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Category: Articles
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EPISODE TWO: WHEN THE PROMISES BROKE On the morning of January 15, 1966, Nigerians woke up to a country they no longer recognised. Before dawn, soldiers had moved through Kaduna, Lagos, Ibadan, and Enugu with stealth and precision. By the end of the day, quite a number of politicians were either missing or killed, senior…
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EPISODE ONE: The First Promises In 1960, Nigeria became independent. The euphoria was real, but fragile. Three regions, each with distinct histories and political ambitions, were suddenly asked to govern themselves under a federal system. Unity was therefore not guaranteed; democracy was only an experiment. In this context, every speech from the national stage carried…
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Every election season in Nigeria feels like a revival. You hear new slogans, see new faces but the same promises of hope. In 2014 up till 2015, a new political coalition promised “Change”, then by 2019 they moved to the “Next Level.” Today, we listen patiently to the promise of “Renewed Hope.” These promises may…
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The Sleeping Man is a gem; simple, reflective, and deeply human. It captures exactly what Obaba Museum stands for: rediscovering meaning in the stories we thought we already knew.
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When a Fuji proverb meets TikTok, even the ancestors log in.
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The shekere doesn’t just make music, it carries joy, memory, and community. Here’s what its rhythm means to me, my village, and a friend who sees it as a source of celebration and togetherness.
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Over four decades after its first strike, ASUU’s struggle with the Nigerian government feels unchanged. Now joined by CONUA, the battle raises an old question in a new era. Are students still the forgotten victims when elephants fight?
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If you have been scrolling through TikTok lately, you’ve probably heard it. Sometimes it is shouted with dramatic flair, sometimes it is whispered like a secret, sometimes it drops right at the climax of a joke. Nobody explains it. Nobody even pauses to ask what it means. But somehow, everyone gets it. I guess that…
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I recently took a Global History course, and one of the major concepts that stood out for me was the idea of total war. When I first encountered the term in Von Clausewitz’s On War, I was struck by its depth, the idea of a nation pouring out all available resources in its pursuit of…
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History has a way of turning us into hindsight experts—people who seem to know all the answers when looking back but forget the complexities of the moment. We usually tend to judge historical events and decisions with the clarity of hindsight, forgetting how unclear and uncertain things were at the time for those individuals, this term is called Retrospective Fallacy.…
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There is a common joke in Nigeria that January seems to last forever. In fact, most Nigerians joke about January being the longest and toughest month of the year. While the month does indeed have 31 days, the perception of its “length” often has little to do with the calendar. Many people enter January after the festivities…
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Watching Afamefuna recently stirred up my thoughts on the Igbo apprenticeship system. After chatting with a friend from the East, I felt compelled to write about it. The Igbo people, famously associated with business and enterprise, have nurtured this system through the centuries, with its significance surging right after the Civil War in 1970. For…
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As a curious child, I always found myself poundering over the seemingly impossible feats achieved by those who were visually impaired. How do blind people navigate the world? How do they read? These questions ignited a flame of curiosity within me. In the end, my curiosity about blind persons, especially how they read, led me…
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The emergence of the BRICS ( Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) bloc has marked a significant shift in the global economic and political landscape. This coalition, representing diverse regions and cultures, has become a formidable force challenging the traditional dominance of Western powers. The acronym BRIC was coined by economist jim O’Neil to…
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I was going through some entries for the first edition of our magazines and quite a number of them depicted vivid imageries. However, a particular essay stood out and I kept grinning while reading, I was just asking myself why I enjoyed reading it so much and here’s why. The simplicity made it so realistic…
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In this realm our voices intertwineA resilient spirit,fierce yet divineThe hustles and bustles our daily reminderThundering in our minds, no time to squander. In this prime we leave no stones unturnedBusting our moves we leave zero latches unanchoredNo yielding ground, No compromiseNo hold backs yes we strife!Oh Poverty, the end of your demise. Let it…
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It’s Thursday, the 15th of January 1970, Philip Effiong, the acting Head of State of Biafra announces the unconditional surrender of Biafra, following Ojukwu’s ‘foreign peace trip’.We’re told that Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo, GOC 3 Marine Commando Division, had earlier on received the instruments of surrender from General Effiong the previous day at Amichi village in…
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Recently my brother and I discovered a meat stall in Ojoo market where a voice keeps saying “Chicken wa Turkey wa o”, meaning there is Chicken and Turkey in Yoruba language. This messed with our heads and got me thinking on the effectiveness of sound loop in advertising. We all know sound is a powerful…
