Na man you be, no be God
AU is dragging Trump for his latest travel bans
Good morning, Big Brains. I hope today’s edition of the newsletter finds you in oversized tees and comfy sweatpants. We’ve finally come to the end of another round of capitalism!
- Margaret
Word count: ~ 1,100
Reading time ~ 6 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
AU is dragging Trump for his latest travel bans
Developers want Tinubu to sell Emefiele’s estate and invest in inclusive housing projects
The Big Deal
AU is dragging Trump for his latest travel bans
Every Nigerian has experienced at least one humbling “na man you be, no be God” moment, and as sad as it is, the African Union (AU) is having one right now.
On Wednesday, June 4, US President Donald Trump placed a travel ban on 12 countries, including Somalia, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea and Libya. He also temporarily banned countries like Togo, Sierra Leone and Burundi from entering the United States of America. He swears the ban is nothing personal and was done for “security reasons.”
The AU, on the other hand, isn’t buying it. In a statement released on Thursday, June 5, the union said the ban could mess with decades of hard-earned “people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and broader diplomatic relations.” Basically, everything that makes international relations with the US work could be affected.
The ban was reportedly triggered by a flamethrower attack at a Jewish protest in Colorado carried out by an Egyptian man. As ironic as it might sound, Egypt didn’t make the ban list.
The AU is now begging for dialogue, calling on the US to consider a “consultative approach” instead of just imposing bans on African countries. We’re not sure Trump will buy into the idea, but he’s always been a man of surprises, so who knows?
Why is this a big deal?
2025 has been a rough year for Nigerians with immigration dreams, and even though Trump’s ban doesn’t directly affect us, the president’s history gives us reasons to believe that it’s still a possibility.
During Trump’s first term as president, he introduced travel bans on some African countries, but that list didn’t affect Nigeria until January 2020. His reasons for the ban were similar to the ones that are being recycled now — they didn’t meet the US’s security and information sharing standards. Nigerians were still allowed to visit the country as tourists or temporary residents, but certain visa restrictions made it impossible to reside there permanently.
The 2020 ban wasn’t exactly one anyone saw coming, especially because Nigeria had never been listed in any terrorism-related threats to the United States. If history is anything to go by, President Trump might choose to extend his security concerns to countries like Nigeria again.
AU is right to be concerned because this isn’t exactly a thing of joy for the continent. African students hoping to study in the US could lose out on scholarships and admissions. Families already separated by borders may be forced to stay apart even longer, and moving abroad to “start a new life” could go from difficult to impossible with one Trump decree.
And given the way the American president has been moving lately, even if your country is not on the list today, the possibility of being added tomorrow is still very real.
Developers want Tinubu to sell Emefiele’s estate and invest in inclusive housing projects
It’s been a minute since the federal government announced that it will be selling the duplexes recovered from Godwin Emefiele, the former CBN governor, who became a regular customer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). We’re still waiting on the details of how the sales would work, but the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN) is proposing some ideas you might like.
REDAN put out a quick advice to the government to use this opportunity to make housing accessible to everyday Nigerians by reinvesting the proceeds from the sale of the seized 753-unit estate into building more affordable homes.
There’s a chance that this asset could become another elite land grab, but if the government follows REDAN’s advice of making the sale work in favour of low-income individuals, 12 million Nigerians might get a fair shot at becoming homeowners.
The president has already set up a committee that is expected to assess everything, from the structural integrity of the buildings to the infrastructure cost and how the estate fits into the Renewed Hope Agenda on Housing. But we’re leaning more towards REDAN’s idea because the president’s homeownership plans are too expensive to serve low-income Nigerians. It would be pointless if the people who need these houses cannot benefit from this recovery sale.
We hope the government takes the I in inclusivity seriously this time.
Your next big read
→“I Had ₦37 Million Saved But Exchange Rate Almost Ended My Japa Plans Before They Started”: *Tobi (24) knows all about being bankrolled by financially comfortable parents, and he has his car, fancy apartment, and bank account to show for it. But after months of navigating unemployment in Nigeria, he decided to chase an international degree. In this story, he shares how Nigeria’s exchange rate almost put his dreams on hold.
→8 Nigerian Muslims on How to Celebrate Eid al-Adha (aka Sallah/Ileya): The Eid al-Adha (aka Sallah/Ileya) holiday is this weekend, and we have assembled a panel of Nigerian Muslims to help you plan this holiday.
The Big Picks
FG Blames Climate Change, Unregulated Buildings For Mokwa Flood: The Federal Government has said that the flood in Mokwa town in Niger State was primarily caused by heavy rainfall due to extreme weather conditions occasioned by climate change, unregulated buildings, construction activities, and poor drainage infrastructure.
Reps Committee Raises Alarm As Audit Reveals Missing ₦250bn From Public Coffers: The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has raised concerns over the disappearance of over ₦250 billion in public funds, as uncovered by reports from the Auditor-General of the Federation.
This Week’s Big Question
“You’re campaigning for presidency in 2027, which Nigerian politician would you go to for advice?”
Oluwaseyi’s response - “I hate to say it, but the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, will be my advisor. He reminds me of Severus Snape from Harry Potter. He won't make me win 100%, but he'd destroy my opposition's chances, and that's a win for me.”
You can also share your response here, and if it’s as interesting as Oluwaseyi’s, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
Take a quiz before you leave
What Crazy Book Title Accurately Describes Your Life Right Now?: Share your results and tag us on social media.
Play catch up
Haven’t you learned anything?
A poetic Nigerian once said the solution to every problem in this country is a nice bag of rice, and the federal government keeps proving that person right. It’s been a week since an intense flood affected over 1000 people in Mokwa, Niger state and the government is finally stepping up to help the victims.