91心頭利嫋! / Come for the fun, stay for the culture! Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:23:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 /wp-content/uploads/zikoko/2020/04/cropped-91心頭利嫋_91心頭利嫋_Purple-Logo-1-150x150.jpg 91心頭利嫋! / 32 32 66 Years After, Some of Nigeria’s Laws Still Need Reform /citizen/66-years-after-nigerias-laws-still-need-reform/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:22:59 +0000 /?p=385221 Nigeria has changed considerably since independence on October 1, 1960, but the laws have not always kept up. Some have been amended, some replaced. And there are some still sitting quietly in the statute books, carrying language and ideas from a Nigeria that disappeared decades ago.

So, before we get into the birthday cake and independence speeches, lets walk through some of the rules and legal frameworks that have managed to survive 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s journey from colony to republic, military rule to democracy, and landlines to smartphones.

Photo: Covecollective

Punishment for attempting suicide

For years, 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s criminal laws have treated an attempt to take ones own life as an . The provision sits in the , while similar provisions exist under the applicable in parts of Northern Nigeria. It is a striking example of how an old legal approach can remain in place even as the society around it changes.

On August 19, 2026, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a proposed to the National Mental Health Act to remove criminal penalties for attempted suicide. Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said the proposed would replace punishment with treatment, protection and support. The government also acknowledged that attempted suicide remains an offence under provisions from the colonial-era Criminal Code and Penal Code.

And on September 10, 2026, the Federal Government that it was taking further steps to decriminalise attempted suicide following FECs approval in August. 

The argument for changing the law is fairly straightforward. Someone experiencing a mental health crisis who survives an attempt can end up dealing with the police and the criminal justice system on top of whatever pushed them to that point. The proposed amendment still has to go through the National Assembly, so the law has not disappeared yet. But the fact that the government is now seeking to remove the offence says something about how dramatically attitudes towards mental health and suicide have changed since those provisions were created.

If poverty is a crime

Then there are the dealing with people described as idle and disorderly or rogues and vagabonds. And no, these are not referring to thugs or agberos. 

These provisions are contained in , with covering a range of conduct including wandering, loitering, and other behaviours considered capable of causing a breach of the peace.

On paper, such provisions may sound like ordinary public-order rules. In practice, legal commentators have long raised about the discretion they give law enforcement officers and the way petty-offence laws can affect people who are homeless, unemployed or otherwise living on the margins of society. A 2017 Guardian of 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s petty-offence regime noted that jurists had criticised the laws for exposing poor people to exploitation and unnecessary contact with the criminal justice system.

The problem is historical. Vagrancy laws of this kind have in British law, including Englands . Nigeria inherited the legal tradition and retained parts of it after independence. Legal scholars have since that provisions built around concepts such as the idle person and vagabond have little place in a modern criminal justice system and should be abolished or substantially reworked.

Come to think of it, a law that was once designed to control movement and public order can have a very different meaning in a country where millions of people work informally, move between cities looking for jobs, and live without the sort of fixed address that the old legal imagination appears to assume.

48-year-old Land Use Act

Not every outdated framework came directly from colonial rule. Some are products of independent 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s own history, including the

The law changed land by vesting all land in each state in the governor, to be held in trust for the people. It was during the military era to bring greater control and uniformity to 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s complicated land tenure system. Nearly five decades later, however, the system remains a source of for property owners, developers, farmers and ordinary Nigerians trying to obtain legal title to land.

The is not difficult to find. In March 2025, Vice-President Kashim Shettima said the 48-year-old Act was due for , acknowledging that while it had shaped land administration for decades, it had also contributed to systemic problems that needed to be addressed.

Housing and property experts have also to the slow process of obtaining titles and the difficulty of converting property into usable economic assets. Some have described the Act as obsolete, while others have called for a of the way land is administered.

For Nigerians who have ever spent months chasing a Certificate of Occupancy, obtaining consent, or moving from one government office to another just to establish what they already believe they own, this is probably one of the easier examples to understand.

The country has expanded its cities, increased in population, and has a wider property market and larger economy, but land paperwork has struggled to keep pace.

The 1999 Constitution

The Constitution presents a slightly different problem because it is not an old colonial document. The came into force at the end of military rule and has governed since May 29, 1999. Yet the arguments around its structure and origins are as clear as day.

For years, critics have it as a military-era constitution imposed on Nigerians without sufficient popular participation. Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar against that description in June 2026, saying that about 95 per cent of the document was derived from the 1979 Constitution, drafted by civilian legal experts. He said the 1999 Constitution was after a committee headed by Justice Niki Tobi found broad support for the 1979 Constitution with amendments.

That does not settle the argument of whether the constitutional structure works well for Nigeria. Scholars and constitutional reform advocates have raised concerns about the at the centre, the between the federal and state governments, the and the the document. Those debates have produced repeated calls for restructuring, constitutional amendments or an entirely new constitutional settlement.

The document has also been several times since 1999, with the last amendment coming into effect on December 29, 2005. 

This series of amendment processes is a reminder that constitutions are not supposed to be museum pieces. The difficult part is agreeing on what should change and getting enough political actors across the federation to agree to change it.

The Big Daily is your weekday shortcut to the biggest news shaping Nigeria. We cut through the noise, connect the dots, and explain why the news actually matters, all in one quick read.

Despite new laws, still the same old police 

Nigeria’s policing system carries an even longer history. The Nigeria Police Force , and the remained part of the legal history of the force for decades. A major eventually arrived with the , which repealed the Police Act 2004.

The reform did not end there. In April 2026, the Federal Government new Nigeria Police Regulations after years of recognising that parts of the existing regulations had been overtaken by changes in policing, technology and society. The Ministry of Police Affairs further said the 2026 regulations were intended to outdated provisions and bring police operations into line with the Police Act 2020 and democratic policing principles.

Yet the structure of policing remains one of 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s longest-running . Nigeria still operates a , while advocates of state police have that policing closer to communities could improve local intelligence and responsiveness. 

That means the legal reform conversation has moved from simply replacing old police regulations to asking a much larger question about how policing itself should be organised in a federation of more than 200 million people.

Your workplace laws might be obsolete 

鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s , remains the countrys major legislation on factory safety, health and welfare. But lawmakers have been pushing to replace it, with the sponsor of a 2025 Occupational Health and Safety Bill that the framework has roots in the colonial industrial era and no longer adequately reflects modern workplaces.

Tax law has gone through a similar overhaul. enacted in 2025 replaced and consolidated several older statutes, with the government saying the reforms would simplify tax administration. 

