Connected Development

As Connected Development [CODE] marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, we are reminded that silence is not neutral, it is complicity.

In our latest piece by Program Officer Amarachi Ogbonn, Ph.D., we explore why conflict-related sexual violence remains one of Nigeria’s most hidden and enduring wounds.

Ending this crisis demands more than annual statements. It requires survivor-centred healthcare, trauma-informed support, accountable justice systems, and communities willing to listen rather than look away.

Read the full piece on our blog. 🔗 https://www.connecteddevelopment.org/the-quietest-casualties-of-war-breaking-the-silence-around-conflict-related-sexual-violence-in-nigeria/

This week on The Development Blindspot Series, we examine the education problem hiding behind Nigeria’s unemployment headlines.

A nationwide study of 1,800 graduates and 600 employers found a 60.6% skills mismatch rate, with gaps in communication, IT, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship. The hidden driver? Curriculum outdated, misaligned with industry, and underfunded in the sectors actually hiring: tech, renewable energy, logistics, agribusiness.

👉 Swipe through every card. Then ask yourself: when was the curriculum in your schools or tertiary institutions last reviewed with employers at the table, and who is responsible for making sure that happens?

Three years ago, a bowl of rice cost ₦600. Today, it’s ₦2,000. A bag of water increased from ₦150 to ₦500. Petrol jumped from ₦198 to ₦1,320. That’s a 566% increase that didn't stay at the pump; it followed you to the market, your gas cylinder, and your child’s plate.

These are not estimates. They are figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, and they tell a story this administration has refused to acknowledge: that the cost of these policy decisions has been paid in full by the poorest Nigerians.

Three years in, silence is not neutrality. While we track what power ignores, we all must acknowledge that accountability does not begin in Abuja. It starts when citizens know the numbers and refuse to look away.

What has the squeeze cost you? Share your experience in the comments. 👇

“A democracy without accountability is just an illusion.”

Since December 2025, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) monthly disbursement reports have not been made publicly available. This is not a minor administrative lapse; it is a transparency crisis.

FAAC data is the primary public tool for tracking how Nigeria’s shared national revenue flows across federal, state, and local government levels. When this data is withheld, citizens lose the evidence needed for civic engagement, civil society loses tools for credible advocacy, and the media loses a vital resource for accountability.

Transparency is not a favour that governments extend to citizens; it is a constitutional obligation.

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and all relevant authorities must, as a matter of shared responsibility, immediately resume full and timely public disclosure of FAAC disbursement data. Fiscal openness is not optional; it is the foundation of responsible governance.