What Global investors can learn from Nigeria's quiet democratic transformation
When international media looks at Nigeria, the headlines often highlight our challenges—security concerns, economic pressures, or political tensions. But what's missing from that narrative is the quiet, crucial transformation Nigeria has sustained for over two decades: democratic stability.
This year marks 26 years of uninterrupted civilian rule in Nigeria. For a country that once cycled through coups and military regimes, this is not a minor milestone, it is the foundation upon which our economic future is being built.
Political stability isn't just a governance metric; it's a business asset. In Nigeria, democratic continuity is unlocking bold reforms that were politically impossible under previous regimes. From the removal of long-standing petrol subsidies to the unification of foreign exchange markets, the country is taking difficult but necessary steps to restore macroeconomic confidence.
These decisions are not without cost. But they are signals of serious intent: that Nigeria is ready to play by market rules, attract global investment, and provide policy clarity to businesses betting on Africa's future.
As Minister of Information, I see firsthand how these reforms are being communicated, challenged, and reshaped in real time—not just in parliament halls or press briefings, but online, on the streets, and in the culture itself.
Nigeria's youth—more than 70% of our population is under 30—are not spectators. They are critics, creators, and catalysts. They are using digital platforms to demand transparency, organize civic action, and scale startups that are changing how we move, bank, and work. In that sense, democracy here is more than just a political system—it is an engine of innovation.
Nowhere is this more visible than in Nigeria's booming cultural economy. Afrobeats and Nollywood are global exports, but they're also civic expressions—pushing conversations around identity, equity, and justice. What began as entertainment has become a form of democratic storytelling, with global reach and real economic impact.
But for democracy to work, it must deliver. That's the challenge we face now; not just to preserve freedoms, but to translate them into functioning schools, reliable infrastructure, fair courts, and jobs that offer dignity. This is the next chapter of Nigeria's democratic project: going beyond surviving, into thriving and tranforming.
We understand the skepticism some investors might have. But we also invite them to look beyond the risks and see the fundamentals: a resilient democracy, an ambitious reform agenda, a cultural renaissance, and a massive, entrepreneurial population eager to build something lasting.
Nigeria is not perfect. No country is. But we are persistent. And in a region grappling with democratic reversals, that persistence counts—for markets, for investors, and for the millions of citizens who continue to bet on democracy.
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WIRED
06-08-2025
- WIRED
The Business Traveler of Today Is Changing—and So Is Their Flight Map
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It feels like stepping into a designer's dream.' Traveling between Nigeria and South Africa wasn't always this easy. Domestic travel in Africa has long been a challenge due to continent-wide infrastructure issues, including bureaucratic hurdles and the lack of connectivity between nations. But in recent years, the rise of cross-continental industries like e-commerce, fintech, and the arts has allowed for an influx of new flight paths catering to business travelers like Ashiru. Ashiru's carrier of choice, South Africa Airways, has placed a particular focus on boosting domestic service within Africa, increasing its flights to Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2024. The airline also bumped its Lagos to Johannesburg service to four times a week, beginning in November of last year. Long-haul air links to the continent have increased, too: Delta Air Lines recently resumed seasonal service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Lagos, and United Airlines inaugurated a brand-new route from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Dakar, Senegal in May. This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel , a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. Of course, the return of in-person meetings and conferences has spurred a rebound in air travel to more traditional business hubs as well. Take Singapore Airlines' direct flight from Newark to Singapore, configured only with business and premium economy seats, or United Airlines' five times weekly service from Chicago to Zurich.'That's not tourists looking for Swiss Chocolate,' says aviation expert Mike Arnot . 'That's business demand. Every airline is trying to fly these kinds of routes.' A Delta spokesperson tells Traveler the airline is focusing on Rio de Janeiro as a 'strategic corporate and business market' due to its recent growth amongst business travelers for 2025. Delta expanded its existing partnership with the LATAM group this year in order to increase connectivity between Brazil and the US, including with the launch of a new Boston to São Paulo route in January. This runs alongside regular flights to Rio De Janeiro, which connect to dozens of international airports via Delta's Atlanta hub. Writer, filmmaker, and label head Jesse Bernard frequently flies from London to Rio with the LATAM network when producing documentaries and organizing nightlife events. He's the head of COMO VOCÊ, a transatlantic record label that works across London and Brazil's cultural capital. 'I've noticed when you're flying to countries within the African diaspora, there's a sense that most of the people on the flight aren't there for a holiday,' he says. 'There is a sense of familiarity; it's people traveling to London for work or traveling back for the same. They aren't necessarily tourists.' Bernard spends weeks to months at a time in the UK or Brazil, where regional genres like grime and baile funk are taking off. 'Places like Brazil are leading nightlife, club culture, and underground music at the moment,' he tells Traveler. 'There is a real DIY culture and community." Across the pond, North American passengers are flocking to South Korea as a top trending destination. One of the most popular airline routes in the US this summer was Los Angeles to Seoul, according to July 2025 data from OAG, an aviation analytics company. For LA-based content creator Roger Who, traveling to Seoul has become essential for his work in the skincare and beauty space. Recent years have seen the K-beauty market explode in South Korea, in part thanks to treatments and services popularized by viral TikTok and Instagram videos. 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Condé Nast Traveler