The legal profession is another example. In 2025, President Bola Tinubu a bill to the National Assembly seeking to scrap the Legal Practitioners Act. The existing Act was originally , even though the current statute is cited as the 2004 version.

These reforms show that several laws governing Nigerians are being reconsidered because they no longer fit the countrys current realities. As the country changes, its laws have to change with it.

What happens now?

Nigeria cannot continue to leave its old laws to gather dust. The , formed in 1979, is the institution expected to go through the countrys laws, spot the ones that have become obsolete or no longer reflect modern realities, and recommend what should be changed or scrapped.

On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, the Commissions chairman, Prof. Dakas C.J. Dakas, said the Commission would identify obsolete laws for reform because many of those still on 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s books date back to the colonial period.

And there is quite a bit to look through. Laws, unlike milk, do not come with an expiry date printed on the packet. So some of them can sit quietly in the statute book for years, even decades, long after the country they were written for has changed completely.

Nigeria at 66 has changed plenty. We have moved from colonial administration to independence, military rule to democracy, landlines to smartphones, paper files to AI, and an economy that keeps inventing new ways to surprise everybody. Some old laws have kept up, either because they still make sense or because they have been amended over time. Others, however, seem to have missed the memo that Nigeria has moved on.

The idea is pretty simple: laws should make sense for the people and the country they are meant to serve. If a law was written for a Nigeria that no longer exists, leaving it untouched can start to feel like trying to use your grandfathers 1970s map to find your way around Lagos today. You might recognise some of the roads, but good luck with the rest. 

After 66 years of independence, revisiting the old laws on the books is part of keeping the legal system in step with the country itself. Nigeria has changed and can’t keep saying we move while still holding on to everything from the old era.

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]]> Five Things You Should Know About the Dangote Refinery IPO /her/dangote-refinery-ipo-things-to-know/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:04:44 +0000 /?p=385211 Word on the street is that everybody and their daddy is buying Dangote Refinery shares. With the constant talk about people getting in on the action, its easy to feel like youre missing out on something big. It might be because you dont know how to buy shares. Or if youve already bought some, you dont know what youve bought.

The Initial Public Offering (IPO) for Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE opened on September 14, 2026, and will close on October 13, 2026.  You can buy the shares through the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Public Offer portal or through any of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved banks. Other approved purchase channels include investment firms, fintech platforms, and electronic application channels listed on the IPOs official . They include InvestNaija, Cowrywise, Bamboo, and PiggyVest. 

But before you join the frenzy, or if you already have, there are five things you should know about what youre actually buying.

1. Buying Dangote Refineryshares doesn’t mean you get a seat at the table

Youve heard that the Dangote refinery is offering 4.1 billion shares, and objectively, that is a big number. In reality, however, only about of the company is being offered to the public. Even if the company exercises its oversubscription option and offers another of the original amount it intends to sell to the public, Dangote will remain the majority stakeholder with an estimated % stake in the company.  If all 4.1 billion shares are allotted and you buy the minimum 10 shares at 525 each, you would own approximately 0.00000000805% of Dangote Refinery. In summary, buying the listed shares makes you the owner of a very small fraction of the company. 

2. The Dangote IPO is not exactly sharing the national cake

An IPO is an opportunity to buy shares offered to the public before they begin trading on the stock exchange (secondary market). But subscribing for shares doesn’t mean you will receive them.  Your application still needs to be validated before the company offers the requested shares in a process called allotment. The process for the Dangote IPO is expected around (if the (SEC) has no objections). Till then, the money you paid when you subscribed is blocked in your account.

Heres where it gets interesting: there arent always enough shares to go around. If the company offers four billion shares and gets six billion offers, ? If people subscribe for more than is available, you may receive fewer shares than you requested. That means subscribing for 1,000 shares does not necessarily mean youll receive all 1,000. The good news is that if youre allotted fewer shares than you paid for, the excess money is usually returned to the bank account linked to your subscription.

3. The Dangote name is only half the story

Aliko Dangote is Africas richest man and a household name. Because of that, its easy to assume that investing with a billionaire immediately guarantees the safety of your money. But an IPO is not a savings account, and your investment risk is tied to the company,  not the man who owns it. Similarly, the past performance of Dangotes other businesses, whether cement, sugar, or salt, does not guarantee the refinerys success. Before you buy into the company, your wealth of information should be more than Dangote is the owner of the refinery. 

4. Profits earned by the company are not automatically paid to shareholders

The IPO warns that the refinerys estimated earnings depend on assumptions about crude oil prices, operating costs, economic conditions, and several other factors. The actual results may be different from the profits youve been told to expect. So theres a good chance that the shares you bought will become more valuable. But theres also a chance that the opposite could happen.

The company does not guarantee (a portion of the companys profits paid to shareholders). One reason why dividends may not be paid is the refinerys intention to expand its capacity. Because of this, the company may choose to keep substantial parts of its profit rather than distributing it to the shareholders. The refinery can be very profitable while paying you little in dividends because it is reinvesting the money.

5. Its not a get-rich-quick scheme 

A bottle of Fanta costs 500 naira. Paying approximately that amount to own part of Africas largest refinery seems like a steal. But 525 is the offer price, not a promise about what the shares will be worth once they begin trading on the stock exchange (secondary market). The question isnt whether you can afford it but whether its a good buy for you.  Shares/stocks are a medium- to long-term investment, and it might not be a good idea to buy shares with your last 10k if you know youll need it in two weeks.  Not all opportunities are good for you. 

Next Read: How Much Does It Cost Women to Maintain Beauty Standards In 2026?

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]]> Who Are The Other People Behind 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s Independence? /citizen/nigerians-who-fought-for-independence/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:26:14 +0000 /?p=385213 Written by Tezor Dedam

Nigeria didn’t get its independence because a few people asked nicely in 1960. People protested, mobilised striking workers, and maintained pressure when votes and hope were lost. And now, 66 years later, as we remember the day by taking children to the parade ground, watching the national proceedings on television, or relaxing at home for the muchneeded public holiday, we helped you do the homework by listing out some not-so-popular people who were instrumental to 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s independence.

Here are four key figures that we may not necessarily associate with independence:

Hajia Gambo Sawaba

Photo:

Some people may know her as the most jailed female politician of all time. But Hajia Gambo Sawabas story started long before her prison visits. In 1933, when Sawaba was born, the British colonialists governed Nigeria with an , where subsidiary governments would implement the colonial policies on a local level. 

