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I'm sure someone reading this has a few points to justify the importance of having your friends as your employees. Well, you're probably right, but the point of this article is to highlight why friends don't always make the best employees. First, they are your friends, meaning they don see you finish! There's a place in the Bible where Jesus said; "Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.". What are friends for if not for bad advice and inconveniences? It's possible they would disrespect you in a subtle manner, and this could be intentional or unintentional. They know some of your dirty secrets... I think this is a dangerous point everyone should take seriously because it means they've got leverage over you if things go south. If you think this is unrealistic, you should search for stories of people who saw shege because they employed their friends. Don't get me wrong, you may feel like you're doing them another favor if they're not financially stable, but it's a business, not an NGO. Similarly, your friends could dent your integrity. Imagine your friend giving excuses frequently at work. If the excuses came from other employees, you would almost certainly sanction them. This could give other employees the impression of bias, and that's bad for business. Your friend may rob you. This could play out if you share sensitive information with them, or they could find blind spots and exploit you. With this few points of mine, I hope I've been able to convince and not... You can complete the sentence! You can equally replace friend(s) with family. Finally, let us be cautious in our interactions with others and be prepared for anything! Learn Unlearn Relearn

Score | 605

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In Business Development • 2 min read • Dec 06, 2022 07:59a.m.

Don't hire your friends!

Don't hire your friends!

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

The first time I waxed, it was because of peer pressure. I had seen a lot of people do it- my friends inclusive so I decided to try it, in order to understand what the fuss was all about 😅. First of all, I’m a cry baby with a very low tolerance for pain. A soft babe ! So when the lady was cleaning my underarms in preparation for the procedure, I was laughing; cackling even (did I mention that I am very ticklish ?). My brain went from 0-100 real quick as soon as the hot wax left my skin with a huge chunk of my hair; the laughter turned into screams 😩😭. Ouch ! I swear it hurt, but only for that moment. She repeated that step a couple of times so you can imagine how many “ouches” left my throat during the session. It hurt like a beech. But as soon as it was done, I said to myself “it was definitely worth it”. Throughout that week, I kept showing my fresh-looking armpits to anyone who cared to look; my mum, my aunts and my partner(of course). Not sure why I did that… which is why I’m currently hiding my face in shame🙈. It’s 2023, you should ditch shaving for waxing. Here’s why… <ol> <li>First of all, let's talk about time. Shaving is like a chore, it has to be done often. Who has the time for that? With waxing, you only need to do it every few weeks, depending on your hair growth. That means more time for other things like; sticking your nose into someone else’s business 😌. (I do not recommend that and I shall not be responsible for whatever happens to your nose). </li> <li>Yes, waxing can be uncomfortable, but it's a quick and efficient way to get rid of unwanted hair. Plus, the more you do it, the less it hurts. The first time I waxed my underarms, the pain was 4 on a scale of 1-10 and like I said, it hurts only in that moment that the hair is getting pulled out; it doesn’t hurt afterwards. A person with a high threshold for pain would probably feel nothing. After I did it 2 to 3 times, I became used to it. </li> <li>With shaving, you're risking nicks, cuts, ingrown hairs, shaving bumps and razor burn. And let's not forget the itching that comes with regrowth. Who needs that kind of wahala in their life? As long as you do your “after care” after waxing, you will be fine. I have never had any “after-wax” issues since I started waxing. Waxing just makes your underarms (and other parts) fresh and aesthetically pleasing 😉. </li> <li>Waxing leads to longer-lasting results. When you shave, you're only cutting the hair at the surface level, which means it grows back quickly and prickly. Waxing removes the hair from the root, so it takes longer to grow back. This can also lead to a reduction in hair growth over time. By continually removing the hair from the root, you can actually delay its growth and when it eventually grows, it's much softer and smoother. Emphasis on SOFTER and SMOOTHER 😌. Shaving, on the other hand, will cause the hair to grow back faster, thicker and darker. </li> </ol> In conclusion, waxing is the clear winner when it comes to hair removal. It's more efficient, longer-lasting, and can even lead to reduced hair growth over time. So, ditch that razor and make the switch to waxing. Your skin (and your schedule) will thank you. 🤗

586

Comments

Wilson U. Uzoeto

Abeokuta • 6 days, 22 hours ago

This is very true.. I started a business with a friend some four years back. When we ran into debt, I was left alone to cater for ever...

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

Score | 585

Emaa Ezeifeka

Media Relations, PR and Social Media Management

Lagos, Nigeria

958

10098

In Health • 3 min read • Feb 17, 2023 21:31p.m.

WHY WAXING BEATS SHAVING

WHY WAXING BEATS SHAVING

Emaa Ezeifeka

0:00 / 0:00

Sincerely, sometimes when I look at my account balance, I hear a still, small voice saying, "De play, just de play!" This is quite crazy because I have multiple streams of urgent 2k income! I've never really paid much attention to the issue of salaries until I spoke with a friend who earns three times my pay for doing a third of what I do. It got me thinking about my life and my future. Walahi! So yeah, you probably see why I'm writing this piece. My current perception is that the conversations about multiple streams of income could be reduced if your pay is quite great. I mean earning enough to not think about money. This doesn’t mean just settling for less, but actually not having money problems. There are people who aren’t big on the whole doing a lot (having different streams of income), and these guys are not lazy. They are just okay with how much they earn. This life no hard, na you go promise your mama private jet! Liberator general! On a more serious note, where you work and where you live can sometimes show up in your bank account. The cost of living in Lagos and Akwa Ibom is different, so the quality of life for two people earning the same salary in both states would differ. By implication, sometimes being broke is just based on location. Broke by location- You heard that from me first! I also feel that depending solely on your salary can be tricky. But doesn’t that depend on the salary? Also, you may suspend your other business plans or adventures because you’re hooked on your pay. Well, there’s probably no conclusion on this matter. Sometimes companies play dirty by taking all the time and paying people less or just enough to keep those guys satisfied, or in my words, unhungry! This means you end up using the bulk of your productive time and energy on official duties, leaving you drained when you want to do things for yourself. The kind of work you do equally counts with regards to whether you will live a soft life or remain in the trenches! Regardless, make sure you're grinding and staying out of the "broke curve." By all means, resist the urge to compare your income with that of others unless you can handle the aftermath of those thoughts! Does the perfect salary exist, or is it a mental issue? Are salaries designed to keep us chained in the guise of contentment? Stay Driven Learn Unlearn Relearn

557

Comments

Waripamo Allen

Yenagoa • 3 days, 21 hours ago

That's a great point about waxing leading to reduced hair growth over time! It makes me wonder, are there other areas in our lives wh...

edited

Score | 513

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In Career and Jobs • 2 min read • Dec 22, 2022 17:17p.m.

The Salary Algorithm

The Salary Algorithm

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

Queensley Okon

Ugochukwu Asiogu

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

Yes, it is a real thing and even though it was something I made up that is yet to make it into any dictionary, not even urban dictionary, I still stand confident that it is a real thing that we must talk about. Work esteem is a concept I developed through my years breaking into the labor market and trying to just survive. As a new graduate with no idea about my skills, what I could offer to the market, and my relevancy in this world, I already had a bad start to the beginning of what eventually became an overwhelming rollercoaster in the labor force…and I know that I am only one who felt that way. Imagine this: You have spent four or five years gaining theoretical knowledge about a course or field that you somehow found yourself in. You managed to scale through by crook and nook and sacrificing your mental health but all that is finally over, you have graduated. You start celebrating, high on life, filled with hopes for the new future you are about to experience. For some of you, you are lucky enough to already know what you want to do when you leave, for others you have legs long enough to take you anywhere, and for others, you are trying to eat your rice in peace because the thought of the future is an instant panic attack. Clearly, I was ‘others’ but let’s not digress. Halfway into the rice, the realization that you have gone from undergraduate to unemployed starts to painfully sink in and whether or not you are ready for it, you still worry a bit and you wonder how it is going to be. Fast forward to a few months later, some of you are settled nicely in your cushion offices, holding on to the coattails of whoever squeezed you in with their power. Some others are still running around trying to figure out what they need to do, CV in one hand and application to Japa in the other. The final batch made it into a company, they don’t know what they are doing there other than the fact that they can finally brag that they are gainfully employed. Yay! You finally have a job, but whilst you are super excited that you can finally join the big boys and tell people you work now, you are also starting at the bottom of the ladder, doing something you’ve never done before, and as a result, your confidence and esteem takes a real hit. For some, it starts from the first day, you’ll already start hearing a tiny voice in your head telling you that you’re not good enough and that you’re probably going to get fired soon. Stick with me…don’t stop imagining. At this point, this is where ‘work esteem’ becomes a thing and basically it means the same thing as self-esteem except it is especially suited for the work environment. I didn’t agree with myself at first that this was a thing until I started having regular mental breakdowns on Monday to Friday and then when the weekend rolled in, I was absolutely fine. I was confident in myself, my appearance, and everything else but the moment someone mentioned anything about my work or capacity, it was back down to breaking down. I concluded then that having relatively high self-esteem in my life did not translate at all to my work. I entered the labor market very beggarly because I was unsure of what I had to offer and I was too scared to ask for more or reach for more...and I spent my first two years, working aimlessly just to get scraps of compliments from my bosses. This is the moment where some people start to experience imposter syndrome and then fear of failure for others. You panic every time the phone rings, you worry every time someone comments on your work, your heart skips a thousand beat once your manager calls and almost every night, you are wondering why they haven’t fired you yet. You work like a slave and take on more tasks than you are paid for because you worry that if they fire you you can’t somewhere else or that you have to do it to properly earn your pay. You magnify every comment about your work and emotionally dwell on past failures. For me, I nearly quit many times but then again I didn’t even have the confidence to quit so I guess in a way, my low work esteem protected me. Everywhere you turn, there are a million and one people who are so much better than you. You graduated with a first-class, worked at a big company for your internship, and acquired relevant Coursera certificates yet there is one guy who is younger than who, earning nearly three times as you, started three companies already, and is the consultant for the company you work for. At this point, you have been working for a while but it feels like there is no progress, your salary is becoming even more useless but you don’t know if you can ask for more because you don’t think you deserve it. You are already hating your job, everybody on LinkedIn is working their dream jobs and earning millions of dollars at 18 and there’s you, you who is just trying to not quit and wondering why you studied 5 years in university only to suffer like this. You are considering starting a business but when you can barely send an email without typos, how would you start a business? Your ‘work esteem’ here has basically hit rock bottom. Let me tell you something, if you are experiencing this and you are wondering why this is happening to you…and why everyone else seems to be fine...I’ll let you know one thing. You are not alone. I can’t say for all people but I can boldly say this happens to a lot of people and it is okay. So here’s what you can do to overcome it. First, step out and see the light. No, sorry, that’s the wrong advice, definitely not for this post. The first thing I did to overcome this was to sit back and draw a list of the value I bring to work. What can I do? What do I do? Where am I relevant? You’ll be surprised to see how much you have been underselling yourself. If you can’t answer these questions yourself, find someone who will tell you. It could be a work colleague or a good friend, just find someone who you trust and let them sit with you through this conversation. Once you figure out what you can do, then you need to go around and search for the market value of your skills. How much are my skills worth in the market? If you realize you are worth more, then you need to decide to either stick with where you are and demand a pay raise or go somewhere you will be better appreciated. Some companies are great enough to evaluate and increase your salary without prompt but most will not…because who doesn’t like cheap labor…so you have to do it. I died a hundred times when I sent an email about an increase in my salary and even then I approached it so beggarly but surprisingly, the feedback was so positive, I wondered why I was suffering for so long. Once I started earning better, my work esteem was greatly boosted. The next thing I did was to begin to take louder initiatives so rather than labor in silence and earn nothing, I worked louder. Basically, be more proactive, and be seen. Within a few months of doing this, I got promoted twice...and up my work esteem went. Yes, you are a fresh graduate and you don’t have a lot of experience, yes, everyone else seems to know better than you and you don’t have much to offer…but it doesn’t matter. Sell yourself bigger than you truly are and then work to meet that standard…that’s the principle I now work with…and it works amazingly well. Finally, challenge yourself out of your comfort zone. Accomplishing things you were afraid to do will not only boost your work esteem but position you for better opportunities. Identify your strengths and capitalize on them; rather than dwell in misery about your weakness, make noise about your strength and make it so relevant that they can’t do without you. Let me give an example, in one of the places I worked, I created a niche department that added significant value to the company but my work esteem was too low to appreciate it. I still worked beggarly and settled for scraps. It wasn’t until I got sick one day and requested a three-day leave that the reply email read ‘due to the importance of your position, we can only offer you one day's leave’...It was at this moment, I realized how much I had undervalued my efforts for the company. I decided to add more strength to the niche department, capitalize on it and make so much noise about it until I was promoted to the head of the department. If you look back at how far you have come, you’ll be surprised at how much you have done and how much better you are than you think. So this is my little message to new graduates and fresh workers, don’t sell yourself short. Ask for more than you think you deserve at interviews, be shameless about your worth…and don’t let loyalty to any organization drag your work esteem to the trenches. Peace Until next time!

