Nigeria, Oct. 7 -- Fatih Lawal-Garu, a corps member who tracks print media content at the PRNigeria Centre in Abuja, first brought it to my attention. His question was simple, almost innocent: "Sir, who is this Abba Bichi that more than 100 pages of full-colour adverts are celebrating his 45th birthday in the print media?"

He displayed some of the newspapers supplied to the office. I immediately reached for the Daily Trust edition of Friday, 2 October.

From page two to the back, the newspaper was a birthday festival. Page after page carried congratulatory messages to one man: Abubakar Kabir Abubakar (AKA), also popularly known as Abba Bichi. Politicians, businesspeople, community leaders, associates and youth groups competed for space t...