OWOLOWO

Tragedy of July 7, 1998 In the eyes of many Nigerians and some international observers, M.K.O. Abiola was effectively Nigeria’s president-elect – their president in waiting, who vowed not to renounce the mandate, and the day he died on July 7, 1998, cannot be easily forgotten. I was a student at the University of Lagos, and it is worth mentioning that at the time I was just another potential “yuppie” on campus. At that point in history, I had not undergone the process of sociopolitical radicalisation that transformed me into Owoism – another chapter in my eventful life. The June 12 struggle played a pivotal role in my transformation, and the following events were a part of that process.  At that particular moment, I had just entered the main library of the University of Lagos. I was greeted by a family friend who worked as a librarian, and since he knew my family history, he informed me the sad news just broke on TV. The murmuring of “Abiola is dead” increased and reverberated thro...

  Ousting The Military The pinnacle of the June 12 struggle was ousting the military junta after decades of overseeing Nigeria’s affairs. Nigerian Armed Forces were in power from 1966 to 1999 with an interregnum from 1979 to 1983. In their second coming the military were in power from 1983-1999. Following the military’s ouster, Nigeria evolved into a quasi-democracy, founded on a military-oriented constitution – the 1999 constitution has long been a source of contention. Real political struggle was under the military government, especially under Abacha. For those who participated in the struggle, the memories are evergreen. As a youth I became immersed in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) struggles against military dictatorship. My affiliation with the NADECO struggle was through my late Dad, M.B.O Owolowo Sr., family friends, relatives and associates. Many of those affected by the travails of that draconian era survived with various coping mechanisms and are still traumat...

  The Price of Reparations  The reparations cause was given top priority during the 38th African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 15-16 February 2025. A Civil Society Pre-Summit Symposium was hosted by the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), to discuss the 2025 African Union Theme of the Year: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.” In recent years, there have been official collaboration between the African Union (AU) and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on slavery and colonial reparations. But the struggle for reparations against former enslavers and colonisers has been on for decades. For instance, in October 1990, Nigerian business mogul, M.K.O. Abiola, attended the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) meeting in Washington, and as the recipient of the 1990 CBC Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Service, he was hailed as “ a hero in the global pursuit to preserve the history and the legacy of the Afric...

I present to you my book R.O.G.U.E: Reality On Ground Undermining Enterprise. African is rich in natural and human resources – with the current youngest population globally. Ideally, these social ingredients should facilitate bourgeoning economies on a massive scale, but there have only been pockets of individual successes. Industrialization and large-scale development with collective impact is pertinent to compete in an ever-changing world.  R.O.G.U.E: Reality On Ground Undermining Enterprise, examines the issues affecting Africa via the prism of foreign influences, whilst also acknowledging the local peculiarities. Nigeria in particular is diagnosticated as a microcosmic representation of the issues bedevilling Africa. Of critical importance are the enduring colonial structures that have metamorphosed into neocolonial entities specially designed to keep the affected countries in a perpetual state of underdevelopment. The Western world especially, cannot complain about immigration...