Change, Travelling

ECOWAS Biometric Card: Retrogression, Deceit, or Plain Regional Dysfunction?

Jilomes

Since its inception, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has championed the promise of deepening integration across the subregion to stimulate shared economic prosperity. Yet, decades into this experiment, regional integration remains frustratingly subpar—even if, by some small mercy, it fares slightly better than what obtains across the wider African continent. Officially, ECOWAS citizens enjoy the right to move visa-free across member states. In practice, however, one is forced to wonder if a borderless West Africa is merely a paper-thin ideal that the regional apparatus lacks the capacity to operationalize.

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Uncategorized

A Lack of Shame Called Abegistan

Jilomes

“I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.”

Jonathan Swift

Thanks to our naughty African brethren, very likely the Ghanaians or the South Africans, who have chosen “vawulence” every day on social media, the term “Abegistan” began to be rudely applied to Nigeria to attest to a supposed culture of begging at all opportunity. But while, we tried to maintain our steeze, stay demure, and defend the glory of the fatherland, the American IShowSpeed visited Nigeria and streamed institutionalised begging for the world to see.

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Change, Energy

Constraining Nigeria’s Industrial Future One Solar Panel at a Time

Jilomes

How do you solve a problem that appears to be a little more complicated than rocket science? More than ten years after a cerebral Nigerian politician asserted that fixing Nigeria’s electricity supply conundrum “is not rocket science”, with some claims that he said a serious government could fix entrenched sectoral challenges within six months, there is arguably less electricity supply in “most” parts of Nigeria compared to a decade ago, and combined with rising costs, more persons are turning to solar power systems aka “inverter”.

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Wastage
Change, Politics

Of Governments and Financial Insatiability

Jilomes

It is commonly said that when an individual’s income increases, expenditures, if unchecked, would rise to meet the income, and necessitate further increase in income. While individuals have their ability to singlehandedly increase their incomes constrained by factors associated with the value delivery or productivity (perceived or real) in the marketplace whether as business owners or employees, governments are largely unencumbered by value or productivity considerations thanks to taxation.

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AI generated image showing a cemetery to mark the 2026 Nigerian Armed Forces Remembrance Day
Randoms

January 15: Blood Calls unto Blood

Jilomes

I was going to write this article early on 15 January 2025 to be able to post it in good time during the day, but here I am close to midnight, driven by a commitment to put down my thoughts even if it means the article comes a day late. But January 15 is not about me. It is about remembering thousands of Nigerian citizens, brothers and sisters in arms, who have served in the military whether by choice or compulsion, and have paid the supreme price. To these comrades, we remain eternally grateful because their blood is the currency that allows us to live our own lives the way we want.

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Inspiration

2026: A Year When Centuries Happen

Jilomes

First of all, Happy New Year!

Yeah, I had to get that out of the way because unlike my job-related writings, I hardly do blog writings with a clear framework in mind. I just start typing and see where the turns lead by the end of the article. This freestyle allows my brain to take a chill pill from the gazillions of writings I do in formal environments where I have to worry about communicating properly to get a predetermined outcome from whoever is the recipient.

So, again, Happy New Year!

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Change

Afriland Towers Disaster: How Quickly We Have Moved On

Jilomes

It is quite common in Nigeria to hear people talk about politicians waiting out the storm whenever a bad event occurs, as they are sure that Nigerians cannot seem to stand on business for a long time. And so, over and over again, we have disgraceful and even deadly events occur, and just a few days later, everyone moves on, like it never mattered. But to progress as a nation, we need to be able to learn and enforce lessons to forestall a reoccurrence.

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Randoms, Travelling

Dangote Did Not Cause Deadly Trailer Accidents

Jilomes

“Aye, fight! But not your neighbor. Fight rather all the things that cause you and your neighbor to fight.” ~ Mikhail Naimy

While the title of this article may trigger some persons to ask if I have Dangote cement or petrol in my pockets, if I can be given just some time to explain, maybe my integrity would be unquestioned. Yes, it is true that trailers either belonging to or affiliated to the Dangote Group have wreaked havoc on the Nigerian public, including the recent killing of Ruth Otabor, but while it is easy to request for Uncle Dangote’s head on a spike, the accidents are not of his making. Rather, they are simply a symptom of a more complex problem to be solved.

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Change, Randoms

Of Productivity and National Attitudes to Work

Jilomes

The past week or two saw a little debate on “Nigerian Twitter” about a claim that Nigerians are unwilling to work, effectively saying Nigerians are lazy. While the proponents of the claim had the initial field day espousing their view, the opposing team came out strongly in the second half with valid rebuttals around inadequate remuneration and unstructured workplaces. As usual with many of these debates, the truth is neither here nor there.

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Change, Politics

A Demonic Oppression Called Quota System

Jilomes

In my previous article, I talked about hope on the horizon regarding the rebirth of Nigeria and I got a fair tackle from some persons who have become desperately pessimistic about the prospects of Nigeria. But whereas I remain adamant that Nigeria is changing, I acknowledge that the change is seemingly too slow for many reliably disappointed Nigerians and that one of the chains unwilling to allow Nigeria to attain its full degrees of freedom is the famous quota system, which has become a principal demon fashioned against Nigeria.

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