505

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

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LAYERS OF MEMORY AND ICE

After you grew, you let yourself slip Back to the place where shadows whispered your name, Where the hurtful gaze seared through...

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Esther Omemu

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In Career and Jobs • 4 min read • Feb 09, 2023 09:25a.m.

This thing called ‘work esteem’

This thing called ‘work esteem’

Esther Omemu

0:00 / 0:00

Oluseyi Vandy

Samuel Ibok Samuel Bika

Have you ever wanted to share something beautiful with friends or a group and held yourself back? Maybe you just got a beautiful gift from a loved one, something you have always wanted and decided to just "loud it" in appreciation of the person, or just because you love doing so. Or you had a thought on a particular topic, trending or not and decided it isn't worth your stress because you are not ready for the toe to toe that occurs on the virtual streets What made you hold back on doing so? Did you feel bullied? What then is the need to tout "freedom of speech" if we are really not going to live by it? We really are in interesting times and most would want to blame a lot of factors, including a generational gap and "modern times" but the truth is, this has been going on for générations and is just on full glare. I mean, don't you remember the famous quote by Idi Amin "there is freedom of speech but freedom after speech, that I cannot guarantee. Or is it ancient times where people were killed ruthlessly for speaking against rulers, heck, Jesus was killed for just preaching and speaking the truth. Now, we have more refined ways to find people and kill them by planting bugs or using your phone as a listening device by cloning it and so many others but I digress. Social media has become a menace as you have people who are seen as the gatekeepers, dropping hot takes and getting away with it because of their influence and large following. Once you say something that is against those lines of thought, you find yourself being attacked by their minions or even misunderstood and insulted till you log off or close your page down. I remember one time when I was active on Facebook and the blessed Pastor Iren had been sharing beautiful words on the net and I made a comment stating how I appreciated his growth in the ministry and how it was a beautiful thing to watch his spiritual development. Omo, e no reach one second, some minions punched down, yelling at how I could talk to their man of God like that, and some other vile stuff I would rather not repeat. I was actually surprised because I know the Pastor had appreciated and liked my comment and even responded and I was wondering what I had said wrong. I was giving it to them hot hot as they were dropping and only calmed down when the Pastor said I should just forget about it. Honestly, it was out of respect for him, because I for don show some people not to mess with me because their grammar was already painful enough to read. But that's just one of many I have had and lately, I have been seeing some silly stuff from people that makes me annoyed. Professor Uju Anya made a comment on the death of Queen Elizabeth and her tweet got deleted when it got a response from Jeff Bezos and the tweet was flagged as inciting. Now while I don't condone how she worded the tweet, which was from a place of deep pain, I feel like we are allowing Twitter to become a place of dull and babied people who just think life is a bed of roses. Jordan Peterson said in order to speak, you have to risk being offensive, (or something like that because I am really paraphrasing here) and that is true. In conversations, you are going to hear things you don't like and you have to learn how to process them with understanding. A woman saying she feels no sympathy for the Queen is her opinion. You don't have to like it but that is how she feels. Maybe a great portion of the world loved Eliza but a lot more hated her guts too. I mean have you seen Irish Twitter and Tiktoks? You would be guffawing all day. Infact, one of their Tiktoks was done in front of the Buckingham palace and it was shared to Twitter and Twitter flagged it, claiming it is misrepresenting information. It put the warning for those who wanted to retweet or like the video. If you go around flagging everything you don't agree with, how would the world function? Or let's digress to Mercy Chinwo who shared beautiful posts about gifts her hubby got her and someone made a whole post warning her to stop doing those so she doesn't become bigger than God or losing her ministry. Infact, the person said she might let the praises get to her head and release a "worldly album" and that she should stop posting her husband or make the posts fewer so she doesn't make her husband God Such impunity!!!!! I'm really tired of people trying to gatekeep opinions and forcing people to be silent because they don't agree with them. See what they tried to do to Dave Chappelle and they lost. Haven't they learned? Of course this doesn't apply to really disturbing posts but when it comes to opinions, damn, can you keep your performative sanctimony? You say worse things or think about them, they are just not on social media. I really hope we start having a world where people can have healthy discussions without being shut down for a difference in opinion. I also hope we have a world where people learn better ways to speak so you don't come off as off-putting Freedom of speech doesn't really exist though, in my opinion, diplomatic or regulated speech on the other hand is the best way to go Unless you don't care about being offensive, then kudos to you. Risk being offensive or train yourself to be desensitized to offense. Your call!!! Let me know what you think about my piece By the way, the Rap Queen just dropped a heavy QueenMix and put underdogs on. Shout out to Nicki Minaj, hip hop legend and VMA vanguard royalty. Stay fresh and Thank God Have a blessed week

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Comments

David Adaaja

2 years ago

This was literally me a couple of years ago. Even made a huge mistake at work. But I've found my feet and confidence.

Hi, it's Esther, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

A creative writer born, bred and established in art of advertising...Feel free to check out my work samples here https://copyfol.io/v/mnw7r7...

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Queensley Okon

Information Officer @ Covenant University

Ota, Nigeria

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192

In People and Society • 4 min read • Sep 09, 2022 11:53a.m.

SAY YOUR PIECE BUT THIS GATE WOULD BE KEPT

SAY YOUR PIECE BUT THIS GATE WOULD BE KEPT

Queensley Okon

0:00 / 0:00

405

Hi, it's Queensley, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

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Unpopular Opinion

God is a God of all religions, including the African Traditional Religion (ATR)

by | Ugochukwu Asiogu

I have always believed that the beauty of religion lies in the peoples' unique ways and approaches of upholding it. In other words, religion is best practiced in situations where there are less criticisms of whatever one is revering and whoever one is worshiping. Of course, religion is a way of life and as a matter of fact, it is a representation of man's spiritualism - an aspect of man's lif...

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Tari Ogbowei

Content Writer and contributor @ TwoCents

Yenagoa, Nigeria

As the 28th of September, 2022, the official date for the start of campaign for the 2023 elections draw nearer, activities have been flying here and there. Candidates are being invited by bodies as well as TV stations all over to discuss their plans for the nation. There are many candidates vying for the most coveted seat in the land but of the lot, three have set themselves apart from the rest. Of the top three, Mr. Peter Obi still seems to be ahead. One may not necessarily want to speak about Peter Obi all the time but he makes it difficult not to. In a positive way, though. He carries this energy and vigour about him which he infuses into the Nigerian political space. It is one that the usually bland and boring political scene lacks and needs as a matter of urgency. His emergence into the scene entrenches the idea of a maturing democracy, moving the populace away from two unpopular choices. It is no longer a two-horse race where Nigerians are clairvoyant, knowing the end from the beginning. Where the power of incumbency is a major factor and takes front row, ensuring the incumbent party will win the election 99% of the time. Since his emergence as the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, he has garnered unbridled popularity and support. This is majorly stemming from the fact that a lot of Nigerians are fed up with the status quo and tired with the institution that the candidates of both the All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar represent. Asides these two (2) candidates of the APC and PDP, there are other candidates but why does Peter Obi stand out. Maybe, it's because he is the most experienced, having served as two term governor of Anambra state. Maybe, its because of his antecedents of frugal management skills, reducing operating cost of governance, ability to save lean resources, create infrastructure and deliver the dividends of democracy to his people. Maybe, it's because he is Christian and Igbo and many people feel it is the turn of a Southern Christian; being that in the South, it is only the Igbos who haven't been given an opportunity at the presidency. It just could be because, of the top three (3) candidates, he is the only one who hasn't had a corruption charge levelled against him. It could be that he is running with a nationalist interest where saving Nigeria comes first. Campaigns haven't officially started but the man is giving off a lot of positive energy. He could be in Sokoto, move over to Imo and then Lagos in one day. Whenever he appears on any platform, he's reeling out figures and statistics of areas that need urgent attention and intervention and asking Nigerians to give him the opportunity to serve and turn things around. He is the only candidate talking about these nether areas, intimating Nigerians of the consequences if left unchecked and assuring Nigerians of his commitment to tackling them. In comaprison BAT's campaign strategy is telling Nigerians that he would continue and consolidate on Buhari's achievements, one wonders on which of Buhari's achievements. The achievements that represent everything that is wrong with Nigeria as a nation? Atiku Abubukar, a serial contestant since 1993 for the office of the President has been silent and largely gone unnoticed save the fact that he's contesting under the main opposition party, the PDP. One begins to wonder if both Mr. Abubakar and the PDP are really serious about 2023 or have a blueprint which they're just waiting for the official campaign date to start executing. While the other candidates are struggling to find their feet, Mr. Obi's popularity has gone viral. In a country where politicians spend so much on campaigns, it is unprecedented that Nigerians are actually using their own funds to campaign for a politician, holding mega rallies and solidarity marches, shutting down streets in support of a candidate. While the question, "Is Peter Obi right for Nigeria" can only be answered if he wins the election, the attitude of Nigerians towards Mr. Peter Obi and the elections is actually right and would go a long way in strengthening our nascent democracy.