In Zaria, where Sawaba lived at the time, the was the native authority at the time, implementing British rule in Northern Nigeria. So when Malam Aminu Kano created the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU), with a philosophy centred on womens rights and education, Sawaba signed up at 17.

As the leader of the national women’s wing of NEPU, Sawaba maintained pressure on the colonial-backed government of the time. She was a key figure in the NEPU establishment that defied British authority and its local allies, even though she faced a lot of abuse, intimidation, and imprisonment along the way. She would often have her head shaved and was once , and she often faced torture in detention.

She died in 2001 from a protracted illness at the age of 71. Leaving a legacy of pioneering womens welfare and political self-determination.

Michael Imoudu

Photo:

Michael Imoudu was a champion of labour unions at a time in Nigeria when these unions were not the vibe. Imoudu was born in 1902 in Edo State, and after losing his parents at the age of 20, he started work in the railways as a linesman. 

He joined the Railway Workers Union (RWU), which marked the beginning of his labour union activities. He became the union president in 1939, and in 1941, he started demanding that the colonial government to improve workers’ working conditions. Much of his work in the following years helped lead to the 1945 General Strike from the railway union, which lasted 45 days and drew in tens of thousands of workers, starting with the railways and spreading to other public services.

show that this strike and other union activities created a sense of a shared national experience through nationwide action that cut across ethnicities and regions, placing further pressure on the colonial government at the time. 

In 1946, Imoudu was nominated to the executive council of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), a nationalist party founded by Herbert to fight British imperialism and achieve selfgovernment. In this position, he continued to lead the trade and labour union fronts that challenged the working conditions and systems imposed by British rule.

He passed away in 2005, at 102, in Oro, Kwara State, long retired from labour unions.

Remi Fani-Kayode

Photo:  

Chief Remi Fani-Kayode was a lawyer and a nationalist politician who was elected the deputy premier of the Western Region of Nigeria in 1963. Fani-Kayode notably moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence in the Federal House of Assembly. 

But even before this, Chief Remi Fani-Kayode was heavily involved in advocacy. In 1954, he was appointed the youth wing leader of the Action Group political party and served as the assistant federal secretary. 

In his time with the Action Group, Fani-Kayode represented ethnic minorities in the Willink Commission of 1957,  a commission set up to address the concerns of ethnic minorities in Northern Nigeria. His time with the Action Group youth wing was also characterised by vibrant and active movements against British rule. He and his comrades would wear black shirts and use the mosquito emblem, which was meant to express their opposition to British colonial rule. He was even detained for it at some point. 

He passed away in Brighton, England, from natural causes at the age of 73.

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Margaret Ekpo

Source:

Margaret Ekpo can be regarded as a fierce mobilizer. She was an activist and politician who rallied women across the country to champion their interests. Ekpo was born in 1914 in Cross River State. She stopped her education at primary six after she lost her father in 1934, then went on to become a pupil-teacher.

Her first involvement in politics came when she represented her husband at meetings discussing the indiscriminate practices of the colonial leadership. Soon enough, she was mobilising market women into unions to push for womens economic rights and the political rights of low- to middle-class Nigerians. 

Ekpo was a key delegate at the 1953 London Constitutional Conference, which introduced federalism and granted regional autonomy to Nigeria. This conference and others were . From 1958, she became increasingly , with a particular focus on women and their role in the struggle for independence. These actions and initiatives were key in the background leading up to the constitutional reforms and political negotiations that secured Nigerian independence.

She passed away at 92 from natural causes at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital. 

At the end of the day

The interesting thing about these stories is that, on paper, their contributions to independence are less celebrated or documented than those of the Awolowos and Azikiwes. Yet, Independence Day did not arrive in a single speech, political rally, or visit to London.

It was assembled from 45-day strikes, womens protests in Aba, and a handful of people who wrestled their way into rooms where the future was being written. Not all of them appear on our Naira notes, but all of them are part of the reason there is even a country to celebrate on October 1. 

]]> Tinubus Policies and Performance Two Years In: A Yiaga Africa Assessment /citizen/tinubu-policies-yiaga-africa-assessment/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:51:13 +0000 /?p=385205 On paper, two years into President Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration, it looks like Nigeria is laying the foundation for a truly digital economy. But beyond policy documents, the reality is far more complicated, despite the number of ambitious programs launched.

Central to the policies and strategies unveiled is the idea of a technology-driven government that delivers services digitally from the start, where data drives decisions, and citizens can interact with public institutions as easily as they use their phones. The Digital Government Policy Framework (DGPF), an ambitious blueprint launched in 2020 for a smarter, more responsive state, outlines this vision across six pillars, with initiatives like Digital by Design and Proactive Governance. However, ambition alone doesnt build systems; it requires execution.

In theory, Digital by Design operates on the philosophy that government services should be created with technology at their core. In practice, progress has been slowed by fragmented regulations and uneven capacity across states. While some parts of the country are moving forward, others are playing catch-up, leading to a fragmented system instead of the unified digital experience that these innovations are meant to achieve. 

A similar pattern is evident in the push for a data-driven public sector. There are indeed signs that the Nigerian government is beginning to take data governance more seriously. For example, in trying to achieve a geo-political system of equity and inclusion, all 36 states were reached through the Build-A-thon programme, with learning communities set up that focused on youths and female groups. But whats missing is consistent, disaggregated data that reflects differences across factors like gender, geography, and income levels. Without this level of detail, policies run the risk of missing the people who need them most, and data can not be effectively used to create inclusive solutions. 

The same pattern appears in Government as a Platforms vision, which envisions an interconnected, efficient, and accessible public service. While infrastructure investments like the installation of 145,000km of fibre optic cable, which was laid, suggest that the foundation is being built, only 27% of rural LGAs are connected against a target of 60%, making the experience of navigating them still feel disjointed. The promise of seamless digital governance has yet to materialise.

Perhaps more telling is the lingering gap between openness and transparency. While the government has made efforts to engage citizens through consultations, signalling a willingness to be more transparent, limited visibility into program performance makes it difficult to assess how policies are actually working. This disconnect becomes even clearer in user-driven governance. In principle, citizens should help shape the services they use; in practice, feedback channels are often weak or inaccessible, particularly for rural areas or underserved communities. 

On the brighter side, Nigeria appears to have made real progress in building its digital backbone with broadband infrastructure expansion and continued growth in the telecommunications ecosystem. However, only about 27 percent of local governments have reliable connectivity compared to their urban counterparts. This means that for millions of Nigerians, the digital economy still feels out of reach, a divide with real consequences.

