Ini Ekott
Ini Ekott is the deputy managing editor at Premium Times, Nigeria. He has researched and written extensively on governance and leadership in Africa. He is a former Wole Soyinka investigative reporter of the year, and was a member of the global team of journalists that conducted the Pulitzer-winning Panama Papers reporting
Nigerian secrecy laws impede information transparency

Nigerian secrecy laws impede information transparency

At the Abuja-based Centre for Journalism, Innovation, and Development in Nigeria, Ijeoma Okereke, a programme officer, keeps a list of government agencies that she says respond to requests for information and those that do not. In 2021, when her organisation tried to...

A poor prognosis, with some cause for hope

A poor prognosis, with some cause for hope

Abuja Declaration: broken promises African nations have largely defaulted on a 2001 pledge to commit at least 15% of their annual budgets to healthcare Africa has so far seen controversial and even dramatic policy measures in response to the coronavirus crisis. From...

Time for change

Time for change

African leadership: the golden age The continent’s current crop of leaders is more acquiescent than their post-colonial predecessors in dealing with external attempts at unwarranted interference Former Nigerian military leader Yakubu Gowon had a telling exchange with...

Nigeria: short cuts

Nigeria: short cuts

Nigeria’s hope of reforming its capital market using a new corporate governance system is haunted by endemic corruption By Ini Ekott The Nigerian Stock Exchange won plaudits last November for launching a new set of rules designed to curb corporate misdeeds and reform...

Nigeria: delays and distractions

Nigeria: delays and distractions

One of Nigeria’s most dramatic episodes of judicial corruption happened in January 2013. The country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged six officials with pilfering 32 billion naira [$204m] from the Nigerian police pension fund. One of the...

Nigeria: attractive investment?

Nigeria: attractive investment?

Within the first nine months of his administration Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has travelled 26 times to 23 countries. His incessant foreign travels have attracted many comments from the nation. In March, a poster from a 2003 election campaign emerged in which...

Counting the cost

Counting the cost

Nigeria: fighting corruption Africa’s intensified effort against corruption has neither prevented billions of dollars from being stolen nor improved its image By Ini Ekott Billions of dollars that should provide healthcare and education to some of the world’s poorest...

Ini Ekott
Ini Ekott is the deputy managing editor at Premium Times, Nigeria. He has researched and written extensively on governance and leadership in Africa. He is a former Wole Soyinka investigative reporter of the year, and was a member of the global team of journalists that conducted the Pulitzer-winning Panama Papers reporting
Time for change

Time for change

African leadership: the golden age The continent’s current crop of leaders is more acquiescent than their post-colonial predecessors in dealing with external attempts at unwarranted interference Former Nigerian military leader Yakubu Gowon had a telling exchange with...

Nigeria: short cuts

Nigeria: short cuts

Nigeria’s hope of reforming its capital market using a new corporate governance system is haunted by endemic corruption By Ini Ekott The Nigerian Stock Exchange won plaudits last November for launching a new set of rules designed to curb corporate misdeeds and reform...

Nigeria: delays and distractions

Nigeria: delays and distractions

One of Nigeria’s most dramatic episodes of judicial corruption happened in January 2013. The country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged six officials with pilfering 32 billion naira [$204m] from the Nigerian police pension fund. One of the...

Nigeria: attractive investment?

Nigeria: attractive investment?

Within the first nine months of his administration Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari has travelled 26 times to 23 countries. His incessant foreign travels have attracted many comments from the nation. In March, a poster from a 2003 election campaign emerged in which...

Counting the cost

Counting the cost

Nigeria: fighting corruption Africa’s intensified effort against corruption has neither prevented billions of dollars from being stolen nor improved its image By Ini Ekott Billions of dollars that should provide healthcare and education to some of the world’s poorest...