Usman Yakubu Usman

1 month ago | theliberalist.org | Usman Yakubu Usman

From electoral corruption to the violent suppression of the #EndBadGovernance protests, Nigeria's democratic backslide deepened in 2024. As the government responded to protests with mass arrests and attacks on journalists, pro-freedom institutions are raising concerns about the country's growing authoritarian tendencies.

1 month ago | theliberalist.org | Usman Yakubu Usman

Each day behind bars stretches into a blur for Tsi Conrad, the Cameroonian journalist who once believed his camera could change his country. Now, hope, though alive, feels like a distant memory. In December 2016, when Cameroonian police started raining bullets on a group of protesters in Bamenda, killing four in the process, Conrad brought out his recording gadget and began filming the protest.

2 months ago | theliberalist.org | Usman Yakubu Usman

On the eve of his inauguration in 2023, President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy, citing its unsustainable costs. Given years of heavy reliance on debt to finance public spending, one might have expected this move to signal a shift toward fiscal discipline. Relatively two years later, the pattern of government borrowing and increased spending has doubled. In February, the President a historic ₦54.9 trillion budget into law, marking a significant increase in government spending.

Feb 27, 2025 | theliberalist.org | Usman Yakubu Usman

The abrupt withdrawal of American aid has exposed African nations' dependence on foreign funding, forcing them to seek domestic alternatives. In response, some governments have moved swiftly to offset the loss. In Nigeria, some of the government's response was the immediate $1 billion budget for healthcare, with an additional $3.2 million to purchase HIV treatment packs to replace USAID funding.

Feb 20, 2025 | theliberalist.org | Usman Yakubu Usman

Many emergency victims scattered around Nigerian villages are living in a hopeless circle, as various government intervention programmes are far beyond their reach. When an ominous plant disaster struck a town in Kaduna state, the federal government said it spent ₦1.6 billion on an intervention plan to mitigate the effects on the affected farmers. Surprisingly, many victims and targeted beneficiaries lamented not receiving a dime.