Beyond infrastructure, a deeper structural challenge is coordination. Nigeria has a deep-seated challenge of aligning efforts across different agencies working toward similar goals. Policies are developed and launched in isolation, creating a system that moves while being pulled in different directions. The startup ecosystem, for example, boasts over 12,000 registered startups and billions in investment, but still lacks stronger institutional support, which means this growth may be difficult to sustain.

Yiaga Africas assessment report on President Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda, legal and regulatory framework is described as transitional, with important tools like the National AI Strategy and the Digital Economy Bill still in development and facing delays in enforcement. The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMoCIDE) has demonstrated leadership, but execution is uneven as a result of poor interagency cooperation and limited connections in local governments. According to the policy assessment brief facilitated by Yiaga Africa, more than 12,000 registered firms and 21 billion in investments raised in 2025, the Startup Ecosystem is referred to as emerging but is not institutionalised and threatened by issues including poor budgetary integration and sluggish tax incentive disbursement.

Similarly, the national Build-A-Thon STEM effort emphasises the importance of human capital development; nonetheless, inclusion mechanisms remain inadequate, particularly for rural areas, gender-specific data, and disability inclusion. Only 7.7% of young people with training are employed in northern states due to a lack of investments in digital infrastructure. 

The path forward is one where rural connectivity must be improved through reforms like reducing right-of-way costs and investing in alternative power solutions. Policies like the Digital Economy Bill must move from draft to implementation, and coordination across different local governments must become more deliberate and unified. Ultimately, progress must be measured not just by policies announced, but by outcomes experienced by everyday Nigerians.

Read more on the #Fulfillit campaign by Yiaga Africa here

]]> GridLocked: Can You Guess The Album? (1 October 2026) /games/gridlocked/gridlocked-1-10-2026/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:02:07 +0000 /?p=385191 GridLocked is a daily pop culture guessing game built for Nigerians. Every weekday by 9am, you’ll get six clues, sixty seconds, and an answer only a Nigerian would know.

Today’s GridLocked is an album.

How many clues do you need to get it right?

Share your result when done, but dont spoil the answer for others. (Missed the last GridLocked? Play it here.)

1 October 2026

Come back every weekday by 9am for a new grid or , 91心頭利嫋s daily newsletter, to get new GridLocked puzzles, real Nigerian stories and other fun content in your inbox.

How to Play GridLocked

  • The Goal: Guess the answer for the day before time runs out. (The answer could be a Nigerian person, place, song, movie, or even slang.)
  • The Lock: You cannot type a guess until you have revealed at least one tile (clue).
  • The Reveal: Tap any tile to reveal a clue. Every clue describes the answer for the day. The fewer tiles you flip, the better.
  • The Clock: You have 60 seconds to guess right. The timer starts the moment you flip your first tile. (You get multiple guesses.)

The GridLocked Squares: What Do They Mean?

When the game ends, you see your guess count, total time spent, and the number of tiles flipped. The tiles are shown as white and purple squares.

  • 皙 (White) = A tile you flipped
  • (Purple) = A tile you left closed

The fewer white tiles you have, the better your result.

  • Best Result = 皙 | Guesses: 1 (Only needed one clue and one guess to get it right)

]]> Love Life: We Agreed to Spend a Week Together to See If Wed Work /ships/love-life-we-agreed-to-spend-a-week-together-to-see-if-wed-work/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:56:08 +0000 /?p=385186 Love Lifeis a 91心頭利嫋 weekly series about love, relationships, situationships, entanglements and everything in between.

Temi (35) and Wumi (32) met on an Africa Magic film set in 2022. 

On this week’s Love Life, they talk about a week of living together before they were officially dating, a proposal disguised as a baby shower, and building their own production company alongside their marriage. 

What’s your earliest memory of each other?

Wumi: We met on the set of an African Magic series in October 2022. I’d been shooting for a couple of months, then the story got to a point where they were going to bring in some new characters; very wicked ones, too. Everyone on set was curious about who would play them. Then someone mentioned that one Temi Fosudo was playing one of the characters a day before he arrived. But his name didn’t register because Id never heard of him. He joined us on set the next day, and I could finally put a face to his name.

Temi: I actually always assumed we had the same first memory of each other. I didnt know she had this preamble. Anyway, my first memory of Wumi was the day I joined the Itura production.

I walked into the actors’ holding room greeting everyone, and I saw her. Normally, I don’t remember faces when I walk into a crowded room, because it overstimulates me and I just look for a corner to sit in. But her face registered properly for reasons I didnt understand. We said hello, and that was all.

What was it about her that registered with you, Temi?

Temi: It wasn’t anything physical. I think she was in costume, and her natural hair was out, but it was really her aura. She had a very welcoming spirit.

Wumi: I remember I was actually done for the day and wanted to go back to the lodge. But I looked up when he came in and spent an extra second looking at him. My first thought was that he was a fine boy. He had a shy smile. Then someone shouted “baby” at him, and I thought, whos already calling him baby? It turned out they just knew each other from the set. The way he answered was also very calm. He came off as a well-mannered guy.

So what happened after that first day?

Temi: I was keeping to myself most of the time. During that period, I lived in Ibadan, so it was usually a long, exhausting drive to Lagos. Whenever I got to set, I just wanted my own space and all. Then, one day, she conned me into playing Ludo with her.

Wumi: I was looking for someone new to beat, since I was beating everybody on set. Everyone else had gone to shoot, so it was just him and a few others in the holding room. I asked if he played Ludo, and he said yes, and I beat him three-nil. He has refused to play with me again since then.

Screaming.

Temi: She didn’t cheat, I’ll admit. But during the game, we also spent a lot of time talking, bantering, and just getting to know each other on a surface level. I remember we also took a stroll and talked about the book I was writing. Then, another night, I drove us to the supermarket. I bought her something without thinking, and it turned out she bought me something too. It was a cute and friendly moment. I remember walking back to her saying, Hey, I bought this for you, and she also went, I bought this for you, too.

Wumi: During this period, I also found out Temi wasnt exactly a big talker. I found that interesting because it meant I could do most of the talking and he could listen. I remember telling him I was on a man cleanse, which might have been too much information, considering wed only just met. But that was also how easy it was to be around each other. The whole time, I didn’t know he was registering it all. I also found out he was a writer and was working on a book at the time, so that was fun for me. We had so much to talk about.

