CASADE POLICY PAPER This comprehensive analysis examines the evolving maritime security landscape of the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting how institutional capacity building and anti-corruption frameworks are essential for securing a prosperous and stable future for West and Central African coastal communities. Understanding the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Landscape The Gulf of Guinea, a vast and strategic maritime corridor stretching approximately 6,000 kilometers from Senegal to Angola, represents the economic lifeblood of coastal West and Central Africa. With an estimated 90% of the region’s international trade—imports and exports—transiting these waters, its security is inextricably linked to regional prosperity and global commerce.…
Author: CASADE
Chudi Ibe, Resident Scholar. Could it be that the key to a safer Africa in 2026 isn’t found in more hardware, but in the stories of local resilience often missed by traditional data? We often feel overwhelmed by tactical updates that treat security like a math problem rather than a human experience. You’ve likely noticed that 85% of african security research reports published since 2023 focus on troop movements while ignoring the plight of families in internally displaced camps. We believe that true safety grows from the ground up, rooted in institutional integrity and the voices of those who live these…
John O. Ifediora, President Speaking Plainly to the Masses What if the $148 billion lost annually to corruption across Africa, as reported by the African Union, was instead poured into our children’s classrooms and local clinics? It’s a staggering figure that represents more than just money; it’s a loss of hope and opportunity for millions of families. We know that the heart of a thriving community is trust, yet many feel that governance and economic growth are two parallel lines that never quite meet. You’ve likely felt the frustration of seeing national resources drained by systemic leaks while the private sector…
Editorial commentary/Mike Arnolds Memorandum to President Trump As Nigerians prepare to visit polling stations in January 2027 to elect a new president, the expectation that their votes may not matter is no longer a strictly domestic concern. The specter of past elections and their aftermath have compelled voters to insist on reforms and enforceable guardrails that would ensure procedural transparency and integrity of outcome. These are not unreasonable demands if the electoral objective is an outcome informed by a free and fair plebiscite. The prospects of the ghosts of past presidential elections revisiting polling stations in 2027 are also of…
Kenechukwu Obiezu Ahead of the 2027 general elections, political movements are sprouting like wild mushrooms across Nigeria’s political landscape. Their excesses and eccentricities, together with the abundant possibilities for illicit electoral financing, would test Nigeria’s election machinery and, more importantly, the will of Nigerians to correct decades of bad leadership and debilitating underdevelopment. The City Boy Movement versus the Village Boy Movement. The fierce conversations that recently dominated Nigerian social and mainstream media centered around the City Boy Movement. The group describes itself as a youth-driven platform promoting civic engagement, leadership, and awareness of government policies in Nigeria. Formed to…
A new book by Mike Arnold. This is a painstaking and fact-based investigative analysis of the decades-long insurgency perpetrated by militants in Northern Nigeria. The book documents evidence of systematic killings and persecution of children, woman and men, many of whom are of christian persuasion. Through careful documentation of credible and blood-chilling testimonies by surviving victims of organized and targeted brutality, the author corroborates testimonials with personal observations in camps of displaced people. By placing the events in historical context of jihadism in Nigeria, the reader is given a compelling insight of what fuels and sustains the insurgencies.
By Mike Arnold* The Nigerian government is spending millions on lobbyists and PR firms in Washington and London. They’ve hired some of the best spin doctors money can buy. And I’ll give them this: they can muddy the waters about the terrorist massacres. They can repackage government failures as “security challenges.” They can trot out ambassadors with talking points about “farmer-herder conflict” and “climate-driven migration.” But there is one thing they cannot hide: the historic, aggressive, and ongoing effort to fully Islamize Nigeria by any means necessary. Not the violence. Not the body count. The structure. The laws. The constitution.…
Editorial commentary. There is nothing the matter in getting old and frail, not if one insists on engaging in activities that demand mental and physical dexterity. It is also not a shame to admit that one has lost a step or two due to old age or infirmity, but it will be an act of disservice to one’s office not to admit of such disability until it causes harm or continues to harm irreparably the functions of the office. Mr. Tinubu’s recent incident in Turkey while on a state visit illustrates this observation. Developing countries everywhere need guidance and tireless…
Commentary. The complete disregard for moral decency, ethical behavior, and the rule of law by Nigerian politicians and senior government officials since the late 1970s has steadfastly sipped downwards to the broader society. The brazen theft of public funds by senior Nigerian officials continues unabated with incredible expediency afforded by Nigerian lawyers, specifically those commonly referred to as SAN (Senior Advocate of Nigeria). The legal profession everywhere else takes pride in upholding governing laws and regulations that guide conduct in their respective jurisdictional competence but far less can be said of their counterpart in Nigeria. In case after case, Nigerian…
John O. Ifediora. In all nations, the quality and relevance of countervailing social institutions matter. That this is the case is particularly of import since institutions are rules that govern individual and collective behavior in any society. In this regard reference is here made to primary and enabling rules and observances that inform and guide conduct, specifically religious, political and economic institutions. In nations where these social institutions have evolved to the point where individual rights and freedom of choice are accorded universal cognizance with appropriate checks and protection, the polity is reasonably well-adjusted, informed and productive. Under this state…