Who Sexism Help?
Nigeria has gotten rid of one of its most sexist laws but it's about to make another crazy law.
A very feminist good morning to you, Big Brains. If you notice that the sun is brighter today, it’s because patriarchy took a major L over the weekend. I can’t think of a better way to start the week.
This Week’s Big Question: “If money was not a problem, what would you spend the rest of your life doing?” Share your response with us here and we might feature it in the newsletter :) so be on the lookout.
— As always, I’m Margaret, and it’s nice to be in your inbox again.
Let’s get into the big news you missed during the weekend:
Court of Appeal rules against a law that permits dismissal of unmarried police women
Nigeria will likely ban P2P crypto trading due to national security worries
Nigerian Singer Makes History, Dethroning Beyoncé On the US Hot Country Songs Chart
The Big Deal
Court of Appeal Rules Against Law That Permits Dismissal Of Unmarried Policewomen
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has declared that Regulations 126 and 127 of the Nigerian Police law — which allowed the dismissal of unmarried policewomen who became pregnant while on duty — unlawful.
The Backstory
Section 127 says that an unmarried female police officer who becomes pregnant will be dismissed from the police force and can't be rehired unless the Inspector General of Police (IG) approves. This was the rule used by the Ekiti State Police Command to justify dismissing Miss Olajide Omolola, a pregnant police constable, in January 2021 for allegedly violating police rules and regulations.
Miss Olajide took the case to court, arguing that she was discriminated against because male police officers in similar situations were not dismissed. Falana & Falana filed the lawsuit on her behalf, listing the Nigerian Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, and the Police Service Commission as defendants.
The court awarded Miss Olajide ₦5,000,000 for being wrongfully denied the opportunity to serve in the Nigerian Police because of a discriminatory law. However, her request to be reinstated as a police officer was rejected because she was on probation at the time of her dismissal.
This case sparked public debate and drew the interest of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) who filed a case against discriminatory practices in the Nigerian Police Force on February 15, 2021. They wanted the court to decide whether Regulations 126 and 127 violated Sections 37 (which protects the privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communications) and 42 (which guarantees freedom from discrimination) of the Nigerian Constitution.
How it went…
After three years, the law used to dismiss Miss Olajide has been ruled illegal by a three-judge panel at the Court of Appeal. Ruling in favour of the NBA, the panel directed the Attorney General of the Federation, the Police Service Commission, and the Nigerian Police Force to review their regulations to align with modern society and the rule of law.
Justice Oyewole pointed out that the regulations did not uphold morality and discipline, as they only targeted female officers while male officers remained unaffected. He emphasised that such discrimination was unacceptable in a modern, democratic society governed by the rule of law.
Nigeria Will Likely P2P Crypto Trading Due to National Security Worries
Adding to the long list of “Nigeria makes the most interesting decisions,” the National Security Advisor (NSA) is planning to categorise crypto trading as a threat to national security. This could mean an upcoming crackdown on peer-to-peer (P2P) crypto transactions. According to reports from TechCabal, major Nigerian fintech companies, like Moniepoint, Paga, and Palmpay, will start blocking accounts involved in crypto transactions and report such transactions to law enforcement.
Moniepoint CEO Tosin Eniolorunda mentioned that the NSA's decision is expected to lead to new regulations banning peer-to-peer crypto trading. He also hinted that an official announcement is likely on the way.
This could come off as surprising to Nigerians, given that the Central Bank of Nigeria lifted a two-year ban on crypto transactions in December 2023, suggesting the country had become ‘pro-crypto’.
But 2024 hit the CBN hard as it continues to find ways to strengthen the naira. The Central Bank claims that crypto traders are using this peer-to-peer trading to weaken the currency through illegal schemes, hence the ban.
In February 2024, Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso accused Binance of processing $26 billion in untraceable transactions. This led to the freezing of more than 1,000 bank accounts connected to peer-to-peer transactions.
Why Should You Care?
If you rely on crypto as a means of transaction or investment, this potential ban might force you to rely on other sources for your investment or transaction needs. The ban might also affect the economy by either strengthening (as CBN predicts) or weakening the naira.
Nigerian Singer Makes History by Dethroning Beyoncé On the US Hot Country Songs Chart
What Nigerians cannot do doesn’t exist.
Nigerian-American singer Collins Obinna Chibueze, known as Shaboozey, has made history by topping the US Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and climbing to number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. This achievement dethroned Beyoncé's “Texas Hold Em” from its position.
Shaboozey, who got his stage name from a mispronunciation of his surname, 'Chibueze,' meaning "God is King" in Igbo, is quickly becoming one of the most streamed black country musicians. His growth is impressive, as he went from number 6 to number 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart in just two weeks. His success follows Beyoncé's record-breaking achievement as the first black woman to top the chart, marking the first time two Black artists have consecutively led the chart.
Shaboozey's recent accomplishments include collaborating with Beyoncé on two tracks from her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter: “Spaghetti” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin”.
As expected, Nigerians are excited about Shaboozey's success; his win is our win. However, Black Americans are not as impressed; according to them, a Nigerian artist in country music might not fully understand or appreciate the genre's deep significance to Black American culture. Nonetheless, Shaboozey's rise in country music represents a new chapter in the genre's evolution and let’s just say Nigerians have earned new bragging rights.
The Big Picks
5 simple and effective ways to love your Mondays: Monday does not necessarily need to be the most miserable day of the week, especially when you decide to make it fun for yourself. If these tips work for you, you owe us a referral.
Israel To ‘Close’ Al Jazeera TV – Netanyahu: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that his government will be shutting down Al Jazeera. This decision can be traced back to an existing disagreement between his administration and the news channel.