Category: NYSC

Kemi Adeosun: Beyond a Resignation

Kemi Adeosun: Beyond a Resignation

It is no longer news that Mrs Folakemi Adeosun is no longer the Nigerian Minister of Finance. If like Jesus on the way to Emmaus, you are unaware of the events surrounding her exit, you might want to read the Premium Times (PT) article that set off the stack of dominoes. While Nigerians continue discussing her exit, amidst insinuations that the announcement was timed to obfuscate President Buhari’s latest SSS appointment, my view is that her resignation should not be an end in itself but rather, the start of a reflective process.  Continue reading “Kemi Adeosun: Beyond a Resignation” →

Memories from Kaduna [2]

In addition to the weekly tests, I decided to tackle the problem of fear by organizing tutorials for maths and physics. The initial plan was to bring all the senior students in Fadan Karshi’s two secondary schools to one location for the tutorial. For this, I requested approval from NYSC to run this community tutorial as a personal CDS (Community Development Service) project Continue reading “Memories from Kaduna [2]” →

Memories from Kaduna

“You have to redeploy. Find your way back home”. This aptly sums up the reactions of several friends and family members when they heard I was posted to the north. With Boko Haram making the news regularly, only a “fewish” few spoke nicely of Kaduna, and encouraged me to make the best of the service year. Today, certificate in hand, I can look back at one year of my life, and say it was a worthwhile experience. Here are my memoirs from the “Centre of Learning”. Continue reading “Memories from Kaduna” →

Education’s Relative Value

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 ViMP 2016 Experience

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” →

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” →

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” →

October 1 is Christmas Day

When it’s Christmas season, one doesn’t need to be told. The decorations, the excitement that chokes the air, the giving of gifts, visits and lots more proclaim the Christmas season. Christmas is in December, right? What if you were told that for a community in northern Nigeria, October 1 has more “swag” than December 25? You would say it’s a Muslim community. Wrong! This community is more than 90% Christian. Yet for them, October 1 is “Christmas”. Continue reading “October 1 is Christmas Day” →