The funny thing is, while checking him out online, I found out his dad is the legendary actor Sola Fosudo, and that one of my best friends, Wendy, knew him. Her brother went to university with him. We had so many mutual friends that I wondered where he’d been all this time.

Sounds cute. What was going on in your love lives at the time, though?

Temi: I was in a relationship. I was driving to see my girlfriend in Ibadan almost every weekend and coming back on Sunday or Monday. The relationship was already having problems, though I didn’t tell Wumi at first. The babe and I eventually realised we weren’t compatible.

Wumi: I was single. The fact that Temi had a girlfriend actually made me more comfortable with him, because I didn’t have to worry that he’d like me or that something weird would happen. I did feel a twinge of disappointment, because he’s a fine boy and I would have loved to flirt a little. But I’m monogamous, and if you have someone and you move to me, you’ve lost me. So I thought, okay, moving on.

Temi: I eventually broke up with the lady. The relationship had just run its course. At the time, Wumi and I were just friends. She was in Lagos, and I was in Ibadan, and we didn’t even have each other’s numbers, only Instagram, where we chatted here and there. 

However, when the relationship ended, I told her I was single now. I wasn’t making a move, I told her as a friend, because she knew I used to travel to see my girlfriend. But part of me knew that if I didn’t say it, we’d never find out if there was something worth pursuing.

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I see. And how did you take that news, Wumi?

Wumi: This is so funny because I remember the day he told me. I stood up and started dancing where I was, and I don’t know why. I called one of my friends and told her he was single. She asked why I was happy, and I said, because now I can flirt without feeling guilty. That’s when I realised I’d been suppressing something. Before then, he wasn’t even in my subconscious.

Curious. How did the friendship play out now that you were both single?

Wumi: Honestly, we only just grew deeper as friends. We found out our birthdays are two days apart, and we finally exchanged numbers. He wasn’t a fan of long calls until me, and we’d talk into the middle of the night. We talked about everything: family, religion, feminism, and football. I’m a feminist, and I don’t usually call men feminists, but I would call him one. We debated a lot, but the conversations were healthy. He was more serious than I’m used to, and also goofier than I expected. He found out I watch football too. He’s a Liverpool fan, and I support Man City, who are having a bad time right now.

Temi: I liked that we shared similar values, and that we could argue and still be fine afterwards. In fact, I liked what was happening between us, and I think that was when I first started to picture us as an item. But somewhere in all that certainty that I liked her, I also knew that its easier to fall for someone when you havent really been in the same physical space with them at length. Thats how you know if theyre an actual version of everything theyve projected. By that time, wed gone out a few times and hung out. But about two months in, I proposed something weird.

I said we should spend one week together in the same space. 

Wumi: Most people go on a date or two, but he wanted us to be together for days. If we still felt the same connection and attraction after that, we’d see where it went. I kept asking what he wanted, and he’d say, “You’ll soon know. I told him that sounded like a threat. Id also joked earlier on that I was still enjoying the streets, and he told me my time on the streets was up. Meanwhile, in my head, I was only just getting started.

Right. But how did you really feel about his proposal?

Wumi: I hadn’t felt that kind of tension since my first day of secondary school. I was about two years out of a long relationship and taking my time, so this wasn’t in my plans. But I was open to it. 

On the agreed-upon week, he drove to Lagos and brought yams and meat, because I’d told him I don’t like the market and I don’t like cooking. We went to the supermarket, and I bought everything I wanted, chocolate included, and I was ready to pay my share. Then this man brought out his card and paid for everything. I remember joking that he must have plenty of money, and he said it wasn’t plenty, but he could afford what we needed. I liked that answer.

What was the week like?

Wumi: It was easy. We watched movies, went out, and talked. It felt like we were already married, which was weird and scary. I’d decided not to hide anything, so if he did something I didn’t like, I told him straight away. I don’t like it when people move my things, and he moved a hair cream. I told him not to do that again. It was a very nice week.

Temi: I think it also helped that wed met up a couple of times before this long stretch spent together. So it wasnt like something that happened completely out of the blue. 

Did staying with a man for a whole week worry you, Wumi?

Wumi: A little. I’m cautious and very security-conscious. But our mutual friends lived about fifteen minutes from my house, and Wendy’s brother had known him since university. Everyone said he was cool. I had also lived with a partner before, so staying with someone wasn’t new. What made me anxious was opening myself up mentally, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold certain things back.

Would you say you achieved the outcome you wanted from that visit?

Temi: I did. It was a deciding move for me. I already believed she was someone I could spend my life with, but I needed to be completely sure. People can be different when you share a space with them. I wanted to simulate marriage. If it didn’t work, we’d still be friends. My own house in Ibadan was always full of younger boys and friends, so there was no privacy there. That was why we decided on her place in Lagos.

Wumi: I’m hearing this for the first time. I thought he was trying to show me that a relationship isn’t the worst thing for me at this point in my life. I had no idea he was thinking about marriage. I’m glad I was open to it.

Temi: Anyway, I left her place knowing I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend and that I wanted to marry her. Saying the marriage part out loud so early sounded a bit psychopathic, so I kept it to myself.

When did you ask her out?

Temi: A few weeks later, at a film festival run by my best friend. This was sometime around April, 2023. We were watching a movie, and a character recited a love poem in Yoruba. I don’t speak Yoruba, but I repeated the poem beside her and asked her to be my girlfriend.

Wumi: I said yes, but I told him that wasn’t how I wanted to be asked. I told him to use his words and tell me why he wanted me to be his girlfriend, and that he couldn’t sleep without me. He planned a proper dinner and asked again, as a surprise, about a month later. The funny thing is, that was something I just said in the moment to tease him. We were already dating, so I didn’t expect him to ask a second time. But he did.

The first time was April 27th, and the second was in late May. I still think the film festival is the foundation of everything we’re building now, because I wasn’t that invested in the industry before.

What were the early days of the relationship like?

Temi: Dreamy. It felt like an unending honeymoon phase, and I think right now it feels like were back to the early days of our relationship in a way. There was no moment where I thought I’d made a mistake. We debated a lot, and it pushed us to learn more. 

Wumi: Everything he said. I got a lot more grounded in my knowledge of the industry. Before, I just wanted to act and keep it moving. But Temi pushed me to be more involved in the festivals and all the other moving parts of our craft. And it was vice versa.

I was a fashion and beauty editor at the time, and he learned a lot about fashion and beauty from me. He was also planning to move to Lagos anyway, since he was almost always shooting here and barely spent time in his place in Ibadan. Everything just worked well in those early days. But we also had small hiccups here and there.