In Politics • 3 min read • Sep 02, 2022 22:42p.m.

IS PETER OBI RIGHT FOR NIGERIA

IS PETER OBI RIGHT FOR NIGERIA

Tari Ogbowei

0:00 / 0:00

359

Score | 456

Tari Ogbowei

Content Writer and contributor @ TwoCents

Yenagoa, Nigeria

The Holy book says, "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy." It also says in another portion, "The devil is the father of lies." In yet another, it says "By their fruits you shall know them." The APC, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since the day it was formed has lied to Nigerians about basically everything, painted what is not in the person of the current President Muhammadu Buhari who will be leaving office soon with virtually all his campaign promises unfulfilled. Buhari's almost 8 years in power has seen Nigerians killed and their properties destroyed as against better security they were promised during his campaign. It has also seen their livelihoods stolen from them by a dwindling economy and biting exchange rate as against the $1 to #1 campaign promise. This same APC with Tinubu as its flag bearer is without shame, again contesting for the office of the President. Despite all the failings of the APC, one would expect its presidential flagbearer, Tinubu, whose pedigree and integrity is in question to have some sense and genuinely appease the people by better actions and utterances and also appeal to their senses but that will seem a far-fetched tale as Tinubu keeps towing the line of a high-handed power drunk maniac who must get what he wants to the detriment of every other person involved. In a secular state as Nigeria, he would be expected to pick a running mate of the Christian faith, but typical power hungry Tinubu who thinks a Muslim running mate will ensure him more votes from the Muslim dominated North has probably shot himself in the foot as Christians all over the country have rejected his candidacy. Right thinking Muslims from both North and South have also rejected him. Following his very clear and massive rejection by the Nigerian Christian community for his disregard of their interests, he resorted to the old trick of crowd renting. Only that this time, he took it a step further by dressing up his rented crowd as Christian bishops who came to endorse his choice of former Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima as his running mate during the official unveiling of the APC vice presidential candidate. The same social media which was one of his major tools in white washing President Buhari and selling him to the Nigerian populace as an incorruptible Saint is what has been used to his great disadvantage as many Nigerians quickly identified Tinubu's collegiate of Bishops as their mechanics, meat sellers and others as ordinary motor park touts. Instead of an unveiling of the APC vice presidential candidate, it was rather an unveiling of a huge fraud and also the fraud that Tinubu is. The senile Tinubu who has lost touch with reality couldn't even convincingly stage his lie. Christian Bishops usually wear particular colors for different Christian seasons but Tinubu's Bishops wore the colors of every Christian calender in one outing. One even had a Boys Brigade cap on. I'm quite sure Tinubu's campaign team have the hardest job in the country right now, coming up with an explanation for the abysmal failure of this attempt at deception as well as his other very unintelligent campaign speeches. To come up with this poorly planned and executed fiasco, it's either, Tinubu felt Nigerians would be too dumb to see through his charade or he really does not care what the masses think which gives credence to my earlier description of him as power drunk maniac who would engage in the most obscene act to realise his unholy goal. Our elders say, it is only a mad man that does the same thing repeatedly and expects a different result. Tinubu has started with lies worse than those that brought Buhari to power which culminated into the present state of lawlessness and economic dearth. Those lies which have led to wanton stealing, killing and destruction. It seems the APC only propagates those with the virtues of the devil. It is then safe to say that the APC is the physical representation of the devil in Nigeria and as such the APC itself is a DEVIL.

In Politics • 3 min read • Jul 22, 2022 20:59p.m.

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Tari Ogbowei

Content Writer and contributor @ TwoCents

Yenagoa, Nigeria

I've always been of the opinion that the 2023 general elections is gonna be the most interesting we've had yet and there's already evidence to prove this. Nigeria prides itself as being the most populous black nation on the surface of the earth with a population of over 200 million, approximately half being Muslim and the other half, Christian and the remaining few, practising other religions. It goes without gainsaying that religion is going to be a huge factor when decisions on issues of national importance are made. As a result, a quota system was adopted in almost every area of national life to keep things fair between the Muslim dominated North and the Christian dominated South and the presidency is not left out. There's this widely known gentleman's agreement not to have same religion in the presidency at once. When there's a Muslim president, there must be a Christian Vice President and vice versa. Also if there's a Muslim president, it is expected that the next president should be a Christian. The current President, Buhari, whose tenure ends next year, 2023 is from the Muslim North and it is expected that the next president should be a Christian from the South based on the gentleman's agreement otherwise called zoning. Knowing this, I'd have expected that parties should have accepted only Southerners or Christians as contestants in their primaries election as President Buhari is about completing his second term in office and it is expected that power should shift to the South. Rather, it was free for all and in an unexpected twist, Atiku Abubakar, a Northern Muslim clinched the ticket for the PDP, the major opposition party and Bola Tinubu, also a Muslim but from the South clinched the ticket for the APC. The only candidate who meets the requirement of Southern Christian is Peter Obi of the Labour Party but his candidacy seems like the proverbial long walk to freedom as he is the third force, after the APC and PDP and believed not to have the political structure required to win the presidency. This has all been interesting to witness and live through but the next interesting event will be how the candidates will pick their running mates and who they'll be picking. Who do you think they'll pick as running mates and how do you think it will affect their candidacies?

In Politics • 2 min read • Jun 16, 2022 13:10p.m.

Politics, Religion and Shenanigans.

Politics, Religion and Shenanigans.

Tari Ogbowei

0:00 / 0:00

398

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Cyrus Majebi

Lagos • 2 years, 8 months ago

Honestly, I've felt the same way for a while about this election - I'm not sure how, but I know something has got to give.

Score | 486

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Freelance scriptwriter and creative photographer

Lagos, Nigeria

I often think about how different it was being a kid then, and a being kid now. No.. this isn't a piece on the difference in disciplinary methods. This is more about something else - stay with me. As kids then, other than the usual adult supervision and protection, there was this freedom that allowed us to be what we were: kids. We were not exposed to as much identity politics and influences as is the case in modern times. The media rarely tried to draw our attentions towards such topics, or expose us to certain agenda. Our rights to just be kids were not threatened or a tool of propaganda. Let's examine the role of media in the lives of today's children. Some weeks ago, I sat with my nieces, as they watched some of their cartoon programs. I couldn't help but notice the amount of propaganda and agenda being pushed in each show. It got me thinking whether all that was necessary. Characters are made to be a certain way, do or say certain things, which all just came across as a form of campaign. It all took away the entertainment value. Atleast for me. There are some children's programs these days laced with a little bit of sexual and racial identity politics. All in a bid to make them inclusive at a young age. It is believed that if they can get on the inclusivity train that early, they'd make better adults. However, the problem with constantly shoving a particular ideology on to humans, is that it builds an eventual resistance. I watched cartoons as a kid, with other kids. And I do not recall any one of us being drawn to a character because of his sexual or racial, or political affiliations. I cannot remember any of my mates who loved or disliked spider man or superman, because they were a couple of white guys. We didn't care about that. We just loved their abilities and personalities. We acted like the power rangers, without caring for their sexual orientation. In all these, what mattered to us was the fun we had while we watched these programs. There is a lot of talk these days about catching kids young, and teaching the importance of inclusivity culture. But the question is; are these studios genuine about their intentions, or is it just another marketing strategy? The intent of an idea, is important to its success or failure. Now, I am not trying to invalidate any movement or orientation. What I am trying to say is sometimes we should let kids be kids, and not try to make them unofficial adults.

In Literature, Writing and Blogging • 2 min read • Nov 01, 2022 11:47a.m.

Kids really just want to be kids

Kids really just want to be kids

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

0:00 / 0:00

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Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Freelance scriptwriter and creative photographer

Lagos, Nigeria

The Lion King, is arguably my favorite Disney animation. I cannot tell how many times I've seen it. And each time I see it again, I most likely grab something new. The hidden innuendos, jokes and symbolisms. However, my attention was brought to something about the animation, in a post on Facebook. Someone said the movie had elements of toxic positivity, and this was present in the characters; Timon and Pumba. Up until that moment, I had never heard of the term 'Toxic Positivity'. For clarity, toxic positivity according to a quick Google search, involves dismissing negative emotions and responding to distress with false reassurances, rather than empathy. Reading up on this new term, I immediately saw the point in the post. At the time Simba meets Timon and Pumba, he had just lost his dad. And when he tells them, they basically respond with the phrase 'Hakuna Matata', meaning: 'no worries'. Sure.. that's much better. Rather than comforting the poor cub who just lost his dad, and had to run away, his new friends tell him not to worry about it. I also realized that this sort of response is common within our environment. People are made to 'forget' about their grief, rather than process it. Sometimes, 'look on the bright side', is not what a victim of misfortune needs to hear immediately. What this encourages, is suppression of emotions. One of the most popular examples of toxic positive is the response to bad news with; 'at least you're alive'. Yes, I'm alive, but I still feel hurt from the bad situation, at that moment. When a person is hurting, let them express it. Let them cry if they need to. Frankly, we need to start embracing a more empathetic approach towards negative feeling. Suppressing emotions leads to an individual walking around with a burden. I understand that people do this, so that they wouldn't have to deal with their sadness and grief. But the sadness doesn't go away. Just like in Simba's case. It finds a way to resurface, leaving an even worse effect on us when it does.

