done to improve the school. He would leave as quickly as he appeared. Sometimes, they said, he would drive his vehicle himself to events.

The rumours and stories were many. We were young and happy to know that there was someone at the top who was acting differently from the usual politicians who went around in obvious luxury. The politicians would be accompanied by lorry loads of supporters. The politicians would dance and make lengthy speeches. Once their visits ended and they left, all their promises would disappear with them. Increasingly, the military officers who had replaced the politicians at the time were looking and acting in the traditional mode of political leaders.

Although he was in the military government, Olunloyo was said to be different. He was radical. He was impatient with the politics, convoy of vehicles, supporters, the dancing and speeches. Well, this was the image that many in my generation had of Olunloyo in the 1960s.

Almost 15 years later, I was face-to-face with Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo one early morning at his home at Oke Ado, Ibadan. 

“Which media organisation are you from?” he asked.

“Me, sir?”

“Yes. You.”

“I am from NAN – News Agency of Nigeria.”

“You don’t have to spell out NAN to me. You think that I don’t know NAN? Ori e o daa. (silly person).” And he laughed. “I like your appearance…smart…tie and nice shirt.”

“Thank you, sir.” I felt good. NAN journalists were required to maintain a smart and formal appearance, conduct themselves in a professional manner, and never accept any form of renumerations or kickbacks from any news source, organization or person. 

Olunloyo was the gubernatorial candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) for Oyo State. I was assigned to cover his and the party’s campaign that was to commence at the time.

The political landscape in 1983 was particularly dynamic. Olunloyo was aiming to unseat the popular incumbent Governor, Bola Ige, known for is eloquence, and a close-ally of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria, the leading opposition party. 

At that time the NPN was led by President Shehu Shagari who held power over federal institutions and security forces which they deployed effectively for the campaign. Conversely, Ige and UPN had a robust party structure in Oyo State, and a long tradition of ruling the state. The state media was effective and highly capable, and firmly under the control of the UPN.

Almost every day, Olunloyo embarked on political campaigns, accompanied with a retinue of vehicles carrying NPN leaders, notably Chief Adisa Akinloye, Chief Richard Akinjide, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, and party cadres. They would travel to towns, villages and small settlements in Oyo State to canvass for votes, visit local leaders and make promises. The reporter’s duty was to file news stories, write feature articles and generally reflect back to the public what happened in the various places.

Olunloyo loved to tell stories. When he was not on the road or campaigning, it was a delight to listen to him. Especially when his party leaders were not in the room, he would lambast every party, including his own. He often recounted tales of corrupt politicians, and how Nigerians were being deprived of their rights, particularly rights to economic development. 

One day, we, the media representatives, were gathered as usual in the spacious living area of Olunloyo’s residence. He was telling us stories about how people wanted the NPN in power. How NPN, his party, would triumph in Oyo, Iwo, Iseyin etc. and how Ibadan people would vote himself as their son. A fellow reporter had his notebook out and was scribbling away, capturing the revealing assertions and claims of Olunloyo.  

Suddenly, without any prior indication, Olunloyo got up from his chair and seized the reporter’s notebook. He tore it to pieces while saying: “Oniko kuko. O ti le ko ikokuko ju. O ri e o da. (You write all kinds of nonsense. You write too much nonsense. Silly.)”

The he sat down and continued his story as if nothing had happened. The reporter continued to cover the NPN campaign throughout the period with no further incident. Olunloyo did not stop either to provide journalists with information about everything that interested him, including his calculations of how Nigeria could have a democratic government in the long run.

On another day, I arrived early at Olunloyo’s house, ahead of my colleagues. It was not unusual. He had just finished breakfast and he offered me tea.

“No, sir. I have already had breakfast.”

“You NAN people… always proper,” he joked.

“Thank you, sir.”

Then he asked me if I thought that he would be the next governor of Oyo State. I was already familiar with Olunloyo. He did not appreciate pretext or flattery. I gave it to him straight, and told him what I heard around town and my own perspective. 

“I do not see yet how you will win this election, sir,” I concluded

“Really?” he queried further.

“This is how I see it,” I held on to my position.

