The Liberalist

Nigeria’s #judiciary has become a symbol of dysfunction, sabotaging the very fabric of justice and eroding public confidence. But things could change with the wake-up action of an uncompromising oversight judicial body that consistently calls the #judges into account.

Amidst the crashing of public trust in Nigeria's judiciary, the National Judicial Council Nigeria NJC has made a significant stride: recommending the compulsory retirement of two heads of court and imposing sanctions on several other judicial officers. In a petition submitted to the council, Justice T. E. Chukwuemeka, the Chief Judge of Imo state, and Kadi Babagana Mahdi, the Grand Kadi of Yobe state, were alleged of falsifying their dates of birth. Swearing to an affidavit to fraudulently change dates of birth is a breach of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act that criminalises “falsification,” an intentional act of altering or creating information to mislead and defraud others. Read more as written by Shereefdeen Ahmad: https://lnkd.in/dNK5Qj23 ?The Liberalist #AgeFalsification #Judges #Judiciary #NationalJudicialCouncil #NJC

In Africa, unfavourable regulations, including internal and external, are limiting growth, creating barriers to market access, and reducing competition. Specifically, regulation constraints like high tariffs and import taxes hinder inter-country trade. While countries like Algeria, Nigeria, and Libya may impose these taxes to protect local industries, this system hikes the prices of imported products, which hampers foreign investments and a seamless intracontinental trade. Click link in our bio to read full analysis. #AfricanGovernments #EconomicFreedom #EconomicFreedomIndex2024

The Fraser Institute‘s Economic Freedom of the World 2024 report recently revealed a disturbing trend: global economic freedom has fallen for the third consecutive year. Africa, in particular, performs poorly, with Algeria ranking 161 out of 165 evaluated economies, Libya 157, South Africa 81, and Nigeria 113. This is due to the fact that several African countries have a similar habit of protectionism, especially the act of restricting imports in favour of local products. But this is at the detriment of consumers who could have enjoyed lower prices of goods. Research reveals that African countries’ poor performance is a result of several regulatory bottlenecks hindering business innovations, development and expansion. However, the continent can still trim things around if the policymakers prioritise regulatory reforms and invest in institutional capacity building to reverse the declining economic freedom trend. Read full analysis here as written by Favour Adeboye: https://lnkd.in/dxCJ3G-h ?TheLiberalist #AfricanGovernments #EconomicFreedom #EconomicFreedomIndex2024 #economy #FraserInstitute #FreeMarket

FiNCON Abuja 2024 by Ominira Initiative came with many Libertarian insights and how Africa can mitigate the challenges to promoting Free Entreprise across the continent and even back home. Our partnership during the conference solidified the joint efforts of CSOs in Nigeria to bridge the gap towards policy reforms and sustainability. We are thrilled to have had our Programs Director Eric Mobu join the poll of speakers at this conference to discuss with other Think Tank founders, discuss on the Civil Responsibilities of CSOs in advancing policy reforms for economic advancement.

By imposing an age limit on access to SSCE and UTME, the government is veering away from the spirit of the UBE Act. Instead of expanding educational opportunities, this policy narrows them, limiting students’ access to tertiary institutions based on arbitrary age criteria rather than academic readiness. The age-pegging policy contradicts the core principle of merit-based access to education, enshrined in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/dU4BSR9Y #UTME #SSCE #Education #EqualAccess

Check out our latest newsletter titled — “Nigeria Might Be Asking Its Future to Wait”. It is apparent that Nigeria is set to delay innovation, progress, and growth. In August, Nigeria’s Minister of Education announced a policy that will bar candidates under 18 from sitting for the entrance exams to tertiary institutions. This policy only means one thing—that Nigeria is giving other nations a head start in harnessing the potential of their youth. There is a need to rethink this policy and prioritize merit-based education. Read more on this: https://lnkd.in/dU4BSR9Y #EducationForAll #MeritOverAge #TheLiberalist #Newsletter

In August, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, announced a controversial policy that would take effect in 2025: candidates under the age of 18 will no longer be allowed to sit for the Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). According to the minister, this decision is rooted in the Universal Basic Education Act, and the goal is to standardise the age for entrance into tertiary institutions across the country. However, one of the most troubling aspects of this policy is its failure to recognise individual differences in intellectual development. Requiring students to be at least 18 years old to sit for university entrance exams penalises precocious students who might be academically ready for higher education but do not meet the age requirement. Written by Oluwaferanmi Bello, a Journalism for Liberty Fellow at the Liberalist Centre. https://lnkd.in/dU4BSR9Y ?TheLiberalist #Policy #Education #AgePegging #Minister #UTME #JAMB

Join Our Op-ed Writing Training Our team at the Liberalist Centre, a pro-freedom think tank promoting liberty and prosperity in Africa, is calling on writers to join its next monthly training session. The training session, "Introduction to Op-Ed Writing," is designed to equip the participants with the skills to articulate their ideas, influence policy, and inspire action. Whether you're a passionate advocate or a concerned citizen, this program will help you harness the power of opinion editorials to make your voice heard. Applications are now open and interested individuals should apply by October 15, 2024. With limited slots available, don't miss this opportunity to develop your writing skills, clarify your message, and amplify your impact. Apply now through this link: https://bit.ly/3ZTMbZt #writing #liberty #publicpolicy #liberalistcentre #theliberalist

Though #Africa’s economic transformation requires careful coordination to avoid fragmentation and ensure all regions benefit, the #TFTA’s success will provide a stronger foundation for #AfCFTA’s policy harmonisation, tariff reductions, and development of value chain aspirations. Read here: www.theliberalist.org