In People and Society • 2 min read • Jun 15, 2022 09:22a.m.

Have you heard about 'Toxic Positivity'?

Have you heard about 'Toxic Positivity'?

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

0:00 / 0:00

I know you like my insights 😁. Kindly consider leaving a tip.

This is not my forte, and I haven’t eaten breakfast before. Don’t worry; you'll find out why I said that at the end of this piece. There’s a lot of talk about the future of work and other aspects of life, but there is little talk about the future of love. I know it sounds like a gap in literature, but focus! These days, I picture long distance relationships as remote work. I think the meaning and content of love have been trivialized almost beyond repair. Relax, there’s still hope for you! So, what I see these days is people getting into contracts that they call relationships. The craze over this is becoming unbearable. Even teens are in relationships! I think some people don’t even realize that relationships are technically contracts, and some contracts go south. You could end up on the losing end. So yeah, if your heart is broken at the end of the day, cry (if you’re a lady) or go drink beer (if you’re a guy). I said what I said with my full chest! The post-breakfast period for a lot of people can be traumatic and unproductive. I don’t mean to take matters of the heart with levity, but you should know that sometimes love breaks more than it can fix. Sometimes the person who gives you the world may take it from you. I know someone who started performing poorly at work because she was served breakfast. So yeah, it has a way of affecting your entire being. With what I have seen, I feel like in a few years, every relationship would become mostly transactional. In other words, relationships would be perceived like New Year's resolutions. I do this, you do that, and so on. From here, the idea of love would become vague. If this occurs, the global rate of procreation may be reduced. I'm saying this because people would barely see the need to have children, and if they did, it would probably be one. I also think promiscuity would be normalized, which could cause a spike in cases of STDs and increased abortions. This is because "lust thrives in the absence of commitment". Accordingly, we may have lots of single parents and maybe lots of people involved in vices because of a lack of proper parenting. All of these are partly tied to the contagious "woke" mindset people have. As disjointed as this article may seem, there is an inherent danger in building a society where anything goes and which is devoid of "love." One thing leads to another, and I feel there’d be a chain reaction if something were not put in place. I’m not a preacher of love, but I think the future of love would be quite interesting. I’d like to see your opinion on what "love" would be like in the next 50 years. This wasn't written after breakfast! Learn Unlearn Relearn

457

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Mwambo Kate

Yaoundé • 2 years ago

Very interesting insight !

Hi, it's Jefferson, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a creative screenwriter, photographer, cinematographer and creative director. You can check out some of my works here https://instagram.com/themi...

Score | 416

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In Relationships • 2 min read • Dec 16, 2022 18:26p.m.

Love, breakfast, and other meals

Love, breakfast, and other meals

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

I dare digital marketers or social media managers to argue with me on this. I was born, bred, and established in advertising, this is the first line of my bio on my portfolio and it is the truest statement I have ever made. I was born at the age when people who worked in advertising were some of the coolest people to walk the face of the business world. A time when people sacrificed their personal and family time to tell their client’s brand stories and create unified beautiful memories for customers that lasted the test of time. Time when visiting my father’s agency was the most exciting thing for me as a young child and watching them work would always make me marvel.’ Advertising is no longer what it used to be. I can say this over and over again…I weep when I see billboards or hear radio adverts these days…Like ‘how on earth did we get here’. I am tempted to drag brands but I’ll leave that for another post. It is almost depressing to watch the creative ingenuity that used to dwell in the world of advertising fall so badly; to see how real creativity has been replaced for mediocrity and how visual craftsmanship has been discarded because everyone is busy chasing after algorithms and big data or how people who have no business leading agencies, people who are simply voracious consumers of the internet and loud noise makers on social platforms have designed themselves ‘digital marketers’ and are dragging the art down to the mud. When my dad and I talk about work these days, our stories would always start with ‘back in the days’ and end with ‘oh the good old times’ because there is hardly anything new to stand as a reference for good and proper advertising. Some brands are trying their best, struggling and holding onto the thin threads left of what advertising used to be but really, in all truth, the true art of advertising is dead. The advertising that brought us memorable and iconic campaigns has been upended and now we are left with the low effort, low budget, ‘how hard can it be’ campaigns that reveal how truly the mighty men of advertising have fallen. How the advertising industry used creative imagination to achieve commercial impact was something we used to be in awe of. How bright minds would gather, tell stories, and dig deep into their repertoires to harness craft and skills that gave us things to laugh at, to cry at, and to remember for good. The ads back then were more than ads, they were exceptional pieces rich in art, storytelling, and innovation that left lasting impressions. They entertained, informed, and influenced changes in their time. Think of Mama Do Good- Indomie1 or "Papilo" by Peak when they harnessed the story of a young man who rose from grass to grace and infused it into the reality of so many Nigerians that it felt so much like drinking peak milk was all we needed in life to make it. Remember ‘Boom sha sha" by Mimee Noodles or "To me, to me" by Indomie. The ad was more than just a sales pitch for Indomie but a relatable idea about making the world a better place. Many children and adults who downloaded the jingle solely for listening enjoyment were motivated by it, and the sound of that music continues to this day to bring back pleasant recollections of earlier times. What about Step by Step" by Blue Band, this stirs so many memories that sometimes you are moved to tears. There is"Cowbell our milk" by Cowbell or "B without BB" by Blue Band. Oh…the good old times!Now, I am not done...there's a whole lot to be said about this topic...stay tuned for the second part!

399

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

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Picture this : an email pops up in your inbox with a tricky, important, or stressful problem that needs to be solved. Do you …. 1. Read it through and then ask yourself, " okay , what do I need to do about this ?". or say to yourself, "I'm going to figure this out." 2. Scan through the email quickly, immediately feel overwhelmed and close the email saying, " I'll think about this later". These examples of two different coping strategies. The first is called "problem-focused".. In this strategy, you try to approach the challenge from different angles, look for information about how to address it, or break it into manageable pieces. The second is called 'avoidance-focused". The problem stirs up uncomfortable emotions within you, and because they feel overwhelming , you avoid the problem, pretend its not happening, or personally blame yourself for it. Problem-focused is related to wellbeing, while avoidance - focused is related to depression, anxiety,. That's why , if you are more of an avoidant coper, it's important to learn the skill of problem-focused coping. Start practicing with smaller problems. The next time one pops up (in your inbox, in your home, in your life), and those painful emotions start to arise within you, you just have to do one thing : breath through it. Focus on your breath until your emotions fade away. Don't close the email or walk away from the issue. Breathe in, breathe out. Stay with it. Congratulations! you just faced your discomfort and came out the other side. Now that you're here, you can ask yourself : " what is one way I might start to address this problem?".

567

Comments

Oluseyi Vandy

Lagos • 2 years, 1 month ago

I remember the era of blueband, wilson teamate bread, indomie, knor even sky banks and guiness era then. Art

Hi, it's Esther, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

A creative writer born, bred and established in art of advertising...Feel free to check out my work samples here https://copyfol.io/v/mnw7r7...

Score | 471

Mwambo Kate

COO @ Enchird Technologies Sarl.

Yaoundé, Cameroon

In People and Society • 2 min read • Jan 16, 2024 22:21p.m.

AVOIDING IT, FACING IT.

AVOIDING IT, FACING IT.

Mwambo Kate

0:00 / 0:00

Anita Koske

If life was a book what would be its title for you? "The Journey of Faith" will be the title, and this chapter will be tagged "Surviving Naija; Keeping the Dream Alive".Every Nigerian should earn a certificate of survival at this point because what the f*** is going on here?Is this the end of the world for us here? If this was a prank it isn't funny anymore, the margin dividing the poor and the rich has grown so tin and more people are seemingly poor than rich, maybe they were rich a few months back but right it seems we have more daylight robberies in the form of utilities and commercial ventures, No blame pushing here to the private sector cause it takes a lot to operate in an economy like the Nigerian Economy, but things are happening, imagine how banks don't have the cash to dispense and POS vendors always having money, like how are we buying the Naira as Nigerians?Scratch the banking sector what about the bandits tagged A, B, and C, I heard some are bandless bandits, here's broad daylight robbery cause how the hell do they calculate it, but well on the other hand people do not use electrical appliances like they use to, if you are sharing a prepared meter with your name by now you should be awarded a private investigators batch cause people get know their neighbors bad habits of leaving lights and tv on and its all coming down to bills, unavoidable cost of living, let's not even talk about security.Do we have a democrazy or are we crazy?They have made us into clowns, who do not know the definition of a democratic system of government.Well, we all are tired at this point and looking for a way out... But what way would that be?

446

Comments

Samuel Omoyele

Abeokuta • 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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Tomi Walker

Lagos • 2 years, 1 month ago

I find it very fascinating the number of Nigerians who are actively seeking to learn a new language. I wonder what is the driving factor ...

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My broad range of interests include art, design, philosophy and writing about where they might intersect. Find out more here: https://www.linkedin.com/mw...

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In Nigeria • 2 min read • Jul 28, 2024 21:28p.m.

