It’s another Easter Day, a day primarily recognized by Christians, but like Christmas, now kind of widespread. For some, Easter is synonymous with eggs and the Easter Bunny (quite a link!) For some others, it is a celebration of the cornerstone of Christianity. On this Easter Day, I want to talk about something not necessarily linked to Easter, but affecting a good number of professed Christians. Continue reading “Easter Reflections”
Articles
The New Face of Sycophancy
When Tomichan Matheikal said, “History is replete with blunders written by sycophants”, he must have had Nigeria in mind. A school of thought argues that history always repeats itself. Truly, the Nigerian political sphere is a prime example of efficient recycling—there is nothing new under the sun. Continue reading “The New Face of Sycophancy”
Rivers of Blood: A Clash of Egos
Somewhere, right now, a mother is weeping for her slain child, siblings are crying for their brother, a father is feigning composure over the headless corpse of his son. The mourners’ crime is very grievous. They had the effrontery to be either present, or have a relative present in Rivers State in an election season. Accordingly, the megalomaniac politicians have executed their punishment—the rivers flow with blood, not water. Continue reading “Rivers of Blood: A Clash of Egos”
Education’s Relative Value
At face value, education is “hyped” as being very important. Civil society organisations and other groups routinely buttress the value of education, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where millions are related to poverty. Even the usually detached government has decreed compulsory basic education. Despite all the uproar about education, some persons still see it as valueless. For them, formal education is an albatross best avoided if one has the means. Continue reading “Education’s Relative Value”
The Fast Way or the Stable Way?
In the course of an intensive week at the Lagos Business School, several speakers hammered on two possible life choices—one that prioritized making money and another that prioritized making impact. Their views quickly came to mind a day later when I encountered a lady who had already made her choice. Continue reading “The Fast Way or the Stable Way?”
The ViMP 2016 Experience
From 6-12 March, a period spanning one week, 52 young Nigerians were camped together, and had the privilege of learning at the prestigious Lagos Business School. The participants were a motley crew selected from different states in Nigeria, with diverse academic backgrounds. Some were youth corps members, while others had just completed their service year. The common thread linking the participants was their high-flying nature. Each person was smart, had some form of leadership experience, and I had the privilege of being part of them. Continue reading “The ViMP 2016 Experience”
#FreeEse: When The Constitution Is Not Supreme
Over the years, some incidents in Nigeria have tried to portray it as a theatre of the absurd. Periodically, news reports spring up, bewildering many Nigerians who wonder if the main characters lack commonsense, and the decency to save Nigerians the shame of watching foolish dramas. The #FreeEse incident is a quintessential example of a lot that is wrong in Nigeria. Continue reading “#FreeEse: When The Constitution Is Not Supreme”
Culture-Veiled Mistakes
Malcolm Gladwell in his book, “Outliers”, examined the effects of culture and environment on individuals’ actions, responses, thoughts and mannerisms. He showed that even seemingly mundane matters are influenced by these two factors. In the little time spent in different parts of Nigeria, I have seen that the way mistakes are viewed and handled leans heavily on a cultural support. Continue reading “Culture-Veiled Mistakes”
Simply #BuyNaijaToGrowNaira?
When faced with a problem, the human mind is designed to analyze the problem, think of a possible solution, and implement such solution. While this approach works most times, sometimes, the complexity of a challenge creates a scenario where no simplistic solution exists. Rather, an effective solution considers the links between all the factors at play, and is at best, a line-of-best-fit. The Nigerian economy faces such a complex challenge; there is no simple solution—not even the patriotic purchase of local products. Continue reading “Simply #BuyNaijaToGrowNaira?”
Leaders of Never
“Youths are the leaders of tomorrow.”
“Youths are the future leaders.”
Presumably, every person older than a toddler has heard these quotes or any of their numerous cousins. It is ingrained in the human consciousness that every generation will at some point be replaced by a younger one. However, for many youths, tomorrow remains elusive, perpetually unreachable because they never realize that tomorrow starts now. Continue reading “Leaders of Never”
Jilomes 