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It’s January 1, 2024. the start of another year. Incidentally this year starts on a Monday but its also a leap year. Well don’t expect me to explain why any of these may line up with any theory, I’m just fascinated by the peculiarity of the year. A leap year affords those born on February…
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The history of the Nigerian military could be traced back to the 19th century when British colonial forces first established a local presence in what is now Nigeria. In 1863, Lieutenant Glover of the Royal Navy took a significant step by selecting 18 individuals from the northern part of the country and organizing them into…
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I recently took a keen interest in military history and this led me to study the structure and organization of the military. I also did an etymology of some military words. Have you ever wondered where terms like ‘lieutenant’ and ‘colonel’ come from? Lieutenant is derived from two French words, ‘lieu’ (place) and ‘tenant’ (holding)…
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When you search for the world’s deadliest weapon, you would expect to hear the name Oppenheimer or talks about the Atomic Bomb and its devastating consequence in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However there are smaller weapons of war that has claimed more lives than all bombs ever produced. In the annals of military history, certain names…
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Some days ago I picked up a newspaper and I saw the headline, ‘Nigerians opt for cinemas ahead ageing museums’. Upon closer look at the contents of the article, I realised an underutilised sector of the economy – culture and tourism. Most of these museums are government owned, could that be the reason for the…
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In the wake of new tensions in West Africa, the Niger question seems to be a subject of discord among West African states. ECOWAS under the leadership of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has declared a military action on the new military government in Niger while other countries like Mali and Burkina Faso have declared…
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“Oops!” That was all I could say. If not that I’d decided to quit profanities then it would be more along the lines of “Shit, I’m fucked.” Nothing could have been worse, this is one of the worst days I’ve had in the history of worst days. Not like I have better days anyway and…
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Its a cool Wednesday morning in the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria. Amidst the turmoil and reorganisation characterised by military rule, a journalist currently the Editor and Managing Director of New Nigerian Newspaper sets off for a meeting with the Head of state where he’s expected to take up a new role in the newly…
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In Nigeria, two parallel worlds seemingly exist side by side – the world of informal transport, represented by the notorious “Agberos,” and the world of politics, characterized by its own complexities and dynamics. While seemingly unrelated at first glance, a closer examination reveals intriguing similarities in their modus operandi. In fact many Nigerians have been…
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While commuting in many urban cities around Nigeria one is quick to notice a significant presence of informal transport operators, colloquially known as ‘Agberos’ – a term that originates from the Yoruba language. Agbero loosely translates to “someone who helps collect passengers”. It is a Yoruba word, and as such, is written as agbèrò; re-do-do,…
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It’s really been such an exhausting week and it hasn’t even began. There’s always the tendency to get stuck in the abyss of thoughts consistently pervading one’s mind especially when the teacher strikes a cord with one of those historical allusions. My Hausa friend! My friend from the North! Adaeze nudges me as if to…
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Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a prominent activist and women’s rights advocate during Nigeria’s colonial era. She fought passionately against colonial oppression and played a crucial role in Nigeria’s struggle for independence. Ransome-Kuti was also a vocal champion of women’s rights and social justice. She founded the Abeokuta Women’s Union, which empowered women to participate in politics…
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Nigeria, has been home to numerous remarkable women who have shattered societal norms and barriers to pave the way for future generations. These female trailblazers have excelled in various fields and endeavours, leaving a lasting impact on their communities and inspiring countless individuals to reach for greatness. This article, highlights some of the most notable…
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The concept of memorials dates far back to antiquity (pauses). I just realise I sound like Prof. Noble always dropping bombastic phrases perhaps to attract admiration from his audience. Well what I simply meant to say is that keeping memorials is innate to humans. From ancient civilizations till today, the act of memorializing has served…
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Towards the last quarter of the 19th century Europe had found itself embroiled in series of alliances creating a favourable background for the World wars which later emerged. In the annals of history, few figures have left a more profound impact on the world stage than Otto Von Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor. Often credited as…
