Publications
Four decades of journalism — columns, features, analysis, and books. From Lagos to London, and everywhere in between.
Most Recent
Latest Articles
Tribute to a Visionary
A moving tribute to one of Nigeria's quiet giants — a leader whose vision outlasted the noise of politics and left a legacy worth honouring.
Read on Vanguard ↗Senator Warns Tinubu Over Democracy After Benin Intervention Row
Senator Dickson challenges the Tinubu administration as concerns grow over Nigeria's democratic norms in the wake of the Benin military intervention debate.
Read on The Africa Report ↗Regular Column
Vanguard
Psychological Warfare!
When government communicates by confusion, the people suffer. Donu examines the art of the spin and who is really winning Nigeria's information war.
Read Article ↗The King of Nigeria!
An unflinching look at executive overreach and the creeping concentration of power in Abuja — and what ordinary Nigerians must demand in response.
Read Article ↗Why Nigeria is Almost a One-Party State
Defections, suppression, and the slow death of political opposition. Donu Kogbara traces how Nigeria's democratic space is quietly shrinking.
Read Article ↗Tax Reform Issues
The debate around Nigeria's tax reform bills cuts to the heart of federalism, fairness, and the future of revenue sharing in a fractured nation.
Read Article ↗A Privileged Insight
After an extraordinary conversation with Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, Donu reflects on leadership, reform, and what Nigeria could learn.
Read Article ↗Trump Gains Fans in Nigeria!
Against all expectations, Donald Trump's return to power has found a surprising constituency in Nigeria. Donu explores the reasons why.
Read Article ↗An Interesting Perspective
Using Simpson's Paradox to interrogate Nigeria's headline inflation figures — and what the statistics are hiding from the average Nigerian household.
Read Article ↗Igbophobia Revisited
Returning to one of her most discussed topics, Donu revisits the discrimination faced by Igbo Nigerians — and why this conversation still matters.
Read Article ↗Farewell to Ahmed the Great
A personal farewell to a towering figure — remembering the man behind the public persona, and what his passing means for those who knew him.
Read Article ↗I Am a Born Again Obidient!
As Labour Party legislators flee to the APC, Donu reflects on the promise of the Obidient movement — and whether its spirit can survive the betrayals.
Read Article ↗Goodbye, Dear
A tribute to Onyeka Onwenu — the singer, actress, and activist who defined a generation. An intimate reflection from someone who knew her well.
Read Article ↗Contributing Writer
The Africa Report
Tensions Mount in Peter Obi's Labour Party as Factions Clash
Deep fault lines inside Nigeria's Labour Party threaten to fracture the opposition movement that gave millions of Nigerians hope in 2023.
Read Article ↗Herbert Wigwe: The Rivers Boy With the Midas Touch
A profile of the late Access Bank CEO — a son of the Niger Delta who built a financial empire and left a legacy that Nigeria is still reckoning with.
Read Article ↗Nyesom Wike: The Rivers Kingpin Turned Minister of Nigeria's FCT
An intimate portrait of Nyesom Wike — arguably Nigeria's most polarising political figure — and what his appointment as FCT Minister really means.
Read Article ↗Nigeria: Will Tinubu Be Sworn In on Monday?
On the eve of Nigeria's most contested inauguration in years, Donu Kogbara assesses the mood, the stakes, and what a Tinubu presidency means for the country.
Read Article ↗Nigeria 2023: The Stage Is Set for a Huge Melodrama
With three serious candidates and an electorate hungry for change, Nigeria's 2023 election promised to be unlike anything the country had seen before.
Read Article ↗Nigeria: The Ogoni Four Lives Matter!
Decades after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine, justice remains elusive. Donu Kogbara revisits the case of the Ogoni Four — still imprisoned.
Read Article ↗Beyond the Regular Column
Other Publications
In Print
Memoir
Pepper & Petrol: A Nigerian Life
Donu Kogbara
Forthcoming
By Donu Kogbara
Pepper & Petrol: A Nigerian Life
Memoirs of a Journalist, Communicator, and Witness to History
From the newsrooms of London to the corridors of Abuja; from the BBC World Service to the oil-soaked creeks of the Niger Delta — this is the story of a life lived at the intersection of journalism, politics, and Nigerian public life. Donu Kogbara writes with the candour of someone who has seen too much to be polite, and the warmth of someone who loves her country in spite of everything.