And how did you handle these hiccups?

Wumi: So in my past relationships, if we fought, I was always ready to up and leave. With Temi, it was different. I’d tell him how I felt because I wanted us to work through it, not because I wanted to fight more. I used to be stubborn about wanting an answer immediately. Eventually, he explained that he always needed time to sort through his feelings before he could handle whatever we were going through in any given moment. It took some getting used to, but we found a balance. Hes since learnt to think a little faster, and I wait a little longer.

Temi: I think its because Im somewhat conflict-avoidant. I like to debate issues with myself first before addressing them head-on. For me, its never about trying to win the argument; I’m only trying to get to the truth. However, it turns out that when I only argue with myself, I’m using only the facts I have, and when I finally tell her, she adds a detail I didn’t know, so all that time was wasted. 

I’ve learned to speak sooner and explain why I do things. 

Wumi: Over time, weve also learnt to accept that one person isnt trying to hurt the other when they communicate their issues. When I got suspicious about something hed done, he’d ask why I thought he’d do something on purpose. That helped me separate the issue from him and remember that he’s a kind and honest person first.

Nice. When exactly did marriage come up?

Wumi: At some point, Temi asked what I thought about marriage. I hadnt really given it much thought after my last relationship. Yet, when he brought it up, I said Id do it as long as its with him. 

Then one night at home, with his friend around, we measured each other’s ring fingers. I think he engineered that conversation so well that I didn’t realise it was pre-planned. On September 30th, 2023, five months into dating, he asked me to marry him.

Temi: I was sure. By that point, I’d become very strict about who I dated, and I was ending talking stages in three days. When I met Wumi, I knew Id gotten to my final bus stop. I didn’t see the point of dating for a year to prove something I already believed. Before you propose, you should already be talking about marriage, and we were.

Wumi: It was a really cute proposal, too. 

Awwwn. Tell me about it.

Wumi: He plotted with my friends and they successfully pulled a surprise on me. I genuinely thought I was attending a friends baby shower. I even paid my part of the contribution for the said friend. That morning, I woke up with an allergy and nobody could convince me to wear heavy makeup or wear a purple dress, because thats my favourite colour. I got to the venue, saw Will you marry me? and it still didnt dawn on me.

It took five different possibilities before I realised it was mine and saw someone recording me. I sat down and laughed for a long time before I could walk over. Then Temi forgot his lines. Our song was playing, and all I remember is him saying there was nobody else he’d rather spend his life with.

Temi: The hardest part was finding the ring. She wanted a purple stone, and I couldn’t find one anywhere, so I had to have one made. I hid my phone the whole time because she notices everything. I told her I was writing a script for someone, and her friend helped by telling her she was trying to reach me for work. Im glad we pulled it off.

We had our introduction in December 2023 and got married in June 2024.

How would you describe the marriage so far?

Temi: Amazing. We’re still building on the same foundation of friendship, openness, honesty, and love. There was a period when our arguments got too heated, but it didn’t last. We share everything, finances, dreams, plans, and shes also learning to share her food.

Wumi: I can’t remember half of what used to cause those heated arguments. But a big part was probably keeping our individuality in marriage. I like to push him, and I struggled with knowing when to stop. I was also frustrated with work, and he had a lot going on, too, so small comments kept building up. 

At one point, I told him that at the end of the day, he was just a man, and that comment really got to him more than I intended. I’d been projecting things from past experiences. I eventually had to remind myself that this is Temi, not every man out there.

Temi: It also helps that one of us is always willing to step back, and most of the time it’s me. We cant keep going at it band for band when emotions are high. Sometimes I stop responding in that moment, and she knows to stop pushing as well. 

Weve also just realised that were in this together. Whatever were both going through, we always come back to the same table where were both seated. Im the person for her, and shes the person for me.

Neat. How would you say this relationship has changed you?

Temi: My style is more expressive now. But I’ve also gained a creative partner. For years, everyone I shared ideas with was a man, my dad or my friends. Now I have a woman who starts giving me ideas before I’ve finished a script, and she sees things from an angle I can’t. She’s also brought structure into my creative life, and Im forever grateful for that.

Wumi: Being with Temi has changed me in many beautiful ways. I found my person, but Ive also found my calling. I’m building a production company with my husband, whom I always call my genius. People see and say I’m glowing, and thats the truth. I can have bad days and the moment I see him, and he hugs me, everything is well with the world again.

We also have regular check-ins where we ask each other if we’re happy and if we feel loved. All in all, our relationship has made me a lot more secure in my career, and I feel reassured that Im not going through life alone. 

Speaking of career, how has it been working together in the same industry?

Wumi: Awesome. As I said, Temis a genius. I love that I play my part in sharing creative ideas with him and helping him bring his ideas to life in the best way possible.

We made a short film called Tell It No More, which is on YouTube, and we recently shot another one that’s in post-production. Then there’s our play, . When we met, Temi kept telling me about a story he’s carried for years. When I heard it, I thought it would touch hearts and shake some tables. The first run in Lagos was widely received. We did it again, and now we’re staging it a third time in October with Alliance Francaise, all within a year.

Temi: Ill add that it hasnt always been completely seamless. We argue and have our little back-and-forths. But neither of us holds back, and we always find a way to make it work. 

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your love life?

Temi: A 10. I’m happy, my life is more interesting, and it’s easier to dream when someone is dreaming beside you.

Wumi: A 10 as well. It’s so much fun being in love with Temi, and it feels like a breath of fresh air. I didn’t think it could be this good, and I don’t talk about how good this feels because I feel like I’d jinx it. But this is my guy. 

If you want to share your own Love Life story, fill out this.

]]> Suicide Awareness Month Has Ended, but 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s Mental Health Crisis Hasnt /citizen/suicide-awareness-month-nigeria-mental-health-crisis/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:54:50 +0000 /?p=385181 Written by Tezor Dedam

Let’s start with the numbers. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), conflict and insecurity have displaced over 3.2 million people, many of whom are facing . According to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Nigeria has to cater to a population of over 200 million people. In 2022, more than 16,500 people in Borno State , and roughly 176,000 people got psychosocial support. Yet, most of it was funded by Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) and donors, and it barely scratched the surface given the number of displaced and disadvantaged people in Borno and Nigeria as a whole.

To cap it off, the WHO Africa Regional Office says that . Essentially, dealing with mental health challenges is difficult, but dealing with those challenges in Nigeria? Yikes.