He gazed at me longer than he normally did, and then he said: “Bunmi, listen carefully. There has never been a free and fair election in Nigeria. Go and check the records, go through history. Do the analysis of campaigns, voting, returns and everything involved. This election will not be different.”

I nodded respectfully. I did not quite understand what he meant at the time. In some of our previous conversations, Olunloyo would say things that left me puzzled anyways.

At the end of voting in that election, Olunloyo was victorious and assumed office as governor of Oyo State. He served from October 1983 to December 1983 when General Muhammadu Buhari took over Nigeria in a military coup. 

When Olunloyo was declared governor, I was no longer in Ibadan to ask him the question – what made his calculations work as he had predicted?

May his lively, brilliant and vibrant soul rest in peace.

Makinwa is the CEO of AUNIQUEI Communication for Leadership.

If the essence of government is the security of life and properties of citizens, President Tinubu must take responsibility for last week’s massacre of over 65 innocent Nigerians in Bokkos, Plateau State. This is not just because the buck stops at his desk or even because of what former vice president, Atiku Abubakar described as: “The failure of Bola Tinubu’s security architecture which has now become an endemic nationwide phenomenon …” Nigerians are proud of their military’s heroic battle with insurgents in the last two years compared to preceding eight years of daily harvest of death when Buhari from commander in chief became ‘mourner in chief’. As a mark of their faith in the military, survivors of last week dastardly act who spoke to the press have nothing but praises for the military’s heroic confrontation with the marauders.

But the buck stops at the president table because of the choices he made. President Tinubu understands the historical antecedent of the quest for self-actualization by different Nigerian groups especially the Ijaw of south-south and the people of the Middle Belt region that at different times after independence embarked on insurrection that had to be suppressed by the Nigerian military. He is aware of the confiscation and sharing of Hausa land among Uthman Dan Fodio’s 12 Fulani kinsmen and one Hausa appointed as emirs following Uthman Dan Fodio Jihad of 1803-1808; the decision to hold on to the land despite the 1903 Frederick Lugard’s “the power once exercised by the defeated caliphate had reverted to the British” after sacking of Sokoto Sunni Muslim and Herbert Macaulay’s 1908 successful campaign against the Hausa Land Ordinance. The president understands the quest for distributive justice without which a nation decays.

President Tinubu, more than anyone else, understands the issues at stake because he spent 20 years preparing for his job. That was the source of his confidence when on the eve of the 2023 election, he declared without restraint ‘emi l’okan’ (it is my turn). 

And if there was anything he forgot, Nigerian stakeholders especially the leaders of ethnic nationalities, the real owners of Nigeria, the Afenifere, Ohaneze, MDF etc. were on hand to remind him that  Nigeria needs “a restructured Nigeria with constituent parts having power over law and order, education and public information; a restructured Nigeria where there is freedom and justice for all; a restructured Nigeria that protects the right of indigenes as enshrined in the UN charter;  a restructured Nigeria that puts an end to an orgy of killing of helpless women and children at night in the Middle Belt region by unidentified herdsmen”.

The president also had the privilege of hosting the ‘Patriots’, a group of credible Nigerian stakeholders led by Pa Emeka Anyaoku, the former Commonwealth Secretary General.

The president while not disagreeing with these Nigerian patriots who want the best for our nation said he would like to first pursue his economic agenda to bring prosperity to all Nigerians. But many have warned that it would amount to putting the cart before the horse since our problem is politics and not economics. Prosperity for all, will not resolve the national question neither will it eliminate peoples’ desires to have control over their lives, their culture and education of their children.

If short-sighted opponents of federal arrangement that have often benefited from our tragedy cannot see how the social system ended centuries of intertribal wars in Europe, it cannot be lost on them how nations like Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Netherlands that currently top the list of the ‘happiest nations in the world’ only yesterday took control of their lives after negotiating peaceful federal arrangement.

Tragically, today as it was in 1951/52, we are still being haunted by the national question. It was the resistance of Yoruba to attempt by newly emergent Igbo leaders of Lagos urban immigrants to take over the west in the name of democracy, the newly imported god that earned the Yoruba the bastion of tribalism in Nigeria and fraudulently promoted by otherwise enlightened Igbo intellectuals including Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian ‘sun’ (apologies to Saro Wiwa).

