Author: Osmund Agbo
Unless you’re a technophile or involved in trading stocks, chances are you probably have not heard of the trillion-dollar Silicon Valley company that has taken the world by storm. NVIDIA’s valuation currently surpasses the GDP of many countries, including Spain, Russia, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. In the lead-up to the recently concluded U.S. presidential election, Elon Musk, the celebrity tech billionaire and world’s richest man, officially endorsed Donald Trump. While Musk tried to convince us that the former president was suddenly a champion of free speech and our savior-in-waiting , Grok, the AI chatbot he owns, had a starkly…
For those who have endured the chronic traffic congestion and the tragic loss of life due to vehicular accidents along the congested single-lane Emene-Abakaliki route, the transformative impact of this project is indisputable. However, a significant concern arises regarding the numerous factories lining this corridor, many of which are earmarked for demolition. As a stakeholder who owns a factory valued at over a billion Naira facing potential demolition, my anxiety surrounding this prospect is palpable. Navigating the complex terrain of governance necessitates more than benevolent intent; it requires strategic foresight, relentless perseverance, and and an unwavering commitment to the public…
Growing up, there was a legend about an otherworldly intelligent man whose voracious appetite for books and knowledge, overstimulated his brain, driving him to insanity. Iterations of this cautionary tale abound across cultures, serving as a reminder of the supposed perils of intellectual excess. Yet, luminaries such as Albert Einstein, Noam Chomsky, and Toyin Falola challenge these narratives, their cognitive resilience seemingly forged from an indestructible alloy, far surpassing the ordinary, perhaps something akin to titanium. When I submitted the manuscript of my book, “Let the Shaman Die”, seeking a potential endorsement, it felt akin to dispatching a letter to…
With this new sheriff in town, the era of “stakeholder” handouts and Sunday-Sunday government house parties has come to an abrupt end, much to the dismay of political hangers-on. It may be the soft bigotry of low expectations but after eight locust years, Mbah’s approach is a refreshing departure from uninspired leadership of the recent the past. My family and I recently returned to the States after an event-packed, two-week visit to Nigeria. Initially, our journey was shrouded in apprehension, thanks to the grim security reports we received before departure. The narrative painted a picture of fear, uncertainty, and a…
A brutal dictator whose politics and leadership caused widespread war, famine, and the loss of thousands of innocent lives does not become a saint simply because he was killed in a NATO-backed rebellion. To these revisionist historians, I say—borrowing the words of the Abami Eda—“Teacher, don’t teach me nonsense.” I was one of the freshly-minted medical doctors serving my one year of mandatory internship (housemanship) at the Military Hospital, Myhoung Barracks in Yaba, Lagos. The year was 1998, but I can still vividly recall how they came in boatloads. Most were young men in their late twenties to early thirties,…
“Hell is empty, and all the devils are here.” These devils thrive on our apathy, our cynicism, and our silence, feeding on the spaces where our resistance should be. Yet, humanity holds the power to challenge them. The question is not whether we can—it is whether we will summon the courage to stand, to speak, and to fight for what is right. Our salvation lies not in waiting for someone else to act but in confronting these devils head-on, refusing to let them define the world we leave behind. Just over a month ago, Donald Trump was re-elected as president.…
“If Babalola is so unsettled by the reactions of Ekiti’s populace, one wonders how he might reconcile himself to the knowledge that his own actions have now exposed the alleged misconduct to the world at large. By resorting to the instruments of state to suppress dissent, rather than seeking redress in the courts—the very institution that defined his illustrious career—Babalola unwittingly magnified the allegations he sought to quash. Dele Farotimi is no stranger to the discerning observer of Nigerian public discourse. The dark-bearded lawyer, renowned for his blend of sagacity and unflinching valor, is a figure who commands respect. Yet,…
Religion could be a force for good, fostering community, justice, and moral accountability. Yet, in practice, it has too often served as a tool for manipulation—binding people not in spiritual unity but in psychological and economic chains. As believers and skeptics alike, we must interrogate the true purpose of organized religion: Is it about faith—or fetters? For as long as I can remember, I have grappled with the paradox that lies at the heart of organized religion—its capacity to uplift and unify, juxtaposed with the fractures and conflicts it has perpetuated throughout history. While faith has undeniably served as…
But they knew all too well that the old guard — those who had grown fat on decades of exploitation — would not release their grip without a fight. The question lingered: Would the future belong to the young, or would these relics — the Neanderthals — drag the nation into oblivion? It was a sweltering afternoon in Gbagada, the air thick with despair and frustration. Adamu sat by the roadside, wiping beads of sweat from his brow, his cracked hands trembling from hunger. Beside him, Aisha cradled their baby, who whimpered faintly—a sound more haunting than a full-throated…
You may not always agree with him or his methods. In fact, a popular Nigerian journalist once described Sowore as being “caught at the intersection of neo-liberal complexity and a revolutionary conviction couched in shades of populism and opportunism.” Yet, his patriotism and courage of conviction are undeniably visible—even to the blind. In a land filled with cowards and phonies masquerading as patriots, where political opportunists pose as table-shakers and fair-weather activists sit idle, waiting for their payday, Omoleye Sowore is a unicorn. In 1992, long before vested interests hijacked student union politics in Nigerian universities and turned it into…