Photo: TC Health

Why does this matter?

To start with, Nigeria can be regarded as a country of particular concern when it comes to mental health. We rank 106th out of 147 countries globally in the , a decline from 105th in 2025 and 102nd in 2024. We have a face-me-I-slap-you standard of living, ranking last globally in the . And if trends in insecurity, cost of living, and healthcare are anything to go by, it could get even worse. 

Mental health in a country like this should be very much a matter of great concern. 

But it is not. Were dealing with diagnosis gaps, manpower shortages, funding limitations, and a lack of the right legal frameworks.

For suicide awareness, this means that people in crisis are not met with a functioning system that can cater to their needs. But from a system perspective, it matters as well, because it undermines our economic output, it can shape the health and livelihoods of generations to come, and it falls on the young bulk of 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s population, who could go on to manifest in the form of academic stress, unemployment, substance use, and exposure to violence.

The Big Daily is your weekday shortcut to the biggest news shaping Nigeria. We cut through the noise, connect the dots, and explain why the news actually matters, all in one quick read.

What is the way forward?

There are some positives for 鰻庄乙艶姻庄温s mental health culture and capabilities. The was signed into law in 2023, replacing the outdated colonial-era with a mental health framework that is more grounded in human rights and empathy. But it did not decriminalise suicide. In August 2026, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a proposed amendment to the National Mental Health Act that would remove the criminalisation of suicide. It is still pending; we await it. But for now, suicide is still criminalised in Nigeria.

The for the Federal Ministry of Health calls for suicide to be declared a national public health priority, which will involve integrating mental health into primary care, establishing a governance structure, and promoting responsible media reporting of suicide. 

And of course, private and NGO support continues to grow to meet the excess demand, with WHO and organisations like providing intervention, services, and helplines.

Yet, there is still so much to be done and a lot of it boils down to governance. Changing a law that says “we won’t punish you” is not the same as creating a system that says “let us help you.” 

More of the health budget should be allocated for mental health, more primary health centres should incorporate mental health care, more professional training pathways should be introduced, and more data should be established for national suicide and mental health surveillance.

Yes, the government can affect your mental health. Either by the problems they create or the lack of solutions for the mental effects of these problems. For most Nigerians, this effect can cause problems for our well-being, loss of livelihoods, and, sadly enough, suicide.

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]]> 6 Nigerians Confess the Craziest Things Theyve Done To a Roommate /ships/nigerians-confess-craziest-things-roommate/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:57:47 +0000 /?p=385164 Living with a roommate can test your patience, especially when they eat your food, borrow your things without asking or leave their dirty plates for you to deal with. Sometimes, an argument settles the issue. Other times, resentment turns into revenge, and a roommates belongings become a target for payback.

These six Nigerians have been there, and they confess some of the wildest things theyve done to a roommates belongings out of spite.

 I used her white dress as a rag Sandra*, F, 28

I met Chidera* in Uni, and we lived together for two years. During our first year, I kept my distance, and we got along fine. Things changed after my mother suggested befriending her so we could look out for each other. Then she started touching my things.

Once, she used my lotion and left it open. Another time, she used my shirt as a rag. When I confronted her, she laughed and said she didnt know I still wore it. After she used my skirt to make a pillowcase, I decided Id had enough. 

One day, I cooked with firewood even though we had gas. When I was done, I used her white dress to take the pot off the fire. She was furious. I told her I didnt know it was hers, then laughed in her face. She stopped touching my things and eventually moved out. My only regret is not using the dress to wipe palm oil.

I put holes in his condoms Wale*, M, 24

My roommate and I lived together for a year, and he had a habit of crossing boundaries. One day, I came home to find semen on the bed. He and his girlfriend had also eaten all the food Id cooked. I was angry and wanted to get back at him, so I used needles to put holes in his condoms. He clearly didnt consider my feelings, so it felt like a fair trade. I dont know if it was related, but his girlfriend later got pregnant, but they didnt keep it. He never found out, and I have zero regrets. Were cool now, so I wouldnt do it again.

I dipped her toothbrush in the toilet Kemi*, F,  20

My roommate and I have lived together for two years. One time, we had an argument, and she insulted me and called me horrible names. I was angry and wanted to retaliate, so I dipped her toothbrush in the toilet and put it back where I found it. She used it afterwards without knowing what Id done.

Looking back, I think she deserved it. However, I wouldnt do it again. 

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I put his dirty plates at the door Michael*, M, 32

When I was in Uni, I lived with a roommate for two years. He was very dirty and would abandon his plates in the kitchen for days. The funny thing was that he always looked spotless when he went outside.

Whenever his friends visited, hed hide his dirty pots and plates. After a while, I got tired of looking at them, so one day, when he wasnt around, I moved all his dirty plates to the front door.

When he returned and saw them, the horrified look on his face was very satisfactory. Youd think that would have taught him a lesson, but he left the plates there. He eventually washed them two days later after the porter threatened to throw them away.

I ate the last food she had for the day Ore*, F,  29

My roommate and I have lived together for four years. Once, she used my foodstuff without asking, so I decided to get back at her by eating the last portion of rice she had cooked. When she found out, she was furious. It was the only food she had available, and she was looking forward to eating it. 

I felt disappointed in myself afterwards, but I think she deserved it because she did the same thing to me. I wouldnt do it again, though.

 I moved his dirty plates to his bed Ubong*, M,  27

When I was in 300L, I shared a room with someone Im no longer friends with. He ate my food, used my foodstuff and hid his own provisions. He always claimed he was broke and couldnt contribute, but somehow, he had money to go out drinking with his friends. He also used to leave his dirty plates in the sink. 

One evening, he went out and forgot to lock his box. I went through it and found some provisions like cornflakes, milk and other things. I ate the cornflakes and milk, then put the dirty plates hed refused to wash on his bed. When he returned and saw what Id done, we fought. The neighbours intervened, and he eventually moved out after a month. 

Read Also: 6 Nigerians Share How Their Parents Still Support Them Financially as Adults

]]> “Wanting Sex Doesn’t Make Me A Bad Girl” 7 Nigerians on Sexual Confidence /her/7-nigerians-on-sexual-confidence/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:00:47 +0000 /?p=385152 Most Nigerians reach the legal age for sex having already absorbed too many lessons about it. Weve been taught that desire should be quiet, pleasure should be restrained, and asking for what we want makes us bad. Sexual confidence isnt something you stumble into, especially as a Nigerian. In certain circumstances, you have to fight for it. Usually alone and late. These seven Nigerians tell us how they achieved it.