My Life's Chapter 5; Surviving Naija

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Godwin Erite

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Samuel Ibok

nigeria whatwaynaija

Since the return to democracy on May 29, 1999, Nigeria's electoral system and processes have been featured by a great degree of voter apathy and by extension, democratic sabotage. This unfortunate situation has gone from bad to worse as the voting population voluntarily refuse to vote during elections thus citing a lack of patriotism, concern or absolute nonchalance towards elections. It is not uncommon to mention the fact that a lot of Nigerians are fed up with the pitiful situation of the country such that they have become so disconnected with political arrangements and activities in the country. This is evident as at most Newspaper reading joints in the country, one may find a few persons who are pleased to discuss and/or argue about some striking political issues in the country; nowadays, these readers take more pleasure in reading local and international sports and entertainment news. However, those of them who read up political events only do so because they do not want to feel left out on the obvious daily negative news of rapacious corruption, insecurity and nepotism across the country. Truth be told, a lot of Nigerians today are tirelessly complaining about the ills of bad governance, lack of accountability, corruption, ethnic chauvinism, nepotism, religious intolerance, social exclusion, unemployment, inequality and poverty in the country. However, it is unfortunate that these complaints, worries and frustrations have been met with little or no serious efforts by the federal and state governments. Today, the Nigerian economy has witnessed two depressing economic recessions in the last six years with the government helpless, and always confused in handling the situation. Again, foreign exchange has incessantly increased to about #800 per $1; inflation has gone up mercilessly, there is food insecurity and shortage across the country and above all, poverty has become the order of the day. In the light of all these worrisome and heart-wrenching occurrences in the country, many Nigerians have become ghosts of themselves and are looking for a helper and messiah that would take them out of Egypt. What they have forgotten is that they are the architect of the challenges they face today. Their nonchalance and lack of seriousness towards performing their constitutional responsibility of voting during elections resulted in letting in quack and inexperienced leaders into government. And of course, when an inexperienced driver is on the steering of a car, people should not expect anything less than a brutal accident on the highway. If Nigerians truly want good governance; If we truly want a Nigeria that we would be proud of, then, we should let go of being apolitical and go get our Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Without our Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), we would not be able to vote and if we do not vote, here are some of the challenges we should expect in more severe and damaging proportions in the coming years: 1. Not collecting our PVCs and voting during the forthcoming elections would mean that we are being unpatriotic and disrespectful of our constitution which bestowed on us the right to exercise our franchise. 2. Not collecting our PVCs and voting during the forthcoming elections would mean that we are indirectly giving quacks and inexperienced politicians who have no human sympathy and are not developmentally-driven, the opportunity to have access to power and plunder whatever that is left of our natural resources and treasury. 3. Not collecting our PVCs and voting during the 2023 elections would mean that we are promoting corruption and giving politicians the opportunity to rig the elections and remain in power. 4. Not collecting our PVCs and voting during the 2023 elections will add to our depression, unnecessary complaints and frustration towards the political system because we would continue to loose faith and trust in the government. 5. If we do not collect our PVCs and vote, then we would loose our rights to being involved in the public opinion and policy making process of the government. We will equally not have the opportunity of checkmating the excesses of the next government. By collecting our PVCs and voting during elections, we will be able to restore our mandate, rejig our democracy, checkmate the excesses of bad leaders and also place experienced and intelligent leaders at the helm of affairs. A new Nigeria is very possible only if we make the bold step and go get our PVCs.

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May 6, 2022, 10:44 p.m.

Besides the African Commission, What other Stake holders are charged with the...

Dr Arrey Collins

Human Rights & Humanita... ...

State parties and non state parties in line with the universal declaration of Huma...

TwoCents

July 7, 2022, 12:28 p.m.

Is it possible for one to build a career starting with volunteerism in any field

Loic Bethel Dje

Youth and Apex Performa... ...

It would be unfair to say NO. We all are products of volunteering, from our homes,...

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What are Digital Rights.

Dr Arrey Collins

Human Rights & Humanita... ...

It is now firmly entrenched by both the African Commission on Human and people's r...

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July 16, 2022, 4:29 p.m.

If you were to give a personal development routine, what would it look like?

Akorfa Ama Akoto

Communications Assistant @ ...

Identify career goals Enrol in virtual coursesCreate social media accounts an...

TwoCents

June 2, 2021, 9:45 a.m.

What has made you continue your career path in academia? What is your driving...

Prof. Francis I...

Professor of Communicat... ...

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INTERVIEW ANSWER
IN FOCUS

TwoCents

Are ‘African solutions’ like Kenya and Ethiopia’s intervention in Somalia any more legitimate or less controversial than other international effort...

Dr. Othieno Nyanjom

Senior Lecturer @ The Technical University of Kenya

What could ‘African solutions’ possibly be in an increasingly globalized era? After the 1945 end of the Second World War, the Cold War polarized the world into the East (Second World; communist; Warsaw Pact) and West (First World; capitalist; ...

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Smart African Women

Akorfa Ama Akoto

Communications Assistant @ Ministry of Education, Ghana

Accra, Ghana

In Career and Jobs

education , jobs , volunteerism , career , personal, development

Toyin Jolapamo

Senior Digital Communications Analyst @ Oando Plc

Lagos, Nigeria

In Business Development

digital , marketing , career , communications , jobs , strategy

Dr. Mofor Clementine CENDOH

Personal Brand Therapist | Bus Consultant | Relationship Counsellor | Content Creator @ NEST Consolidated

Yaoundé, Cameroon

In Business Development

women , career , entrepreneurship , business , development , entrepreneur , ceo

Yewande Orenuga

Creative Director @ Thalia Bespoke Nigeria

Lagos, Nigeria

In Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle

lifestyle , clothes , fashion , career

Dr. Mofor Clementine CENDOH

Personal Brand Therapist | Bus Consultant | Relationship Counsellor | Content Creator @ NEST Consolidated

Yaoundé, Cameroon

In Relationships

love , women , sex , relationships , couples , marriage , orgasm

Ifueko Igbinedion

Doctoral Student @ MIT

Boston, United States

In STEM

technology , learning , engineering , ai , electrical , machine , stem , drones

Chinasa T. Okolo

Managing Director & Computer Science PhD Student @ The Diasporic Group & Cornell University

New York City, United States

In STEM

technology , learning , ai , machine , stem , computer , science

Njoke Tangwing Raisa Ngwenyi

Tech enthusiast, climate activist, media personnel @ Bamenda

Bamenda, Cameroon

In Leadership

women , leadership , leaders

Abigael Anaza-Mark

Lead the volunteer team, design and manage projects @ SheSOLVES

Lagos, Nigeria

In Education

women , education , stem , equality , gender

Priscilla Ofosu Mensah

Bridal Makeup Artist, Makeup Educator, Makeup Special Effects (Sfx) @ Vogue by Prylla

Accra, Ghana

In Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle

beauty , bridal , makeup , cosmetics

SESSION ANSWER
IN FOCUS

Adebisi Adenola

What are your thoughts on brand activism and cause-marketing and how brand mangers could use this to connect effectively with consumers?

Dr. Emmanuel Mogaji

Senior Lecturer Advertising and Marketing Communications @ University of Greenwich, London

I think it is very important for brands to reflect their target audience. This is the time of being 'WOKE' but it must be done right. Compare Gillette's advert We Believe: The Best Men Can Be and Nike's advert with Colin Kaepernick. Gillette's advert didn't do well because people could...

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Comments

Rivers

Quite a tasking job I hail Una for the movie industry o🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

8 months, 3 weeks ago

Hi, it's Belinda, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

If you’re looking for a creative director for your visuals, or a writer for that book, I’m your girl. ✍️🎬 https://belindasplace.curio...

Score | 607

Ugochukwu Asiogu

I conduct research and provide critical analysis on human security, and development issues.

Uyo, Nigeria

1056

20895

In Politics • 3 min read • Jan 16, 2023 18:54p.m.

Nigerians and the 2023 Elections

Nigerians and the 2023 Elections

Ugochukwu Asiogu

0:00 / 0:00

When I was much younger, I was seriously stubborn. This may come as a surprise to many who know me now. You may think it's the conventional stubborness, but I can assure you that if it hadn't been for God, my parents' prayers, and a change of heart, I would have become THANOS! Reflecting on some of my mischievous deeds often leaves me wondering what was wrong with me back then. I would like to share some details about those vices and my journey to having sense, but you see, the Internet never forgets and I have plans to blow in this life! Oh, and I also stand the chance of getting arrested! Who stabs his colleague in the eyes at a young age? Definitely not me! I've come to terms with the fact that my actions and inactions were a product of my ignorance and my environment. I grew up in "Akai Nyoho" in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. The direct translation of Akai Nyoho is "a forest area," and yes, it wasn't the tush area of town. When we eventually moved to civilization and I changed schools, some changes in my behavior became noticeable! It wasn't immediate though. One of the things I can now say with my full chest is the fact that peer pressure in my new environment was limited. I could barely access it! My previous association wasn't utterly terrible; in fact, it was cool to me, but then it had affected me a lot and it was all I had. Later on, I improved academically, and as we say in Nigeria, "I came to get sense small." I even became a "Senior Prefect" in my new school. I still don't understand how I became a senior prefect because Omooooooo! This is not me shading those I knew before all this seemingly good change happened or cancelling my previous school/environment. I know people from that same Akai Nyoho who turned out great, so this ain't shading. The point to note is that my choices and actions got better as my climate changed. As my association changed, I really did become a better version of myself. I believe a lot of people are somehow stagnated by their associations. You have plans you'd like to work on, but somehow your friends limit you or the plans are not realistic in your current environment. When people can't share in your vision, they may not know how to help you realize it. Your valid dreams are not valid everywhere. Put differently, your valid dreams may become invalid due to your climate. It could be difficult, but it's okay to leave. You have to be intentional about your growth. It's okay to burn bridges when you've secured a boat! Lol. Don't remain unequally yoked. Sometimes we rise by leaving others. Learn Unlearn Relearn

596

Comments

Udochi Umeha

Lagos • 3 days, 23 hours ago

This is the reality of life. To be so focused on moving forward and making progress that you may not get the chance to take that short...

Hi, it's Joshua, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

My broad range of interests include art, design, philosophy and writing about where they might intersect. Find out more here: https://www.linkedin.com/mw...

Score | 488

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In People and Society • 3 min read • Oct 21, 2022 06:50a.m.

We rise by leaving others

We rise by leaving others

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

471

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

Score | 423

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Freelance scriptwriter and creative photographer

Lagos, Nigeria

Can we change who we are, without any negative consequence? Sometimes, we have an unpleasant experience, which makes us resolve to change who we are. It could be that someone didn't appreciate our kindness, or tried to exploit our empathy and selflessness. And in an attempt to prevent such from happening again, we resolve to alter who we are. The down side to this though, is that in that phase of altering who we are, we damage ourselves further. Whoever might have hurt us, would probably be living his/her own life unperturbed. While we struggle to become someone entirely different. It is often said that if you let someone change who you are, you grant that person power over your life. And this saying cannot be more true than it is. Consider this analogy: If you decide to cook a pot of rice, hoping to share it amongst a group of people. Do you take it away and lock it up, if one person out of the group refuses to eat? Our personalities and in this case; empathy, are gifts that we are meant to share with others. It is certain that not everyone is going to appreciate them. But that doesn't mean that we should withdraw it. Some times, when I pray, I ask that I be led to the people who would truly appreciate me for who I am. So that I don't come into that temptation of trying to alter my core. Remember this - you can adjust bits of your personality, without damaging who you are. But attempting to change the core of your being, is often catastrophic.

