Research & Publications
Copy and Paste Governance: Why Borrowed Policies Fail African Realities
Olubunmi Ayantunji takes readers on a compelling journey into one of Africa's most enduring governance challenges: why do some imported policy solutions spark progress, while others, despite the best intentions, fail to create meaningful change? Drawing on compelling case studies, historical examples, and practical policy insights, Ayantunji examines how governance models, institutions, and development strategies cross borders and shape outcomes across Africa. Essential reading for policymakers, public servants, academics, students, and development practitioners.
Minutes from the Roundtable
This literature is a compilation of practical recommendations stemming from the highly cerebral sessions of The Policy Roundtable. A "not for profit", policy conversation centered organization, headquatered in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.
Research & Publications Index
Peer-reviewed articles, working papers, legislative drafts, policy briefs, and Side Walk Parliament newsletters on governance, legislative drafting, and public administration across Nigeria and Canada.
- 01October 2026
Mottley’s Moral Math: Rethinking Africa’s Global Voice
The quoted words above are excerpts from the powerful address delivered by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados at the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly on 24 September 2026. I may be late to the conversation, but some moments demand reflection no matter when we choose to engage them.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentCivic ParticipationNewsletter[ "Newsletter", "Side Walk Parliament", "Civic Participation" ]Newsletter Issue - 02February 2026
ACT! — Power, Agency, and Civic Participation
Our problems are not just leaders consolidating power, but the creeping normalization of apathy. A call to civic agency, active participation, and democratic renewal.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentCivic ParticipationNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 03January 2026
Happy New Year from Venezuela!
Stirring civic curiosity and critical reflection on global governance, economic policies, and institutional realities observed through international perspectives.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentGlobal GovernanceNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 04March 2026
Happy International Women's Day
Looking beyond immediate circles to call for systemic inclusion, gender-responsive policy reform, and legislative equity in democratic governance.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentGender EquityNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 05April 2026
Let’s talk about “Authoritarian Nostalgia”
Examining the psychological and political phenomenon of authoritarian nostalgia—why citizens in transitioning democracies sometimes yearn for past strongman regimes.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentDemocratic GovernanceNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 06May 2026
SOS from South Sudan
While the world’s attention gravitates toward familiar theatres of war, far less is said about the humanitarian emergencies unfolding quietly in South Sudan and across vulnerable regions.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentHumanitarian PolicyNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 07July 2025
Leadership Can Save Lives or Destroy Them
A critical reflection on executive authority, moral courage in public office, and how leadership decisions hold the direct power to protect lives or inflict systemic devastation.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentLeadershipNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 08December 2025
Isolationism: Can Nations Survive Alone?
Closing borders triggers global shockwaves. Analyzing how economic protectionism, immigration barriers, and isolationist foreign policies undermine multilateral resilience.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentForeign PolicyNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 09November 2025
Brick by Brick: The Quiet Art of Public Service Innovation
Breaking down bureaucratic inertia through the quiet, persistent craft of incremental public sector innovation and institutional governance.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentPublic ServiceNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 10October 2025
Wars, Diplomacy, and (Foreign) Policy
A country that shows discipline rather than aggression signals confidence in its strength. Examining international diplomacy, deterrence, and strategic foreign policy.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentDiplomacyNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 11October 2025
Policy Paralysis and the Price of Inaction
Institutions crumble gradually through complacency and administrative inertia. Examining the profound economic and social costs of policy paralysis in public governance.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentPolicy AnalysisNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 12September 2025
When Sport Divides, Who Really Wins?
Examining controversy at the US Open and what happens when international athletic competition intersects with geopolitical polarization and civic division.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentCulture & SocietyNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 13August 2025
The World Could Use Some Peace
The world could use some peace… and it starts with the leaders you elect. Exploring how citizen responsibility in elections dictates war, peace, and human dignity.
NewsletterSide Walk ParliamentPeace & LeadershipNewsletterSide Walk Parliament NewsletterNewsletter Issue - 142024
The Plastic Bags Prohibition and Management Bill
A Bill for an Act to prohibit the manufacture, importation, sale, and use of plastic bags for commercial and household packaging in Nigeria, to mandate retailer provision of paper alternatives, and to address plastic waste accumulation and environmental degradation. Structured and drafted for parliamentary consideration in Nigeria's National Assembly.
Legislative DraftingEnvironmental PolicyStatutory ReformNational AssemblyPolicy Brief / Legislative DraftNational Assembly of Nigeria · Legislative Drafting CommitteeLegislative Draft - 15July 2023
Nigeria's Cashless Transition: How Long Will it Take?
Despite Central Bank policies dating from 2012 cash fees to the 2021 eNaira launch, cash accounted for 90% of Nigerian transactions until the late-2022 currency redesign and cash scarcity crisis forced a rapid shift. On Episode 4 of The Africa Hour, Olubunmi Ayantunji joins TechPoint's Chimgozirim Nwokoma and SBM Intelligence's Kelechukwu Ogu to examine the structural roadblocks to a cashless economy and the policy steps needed next.
Cashless EconomyeNairaDigital GovernanceAPRIEssay / MediaThe Africa Hour Podcast (APRI)Podcast / Essay - 16April 2022
The Role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Strengthening the Budgeting Process in Nigeria
This research examines the accountability works of Civil Society Organizations in strengthening the budget process in the 9th National Assembly in Nigeria and identifies the factors militating against openness and transparency in legislative budgeting. Drawing on primary survey data and structured interviews, the study assesses institutional hurdles, bureaucratic cooperation, and technical monitoring capacity, proposing focused networking and reform measures for civil society engagement.
Budgeting ProcessCivil SocietyLegislative AccountabilityNILDSReport / Working PaperNational Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) RepositoryOpen access - 17October 2021
My Mission is to Change the Narrative, Ignite Sense of Patriotism in Youths
In this THISDAY Politics feature, Olubunmi Ayantunji, legal practitioner and convener of The Policy Roundtable, discusses transitioning from corporate legal practice to public policy, demystifying complex governance frameworks for everyday citizens, and igniting patriotism and active civic engagement among young Nigerians to overcome political apathy.
Civic EngagementYouth AdvocacyThe Policy RoundtableTHISDAYEssay / MediaTHISDAYLiveMedia Feature