1. I had to unlearn the idea that wanting sex made me a bad girl Momo*, 27

For most of my life in Lagos, people rarely talked about desire like it was something I was allowed to have. Sex was something women were expected to endure and partake in with shame. In my mid-twenties, after a relationship where my partner kept asking me what I liked and I realised I genuinely didnt know, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I started reading about sex, talking to trusted friends and slowly gave myself permission to figure out what I actually wanted. I grieved the version of me that believed that being sexual meant being shameless. Theyre not the same things. Some days I feel fully comfortable with knowing I like sex. Other days, the guilt worms itself back in. But I know for a fact that wanting sex doesnt make me a bad person.

2. I was always so worried about how I was being perceived Tunde*, 26

I used to think that sexual confidence meant bravado. Acting unbothered, never admitting ignorance and talking loudly. Nigerian men are supposed to know things, especially in bed. So I acted like I knew it all, all the time.

But this one time, I had a partner that told me to slow down. She basically said Youre not here with me. She wasnt wrong. I was in my head the entire time, imagining how I looked and worrying about how long things lasted. I started therapy around that period, mostly for work stress, but the conversations kept pulling me back to the issues I had with intimacy.

It was then that I realised that Id never actually been present during sex. I ask more questions now, check in and admit when something isnt working.

3. My body was the first thing I had to make peace with Qiyammah*, 24

Before I could even get to the confidence part, I had to deal with accepting my body. I believed for the longest time that sexual confidence and appeal was for thinner girls and Id earn it as soon as I looked different. But when I went to Uni, it was my first time being truly alone from what I was used to. I started existing in my body without judging it.

I dressed for myself and thought about myself with kindness. My sexual confidence started in letting myself take up space in a room. Its still fragile, to be honest, and I know a bad comment can still weigh me down. But Im progressing. I dont see myself the way I used to anymore and I like knowing that.

4. Men arent taught to want things softly Chi*, 29

The men I grew up watching treated desire like something to take. If you wanted sex or intimacy, you had to go for it and take it. Asking felt weak and if you were unsure of yourself, that was even worse.

Then I had a breakup that completely blindsided me. She said she never really knew me. Mind you, that was after three years of being together. I thought about that sentence over and over again, months after. I spent the next year in what I call the most honest period of my life. It was very uncomfortable. But I feel like the PTSD forced me to do it. I didnt want to end another relationship like that. So I started telling my partners what I actually wanted and I sat with how exposing that felt.

The first few times, I wanted to disappear into the floor. But when I stopped hiding, intimacy actually became intimate for me.

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5. I Used to Turn the Lights Off Every Single Time Nini*, 26

When I started having sex, I kept it under wraps. Both my involvement in and enjoyment of the activity. A good girl cant enjoy that kind of thing openly. I didnt want my sexual partners to think I was loose, so I never communicated what I wanted. I felt like being confident about having sex was shameful. Every time, I would turn off the lights and get it over with.

Shout out to the partner whose constant ‘What do you actually want?’ finally made me realize I had absolutely no idea. I had never really thought about my own pleasure as something that actually mattered. Now, I speak up and communicate. It sounds small, but for someone who never wanted to be seen, I think its a refreshing change that Im getting used to.

6. Body Count Comments Used to Wreck Me Samm*, 30

People dont talk about how wrecking body count comments are. It sounds like jokes and banter, but for me, it was beyond that. My friends once asked what my body count was, and telling them the truth? Biggest mistake ever. It started as a joke, but I realised it was getting to me. They asked if my body count was zero because I couldnt get it up or I didnt have a penis. I started overthinking.

What fixed my self-esteem was seeing a therapist. It feels weird saying this out loud, but therapy worked for me. Apparently, sex wasn’t an exam that I could fail with one wrong move.

7. A Horrible Comment Followed Me For Years Zee*, 27

My ex made an offhand comment about how my body felt on his. I was fat at the time, so the comment stayed with me for a really long time. The comment followed me into every relationship after him. I felt bad about wanting sex because I thought it was probably bothersome for the other person. Most times, I found myself wondering if they were even enjoying themselves.

It took having a completely different partner, who constantly reassured me, to finally heal from that. He made me feel wanted in a way that fixed me.

Next Read: We Cant Talk About Male Privilege Without Talking About Mothers

]]> The Secret Sauce Behind How Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Grows Your Retirement Money /announcements/how-stanbic-ibtc-pension-managers-grows-your-retirement-money-2/ Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:27:02 +0000 /?p=385153 Lets be honest. When most people hear 受艶稼壊庄看稼, they think boring. But what if we told you that behind your pension savings is an investment team making hundreds of decisions every year – trying to grow your money while making sure they dont lose it?

That balancing act is exactly how Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers approaches investing.

Rule Number One: Dont Chase Hype

If youve ever wondered why your pension isnt invested in every trending opportunity you see online, heres why.

The Stanbic IBTC team believes retirement money should never be used to gamble.

Instead, every decision is guided by five things:

  • Can it generate sustainable long-term returns?
  • Can contributors access their money when and as regulation permits?
  • Is the risk of the investment properly understood?
  • Are contributors capital protected?
  • How diversified are the investments?

Simple. Because retirement money is too important for shortcuts.

Think of Risk Like Brakes on a Car

One of the most interesting analogies from the investment team compares risk management to brakes.

A fast car without brakes isnt impressive – its dangerous.

Thats exactly how investing works.

You dont just ask How much can we make?

You also ask, What could go wrong?

That question shapes almost every investment decision they make.

They Dont Just Watch Nigeria

Markets around the world influence each other.

Thats why Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers combines local expertise with insights from across the Standard Bank Group and research teams spanning different markets and sectors.

It means decisions arent based on headlines alone they are backed by data and institutional experience.

Technology Is Changing Investing Too

The investment team relies on world class systems and advanced analytics to screen opportunities and monitor risk.

Even Artificial Intelligence supports research and portfolio analysis.

Yes – your pension manager is data-driven.

So, What Should Contributors Know?

Probably the most important lesson is this:

Dont panic over short-term market movements.

Investing for retirement is about decades – not weeks.

Markets rise.

Markets fall.

But disciplined investing combined with strong risk management has historically rewarded patience.

And thats exactly the philosophy Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers says continues to guide every investment decision it makes.

Because the goal isnt simply higher returns.

Its helping Nigerians retire with confidence.

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