The Learners' Den

Established in 1975, the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) aimed to promote “economic integration,” improve security, and foster regional cooperation to counter common threats to peace and political stability in the region. The bloc included 15 signatory countries. For many years, the region was afflicted by the uprising of extremist groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State, and other minor non-state actors. Moreover, the vast majority of the population is living in abject poverty (less than one dollar per day) due to corruption and economic downturn. This prompted the military officers to topple the civilian governments in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea through coups and counter-coups.  After a diplomatic impasse with the junta officers and ECOWAS delegation, the bloc, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, threatened to take economic and military action. While military action was just rhetoric, the countries faced sign...

A few hours ago, BBC Hausa reported that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would soon open shops specifically selling alcohol to diplomatic envoys in the country. The report was received with mixed emotions from Muslims in Nigeria; some laughed at it, others startled and outraged. But the latter group reacted the most. I know that the revelation rang unbelievably in their heads, looking at alcohol’s prohibition in Islam. Well, it's understandable to be shocked by such a report, particularly if you are not in touch with the country’s ongoing radical economic and social reforms under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS), the incumbent de facto ruler and heir apparent to the kingdom.  Nevertheless, for me, I wasn't startled by the report. It's no longer a secret that we are in an unprecedented period of ambiguous geopolitical rivalry between the most powerful and rapidly growing countries such as Saudi Arabia, China, India, and Russia. This means that Saudi Ara...

From the shared testimonies of married couples and insights from marriage counselors, I understood that there are no married couples that can brag about their marriage being an endless hitch-free sailing. Even though differently, it’s almost akin to the highs and lows of a bachelor’s life. This uncomfortable reality is one of the many reasons that nudge us to imbibe the culture of patience and proper reactions to survive its turbulence waves.  Yesterday, in the afternoon, during a taxi ride in Kano, I overheard the driver lambasting his wife over the phone. His tone and words were brimming with frustration because she hadn't informed him in advance about the finished state of some specific food items. He was annoyed with her and curtly said to prepare the dinner with whatever she had available, and abruptly ended the phone call before she even explained herself. His behavior makes me sick, knowing the fact that she’s his wife. She immediately called him back after he hung up on her...