News
World leaders are getting older—except in democracies
Advances in medicine over the past 50 years have allowed leaders to live longer, with 11 autocrats today aged over 75.
(The Economist)
▪︎UGC by Ohibaba.com
The advanced age of many world leaders came into sharp focus in 2024 when 81-year-old Joe Biden was pressed to withdraw from America’s presidential race over concerns about his mental acuity. Americans then elected Donald Trump who, at 78, is no spring chicken.
Mr Biden is far from the world’s oldest leader. Paul Biya, who has led Cameroon since 1982, is now 91 years old. Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ⁷2.
The world’s two most populous countries, China and India, also have leaders in their 70s.Going into 2025, the world’s leaders are, on average, older than ever. Over the past five decades, the average age of all leaders has risen from 55 to 62.
The trend in democratic countries, however, is the opposite. The average age of freely elected leaders is 59, a bit younger than fifty years ago.
In 1975, no democratic country’s leader was under 45. Today, three are.Some are older, too: in 1975, no leader of a democratic country was older than 75.
Now five have passed this milestone, including Mr Biden and his successor.America is an outlier among democracies. Not only is it electing older presidents, its legislators are the oldest in the world.
The new administration is unlikely to change that.Meanwhile, the worldwide trend toward ageing leaders is largely being driven by autocracies.
The average dictator is now 64—12 years older than in 1975. This isn’t surprising, as autocratic leaders have historically been reluctant to give up power.
Advances in medicine over the past 50 years have allowed leaders to live longer, with 11 autocrats today aged over 75.
But the same forces letting leaders live longer affect the general population, too.
While the average leader is seven years older than 50 years ago, the average age of citizens has risen by eleven years.Older leaders are not necessarily a problem.
Experience can bring wisdom. But slowing down, physically and mentally, is inevitable with age.
Research has found older politicians are less concerned with the needs of the young, and spend less on child welfare and more on benefits for seniors.
The increase in life expectancy around the world, together with the stalling of birth rates, means that leaders have on average become more like the populations they govern.
In the years ahead, expect world leaders to become increasingly grey.
In 1975 the average age gap between leaders and their subjects was 42 years; now it is 39. But the rest of the world will be greying with them.
News
Senate confirms Oyedele as minister
During the screening, Oyedele proffered solutions to getting out of the various economic issues in the country.
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Taiwo Oyedele as Minister of State for Finance.
His confirmation comes after two hours of screening as lawmakers grilled him on various aspects of the economy.
Oyedele’s screening followed a motion moved by Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate leader, after he called for the suspension of the Senate rule to allow strangers to come into the chamber.
During the screening, Oyedele proffered solutions to getting out of the various economic issues in the country.
Oyedele was escorted to the chamber by Bashir Lado, the Special Adviser to the President on the National Assembly ( Senate), alongside others.
His screening followed President Bola Tinubu’s letter to the Senate on Tuesday, requesting his confirmation as a minister.
Tinubu had, on March 3, nominated Oyedele, who currently serves as chairman of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, as Minister of State for Finance.
News
Tinubu appoints Lamido Yuguda as CBN’s Deputy Governor
Lamido Yuguda’s last public post was as director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a position he held from 2020 to 2024.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Lamido Abubakar Yuguda as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
The appointment is in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
The President charges Yuguda to discharge his responsibilities with renewed dedication, professionalism, and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth.
Lamido Yuguda’s last public post was as director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a position he held from 2020 to 2024.
He is an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, where he graduated in 1983 with a B.Sc. in Accountancy.
In 1991, he obtained a master’s degree in Money, Banking and Finance from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a CFA charterholder.
He began his career in 1984 at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as a Senior Supervisor in the Foreign Operations Department.
He also worked as an economist in the Africa Department of the International Monetary Fund from 1997 to 2001, when he returned to the CBN.
He retired from the CBN in 2016, after he had served as Director of the Reserve Management Department for six years.
News
JUST IN: IGP Disu Assigns Portfolios to New DIGs
DIG Zachariah Fera Achinyan has been deployed to Legal Services, DIG Zango Ibrahim Baba to Research and Planning, and DIG Isyaku Mohammed to Training and Development departments.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu has assigned the new Deputy Inspectors -General of Police (DIGs) their duties responsibilities.
Sources said that the DIGs were assigned departments based on their areas of competence.
DIG Zachariah Fera Achinyan has been deployed to Legal Services,
DIG Zango Ibrahim Baba to Research and Planning, and DIG Isyaku Mohammed to Training and Development departments.
Similarly, DIG Margaret Agebe Ochalla has been posted to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID);
DIG Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman to Finance and Accounts; DIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie will oversee the Force Intelligence Department (FID); DIG Fayoade Adegoke will head Information and Communication Technology, while DIG Umar Shehu Nadada has been posted to Operations departments.
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