Every year, like clockwork, February 14th rolls around, and suddenly, the world is bathed in red and pink. Love songs take over the airwaves, gift shops overflow with teddy bears and chocolates, and restaurants are fully booked.  But have you ever paused to ask: What is Valentine’s Day really about? Why do people celebrate it worldwide? Let’s break it down in a way that’s less about commercial hype and more about the heart of the matter. Valentine’s Day has its roots in ancient history, and surprise, it wasn’t originally about flowers and dinner dates!  The most popular theory traces it back to Saint Valentine, a priest who lived in Rome during the third century.  At the time, Emperor Claudius II had banned young men from getting married, believing that single men made better soldiers. But Valentine, believing in love, secretly performed marriages for couples. When the emperor found out, he had Valentine arrested and eventually executed on February 14th, around the...

Love is one of the most celebrated yet elusive experiences in human existence. Songs are written about it, movies are centered around it, and people spend their lives searching for it. But is love truly for everyone? Or is it a privilege reserved for a select few? From childhood, we are conditioned to believe that love is an inevitable part of life. Fairy tales end in love, families nurture with love, and society pushes the idea that romantic relationships complete us.  It is easy to assume that love is a birthright, something everyone will experience at some point. But the reality is far from ideal.  Not everyone finds the kind of love they desire. Some people go through life without experiencing deep romantic connections, while others struggle with heartbreaks, betrayals, or unfulfilled affections.  So, does this mean love isn’t truly for everyone? One reason people question whether love is universal is because they often define love too narrowly.  Romantic love is...

  Life is full of paradoxes. I'm promoted to write this article as a result of my recent encounter with people who got broken for their goodness. Igbo people will always say this prayer "Ogom egbulemu" meaning, my goodness won't kill me. One of the most painful questions we often ask is, Why do good people suffer?  Why do those who are kind, selfless, and honest face hardship, while those who deceive and exploit seem to thrive? Recently, I met someone who faced betrayal in his work place, all because he refused to compromise his standards. David is the kind of man who believes in hard work and integrity.  As a civil servant, he refused to take bribes or engage in shady deals, even when his colleagues pressured him. "Better to sleep with a clear conscience," he always said. A big contract came up in his office, and David, being the most qualified, expected to be promoted to handle it.  But because he wouldn’t play politics or bribe his superiors, the opportun...

Let’s talk about betrayal, because, honestly, nothing cuts deeper than being hurt by someone you trusted. Imagine being in a relationship for six solid years, thinking you’ve found your person, only for them to call you one day and casually drop the bombshell. "I got someone else pregnant, but hey, here’s some money for your troubles." Just like that, the dreams, the late-night calls, the promises, it all crumbles.  My friend lived this reality.  While she prayed, hoped, and envisioned a forever with him, he was out there building a different future without her. How do you even begin to process that level of betrayal? If not for God, how does one cope with such heartbreak? The truth is, many people enter relationships, friendships, and even business partnerships without clearly defining what they truly want.  They go with the flow, say sweet things, make promises, and then, when circumstances change, they switch up.  That’s why it’s important to seek clarity.  I...

  Nigeria’s business landscape is dynamic and full of opportunities, but standing out requires more than just having a good product or service. Many businesses struggle despite having great facilities because they lack the right team, strong social media presence, or exceptional service delivery. If you want your business to not only survive but thrive in Nigeria, here are some key strategies to implement: 1.        Maximize Social Media Visibility: Social media is a powerful tool for brand awareness and customer engagement. Millions of Nigerians use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and TikTok daily. To boost your business: ·          Be consistent with your posts and engage with your audience. ·          Use high-quality visuals to showcase your products or services. ·          Leverage influencer ma...

Many women have experienced Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) without even realizing it.  It’s not surprising, most of these procedures are done when girls are too young to understand what’s happening.  Maybe you’ve always felt something was “different” down there, or you heard whispers about something being done to you as a child but never got the full picture. If you’ve ever wondered, “Was I mutilated?” this article will help you find answers.  Knowing your status can empower you to seek medical attention, healing, or simply peace of mind. Let’s walk through the signs that could indicate you were subjected to FGM. 1. What’s Your Family Saying? If you have a close relationship with your mother, aunties, or grandmothers, you might want to ask them. Many cultures that practice FGM see it as a rite of passage, so some family members may openly admit it if you ask the right questions.  Try asking: “Did I undergo any traditional ceremony as a child?” “Was I circumcised as ...

This was a tough decision for me. When I realized I was mutilated, I quarreled with my mum for her ignorance. This is the pain a young woman is forced to endure because her mother was unaware of the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). I have experienced men leaving me because of this. The nurse or whoever mutilated me must have been unprofessional. I don’t even feel like a woman at all, I thank God my husband understood, and we struggled through it. This is the reality of about 115–130 million circumcised women worldwide, with an estimated 32.76 million women in Nigeria alone who have fallen victim to FGM. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Nigeria has a population of approximately 150 million, with women making up 52% of the population.  The national prevalence rate of FGM stands at 41% among adult women. This means that more than 32 million Nigerian women have undergone this harmful practice. Most of us get amused when people say sex is sweet,...

There’s a heaviness in my heart as I write this, a weight too deep to ignore.  Every day in Nigeria, we wake up to news that shatters the soul, innocent lives snatched away, family members turning against each other, gruesome betrayals that leave us gasping for breath. Just recently in Imo State, a mother and her two sons went on a journalist's live stream, their voices trembling as they narrated how their husband and father was murdered, stoned to death by his own blood brother. His children stood there, watching the horror unfold, powerless. Their mother had only gone to the market, only to return to the unthinkable. And then, there’s the mother who left her three children at home to sit for an exam, only to return and find them gone.  She searched, called their names, checked every corner of the house, only to be met with a sight no parent should ever have to endure, her babies, lifeless, stuffed inside the freezer. Killed by hands unknown. Or the father who could barely sp...

I woke up one morning, stretched lazily on my bed, and reached for my phone like most of us do.  Scrolling through my timeline on X (formerly Twitter), I stumbled upon a post by Alex Onyia, a name that had become familiar to me ever since I came across his Educare Academy. His tweet stopped me in my tracks: “We will be remodeling hundreds of classrooms and toilets, starting with schools in remote villages in the South East. It will be one classroom and toilet per chosen school at first. That’s my plan with @gaiuschibueze and others that may wish to participate. Nothing so fancy but will be extremely conducive for learning for the children. I am very particular about school toilets.It’s core for students’ hygiene and has been neglected for a very long time. We need to restore hygiene in our public schools. I read the tweet again. And then once more. This was different. In a country where citizens are conditioned to expect little from their leaders and even less from their fellow cou...

Another young woman almost lost her life. Another headline about a girl lured, trapped, and nearly killed.  This time, it was Promise Eze, a 25 Year-old from Ebonyi State, who thought she was meeting a man she had connected with online.  Instead, she was found tied to a chair, unconscious, her mouth sealed with plaster in an Abuja hotel room. Thankfully, the FCT Police Command rescued her. But how many more young women won’t be as lucky? Let’s get one thing straight, evil is evil.  And we need to stop sugarcoating it. This isn’t about why she visited him or whether she was materialistic. This is about the increasing violence against women in Nigeria and a society that allows it to happen. For every Promise Eze who survives, there are countless others who don’t.  We hear the stories, young women lured under false pretenses, attacked in their homes, kidnapped, or even used for rituals. And while we express outrage, nothing really changes. So, where exactly has society ...