Ayo Sogunro's Blog

Over the last one week, thousands of people have been out in protest on the streets of major cities in Nigeria and internationally demanding an end to systemic police brutality and, more specifically, the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The special police unit, established in 1992, has become notorious for its violations in … Continue reading →

Nigeria continues to be proof that the whole can be lesser than the sum of the parts; we are individually great but collectively poor. This is not just about economic poverty, but also about the general state of our governance. We have some of the most expensive cars being driven on the worst roads. Our … Continue reading →

The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Segun Runsewe, has been on my mind lately, and not with admiration. He represents the typical policy dysfunction that is a trademark of our political system: one where people with the least understanding of a nuanced issue are given the task of directing it. Incompetent … Continue reading →

In the years leading up to and after 2015, corruption was the dominant issue in Nigerian public debates. The idea that Nigeria’s main challenge was tackling corruption was so widespread that it propelled Buhari into office. However, in the last couple of years, the issue of insecurity has taken centre stage. This is not because … Continue reading →

Political news in Nigeria is generally depressing. This is not because it is bad news – which it mostly is – but because it is, tiringly and achingly, an endless torrent of reality show drama featuring politicians and their antics. There is no political discourse, no ideological direction, and no intellectual proposals. Our news is … Continue reading →

Sometime in May 2015, in Abuloma, Port Harcourt, a man named Charles was harassed, beaten, and robbed by his neighbourhood security watch. What was his crime?  He was perceived to be homosexual. When he reported this incident to the police, he was advised to leave the area if he wanted to avoid future ‘embarrassment’. In … Continue reading →

The beginning of an autocracy When Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 presidential elections, the country was deeply divided between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). As I remarked then, the results of the elections showed that Buhari was not the will of all Nigerians. Give or take a couple of million … Continue reading →

In just a couple of weeks, Nigerians will get to vote for their president. On 16 February, the people will have a choice between 72 candidates – though in another sense, they will have no choice at all. The only two nominees with a realistic chance are President Muhammadu Buhari and former vice-president Atiku Abubakar. They come … Continue reading →

The Nigerian military is sick and requires urgent intervention. Clearly, public intervention in military affairs is a sensitive issue, and our politicians generally avoid commenting on military issues except when it affects their electoral interests. However, the rest of us must not remain mute when it is clear that an intervention is needed. In the … Continue reading →

Nigeria is not progressing in any meaningful way. Except that modern technological advances  continue to insulate us from the worst effects of bad governance, we are deteriorating rapidly in several ways. In particular, the last few years have seen a rapid decline in Nigeria’s indicators. Between 2016 and now, Nigeria has been ranked as having … Continue reading →