06-08-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
The Business Traveler of Today is Changing—and So Is Their Flight Map
This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel, a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. 'Most of my work starts in Lagos, but it doesn't stay there for long,' says Anita Ashiru. She's one of the sole production designers working in Nigeria, where her team builds multi-scale sets and stage designs for the country's booming Afrobeats industry. Requests often come at a whim for work; Ashiru might be called abroad by the likes of frequent collaborator Davido, a Nigerian-American singer-songwriter who frequently shoots music videos in South Africa. Ashiru's job is one that largely didn't exist 10 years ago, she says, but the recent growth of the West African music industry has allowed her to live, work, and travel extensively throughout the region, frequently finding herself working in Johannesburg for weeks at a time. 'South Africa is a creative hub in different ways,' she tells Condé Nast Traveler. 'We don't really have that kind of system in Nigeria. It feels like stepping into a designer's dream.' Traveling between Nigeria and South Africa wasn't always this easy. Domestic travel in Africa has long been a challenge due to continent-wide infrastructure issues, including bureaucratic hurdles and the lack of connectivity between nations. But in recent years, the rise of cross-continental industries like e-commerce, fintech, and the arts has allowed for an influx of new flight paths catering to business travelers like Ashiru. Ashiru's carrier of choice, South Africa Airways, has placed a particular focus on boosting domestic service within Africa, increasing its flights to Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2024. The airline also bumped its Lagos to Johannesburg service to four times a week, beginning in November of last year. Long-haul air links to the continent have increased, too: Delta Air Lines recently resumed seasonal service from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Lagos, and United Airlines inaugurated a brand-new route from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Dakar, Senegal in May. Of course, the return of in-person meetings and conferences has spurred a rebound in air travel to more traditional business hubs as well. Take Singapore Airlines' direct flight from Newark to Singapore, configured only with business and premium economy seats, or United Airlines' five times weekly service from Chicago to Zurich.'That's not tourists looking for Swiss Chocolate,' says aviation expert Mike Arnot. 'That's business demand. Every airline is trying to fly these kinds of routes.' A Delta spokesperson tells Traveler the airline is focusing on Rio de Janeiro as a 'strategic corporate and business market' due to its recent growth amongst business travelers for 2025. Delta expanded its existing partnership with the LATAM group this year in order to increase connectivity between Brazil and the US, including with the launch of a new Boston to São Paulo route in January. This runs alongside regular flights to Rio De Janeiro, which connect to dozens of international airports via Delta's Atlanta hub. Alex Green Writer, filmmaker, and label head Jesse Bernard frequently flies from London to Rio with the LATAM network when producing documentaries and organizing nightlife events. He's the head of COMO VOCÊ, a transatlantic record label that works across London and Brazil's cultural capital.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-Nigeria President Buhari's remains land back in the country
The remains of Nigeria's former President Muhammadu Buhari have been brought back to the country two days after his death at the age of 82 at a clinic in London. His successor, Bola Tinubu, was at the airport in the northern state of Katsina to receive the body. It will then be transported to Buhari's home some 80km (50 miles) away in Daura where it will be buried in his family's compound. Among the other dignitaries at the airport in Katsina were Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Niger's former President Mahamadou Issoufou and Buhari's Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. Buhari's house is already filled with mourners as friends, family and well-wishers await the arrival of his corpse. Nigeria's government had declared Tuesday a public holiday to honour Buhari - who was also a former army general, one of only two Nigerians to have led the country as both a military leader and a democratically elected president. Buhari - the austere Nigerian military ruler who defeated a sitting president Officials say the funeral, initially expected on Monday, was delayed for logistical reasons. Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who accompanied the late leader's corpse back to Nigeria, stated that Buhari had died after a brief illness without revealing any further details. Tributes poured in for the late leader who served for two four-year terms after initially being elected president in 2015, becoming the first opposition leader to defeat an incumbent. The man he beat, President Goodluck Jonathan, described Buhari as someone who "was selfless in his commitment to his duty and served the country with character and a deep sense of patriotism". Former military ruler, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, who overthrew Buhari in a 1985 coup, also showered praise on the octogenarian. "He is a man who, even in retirement, remained a moral compass to many, and an example of modesty in public life,' Babangida noted. Tinubu, who will attend the funeral prayer in Daura, declared a seven-day national mourning period in honour of his predecessor. In an official condolence statement released on Sunday evening, Tinubu said the nation would pay its final respects to the former leader with dignity and honour, starting with the lowering of all national flags to half-mast across the country from Sunday. Nigerian woman smuggled baby into UK using fake birth story Big shake-up in Nigerian politics as heavyweights join forces Rare photos capture Afrobeats' rise to take over the world Nigeria's major tax overhaul explained Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