From 1999, leading Igbo politicians and intellectuals including Kalu Uzor Kalu and Obiageli Ezekwesili sold the idea of ‘citizenship’ as answer to the national question even when it was obvious to the Yoruba whose First Eepublic leading NCNC leader, TOS Benson, could not secure a plot of land from Governor Sam Mbakwe to erect a building to bury his Igbo first wife and who today knows it will be an impossible task to get a market stall in Onitsha market.

In 2023, some Igbo elements in Lagos openly canvassed for Lagos governor of Delta origin on account of their population and business investments in Lagos. In fact, Peter Obi who left Anambra like a war-ravaged state after two terms as governor attempted to impose an untested candidate on Lagos. The natural reaction from Yoruba discriminatory voters, who unlike the Igbo don’t exhibit herd behaviour while voting, was to mobilise for their performing Yoruba son. With propaganda and manipulation of the social media, some Yoruba were labelled anti-democrats with their names presented for sanctions to the US administration and the UN which incidentally has clause in its charter for the protection of indigenous groups.

Those who truly love our country know that adopting any variant of federal arrangement we operated in the first republic will allow state governors take control of their states, provide security through state and community policing, defend their states against mindless killers described by ex-governors Masari  and El Rufai as ‘disgruntled immigrant Fulani herdsmen’, and of course have death sentence clause in their state statutes to take care of importers of killer fake drugs devastating our urban centres.

There are other reasons why the president must take responsibility for the Bokkos massacre. The president’s policy since assuming office has been about appeasement of elements responsible for mindless killing of Nigerians as against pursuit of justice for victims. Mindless killings have therefore continued because criminals hardly get sanctioned for their heinous crimes.

As Garba Shehu, President Buhari’s senior media adviser puts it in his July 21, 2020 statement ‘the problem in Southern Kaduna is an evil combination of politically-motivated banditry, revenge killings and mutual violence by criminal gangs acting on ethnic and religious grounds’. Echoing this point was Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, who at a meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council (NTRC) and Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) insisted that violence has continued to thrive in northern Nigeria and Middle Belt because ‘no one is punished for the criminal doings they commit’.

Wole Soyinka, in one of his messages to Buhari while in office had also said: “Crimes against our humanity have been committed, and restitution must be made. Nothing less will restore confidence in government, and reassure the people of its integrity, its commitment to equity in internal relationships and the rightful custodianship of ancient resources”.

To many of us the governed who do not know the challenges of government, the least the president could have done upon assumption of power, was to return those forcefully uprooted from their ancestral land back to their homes , if necessary, protected by our soldiers instead of being abandoned in IDP camps.

Since no one is above the law , the Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who openly encouraged herdsmen in Benue to disobey Benue State anti-open grazing laws, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, which encouraged his mostly foreign Fulani herdsmen to reject modern grazing methods while insisting that open grazing is part of Fulani culture, its Secretary- General, Saleh Al- Hassan  who haughtily insists herders can graze in Nigeria since herders ‘do not recognize international boundaries’; Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State governor  and Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation who publicly promoted the invasion of reserved forests in the south by armed immigrants Fulani herdsmen should have been questioned in the interest of justice.

And finally, with the near unanimity of all the 36 states on state and community policing, Nigerians don’t believe the president needed two years to appease the hegemonic power in the north that see state and local policing as threat to their stranglehold on power.

Political enemies of the president insist if he could mobilise the National Assembly in 24 hours to support his Rivers State Emergency declaration, he must take full responsibility for the Bokkos massacre which they believe could have been averted with state and community policing.

A peek into Canadian, Mexican, Chinese, European, Japanese, and Korean media platforms reveals palpable angst, driven by strong expressions of nationalistic passion against the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and his administration. Citizens of these countries are expressing indignation due to the ongoing trade war—especially regarding the 10% across-the-board tariff on imports from 180 countries and, in some cases, additional tariffs of up to 54% on imported vehicles and other goods into the US from around 60 nations.

The tariffs took effect on April 2, a date President Trump has dubbed Liberation Day—drawing a parallel to July 4, 1776, when the original 13 American colonies declared independence from Britain after a brutal war.

