Everybody loves gold. It sparkles, glitters, beautifies everything around it, adorns the lives of its users, and most importantly enhances the economic and social stratifications of the world; gold separates the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’. Ever since gold was discovered in the world about 7000 years ago, it has attracted the fascination of man, and it became associated with wealth… Read More »Forget the African Gold
I found myself fortuitously recalling some of the greatest moments of the late Whitney Houston last weekend, and I couldn’t stop myself from singing along to some of my favourites – ‘where do broken hearts go’, ‘greatest love of all’, and ‘one moment in time’. No singer on earth was a better vocalist than Whitney, in my much unbiased opinion,… Read More »One Moment In Time
Too many times, I’ve committed myself to certain tasks and invested countless hours in them, only to encounter a familiar brick-wall somewhere in my head. I begin to question the relevance of that project, its potential for impact, my interest in pursuing it, and whether I am supremely qualified to embark on that task. Once a while, I soldier on;… Read More »Where is Your Heart?
I’m a bit-part soccer fan. Thirteen years of supporting Arsenal Football Club does that to you. Over the last six years, my love for one particular soccer club has waned significantly, but my interest in the game remains strong as ever. As a consequence, I’ll readily watch any game on TV, whether it be played by Manchester City, Chelsea FC,… Read More »You’ll Never Walk Alone!
You hate to fail. You cannot stand the pain of disappointment. You work very hard and push yourself to the farthest limits, because you’ve tasted victory once in life, and you want that same taste over and over again. You have the best work ethic anyone can aspire to, and your incredible skills are designed to bring you great results… Read More »In The End
I’ve seen and heard several young people question their preparedness and qualifications to lead change-making initiatives across the world, because they consider themselves, and are considered by others to be too young and inexperienced. Might I ask, when will you be better equipped to be a changemaker than when you are young and idealistic? Idealism is the parent of all… Read More »Get Up and Go!
The grass is greener on the other side – I’ve heard this statement proven and debunked time and again. When you’re going through hard times, you can readily look back on where you were and where you could have been if you hadn’t made that ‘wrong’ move, or if you hadn’t listened to that person. You think that every single… Read More »On The Other Side
It’s a very beautiful afternoon, and I’ve just had an extremely sumptuous lunch at the expansive dining hall of the newly-commissioned Qatar National Convention Centre. Besides the aesthetics of this gorgeous architectural masterpiece, I’m bowled over by the professionalism and courtesy of the staff here; everywhere I turn, someone is making a slight bow to say hello. At lunch, the… Read More »Heartbeat of the African Diaspora
Has anyone ever attempted to paint a picture of a hardworking, determined global change-maker, without preconceived biases? We all have. Barring any sophisticated scientific postulations, our ideal change maker has the stern face of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the intimidating physique of Michael Jordan, the booming voice of Barack Obama, the overall clout of Nelson Mandela, the soaring networks… Read More »The Power of ONE: Fred Swaniker’s Audacious Mission to Transform Africa
What on earth were you thinking? I really don’t know. It was a mistake. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m sorry. You’re sorry? You’re sorry? How did you expect to get away with this? I really don’t know. This wasn’t something I planned. It just happened. I swear, it was not premeditated. I’ve never done anything like this before. This is… Read More »What Was I Thinking?
It’s 10:25pm in New York from where I took off; it’s 7:25am in Dubai, my next stop; and 5:25am in Johannesburg, my final destination. Ten hours and 45 minutes ago, I took off just as I have taken off every other week over the last couple of weeks, and almost every month over the last two years. Today I’m perched… Read More »Community of the Skies
There are two young Nigerians whom other young Nigerians love to hate – Reno Omokri and Ohimai Godwin Amaize. There are several reasons why they are hated, but among the top reasons are their perceived excessive vocalizations of the Jonathan administration’s agenda, their insistence that young Nigerians should not be satisfied with ‘Twitter activism’ but should challenge government in the… Read More »Is Ohimai Crazy?