In Literature, Writing and Blogging • 2 min read • Dec 19, 2022 11:31a.m.

THE DANGER OF ALTERING WHO YOU ARE

THE DANGER OF ALTERING WHO YOU ARE

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

0:00 / 0:00

I know you like my insights 😁. Kindly consider leaving a tip.

THIS INSIGHT HAS STARTED RECEIVING TIPS

One of the craziest statements I hear is that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Well, I've equally used that phrase a number of times. However, my perspective has changed. Before I go into the rationale for my new conviction, I think people use the phrase to advise people to be resolute in the face of challenges. In other words, "they can grow from their broken state and become stronger." It's also like saying we learn from experience. Let me return to my point before I forget it. My new conviction is that what doesn't kill you now may kill you later! So yeah, this piece is about stopping bad habits or getting free from addiction. Gotcha right! I believe very strongly that appetite is learned and that we get hooked on things over time. So addicts are basically consistent in the wrong things. I think if you stick to a negative routine, you could get hurt eventually. A case in point are those who are hooked on betting! This is not to condemn anyone who's devoted to betting or drinking! I also drink beer once in a while. emphasis on "once in a while." At first, you might think it's something you can get rid of gradually or that it's a one-time occurrence. Lads! You are in for a surprise. I have this friend who started betting a while back and couldn't stop. For some reason, he started linking up with people who did the same thing. In a certain context, this means one person bonds over their addictions! Notably, you have to change your circle of influence in order to stop some habits. My friend was also in debt, and he was constantly worried. "You cannot have a one-night stand with some habits without becoming pregnant!" I equally think habits are tied to certain times of the day. For example, some people may drink more or masturbate more at night. For other people, the rush to perform a certain activity may come in the morning. To get rid of this, I believe replacing those activities with something more productive should suffice. It won't be easy, but a try won't be bad. Kindly note that the foregoing is not necessarily hinged on science. They are just two cents from one addict to another! Learn Unlearn relearn.

405

Hi, it's Jefferson, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a creative screenwriter, photographer, cinematographer and creative director. You can check out some of my works here https://instagram.com/themi...

Score | 406

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In People and Society • 2 min read • Dec 19, 2022 08:19a.m.

What doesn't kill you won't make you stronger.

What doesn't kill you won't make you stronger.

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

394

Comments

Ayebaibomo Praise Atalawei

Yenagoa • 2 weeks, 1 day ago

I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective on the dangers of bad habits and addictions, and appreciate your honesty and inspiring me...

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

Score | 271

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Freelance scriptwriter and creative photographer

Lagos, Nigeria

Quick question - that brand of phone or fashion item you recently acquired, can you beat your chest and say it was out of your uninfluenced free will you made that choice? Wait! Please read the whole thing before you give your answer.  Mind control is real. As a matter of fact mass mind control has been in existence for a long time and we are well and truly under its influence. It is after all the greatest weapon in the arsenal of consumerism. I guess we've seen this a couple of times in a movie, perhaps in one or two books. Yet, we brushed it aside, because; fiction right? While movies like "Sorry to Bother You", "Parasite" and "Fight club", might be unsettling. The real life effects of consumerism is much more disturbing. Corporations are always thinking about how to influence consumer behavior and reaction inorder to get them to buy their stuff. One of the most effective methods, is through conditioning - mind control if you please. Gently ushering the minds of the consumers towards a particular 'need', which in most cases have nothing to do with the actual product they manufacture. For example, why is an iPhone associated with a high social class and elitism, when most of its features are available on other phones. Can anyone tell me a basic smartphone feature present in an iPhone which is lacking in let's say a Samsung? (I genuinely want to know). Through years of careful and purposeful advertisement and campaigns, Apple has been able to condition its customers to associate the brand with class, even though there is no concrete proof of this. It is why millions of people do whatever they can to get an iPhone - it's really not about the phone but the desire to be counted among the elites and separate themselves from the poor masses who Android phones are created for. Same also applies in several other industries like skin care. A lot of people who delve into skin care and the ridiculous purchase of over priced skin care products do so not from the advice of a dermatologist, but from the need to 'glow' and possess a skin testament to their 'good living'. Same can be said of fashion, real estate etc. If you think about it, a lot of these 'upgrades' and lifestyle only start after exposure to the capitalist conditioning. The most effective way to manipulate a human being into doing what you want, is to make him believe that is what he wants. Capitalism knows that and you can't even hate the corporations who use this technique because it's so simple yet brilliant. Some people call it brilliant advertising, but it's just mind control - same tricks mentalists use. Consumerism extends its tentacles and latches on to your mind, from where it is able to covertly influence your decisions while keeping the mirage that you are in charge.  Are there side effects to the excesses of consumerism? Definitely. I will give you one - the rise in non biodegradable waste as a result in the increase in fast fashion. There are also side effects that affects us as humans, and one of them is the constant feeling of emptiness and pursuit of the new trend. We now judge quality of life strictly by the capability to keep up with the next consumer obsession - hence we become exhibitionists and performative beings. Because companies have to the main goal of selling, they have to keep making you feel like what you have isn't good enough. A new iPhone is released and suddenly, you feel the need to upgrade because of the ever so subtle nudge to do so by the manufacturers. The worse part is that you can never fully upgrade as there will always be that one new thing.

In People and Society • 3 min read • May 08, 2024 09:39a.m.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

0:00 / 0:00

I know you like my insights 😁. Kindly consider leaving a tip.

252

Comments

Omoladun

Hiya. Funny thing this was my research topic for my undergraduate degree but my focus was in relation to personality types. This piece is...

9 months, 2 weeks ago

Hi, it's Jefferson, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a creative screenwriter, photographer, cinematographer and creative director. You can check out some of my works here https://instagram.com/themi...

Score | 411

Tari Ogbowei

Content Writer and contributor @ TwoCents

Yenagoa, Nigeria

The race for who will occupy Aso Rock in 2023 is gradually gaining momentum. In the past month the 2 major parties had their primaries and elected their flag bearers. There was also a pleasant surprise which no one anticipated. Peter Obi moved to Labour Party from PDP just a few days to the PDP primaries. A move akin to that of a football player on the last day of the January transfer window. With this, Peter Obi took the formerly unknown Labour Party from obscurity to the 3rd force in the country in less than 24hrs. Scintillating. Isn't it?Although, he said he left the PDP, quote and unquote, due to some practices that do not sit well with his persona. I believe part of it was the delegate buying and the fact that he knew he stood no chance if he wasn't willing to conform. Smart man, I must say. He didnt take the famous saying by Socrates "Man, know thyself!" for granted. He realised the odds were stacked against him quickly enough to port like "Saka" from Etisalat to MTN.In a turn of events, this unexpected move seems to be the best thing to have happened to Nigerians in the first half of 2022.

In Politics • 1 min read • Jun 10, 2022 22:42p.m.

A MAN OF THE PEOPLE 💪🏽

A MAN OF THE PEOPLE 💪🏽

Tari Ogbowei

0:00 / 0:00

How do I enter this terrain with a deftness and alacrity that would not offend the gods mildly? Hahahaha, I don't even know why I began my speech like that but let us see how this particular journey evolves.Want to find out? Keep reading I was listening to Jon Bellion's "The Internet" and let me tell you, everytime I listen to it, I have a thousand pages in my head about how true his message is. The advent of the internet made us all famous and now our demigod status has reached an all time high. But are we even aware of our status or we just have remained numb, instead wanting more? I say this because we allow the illusion of something with "no real estate in the real world" as Bellion puts it to keep us in chains and disbelief of ourselves. How, you may ask? I saw a post three weeks ago where someone said we get sad when we have "just" 100 or 50 followers on the net, but imagine if 100 people or fifty people said they liked you or were rooting for you in real life, that would be an esteem boost. Yet, we allow a supposedly small amount of followers determine our self-worth. Ironic!!!! Life really became dangerous when we all became famous, because the troll or cancel culture is the bedrock of internet terrorism. Everyone is a saint in this virtual world of ours and as soon as someone makes a mistake, here comes the horns and pitchforks to slaughter and maimWhere is the human element of allowing people make mistakes and learn from them?I think it's not exactly human but a spiritual leaning because if you observe, people tend to talk about being "human" mostly when they have committed a crime or hurt you.Well this was already existent in real life so you could say "art imitating life" or maybe a semblance of it. What about people pretending to have something or be something just "for the gram"? Bellion's line that says "don't need the book, just need you to think I read it......" paints this picture for us. The "fake life" agenda that pervaded the internet has driven most to really dangerous places. A boy sees one person flashing wads of cash and dreams of that spectacular lifestyle. Unknown to him, that person is a fraudster or is posing in someone's house. Or is it a girl seeing another female dressed in expensive attire with glowing skin and a flamboyant life, not knowing she is eating excreta to get that paper or is being sponsored by a sugar daddy. Of course we know it's not everyone who does this that is engaged in such acts. But let us be real, if you got it like you do, would you feel the need to want to impress me? Or is it really an esteem problem, you need to feel admired or worshipped and keeping that attention requires you doing this? Then when it goes awry, you are slaughtered on the virtual cross and people move on to the next victim. As Bellion puts it, "no one cares if you are happy, just as long as they think you are" and he didn't tell one lie. And people are being destroyed everyday due to traumatic ideals they pick up on the space, because attention in the real world is lacking or they have suddenly become attached to this perception of friends that do not need to be in the room with you? Are we slowly losing the essence of human interaction? Are we okay with the constant gender Wars and hurt people roaming the virtual street looking for the next patsy? Of course it has its advantages and we have seen it in YouTube lessons, creators, virtual workshops and so many more. But which is taking the lead, the good or the bad? We know when the purpose of a thing is unknown, abuse becomes inevitable, so maybe we have abused it to a degree where survival is out of the question: you are either a slave or apathetic to it. Whatever the case, it calls for some serious introspection So let's ask ourselves, are we allowing the virtual world keep us chained to some idea or are we using it the best way possible?

396

Comments

Queensley Okon

Ota • 2 years, 8 months ago

Yesso, I am OBIdient

Score | 498

Queensley Okon

Information Officer @ Covenant University

Ota, Nigeria

1348

25140

192

In People and Society • 4 min read • Jun 21, 2022 13:24p.m.