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A major feature of democratic systems is periodic change of government through election. In populated countries like Nigeria, elections are nothing short of excitement. The heightened atmosphere of anticipation and anxiety among the masses, regarding their attitude during the pre and post electoral process is always Captivating. Many will agree that the country witnessed a…
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Change, it has always been what every Nigerian expects from those in authority. Not sure if they got the information right about the whole change thing, because they actually gave change, but definitely not the change Nigerians wanted and desperately needed for themselves. They wait for four years and sometimes eight years only to be…
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It’s October 1, 1972 a beautiful Sunday morning, of course it’s also independence day in Nigeria and over two years since the end of the Civil war which sought to disintegrate the nation. The wounds from the 30 months war are still fresh and mutual suspicion abounds amongst the various ethnicities despite the Head of…
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Parade Attention! Salute! These are some of the few words of command most members of the civilian population resonate with. We sometimes wonder why the life of the Force is characterised by loud jamborees. There are of course many obvious reasons why the life of a soldier has to be regimented but today we would…
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Stress is a concept we’re all familiar with, when a strain or unnecessary pressure mounts up we say we are stressed the definition however varies from person to person or even circumstances. In linguistics stress could mean the relative emphasis that may be given to certain syllables in a word, or to certain words in…
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On May 1st every year, people in many nations of the world celebrate the fruits of hard-working men and women across the globe. It is also a time to celebrate the struggles the working class has endured to achieve its rights and freedoms – working conditions, such as working eight hours a day, fair wages…
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A collocation is a predictable combination of words. In other words collations are two or more words that often go together. This combination sound natural to a native english speakerE.g A fast train ✔️ A quick train❌ We study collocation because we want our english to be natural. How to learn collocation1. You must be…
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We’d thought they loved us.We’d thought they’d care for us.We’d thought they’d see us.See us as their creator,for we create that iron thronewith our tears, sweats and blood. Tyrannical they rule!They’d thought we’d blend with it.They’d thought we were indifferent about it.They’d thought we’d forget about it.They’d thought they’d pull the wool over our eyes.For…
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Black but still very shinny.Though you have been laughed at;Your adorable beauty remains sparklingShinning brightly like a golden cat Black who shines everywhere she goesWhy shouldn’t I be proud of you, my love?Shining brighter than silver and diamond;Clothed and adored with beautiful things of life I wish I could meet you againWhat a natural being…
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When did we have year 0? Scientists claim the earth is a few million years but we just seem to be in the two thousandth year. How is that? Before we understand the years let’s first study the Calendar. The calendar is gotten from the latin word Kalends which also evolved from Calere which literally…
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It’s been two decades since grandpa Sam departed to the great beyond, however I still get this nostalgic feeling of our conversation, how Vershima seems to take over the discussion and all. But today feels real like it were a physical presence. I wake up to the cockcrow which seem to pick the darkest hour…
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Thirty days hath September, April, June and November… Why do some months have thirty days, others thirty one and one twenty nine days? There used to be only ten months in a year and the first month of the year was March. A month was measured by how long it took to sight a full…
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Seven days in a week,365 days in a year,Monday, Mardi, Mercredi, Jeudi, Vendredi, Saturday, Sunday. Don’t worry, I didn’t mix up the names from my language classes. On the contrary I like uniformity – seems ironic right? Hold on, you’ll find out why I used the French equivalent of these days soon. Why do we…
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60 seconds make 1 minute60 minutes make 1 hour24 hours make 1 day 7 days make 1 week4+ weeks make 1 month.30(1) days make 1 month12 months make 1 year365(6) days make 1 year That list up there, you’ve believed it your whole life, you’ve designed your future, goals, accomplishments and everything in your life…
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Obaba: In liberal democratic systems, there are two modes of mass representation. One is Political parties (and the electoral process) while the other is pressure groups. For the purpose of our discussion we would be focusing on the latter (pressure groups). So what are pressure groups? Joan: A pressure group is an organization that tries…
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A season of gifts and expression of love; exactly what humans need to remind them that there is still someone that cares about them. I would like to get something right, is February 14th only for lovers or to show love to people who lack a feeling of love around them? Come to think of…
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The idea of history and the past are two different things – the past has happened and cannot be changed, however, history is constantly redefined. Because it is an intellectual discipline it undergoes constant revisions because every generation rewrites history focusing on different interests relevant to the current trends (modern concerns). E.H Carr defines it…
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