Yayale’s Tribute: The Long and Thorny Road to University Stability By Prof MK Othman In my November 2024 article, I posed the question of whether Alhaji Yayale’s name would be written in gold for accepting two of the most unenviable assignments in Nigeria’s public policy space—leading the government delegation to resolve the over-decade-long FGN-ASUU crisis…
Re: Whither the Nigerian University System? III By Prof MK Othman Given the dispute resolution brokered by the indefatigable Yayale Ahmed committee, with the strong support and determination of the President Tinubu administration to end perennial university workers’ industrial action, 2026 is the year of dream-realization for university workers in Nigeria. Earlier, the National Education…
SAA-IsDB-KSADP Agricultural Model: Scalable Pathway to Food Security? By Prof MK Othman A most heartwarming experience is commencing a well-planned project and concluding it most imaginatively, with a scoreboard showing that the target was exceeded in multiple ways. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed the launch of the Sasakawa Africa Association- Islamic Development…
hither the Nigerian University System? III By Prof MK Othman As I was concluding this article last week, news broke of a significant milestone in the ASUU-FGN impasse: FGN and ASUU had signed a comprehensive agreement signaling the end of the 8-year ASUU industrial action. It was an impasse that cost billions of Naira in…
Whither the Nigerian University System? II By Prof MK Othman As mentioned in the first part of this piece, government officials and others questioning the university’s autonomy are either ignorant of the law or being mischievous. The university must be an autonomous system to fulfill its fundamental role in nation-building and to preserve the integrity…
Gen Musa – Minister of Defense: A round Peg in a round Hole? By Prof M. K. Othman Last week, the appointment of General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR (Rtd) as the Minister of Defence by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the resignation of Alhaji Badaru, the former Defence Minister, was a crucial, honourable, and meritorious…
Notes on Visit to Saudi Arabia By Prof MK Othman To date, I have visited Saudi Arabia four times, beginning with my first trip in 2010 and twice this year, in March and November 2025. During each of my last three visits, I was consistently amazed and stunned by the incredible and supersonic level of…
Salamatu-WOFAN on Carbon Financing: Turning Adversity into Prosperity By Prof. M.K. Othman This is a follow-up to my article published on August 20th, 2025, with a slightly different title, “Salamatu-WOFAN on Climate Change: Turning Adversity into Prosperity,” featured in this column. WOFAN, under the ICON 2 project funded by the Mastercard Foundation, organized a high-level…
Nigeria @ 65: Nominations for National Awards to Unsung Heroes 2 By Prof MK Othman The unsung heroes working tirelessly to serve Nigeria with all their strength are present in every part of the country. Their contribution to nation-building depends on their capacity and resources. Still, the common thread among them is serving the nation…
Re: The Great ABU Zaria @63- Forward Ever 2 By Prof. MK Othman To ABU Alumni and friends, news about Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria — the great ABU — is always unfolding, as it sparks joyful memories among those united by intellectual pursuits and hopes for a bright future. My tribute to ABU Zaria received…
