CAREER ADVICE FROM SLAYFESTIVAL – HOW TO BE A UNIQUE LEADER, TIPS FOR JOB INTERVIEWS, CV AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
So I attended the slayfestival two Saturdays ago and I am here to share the career advices I got from attending these 2 masterclasses: Developing your Leadership style, Communicating values: Acing interviews The first masterclass which was hosted by Olachi Olatunji focuses on how one creates a unique leadership style that sets one apart from other leaders. I was a little bit late to the class but I learnt the following: Characteristics of a good leaderRespond: A good leader respond to questions or problems bothering the people they lead. Communicate: One who is a good leader must be ready to interact with people in order to know how to lead…
THE OCTOBER 1st DISEASE – THE STORY OF NIGERIA’S MADNESS
An epidemic began to afflict the country the day we got our independence. It first started in the core North; the West, the East and the South raised their noses and blamed the unsanitary living of the northerners on it. ‘When they spit anywhere they see’ ‘Aboki mallam that uses his spittle to wash his hands. Dirty lots’ We mocked the northerners when we saw footage of them going stark naked because of the disease. We all agreed the spirit of madness has descended upon them. Sorry to those unfortunate people. We left their fate in the hands of those ECOWAS, UNESCO, BASACO and other COs. Let them come and…
THE RESPECT CULTURE OF THE YORUBAS – A CORE VALUE OR A MUNDANE PRACTICE?
‘Àlàyé, submit your belongings, cooperate with us or you die‘How dare you saunter into my house and not greet first? ‘Sorry Ẹ̀gbọ́n, Ẹkaalẹ́ sah. Ehn we came to rob you ni ẹ sáà mọ bó ṣé ńlọ. ẹnu gbẹ‘ ‘No problem ẹ̀yin ọmọ ìyá mi. At least you guys are respectful. Go on take all you need. ‘ I reckon that’s how a Yoruba man will hold a conversation when armed robbers have the effrontery to enter his house without greeting. What is the threat of getting pumped with bullets when greeting is out of the picture? How dare you not greet a Yoruba person? Did they not teach you…
QUARTER LIFE CRISIS – THE GBAS, THE GBOS AND THE KPA-DU-KPAS
Adulting comes at you so fast and out of the blues like Lagos crowd when they hear ‘thief!’. It rushes you the way they rush whoever is named the thief ignoring your feeble protests of ‘but I am just 20 somethi..’ The realization can be sudden, it’s like a prick from an injection. It goes innnnnn and stays a while and then out leaving you with a tingling sensation. My name is Kanzah and I got adulTrouble. I must have been a joker to think getting forced to plait my hair on sundays, having to submit assignments, solving mathematics problems were the toughest things life could throw at me. I…
THE MISEDUCATION OF BOOBOO THE FOOL – TALES OF CLOWNERY
I thought I had sense really thought I did until news of my boyfriend’s wedding broke. Let me tell you how it happened, it was one of those days when the sun naps throughout its work hours. My mood was pumped and the day had me feeling good with myself until my friend, Ewoma called. ‘You won’t believe what i just saw on IG o’‘What’s that?’‘It’s your bobo he is getting married.’ I thought she said ‘you are getting married’ so I answered ‘of course if things go the way they should we are definitely getting married.’ ‘Abeg keep quiet! I said he is getting married! I just saw his…
CHILL MAMA I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF – WHAT’S WITH OVERPROTECTIVE PARENTS?
It must have been love…but it’s over now Growing up my folks never let me go out so I learnt to do my mischief right under their roof. When my mother grudgingly began to allow me out she’d start blowing up my phone to come home before the fun started. If there was a way she can make me chill and catch my cruise at home all the time she would be the most glad. My curfew was fixed at 4pm but if for any reasons I was still out by 5pm or 6pm all hell would be let loose on my phone. One time a bus I boarded moved…
NIGERIA’S VIOLENCE TO WOMEN
Sometimes last week, Busola Dakolo’s narration of her rape in the hands of Pastor Biotin Fatoyinbo made the headlines. Different takes and opinioms about the issue were all over the internet. Protest group also went to show their displeasure and call for the rapist to be brought to book. It all reached a crescendo when Pastor Biodun eventually stepped down but that isn’t enough because there exists in thousands and hundreds of thousands women who have suffered sexual assault, sexual violence in the hands of men. Nigeria has a long history of being violent to women, physical and sexual violence are the major ones Nigerian women get to deal with…
YELLOW PAWPAW: THE MENACE OF COLORISM IN NIGERIA
First of all. Question Do we have colour issues in Nigeria? Or not? I ask because I see people going in on celebrities when they talk about their skin issues; being grateful for their rich dark skin, falling in love with its black velvety wonder and not having enough role models with such skins to look up to. You’d see people telling them to shush it and stop acting like we haven’t had various black beauties to grace our screens or dominate our industries. So the question is…are those celebrities trying to force American colorism issue down Nigeria’s throat by going on about how skin denies one from breaking into…
THE VOICE OF MY MOTHER
‘Ade, Ade, Ade!!!’ The bellows were like an echo in dreamland, was that my name being called? ‘Ade!!! Sho gbo mi ni? Can’t you hear me?’ Slowly, I got a grip on consciousness and realized the voice is now in my room. It’s the voice of a woman, my mother. ‘Iwo omo yi! This child! O sumi. I’m tired. It’s 6:30 in the morning and you’re still sleeping. A woman! Can’t you see me, your mother? I’ve been up since 2 a.m., unable to sleep back, and doing house chores ever since.’ I yawned and began to shift things about to dull out her voice. I can no longer stand…
SHOOTING SHOTS AS A WOMAN – MY PERSONAL ENCOUNTERS
The series of shooting shots gone wrong tweets I kept seeing all over my TL brought back memories of the harrowing experiences I have had with shooting shots. All my life I have had stupid crushes. Those I liked enough I go after them. Shooting your shot is when you let go of your pride to pursue someone you are interested in. (Urban dictionary) The first shots I ever shoot was at a mulatto playmate. I was 7 years old or thereabouts. His name was Ilyass and the reason I ‘loved’ him then was because he was so yellow and he had curly hair. I dreamt of how I would…