DEMI GODS AND THE FAME MONSTER

DEMI GODS AND THE FAME MONSTER

Queensley Okon

0:00 / 0:00

Political campaigns in Nigeria always produce the most surreal promises from candidates and their spokespersons. I remember growing up hearing jokes about a candidate that promised to “fire” and “water” his constituents (promising electricity and pipe-borne water). Jokes apart, it was only 8 years ago that APC promised us ₦1 = $1, to pay every unemployed Nigerian youth ₦5,000 monthly, and create 10 million jobs. Of course, today, the Dollar is pushing for ₦1,000 = $1, we never saw the ₦5,000, and as for the 10 million jobs…the less we speak, the better for our hearts. Even now, the same party that delivered 3 recessions, and only one-time 3% GDP growth year for 7 years is back to promise us 10% GDP growth for the next 4 years. So it is clear: politicians will say anything to win elections. And nobody knows this more than the supporters of the 2 big political parties. When you listen to them speak, you begin to think; if they’re so negative about what can be possible with a regime change, why do they fight so much to ensure their candidates win? The zeal surely is not out of a desire to see a working country. Because if it were, they should be the loudest proponents of possibilities. But they instead focus on how difficult it is to change things. Which indicates that it’s all about winning for them. Because let's tell ourselves the truth: the present government has performed abysmally. And drastic change is needed. Yet, the runup to the 2023 general elections has revealed even more wonders. For the first time, there is a leading candidate who has enjoyed the absolute-type powers of an executive office, yet whose detractors don’t have a corruption case against him. Instead, they oppose him because his plans are “unassailable”. “Unrealistic”. “Impossible”. “Governance is rocket science,” is the quip very often made on Twitter by senior public policy expert, Dr Joe Abah. It is important to note that he started saying this under the current APC government. He has worked with at least 2 Nigerian presidents and many more governors to implement their policies. He’s experienced, so he must know more than me on the matter. But then Mr Peter Obi comes along and makes promises that clearly translate to overhauling the political landscape. The man is promising new things, and speaking like they’re achievable. So who do we believe? The political experts who see good governance as normal for Western Nations, but “rocket science” for Nigeria? Or the former governor, who has experience making executive decisions and implementing policy? In this situation, the onus is on the man making promises to prove that he can fulfill them. And no, we won’t take his words alone now. We’ll look at his past records, and juxtapose them with Nigeria’s present issues. So let’s take a look at some: Issue 1: Nigeria has 20 million out-of-school children, and a poor educational system. Record: Before Peter Obi became governor of Anambra state, Anambra state was 26th in National academic performance. During campaign, he vowed to resign if he did not fix Anambra state education problem (November 26, 2002 All Africa News reports). By the end of his tenure, he had successfully moved Anambra from 26th nationally to 1st for 3 years running in educational performance. Out of school children also became the lowest in the nation at 6.6%. Verdict: Possible to correct Issue 2: Nigeria is insecure and vulnerable to attacks in every zone from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and armed militia. Record: Before his emergence as governor, Anambra state used to be the kidnapping and bank robbery capital of Nigeria. By the time he was leaving office, the Inspector General of Police reckoned that for Mr Peter Obi’s last 5 years in office, the state had been the safest in the country, with no attempted bank robberies (April 11, 2014; The Nation News report). This means that he solved the security issue within 3 years. Verdict: Possible to solve Issue 3: We are in debt and have no money to develop unless we incur more loans (according to the present government). Record: On assumption of office as governor, Anambra state was owing ₦35 billion in pension and salary debts. Development was slow or non-existent in all sectors, and contractors were not being paid. He cut the cost of governance, streamlined budgets, and plugged the holes through which government money leaked. By the time he was leaving office, Anambra was not owing any debts whatsoever, even to staff, suppliers and contactors. He constructed 900km of roads and critical bridges (the equivalent of the road distance between Lagos to Abuja), renovated over all government schools and equipped them, funded farmers, security agencies, and many more. He also left tens of Billions in cash and investsments. All without taking a kobo of loan. Verdict: No better person to solve it than this man. I could talk about how his campaign is uniting well-meaning Nigerians across all tribes and zones. And how there’s a rising wave of positive patriotism and newfound belief in the hearts of Nigerians as a result of his emergence. Or how his record of setting up Anambra to be a place where industries can thrive shows that Nigeria can indeed move from “Consumption to Production" under him. Look, the man has said it: he wants to retire the political system that has numbed Nigerians to hope and faith. He has done it before in Anambra, where his reforms made Chief Chris Uba, a former political godfather and rogue who installed the previous 2 governors Mbadinuju and Ngige to become a renowned Town Crier – who went everywhere complaining about Mr Peter Obi’s “stinginess”. And so dear Nigerians, if there’s anybody able to demystify rocket science (aka governance) in Nigeria, it is Mr Peter Obi. And the time is now.

461

Comments

Loic Bethel Dje

Nicosia • 2 years, 2 months ago

Introspection gives the right to leverage over challenges

Hi, it's Queensley, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Virtual Assistant, Freelance Writer, and help with your academic research. Reach me here https://wa.me/2348167337301

Score | 676

Chinomso Uzoeto

Growth Marketing @ TwoCents

Lagos, Nigeria

975

7009

In Politics • 4 min read • Dec 26, 2022 15:52p.m.

Leading Presidential Candidate Believes He Can Build Rockets By Himself!

Leading Presidential Candidate Believes He Can ...

Chinomso Uzoeto

0:00 / 0:00

Read with your mind! One of the crazy things about the post-Covid era is the discussion about the ideal work environment. While we await the winner between bedrooms and boardrooms, it is clear that the future of work has forever changed. It's okay if you have a divergent opinion. Remote work has drastically changed the perception of work and the income game between distinct jobs. This may feel like an exaggeration, but I believe that most people may prefer remote work if it pays well and gives them a sense of "freedom." Would onsite jobs go extinct? My answer is no because some jobs require physical presence and AIs haven't been incorporated into every field. The great thing is that bedrooms have become boardrooms, all thanks to technology. You just have to get yourself an optimized workstation. This leads to my next point regarding the efficacy of doing remote work. My argument is not rooted in science but in the experiences of others and mine. I feel the novelty of remote work in many corners of the world is still largely misunderstood. Similarly, it's very tricky in the sense that it can give you the false impression that you have a lot of free time. Well, it may depend on the content of their jobs. I think companies should create milestones for employees working remotely to keep them in check. I mean, if I can get the job done in 3 hours at any point during the week, I might as well procrastinate the task. Think about it. I equally think managing people working remotely is tricky, as the human connection may be absent. Well, I guess that's where hybrid work comes in. On the other side, if the task can be executed remotely, then companies should make allowances for that. It would save the employee money on transportation and save the company some costs. That's Nigeria speaking through me! I guess onsite work gives employers the impression that they are in control. "Employee wey wan run you street go still succeed ooo." Lol. I guess part of the worry employers have is that there are just too many distractions out there, and remote work gives employees the opportunity to utilize these distractions. Well, there's a valid point there, but it is what it is. The post-covid workspace has taken on a new dimension as companies have transitioned from the traditional desk-chair-monitor setup to something more disruptive. In other words, "they've brought the bedroom into the boardroom or incorporated the bedroom into the design of the boardroom." This changes everything, and it makes employees more efficient. You can say it's still to ensure that employees come onsite! We're now seeing more sustainable workspaces designed specifically for optimization. It's now very clear that little things like having a small flower on a desk or having more colors, humorous pictures, and some crazy pieces of furniture can influence employees positively. Even personnel management has changed due to remote work. One common denominator in the preceding lines is "evolve" or "change." It makes one think about the future of work. Have we seen it all? Screenshot your answer and check back in two years! Random thought: Imagine a remote VR workspace modeled after a company's on-site workspace. Now imagine team bonding in a VR workspace! Imagine if there were spectacles that gave an updated version of whatever you looked at. By implication, there'd be no trenches. I think it would change the meaning of luxury. I just made your mind SWERVE! #Swerve#Learn Unlearn Relearn#LEarn

665

Score | 1523

Cyrus Majebi

Co-founder @ TwoCents

Lagos, Nigeria

837

4678

In The Economy • 4 min read • Dec 06, 2022 00:07a.m.

WHAT PRAYER DOES THE CASKET MAKER SAY? OR, THE BROKEN WINDOW FALLACY

Ever since I was old enough to know what a casket is, and who casket makers are, I’ve always wo...

Ogechi Amonu Paul-David Maijeh Daluchi Iweanya

dilemma moral casket tragedy profiting

1502

Score | 622

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In Companies and Firms • 3 min read • Jan 05, 2023 09:13a.m.

Bedrooms and Boardrooms

Bedrooms and Boardrooms

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

Cyrus Majebi

Queensley Okon

Ugochukwu Asiogu

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

608

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

Score | 643

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

Freelance scriptwriter and creative photographer

Lagos, Nigeria

You might have heard of the Osu caste system in Igbo land. In case you haven't, this is a system of ostracization of certain people who have been judged to have committed an abominable act. It discourages social interaction, and even marriage with these people. So how does a person become an Osu? As stated earlier, these people have been judged and found guilty to have committed a terrible offence. In the past, the Igbo people lived their lives according to the Odinani (the laws of the earth). These laws were created by the earth goddess Ala, for the people to live by. Anyone who commits an atrocity against these laws, risks ostracization; thereby becoming an Osu. An Osu could be sold to slavery, or become properties of deities. Either way, social interaction is severed with these people. They are seen as inferior humans, unworthy to associate with the Nwadiala. They are seen as unclean and are even not allowed to break kola; which as you may know is very important in the Igbo culture. They are also made to live in shrines and market places, away from others. And should they bear children, those children automatically become Osu. It can become a generational thing. Modern times, have brought with it the criticism of this system. It has been considered as a violation of human rights, with some of the punishment associated with it labelled as inhumane. Human rights groups were known to have been really vocal about it, calling for its abolishment. According to history, the osu caste system has been abolished. This was on the 28th of December 2018, in a ceremony conducted in Nri. However, the question here is - how effective has this abolishment been? Till this day, families are hesitant to let their children marry a person who was born into a family identified as osu. Some outrightly forbid such union, believing it is a marriage which would be plagued with series of unfortunate events. It is one of the several 'findings' done by most families, during the introduction phase of a proposed marriage. Isn't it strange that even with the advent of Christianity and evolution, there are certain people who are still rooted in ancient practices? It goes to show that, tradition still has some sort of hold on us, even if we choose not to admit it.

