Mind, Body and Country by Njideka Maduka

By Njideka Maduka   Media literacy is something I think people should begin to take more than a cursory look at, especially as the editorial integrity of some media organisations is beginning to raise questions in my mind. Media literacy, by definition, is the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and create media in various forms. It also involves reflecting on one's media choices, identifying sponsored content, recognizing stereotypes, analysing propaganda and understanding the benefits, risks and harms of media use. Understanding these concepts should make the audience more critical of the information it consumes. It should encourage people to ask questions about why a media platform focuses on a particular message and what informs that choice. Without this understanding, many people fall into the trap of offering unending support to media organisations without questioning their editorial decisions. Ebola Coverage and Editorial Priorities On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Nigeria...

B y Njideka Maduka I didn’t plan to write a memorandum on Nigeria’s National Policing Bill today. Honestly, I didn’t. A few weeks ago, during one of our paper review sessions on radio, my team and I discussed the proposed National Policing Bill and mentioned that the Presidential Working Group on the Bill, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, had invited Nigerians to make submissions. We talked about it, as we have done with several issues surrounding the proposed reform of policing in Nigeria. But I did not immediately think, “I should write a memorandum.” Then this morning, August 13, 2026, I saw the story again in the newspapers. And there it was: 5 p.m. was the deadline for public submissions. While discussing the story on air, I suddenly said to myself: “I think I should contribute.” And that was how it started. After the programme, I began putting my thoughts together. Initially, I thought it would be straightforward. I would simply write down my gen...

By Njideka Maduka  The anyhowness is just too much. You need to see or hear it to believe it. Vanguard newspaper reported this morning that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has replaced 26 candidates who emerged from the party's recent primaries with other candidates. One of the biggest casualties is former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. According to the report, the development is linked to what it described as "the battle for the control of Benue State between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and Governor Hyacinth Alia." So, Suswam was sacrificed to please Akume, a top APC leader told Vanguard. The report also suggested that part of the decision was aimed at returning greater control of the party structures in the states to the governors.  Recall that President Bola Tinubu had earlier given the governors of the APC in the different states power to be in charge of primaries in their respective states. Now, having conducted...

By Njideka Maduka When a National Conversation Caught My Attention I never thought I would pen any thoughts on the controversy generated by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu's comments encouraging women to venture into businesses such as frying akara or making kuli-kuli. I even said as much during our radio programme yesterday morning. Partly because I never really had an opinion on the matter. I'm not entirely sure why. Either the topic didn't interest me enough, or perhaps I came into the debate rather late, after the conversation had already been shaped by different shades of opinion in the public space. Had I watched the original video before social media took over with its interpretations, I might have arrived at my own conclusions much earlier. But here I am, putting my thoughts together. Interestingly, what finally pushed me to write was a video I stumbled upon on Facebook after our programme. It echoed, in part, what I had already expressed on air and made me think a l...

The Supreme Court  By Njideka Maduka  O nce again, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has left us in utter confusion following yesterday’s ruling in the case brought before it by 11 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) state governors against the Federal Government. The confusion is of two folds. First is what was widely reported by major news outlets immediately after the judgment. Second is how legal luminaries such as Femi Falana have interpreted the same ruling. I had initially set out to interrogate the judgement based on the former, until I saw Falana’s statement. But before we get to that, let’s start from the beginning. Background to the Rivers State Emergency Rule Monday’s ruling stems from the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu in March following the political crisis that engulfed the state and the subsequent suspension of elected officials including Governor Siminalayi Fubara , his deputy, Ngozi Odu , and members of the State House of Assemb...

By Njideka Maduka Journalist On Tuesday, September 24th, Nigeria’s oil sector found itself in the eye of the storm, the consequences of which will be revealed in the days to come. Oil unions- the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), led by Festus Osifo and Williams Akporeha respectively, strongly rejected the Federal Government’s alleged plan to sell off 30–35% of its stakes in Joint Venture (JV) oil assets. (FG currently holds between 55% and 60% of such assets through NNPCL.) They argue this move would: - Weaken NNPCL financially   - Put Nigeria’s oil sector in foreign hands   - Undermine national budget contributions   - Strip the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of its stability   They’re also resisting proposed amendments to the PIA, warning that frequent changes will scare away investors and destabilize the sector. But here’s something I’ve...

As President Bola Tinubu marked two years in office, his administration highlighted the gains of reform. But do the numbers on paper reflect reality in the markets and homes of everyday Nigerians? This piece breaks down the president's claims and what the evidence shows . Understanding the Thematic Focus of Tinubu's Speeches As expected, May 29 marked two years of President Bola Tinubu in office, and we were treated to an anniversary speech. I personally like to look into the speeches of our leaders because, as the saying goes, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." It gives me the opportunity to know what is going on in their minds and how they perceive things. To start with, I have come to appreciate the thematic structure President Tinubu's speeches have taken because it helps us to deal with one particular issue at a given time. This is different from the time of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, when issues were lumped together in his speeche...