In line with America’s foundational respect for freedom of speech and association, it’s remarkable—and indeed ironic—that, unlike other nations whose media are responding with patriotic fervor, the American media have not rallied behind their president. Instead of pushing back against foreign hostility, the highly vibrant US media have joined the global chorus in criticizing President Trump’s “America First” policies. In some quarters, they are even vilifying or outright demonizing their own president.

Such is the potency of free speech in the United States—a feature perhaps best captured by the concept of American Exceptionalism.

Despite a tumbling stock market and widespread protests fueled by fears of inflation and an impending recession—as predicted by anti-Trump politicians—President Trump appears unperturbed by the tumultuous effects his tariff policies are having on US trading partners. In fact, he has threatened to raise tariffs even further if Canada and European countries attempt to collude against the US. Although this has yet to happen, China—arguably the hardest hit—has retaliated with a 34% tariff on US imports.

In my view, these developments are reshaping the global trade ecosystem. As countries seek alternative trade partners to avoid the constraints of trading with the US on Trump’s terms, they may carve out entirely new trade pathways. Thus, the net effect of President Trump’s sweeping tariff hikes—targeting both allies and rivals—can be likened to the Big Bang.

The Big Bang theory, the leading explanation for the origin and evolution of the universe, posits that the universe began as an infinitely hot and dense singularity about 13 billion years ago. According to its proponents, this singularity expanded rapidly, cooling and giving rise to subatomic particles, atoms, stars, and galaxies. The universe, they say, is still expanding—accelerated by the mysterious force known as dark energy.

President Trump’s “bang” can be seen through a similar lens: an explosive policy shift—rooted in an unconventional America First ideology—that has disrupted all previous global trade arrangements. Like a singularity, his approach is transforming the established order, replacing it with an untested but highly consequential framework. Though unproven in the modern era, it already appears to be generating seismic changes across the global economy.

Trump is leveraging tariffs as a strategy to boost job creation and repatriate manufacturing to the US. He also views them as a tool to generate revenue to reduce the national budget deficit, which stands at a staggering $36 trillion and continues to grow.

Given the global upheaval triggered by this astronomical tariff increase, it is difficult to find a better metaphor for Trump’s trade policy than the Big Bang. The ripple effects are so powerful that fear has gripped not only North and South American neighbors, but also Europeans, Asians, Arabs, and Africans—on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The only country that might remain untouched or unaffected by the far-reaching Trump effect is one operating in complete autarky—such as the reclusive regime of Kim Jong Un in North Korea.

While the Big Bang theory provides a comprehensive explanation for the origins of the universe, many unanswered questions remain—such as what caused the universe to begin expanding in the first place, and what is the true nature of dark matter and dark energy.
Similarly, what explains President Trump’s determination to upend the old world order remains an enigma to his opponents. At this point, not even his staunchest devotees can convincingly argue that his motives are purely patriotic, driven by the Make America Great Again (MAGA) ideology with the primary aim of correcting trade imbalances and closing the deficit gap that has led to a massive budget shortfall.

Of course, as is typical in opposition politics, Trump’s high tariffs and efforts to reduce the size of the US government—driven by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE) under the leadership of Elon Musk, the world’s richest man—are being framed as a gambit to cut taxes for billionaires. That narrative seems to have resonated, as Americans have taken to the streets in protest, in ways that suggest resistance to what former President Joe Biden described as an “oligarchic regime,” citing the number of billionaires in Trump’s cabinet.

The reality, however, is that Trump’s “bang” is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It affects different countries and regions in different ways.

Starting with Africa, where aid is critically needed to manage persistent social and public health challenges like HIV/AIDS, the suspension of USAID funding by President Trump is deeply concerning. USAID has been a vital source of funding for health and humanitarian initiatives, and its absence poses a significant threat. This is especially so because many African leaders have practically abdicated their responsibilities in this area, relying heavily on donor countries—led by the US—to provide for their citizens.

With USAID funding now cut off, many African countries are left scrambling to fill the gap. In Nigeria, the government has made an extra-budgetary provision of $200 million for healthcare services, while the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has injected almost $200 million into the foreign exchange (FX) market to help cushion the volatility and uncertainty resulting from the tariff hikes.