In History and Culture • 2 min read • Oct 25, 2022 10:17a.m.

THE OSU CASTE SYSTEM

THE OSU CASTE SYSTEM

Jefferson Nnadiekwe

0:00 / 0:00

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As you may know, this is Men's Health Week and it crowns itself on Sunday with Father's Day. Honestly, if I didn't keep up with important articles, I would have no idea that this week was dedicated to the beautiful beings called MEN. I see no companies with targeted campaigns or flashy adverts that would sensitize or inform us Matter of fact, it's real quiet in the social media district These give you a sense of what it means to be a man There is a saying that "to be a man is not a day's job" and I wholeheartedly agree. Men rarely get believed for being violated, whether domestically or sexually. Okay, if a man comes to you and tells you that he has been violated and needs help, what is your first reaction? I bet you an average person would probably laugh or look at him weirdly, like "guy with all these muscle person beat you?" Tell me you haven't been in that situation 😒😒🌚🌝🌝 Or is it when accusations come up, especially the sexual kind and people are up in arms, crucifying him before he gets investigated. D'banj can tell you how it felt to be in that situation, because he lost his endorsements in one swoop. The influencer Tife was crucified for months on Twitter for this purpose. Hell, UG, another influencer, almost lost his reputation, if not for some receipts that vindicated him The world really is not fair to the men and when they finally get vindicated, it is already too late. This was the case of Izu, a talented designer tailor who committed suicide. He had just come out of a depressing state, looking to change his life and got hit by false claims just because he rebuffed a girl's advances. We are familiar with the Johnny Depp scénario which led to studios dropping him from projects, and it took years for him to decide to get a court hearing which finally vindicated him and exposed the true nature of his psychotic ex-wife, Amber Heard. Men are not allowed to be vulnerable and that specie of a man is seen as weak and stupid, as if vulnerability is some curse, instead of the healthy human attribute it is supposed to be. It is shown in how Will Smith has been treated in the media. Instead of sympathy, he gets memes and funny articles and videos made about him. Say what you want about the guy, he is someone in need of help but is not getting it, but rather, he is being crucified on the media cross. Then when we are left with a lot of emotionally unavailable men, we start to complain without realizing how much we have contributed to that happening Last year, I posted on Men's Day, asking the guys on my contact list to tell me when last they got birthday gifts or gifts of any kind. The responses were beyond heartbreaking I tell you. Some said it's been a while, another said from me and one other girl which was his birthday that year but none before that. One guy actually told me his last gift was when he was 8 years old. It's sad to see this happen but it should not continue to be the norm. I know some men contribute to these tropes as they love to be seen as some demi gods or untouchable but this article is not about those men. Men, allow yourselves to be vulnerable, talk about your feelings, be good, be kind, protect yourself and leave toxic relationships. Allow yourself to heal so you do not continue the hurtful vicious cycle. The solution starts with you and I and what choices we make now In all, go be the person you would be proud of, that your son or daughter would be proud of, that your wife and friends would adore You matter, you rock and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being the best and most honest version of yourself Finally, HAPPY MEN'S HEALTH WEEK!!!! Tell me about some things that need to change in the society regarding men's health and wellbeing

635

Hi, it's Jefferson, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a creative screenwriter, photographer, cinematographer and creative director. You can check out some of my works here https://instagram.com/themi...

Score | 533

Queensley Okon

Information Officer @ Covenant University

Ota, Nigeria

1348

25140

192

In People and Society • 3 min read • Jun 16, 2022 12:06p.m.

MENTALLY MASCULINE..

MENTALLY MASCULINE..

Queensley Okon

0:00 / 0:00

Redesigning a country's currency has been in practice all over the world. With new and improved security features, redesigned currency makes forgery / counterfeiting less lucrative. When old notes stay out for long, it gets defaced, hoarded and oftentimes, settles in the hands of black market traders or criminals who do illicit businesses because money is used as a store of value and a medium of exchange. Nigeria through the Central Bank introduced her redesigned notes lately, but the whole process now looks like a dysfunctional masterpiece. Mefi's new monetary policies didn't just bring businesses to a halt, it has also ended up paving way for hoarding by the big goons and street money racketeering. Without spending the old and new notes simultaneously till the old notes faces out, the citizens will be dealt with untold hardship due to hyper-inflation . The policy has shown significant negative effects on economic activities especially on poor Nigerians due to its timing and short transition period. Nigerians are cash-strapped, inflation is on the rise. With banks inconsistency in quality internet banking, Do you think Emefiele got it right?

505

Comments

Tari Ogbowei

Yenagoa • 2 years, 8 months ago

Lovely article. Had no idea it was Men's Health week or it's gonna be Father's Day soon. Can we really do anything to change the situatio...

Hi, it's Queensley, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Virtual Assistant, Freelance Writer, and help with your academic research. Reach me here https://wa.me/2348167337301

Score | 632

Hero James

Lagos, Nigeria

736

7599

In Nigeria • 1 min read • Jan 31, 2023 15:16p.m.

A Dysfunctional Masterpiece

A Dysfunctional Masterpiece

Hero James

0:00 / 0:00

I think Nigerians, particularly those residing in other states, have different views about Lagos. However, there's a generic perception that it's an opportunity hub. Let me clearly state that only a few people in Lagos are sane, and I am one of those people! I'm saying it with my full chest, and I'm in my house! Come and beat me 😅 Nollywood has given some people the impression that you can "easily blow" once you move to Lagos. Let me give you a brief analogy. Emeka who is frustrated in the village somewhere in Owerri, moves to the City- "Lagos" to serve his older brother, and in 3 months he becomes a millionaire.  HOW NAAAAA! In another case, he could fall in love with Nneka, who is from a wealthy family, and they could eventually live happily ever after irrespective of the objections from her family. SCAM!! BIG SCAM!! A part of me wants to believe this is actually possible, but the other part is in utter disbelief. My dear, Lagos is not for the weak. Your temperament may change. I know mine did! It's not all glamorous as some may think, but you can do great things here. You must give it your all because --"THIS IS LAGOS"--

596

Comments

Udochi Umeha

Lagos • 1 week, 6 days ago

Since it's 2025, I'm saying this with hindsight

Score | 434

Samuel Ibok

Marketing Supervisor @ Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited

Lagos, Nigeria

In Nigeria • 1 min read • Sep 23, 2022 08:59a.m.

This is Lagos!

This is Lagos!

Samuel Ibok

0:00 / 0:00

If you like my insights, you can encourage me by sending a TIP. Thank you!

What are the Most Common Mistakes Made By Beginners When Getting Into Health & Fitness? Starting a health and fitness journey can be an exciting and fulfilling experience, but it can also be overwhelming, especially for beginners. It's important to avoid common mistakes that can hinder progress and cause frustration. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top 10 mistakes made by beginners when getting into health and fitness and provide tips on how to avoid them. Mistake 1 - Not Establishing Clear Goals One of the most common mistakes made by beginners is failing to set clear and realistic goals. Setting goals is an important first step in any fitness journey as it provides a sense of direction and motivation. It's essential to create specific, measurable, and attainable goals and track progress regularly to ensure success. Mistake 2 - Not Eating Properly Proper nutrition is a crucial aspect of health and fitness and should not be overlooked. Beginners often make the mistake of not paying enough attention to their diet or following fad diets that are not sustainable. To achieve long-term success, it's important to adopt healthy eating habits and create a balanced and nutritious meal plan that fits individual needs and goals. Mistake 3 - Failing to Design an Effective Workout Plan Another common mistake is not having a structured workout plan. Beginners often jump into exercises without considering their current fitness level or the types of workouts that are best suited to their goals. To avoid this, it's essential to design an effective workout plan that is challenging, yet manageable, and gradually progress as fitness improves. Mistake 4 - Not Considering Your Motivation Level Staying motivated can be a challenge, especially when starting a new fitness journey. It's important to consider your motivation level and find activities that you enjoy to increase the likelihood of sticking to your workout plan. Mistake 5 - Overdoing it Too Soon Overtraining can be a major setback in a fitness journey. Beginners often make the mistake of doing too much too soon and not allowing their bodies enough time to recover. It's important to avoid overtraining and progressively increase the intensity and duration of workouts to prevent injury. Mistake 6 - Not Staying Consistent Consistency is key in any fitness journey. Beginners often struggle with sticking to their workout and nutrition plans, leading to burnout and decreased progress. To avoid this, it's important to make fitness a lifestyle and find ways to integrate physical activity and healthy eating into daily routines. Mistake 7 - Not Incorporating Variety Incorporating variety into workouts can prevent boredom and enhance progress. Beginners often make the mistake of sticking to one type of exercise, leading to plateaus and decreased motivation. It's important to incorporate different types of exercises and activities into a fitness plan to challenge the body and prevent boredom. Mistake 8 - Not Getting Enough Sleep and Rest Getting enough sleep and allowing time for rest and recovery is crucial for progress in health and fitness. Beginners often overlook the importance of sleep and rest, leading to fatigue and decreased performance. It's important to prioritize sleep and make it a non-negotiable part of a health and fitness routine. Mistake 9 - Not Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Accordingly Regularly monitoring progress and adjusting workout and nutrition plans as needed is important for continued progress. Beginners often neglect to track progress and make necessary changes, leading to stagnant progress. To avoid this, it's important to track progress and make adjustments as needed to ensure continued progress towards health and fitness goals. Mistake 10 - Comparing Yourself to Others Comparing oneself to others is a common mistake made by beginners and can lead to negative self-talk and decreased motivation.

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Comments

Samuel Omoyele

Abeokuta • 2 months ago

This post reminds me of a line from a poem I was taught back in secondary school– "Life is not a bed of roses". Your post is really screa...

Hi, it's Samuel, thanks for reading & listening to my insights.

I'm a Creative Writer and Poet on a mission to Tell Stories That Torch! You can find some of my works below https://www.instagram.com/p...

Score | 498

Roy Msoli

CEO @ Msoli Muscles

Nairobi, Kenya

286

1512

In Fitness and Body Building • 2 min read • Feb 21, 2023 18:55p.m.

Top 10 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Health & Fitness Journey

Top 10 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a ...

Roy Msoli

0:00 / 0:00

Anita Koske

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