Democracy

The government of Cross River state has resumed clearing precious rainforest land as part of the construction of the superhighway. While some community members are losing their forest and properties, others are advocating for their right to their land. Individuals and members of civil society stand in solidarity with communities in the face of the continued works.

Compared to their male counterparts there are a limited amount of women vying for political positions in the 2019 Nigerian elections. In this article, the writer tries to analyse how these women are faring in the social media space as they take their campaign online. 

Even after the 2015 elections supposedly marked a democratic consolidation in Nigeria, a toxic mix of voter apathy, identity politics and money continues to raise questions about the necessary reforms that would instill credibility in the country’s elections.

In the current discourse of possibilities for ‘African Urban Futures’, Lagos city is amongst the most highly contested.  The preferred imagined future of Lagos is one which fronts a global, modern city, envisioned and realized through developments such as ‘Eko Atlantic’[1]. However, there are implacable realities which exist alongside grand ‘Africa Rising’ narratives, and instead necessitate the provision of basic services and infrastructure.

Plumes of smoke, splintered wood and twisted pieces of corrugated iron, surrounded by mounds of debris were frequent roadside sightings in 2016 around Eti Osa Local Government in Lagos State. At times these periodic demolitions of roadside shops and markets caused one to stop in ones tracks because they actually resembled bomb sites in a war zone, where destruction takes place without any immediate moves to remove the ugly damage...  

There is an increase in civil society repression in several countries in the world. More countries are introducing new laws that are shrinking the space for civic participation. The Civic Charter was developed by an international coalition of civil society organizations to protect the freedom of expression, information, assembly and association.

If passed into law, the so-called “Social Media Bill” before the Senate in December 2015 would impose penalties of two years in jail or fines up to 5 million Naira for using the internet to send ‘abusive statements’. The bill makes it the 38th bill which in whole or part attempts to limit freedom of speech online, invade internet privacy or introduce internet surveillance and policing in Nigeria. And there is more, as ‘Gbenga Sesan outlines in his report on Internet Governance in Nigeria.Download PDF

Nigeria’s renewable energy industry is tiny by all means, despite excellent conditions for electricity production from solar, small hydro and biomass sources. If Nigeria covered only 1% of its land mass with solar panels, it could produce 192,000 megawatts of power, compared to the 4,000 megawatts that are currently available on the national grid. In his contribution to the Green Deal Nigeria study, Huzi Mshelia describes the manifold efforts on energy policy and regulation, which have so far resulted in little results.