In Europe, the 25% tariff imposed on vehicles and alcoholic beverages—particularly from France and Scotland—poses a massive economic challenge. Many European economies are either already in recession or teetering on the brink. Even more alarming is the US threat to withdraw from its heavy financial commitment to NATO, coupled with demands that member nations pay up their dues. This creates a sense of vulnerability, especially as fears rise that Vladimir Putin may turn his attention to another European country after Ukraine.

From my perspective, the European Union’s support for Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine is less about altruism and more about self-interest—the first rule of nature. This is evidenced by the show of unity by European leaders around Zelensky after he was snubbed at the White House by President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. This strategic interest is also why Europe is now planning to set up a joint European military force as an alternative to NATO—an initiative already underway. But given the current economic strain on European economies, is the formation of a standing European force feaseable?

Regarding the high tariffs, Europe appears to have adopted a measured response, likely in line with the counsel of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Hence it seems to have adopted a studied approach.

The Arab world is also not left out. President Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” mantra means that the US will reduce its dependence on oil imports from countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman. Instead of preserving strategic oil reserves, the US will now focus on domestic drilling. Trump’s rationale appears to be that if fossil fuels are eventually being phased out due to the rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs), then it makes sense to exploit the existing oil reserves before combustion-engine vehicles become obsolete.

In any case, Trump has never embraced climate change in the way it is currently framed. The world is alarmed that he has once again pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accord, after former President Biden had rejoined during his administration. With oil prices crashing due to the tariff shock, an OPEC strategy meeting may soon be on the horizon.

China, currently celebrated as the world’s foremost manufacturing hub and the second-largest economy, has borne the brunt of Trump’s trade war. The 54% tariff imposed on goods ranging from vehicles to washing machines has essentially locked China out of the US market. These items were previously taxed at 10–25%, but after Trump’s April 2 Rose Garden announcement, the tariff soared to 54%. In response, China has imposed a 34% tariff on US exports. That has excerbated the chaos already wracking the global economy in the past couple of days.

The rationale behind these tariffs, according to Trump, is to bring manufacturing back to the US from Mexico, Canada, China, and Europe, where it had migrated due to what he deems as unfair trade practices. His strategy is designed to reverse this trend.

By understanding how President Trump’s influence is shaping events across Western, Asian, Middle Eastern (Arab), and African regions, we can better grasp the phenomenon—The Trump Effect—that I am likening to the Big Bang. Hopefully, this will encourage a more balanced perspective and lead to negotiations rather than a tit-for-tat trade war.

One irrefutable fact is that Trump is rewriting the global trade rulebook, and he is doing so by squelching globalization—a phenomenon that began between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Placing this into historical context, the Silk Road and the Industrial Revolution—which began in Great Britain following the invention of the steam engine and the mechanical loom—kickstarted global trade by enabling mass production for markets beyond local demand.

In the modern era, global trade received a significant boost from the establishment of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 1971, in Davos, Switzerland. Since then, global trade has been guided by the Davos Manifesto, which champions ethical entrepreneurship, responsible governance, and the neutral ideals of Swiss diplomacy—underpinning the spirit of globalization. A formal charter for this vision was adopted in 1973 and renewed in 2020.

History shows that global trade thrives when protected—and falters when it is not. For instance, trade in silk and spices between China and Rome during the first century BC flourished when protected by powerful empires. Once those empires declined, so did the trade routes and their prosperity.

Now, as President Trump—the leader of the current global hegemon—takes a protectionist stance, it is consistent with his past. He has long used tariffs as a tool for economic leverage. Even back in 1988, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Trump,then a real estate mogul criticized China for what he saw as exploitation of the US economy.

Trump is not alone in this. A resurfaced video from 1996 shows Nancy Pelosi, then a Congresswoman from California, opposing a bill that would give China a special trade status. She argued against tariff exemptions for Chinese products—effectively advocating for the same policy Trump now champions.

In summary, the use of tariffs as a strategic tool in global trade has bipartisan roots in the US. What has changed is the scale and audacity of the Trump administration’s approach, which has sent shockwaves across the global economic landscape—earning it the moniker of a Big Bang moment in trade history.

