CONVERSATION WITH TOLA ADENIYI PART 1
TOPIC: THE FULANI QUESTION
A study in the United States entitled “Failed State 2030: Nigeria, A Case Study,” describes how a failed Nigeria may impact the United States and the global economy. The report looks at Nigeria’s more than 350 ethnic groups, 250 languages, and three distinct religious affiliations - Christian, Islamic, and animist, Nigeria’s 36 states, Nigeria’s 12 Islamic states under the strong influence of the Sokoto caliphate and concludes: “With such demographics, Nigeria's failure would be akin to a piece of fine china dropped on a tile floor - it would simply shatter into potentially hundreds of pieces.” The bottom line is that countries like the United States are preparing for the worst scenario, if Nigeria failed to transform its systems.
In this conversation Chief Tola Adeniyi interprets the antecedent of the Fulani, using it to explain the crisis of the Nigerian state. He calls on the Fulani to have a rethink or Nigeria will fail.
Chief Adeniyi has seen the best of journalism and has also experienced events that make journalists targets of the state. His sarcastic writings provoked the military to go after him, causing him to leave the country when his life was threatened. He was locked up in a guard room in 1974 for the article “Soldiers, Stones and Sanity”.
He is renowned journalist. He was Chairman and Managing Director of Daily Times of Nigeria, at the time, Africa’s largest newspaper. In 1974 at Daily Times, he became Africa’s first newspaper Ombudsman.
He acted as Editor-in-chief of the Tribune. He worked with America’s Atlanta Inquirer, Britain’s Lancashire Evening Post, and Canada’s Toronto Star. He studied English with Drama as subsidiary at the University of Ibadan where he founded the University of Ibadan Writers Club in 1967.
He holds a master degree from Lancaster University, Britain.
Note:
Recorded on 21 February 2020
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