Global Upfront

By Yechale Degu Over the past two decades, Ethiopia has invested heavily on hydropower as a means to accelerate energy access, economic growth, and development and ensure control of its water resources. Though not without political costs affecting its diplomatic ties, hydropower was planned as a central pillar of the country’s energy security. Despite persistent domestic shortfalls in extending electricity to rural communities, the initiative has achieved notable success.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a high-level Nigerian delegation to Addis Ababa for a leadership exchange and learning visit. The federal government’s delegation, to be led by Vice President Kashim Shettima, will include Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, is expected to depart Abuja on Tuesday ahead of the Nigeria-Ethiopia leadership exchange, scheduled from October 7-19, 2026.

By Chidi Omeje In an article published less than 24 hours after the tragic air crash involving a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft in Ondo State, Etim Etim asked: “Why do our military aircraft fall from the skies so often?” He also sought to contrast the safety record of Nigeria’s commercial airlines with that of military aviation, raising questions about why military aircraft appear to suffer more frequent crashes.

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has expressed profound condolences to the families of the personnel and passengers who lost their lives following the accident involving Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR 42 aircraft, NAF 931, in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State. According to a statement by NAF Spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the aircraft had 25 persons on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers. They include 19 NAF personnel and six civilians.

By Ike Abonyi In many of Prof. Chinua Achebe’s novels, he used proverbs to deepen his message. For instance, “having the yam and the knife” means that someone has complete control, absolute power, or the total ability to decide how a resource or situation is handled. In Nigerian and West African contexts, such as Igbo or general political parlance, the yam represents the resource or sustenance, and the knife represents the tool to slice and distribute it.

Chief Ralph Obioha, the Okpuruisizuruoha Il of Arondizugu, businessman, Second Republic federal legislator, party leader and one of the foremost figures of Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle, has died at the age of 80. The Obioha family announced that the elder statesman passed away on October 3, 2026, describing him as a beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend, and as a patriot whose life traversed business, public affairs and politics.

As the next Presidential election looms, anxiety about the Nigerian president’s physical condition is growing. By Ebenezer Obadare, CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) Two different conversations about the country’s highest political office are currently ongoing in Nigeria.

By Bruce Malogo The tyrannical courts of the late Roman Republic or the cutthroat city-states of Renaissance Italy knew exactly how to handle men like Nyesom Wike. They did not build monuments to them; they wrote cautionary tales about them. They recognized that the political strongman, driven by a pagan appetite for absolute dominance, always carries the seeds of his republic’s ruin – and, ultimately, his own destruction.

Daily Trust Editorial, Tuesday October 6, 2026 This year’s United Nations General Assembly, UNGA 81, took place against the backdrop of major global developments that have tested the capacity of statesmen and diplomats to find solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Indeed, the theme of this year’s UNGA, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all,” aptly captures the moment.

By John Mukum Mbaku Popular discontent with the performance of a president should not be grounds for a military coup A military coup d’état is the ouster of an elected president or head of state, usually through the use or threat of force. Putschists (those who participate in a coup) often justify their actions by accusing the government of mismanaging the economy and lowering living standards. Political instability is another reason coup makers give for their actions.