Never Quite An Insider.
A Nigerian memoir.
Twenty years of running multiple businesses in Nigeria qualifies me to write an instructive memoir. Indeed, having blown the whistle on corruption in one multi-national, faced two years of threats and intimidation in the ‘wild east’ of Aba and then sought to change the course of one of Nigeria’s highest profile corporates, I believe I have insights that have value. Throw in some humour and a willingness to tackle controversial subjects and I present you with an unusual account of this misunderstood society and my love affair with it.
Amb. Patrick Dele Cole. February 4, 1940 – October 17, 2026
One of the great privileges of my time in Nigeria was to make the acquaintance and even friendship with the like of Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole, ‘PDC’ or Uncle Dele as we admirers called him. The obituaries I have read focus understandably on his many faceted public...
Screw the alliteration. Just Bonkers in Marseilles.
Well, we did manage a few pleasant hours of normality yet even those hours of strolling in the Mediterranean sunshine contained the distant foreboding of police sirens. We had no inkling that in a few hours we would be hiding in doorways while the gentilhommes of the...
Chlorobenzylidene Malononitriled in Marseilles *
How are few old mates’ reunion weekend in Marseilles was hijacked by rioting students, tear gassing gendarmes, a crazy chef and a Trmpist pilgrom!
Easter in Ireland 2026 #17 – Listowel & John B Keane’s (Pt2)
As I walked in Phil was at the bar with two elegant ladies drinking red wine. Before I was a few steps in Phil said to her guests, ‘let me introduce you to this nice young man, Keith.” Apart from the frisson of pleasure at being called young, it was lovely that she...
About
Keith Richards
A book. A Column, Another book. A blog. There is too much racism, injustice, environmental damage, hypocrisy and the like out there to stay silent. So I am not going to. Because I can – and I care enough to want to.
Read more →My book
Outsider Inside.
Having harboured a desire to write for half a lifetime, BusinessDay gave me the opportunity with a weekly column. In 2007 these comments on Nigerian business, politics and society were collected and published. Many of them are as relevant to day as they were then.
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