Author: Osmond Agbo

So while I agree that men have contributed their fair share to the commodification of female bodies, I think it’s overly simplistic to suggest that women are helpless victims of male fantasy. Many women are powerful agents of their own choices, sometimes tragically so. The desire to look like “that girl” on Instagram and “pepper” them or to stand out in a friend group as the flyest babe often drives decisions just as forcefully as any man’s gaze. It was sometime last year that I first encountered Funke Egbemode’s writing. Though I cannot recall the precise title, the thematic current…

True growth demands courage not cowardice. To acquire a new skill, especially in a rapidly evolving world shaped by younger, more agile minds, we must be willing to look foolish. To accept instruction from those we once tutored. To admit ignorance in spaces where we were once experts. Sometimes, the younger teacher will mock your slowness. Sometimes, the digital platform will remind you of your obsolescence. And yet, this is the heat that tempers steel. This is the pressure that creates diamonds. In a previous essay, I explored a debilitating cultural affliction I termed the Beggar’s Mindset, a condition rooted…

…We must stop rewarding laziness and entitlement with guilt-laced generosity. There’s nothing noble in enabling irresponsibility. Instead, we should uplift those who are trying, those who are willing to learn, to build, to work. I found myself seated beside an American woman on a flight bound for Nigeria recently. Stephanie (not her real name) was making her second visit to the country, having connected online with a young Nigerian man. This time, she planned to spend several weeks deepening their relationship. Over the course of our nearly 12-hour journey from Atlanta to Lagos, we had ample time to engage in…

Why is it that when violent religious extremists ravage communities, burn schools, kidnap schoolchildren, and behead soldiers, the state preaches understanding and forgiveness, but when an Igbo man calls out injustice, he becomes a threat to national security? It’s been over two years since Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office as Nigeria’s president. For many of us who had grown tired of the vindictive ethnonationalism that defined Muhammadu Buhari’s reign, Tinubu’s emergence sparked a flicker of hope. For all his flaws, Tinubu had always styled himself as a bridge-builder, a master political negotiator, a man who built coalitions across Nigeria’s fractious…

While society extols “hustle culture” and valorizes perseverance, it too often overlooks the vital scaffolding that supports real success, namely, mentorship, access, and social capital. Even the most revered figures had help. Steve Jobs had Mike Markkula. Oprah Winfrey had Maya Angelou. Barack Obama had David Axelrod. Jeff Bezos began his venture with not just a grand vision but also a network of former Wall Street colleagues who believed in him and funded his dream. Success, in truth, is seldom a solo act. There is something inherently captivating about the underdog narrative; the solitary visionary who, by sheer tenacity and…

So if you desire to be remembered, to be trusted, to be embraced, don’t just parade your strengths. Tell your awkward stories. Laugh at your own missteps. Offer your flaws, not as disclaimers, but as gifts. Because when you lend your imperfection, you empower others to reclaim their own. And that, more than brilliance or polish, is what makes you unforgettable. I love comedy clubs. Always have. My wife calls them my happy place and she’s not wrong. Although I haven’t had the opportunity to attend one recently, I often find myself immersed in stand-up clips from the likes of…

Perhaps, then, the deepest truth is that there are many truths, each shaped by the vantage point of the observer, each colored by the language, history, and emotional fabric of the person who holds it. Truth, in this sense, is not a singular mountain we all climb toward from different paths, but a vast landscape of perspectives, each revealing a different contour of reality. Last week, as yet another tragic chapter unfolded in the intractable and ever-escalating Iran-Israel conflict, I found myself in the midst of conversations, intense, impassioned, and sometimes uncomfortably raw. The participants weren’t diplomats or scholars. They…

In the end, we must make peace with the truth that we won’t always understand the purpose of every event as it’s happening. The dots only connect when we look back. That missed flight, that lost opportunity, that broken relationship, they might be the very things that shaped our resilience, rerouted us to safer paths, or brought us to deeper joy. This past weekend, my wife and I made our way to Winnipeg, a sleepy town  nestled in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The occasion? A family celebration. My niece and her husband had just welcomed a beautiful baby girl,…

Fame, in its most seductive form, offers a counterfeit version of love and belonging. The applause of strangers becomes a substitute for intimacy. The attention of millions masks the ache of loneliness. The performance never ends, and behind the scenes, many stars find themselves increasingly alienated from their own identities. The very spotlight that promises visibility often casts a long shadow of isolation. I remember those days pretty well. Long before the era of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, another Hollywood “power couple” captivated the world: Jennifer Lopez and Sean “Diddy” Combs. J.Lo brought the glamour and Latin flair, while Diddy embodied…

The implications of this are profound. If perception is shaped by culture, emotion, memory, and context, then wisdom lies not in clinging to our version of truth but in recognizing that it is a version. It takes courage to admit this, especially in a world that rewards certainty and punishes doubt. But this is exactly why wise men dare to be wrong. They understand that embracing the possibility of error is not a weakness; it is a strength. To dare to be wrong is to remain teachable. Growing up, I was raised with an inquisitive mind, one that gave preeminence…