So, Trump is literally echoing Pelosi’s sentiments with his current introduction of high tariffs. The only difference is that the tariff hike is not limited to China but has been extended to roughly 180 countries, with an estimated 60 nations significantly affected.

Even more interestingly, reports suggest that as recently as 2019, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was also on record proposing the use of tariffs as a defense against unfair trade practices—an argument now forming the basis of Trump’s ongoing global tariff war, which has placed the world on edge.

Experts familiar with the history and current application of tariffs reveal that about $400 billion worth of U.S. products were tariffed during Trump’s first term. In his current second term, projections suggest that up to $1 trillion worth of goods may fall under U.S. trade tariffs.

According to estimates by economists, approximately $3.3 billion worth of imports arrive in the U.S. annually.

President Trump is convinced that his high-tariff regime will generate more wealth for the United States through increased domestic production, which would, in turn, boost employment for working-class Americans. Another key objective is to create fairness in trade between the U.S. and its trading partners, whom Trump has accused of benefiting unfairly at America’s expense.

Ultimately, President Trump aims to use the proceeds from these high tariffs to help close the $36 trillion budget deficit currently facing the world’s largest and most powerful economy.

In light of this, Mr. Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser, believes that high tariffs have the potential to generate over $6 trillion for the U.S. in the short term.

In all of this, my main concern and interest ly in how Africa can benefit from the reimagining of the global socioeconomic ecosystem, as President Trump upends the old world order.

With a 14% tariff now imposed by the U.S. on Nigerian goods and 10% across most of the 54 nations continent , Nigeria’s exports to the U.S.—valued at between $5–$6 billion (with oil and gas making up over 90% and non-oil/gas exports accounting for less than 10%)—are under threat.

Even among non-oil/gas exports, the bulk comprises raw materials such as urea/fertilizer, ammonia, flower plants, and cashew nuts, which make up about 8%.

It is disappointing that value-added or processed exports from Nigeria to the U.S. are so minuscule—just 2%.

Despite this low figure, the imposition of a 14% tariff on Nigerian goods—despite the trade balance favoring the U.S.—should serve as a wake-up call for Nigeria, and indeed all of Africa, to begin adding value to their exports. If non-oil exports, facing a 10% tariff, are to be competitive in the U.S. market, they must move up the value chain.

The dominance of raw materials in Nigeria’s exports reflects the country’s continuing role as a supplier of raw materials to the industrialized nations of Europe, North America, and Asia. Among the six continents, only South America and the Arab world have yet to fully exploit Africa as a raw material source and dumping ground for finished products. So, for too long Africa has remained the weeping child as it has held the wrong end of the stick and it must make strategic and intentional efforts to change the negative narrative.
What the Trump tariffs spells in my mind is deglobalization as economic trade and investments between countries go on decline. But the global tariff war is also an opportunity for the continent to reposition herself on the global stage by taking a collective stance on how African countries can trade amongst themselves who to trade with in global south or west and even Asia based on her terms not the Berlin, Germany type of framework and agreement when she was not at the table when her resources were being shared as war spoils amongst Europeans who transformed from African slave traders into colonialists exploiting the resources of the continent.
Although, stocks have been crashing worldwide since the hike in tariffs by Trump it may be recalled that stock prices also rose sharply upon the innauguration of Trump on 20th January and has fallen therafter. Similarly, the stocks that have tanked globally in the past few days may rise again once clarity is achieved. With barely 100 days into his four (4) years tenure those projecting that President Trump and the Republican party may be punished by the electorate during mid -term elections that comes up 100 days shy of two (2) years, may be too hasty in their judgement.
That is because in politics a lot could still happen in the lifespan of Trump’s administration which is still 100 days shy of the 730 days(two years ) tenure to change course if the reciprocal high tariffs imposition on trading partners does not pan out well with high inflation wrecking the economy or unemployement rising astronomically to the point that US economy stagnates or goes into recession as being predicted by those against Trump’s unorthodox policies.
In the event that the unique approach defies the logic of economists, Trump may turnout to be the a hero of the new world order.

Magnus Onyibe, an entrepreneur, public policy analyst, author, democracy aadvocate, development strategist, alumnus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA, and a former commissioner in the Delta State government, sent this piece from Lagos, Nigeria.