*By Mark Amaza The past couple of weeks have been abuzz with outrage at the circular from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to commercial banks in the country to begin to implement the 0.5% cybersecurity levy on electronic transactions, itself based on the Cybercrime (prohibition, prevention, etc.) Amendment Act of 2024. The reactions to...
By Cynthia Mbamalu South Africans will be going to the polls on 29 May in the seventh general elections since the end of Apartheid in 1994. Interestingly, 2024 is a symbolic year as South Africans and many countries in Africa who supported the fight against apartheid celebrate 30 years of freedom. As a kid, I...
By Ana’ayi Jennifer Danbagai Recently, the world celebrated the emergence of President Faye Bassirou Diomaye, the youngest Senegalese President since its independence, on his victory. His victory demonstrates the possibility of a shift in the emergence of younger leadership in Africa, which is a deviation from the age norm of presidents across the continent. The...
*By Ana’ayi Jennifer Danbagai Democracy in the African continent has suffered major setbacks over the last few decades. The coup trends across Sahel West Africa; Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger in the last four years have not only destabilized local democracies but also burdened regional blocs with protecting democratic integrity across the continent. With...
Improving the Integrity of Nigeria’s Voter Register By Attahiru M. Jega Professor Department of Political Science Bayero University, Kano Keynote Address presented at the Policy Roundtable on the Theme: Improving the Integrity of Nigeria’s Voter Register, Organized by Yiaga Africa, on Thursday, 23rd November, 2023, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja Introduction As we move from the 2023...
By Chinemerem Onuorah In the last three years, Africa has witnessed a series of successful military takeovers of governments, with six countries affected, while Sudan and Sierra Leone experienced inconclusive and failed coup attempts respectively. Traditionally, coup d’etats have been viewed as unconstitutional and violent, instilling fear and apprehension among citizens of the affected nations....
By David Mkpume The sudden rise in unconstitutional transitions of power mostly via military coups in the west Africa subregion is a major cause for concern to every advocate of democracy across the world. The entire West Africa region is currently gripped by potential autocratic or military forces taking over government from democratic elected leaders...
By David Mkpume The signing of the Not Too Young to Run Bill into law by former President Muhammad Buhari on May 31st, 2018, opened the space for the inclusion of young people in politics. By lowering the age limits for contesting elections, this law enabled young people to begin their political journey early. However,...
By Ibrahim Faruk There is a common denominator that African citizens in 24 countries have and will have in 2023: We want to vote! The year 2023 is a very crucial one for Africa in terms of change of government via election as a total of 24 general, legislative and local elections would take place in the...
By Samson Itodo Dissatisfaction with democratic politics is fueled partly by the dominance of gerontocrats in politics and the disconnect between politics and citizens. The value citizens derive from politics is primarily influenced by the manner political actors practice the game of politics. Politics loses its relevance when it fails to deliver tangible outputs to...
