The Creativity Site

By Victor Olubiye The death of gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as ToluwaniSings, should prompt Nigeria to ask difficult questions about emergency healthcare and the responsibilities of government. According to his personal assistant, Babadunni Gbolabo, efforts to obtain medical attention for the singer after he slumped took them to between seven and eight hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State. Speaking to BBC Yoruba, the aide said some facilities reportedly cited doctors' unavailability or an ongoing strike, while the attempts to secure treatment were unsuccessful. ToluwaniSings died on October 14, 2026. His family's loss is painful in its own right. But the circumstances described by his aide have also raised a public-interest question: how should Nigeria's healthcare system respond when someone needs emergency medical attention? The allegations must be investigated before any hospital is declared responsible for the singer's death. The University Colle...

By Samuel Ashiwel In 1999, Nigeria returned to democracy with a loud promise. Different parties, different ideas, different choices for the people. Twenty seven years later, that promise has been strangled. Governors defect like prisoners seeking parole, commissioners sing praises to survive, ministers vanish into silence, and the entire country is being forced to bow to one man. This is no longer a party system. It is a personality cult, and it is killing Nigerian democracy. For months, Nigerians have watched a political drama that feels less like democracy and more like a surrender ceremony. In April 2025, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori did what many thought impossible. He led the entire PDP structure that had ruled Delta since 1999, including former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the party that was once the face of the South South, into the APC in one afternoon. It was not a defection. It was a wholesale auction of a state. What followed was a dam break. In June 2025, Governor Umo...

By Victor Olubiye The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a device verification service that allows Nigerians to check whether mobile phones and other communications devices are approved for use on the country's telecommunications networks before purchasing them. The service, known as Device Checker, can be accessed by dialling *315# or visiting the Commission's official website. It is designed to help consumers identify devices that do not meet the applicable regulatory requirements, including those that may be counterfeit or non-compliant. In a report published on Tuesday, October 13, Channels Television said the initiative formed part of an enhanced Type Approval Compliance framework that took effect on October 7, 2026. Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, the NCC's Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Edoyemi Ogoh, said the framework was intended to strengthen enforcement of existing requirements and protect consumers while safeg...

By Samuel Ashiwel Nigeria is not a country lacking ideas. It is a country lacking governance. Because we have killed governance and replaced it with permanent politics. In every serious democracy, politics is seasonal and governance is continuous. You do politics to get power, then you stop politicking and start administering. You plan, you build institutions, you manage resources. In Nigeria, we have inverted the process. We do politics to get power, and then we do more politics to keep power. Governance never starts. The campaign never ends. The country is trapped in an endless election rally while the real work rots. That is why Nigeria moves a lot but never moves forward. A SYSTEM BUILT FOR SURVIVAL, NOT FOR SERVICE Our current leadership structure is not designed to administer a country. It is designed to survive politically. From the ward to the federal level, the question is never "Who is the best administrator?" The question is "Who is the most loyal politician? ...

DokTur Awo By Victor Olubiye Awosina Kehinde Johnson, popularly known as DokTur Awo, has declared his intention to contest for the office of president of the Federation of Ijesa Students’ Union (FISU). Johnson, a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, made his intention known in a declaration statement in which he outlined his leadership experience and proposed agenda for the union. He said his ambition was driven by a desire to contribute to the growth, unity and advancement of Ijesa students across the six local government areas of Ijesaland. Johnson, who hails from Okun Compound, Imesi-Ile, in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, said his leadership experience had strengthened his commitment to student representation, accountability, inclusiveness and service delivery. He listed his previous positions to include president of the Obokun Students’ Union between 2025 and 2026 and president of the Imesi-Ile National Students’ Union from 2023 to 2025. He also served as na...

  By Samuel Ashiwel You know your leader is wrong. You know the policy is hurting the people. You know the promises have not been fulfilled. Yet, when someone raises the same concerns, you are the first to defend him. You blame the opposition, attack the critic and find a reason why your leader should not be questioned. Why? Is it because you genuinely believe he is right, or because admitting that he is wrong would mean admitting that you, too, may have been wrong to defend him? This is one of the difficult questions facing Nigeria's political culture. For many people, political loyalty has gone beyond supporting a party or a leader because of their ideas. It has become a commitment that sometimes makes it difficult to acknowledge mistakes, demand accountability or speak the truth when it matters most. We have created a culture where some people would rather defend a politician than question his decisions, even when the consequences affect their own lives. You join a party to belo...

The Newly Elected Prefects   By The Creativity Site Excellence International Schools, Koboro, along Onigbedu Road, Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, has elected new student prefects following a voting exercise held on Friday, October 9, 2026 for the 2026/2027 Academic Session. The election, which followed two weeks of campaigns by the contestants, was conducted through a paper ballot system in which students wrote the names of their preferred candidates on paper and dropped their votes into a ballot box. Teachers who participated in the conduct of the election to promote a free and fair process included Mr Olubiye Victor Segun, Mrs Odukoya Temitope, Miss Abolade Toyosi, Mr Femi Awe and Mr Amosun Taiwo. At the end of the exercise, Awe David emerged as the new Head Boy Prefect with 82 votes, defeating his opponent, Jamiu Sulaimon, who polled 23 votes. Salawu Abraham was elected Assistant Head Boy with 81 votes, ahead of Julius Samuel, who secured 25 votes. In the gi...

  By Samuel Ashiwel The tragedy of a nation is not when it fails to cross to the other side. It is when it deliberately sets fire to the bridge while still standing on it. Every functional polity is built on a bridge. One side of the river holds raw potential; population, resources, diversity. The other side holds the promise; stability, prosperity, and justice. The bridge itself is made of invisible materials: trust in institutions, respect for rules, commitment to merit, and the willingness to produce rather than merely share. In the early years of our political journey, that bridge existed. There was competition among the constituent parts. One region built monumental estates from agricultural proceeds. Another built the largest markets in West Africa from trade and commerce. A third built enduring educational institutions from its own internally generated revenue. The centre was weak, the federating units were strong, and development was a race. Then, gradually and consciously,...

  By Victor Olubiye  A young Nigerian graduate leaves home with a NYSC call-up letter, a few clothes packed in a bag and the excitement of beginning another stage of life. For many parents, it is supposed to be a moment of pride. Their child is leaving home to serve the country. But what happens when the journey to the orientation camp becomes a security concern? That is the question the recent abduction of prospective corps members in Imo State raises. Reports said prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom were attacked along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State. According to the Imo State Police Command, security operatives later located the suspected camp where some of the victims were being held after using drones and trailing the abductors. However, the police said they were cautious about moving into the area because intelligence indicated that the camp might have been planted with imp...

  By Victor Olubiye There are people who build houses, people who build roads, people who build businesses, and people who build nations. But behind many of these builders stands someone who first taught them how to read, how to think, how to dream, and how to believe that something greater was possible. That person is a teacher. Today, October 5, 2026, as the world celebrates Teachers' Day, we pause to honour the men and women who enter classrooms each day to shape minds, build character and prepare young people for life. To the teacher who arrives early, stays after the bell, explains the same lesson repeatedly, marks scripts long after school hours and tells a struggling child, “Try again,” we see you. You do more than teach Mathematics, English, Science, History or any other subject. You teach courage. You teach discipline. You teach patience. You teach responsibility. You teach children how to rise after failure and believe in themselves again. A lesson may last forty minutes,...

  By Victor Olubiye Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2026, but many details about how the country became independent are often reduced to a few familiar names and the lowering of the Union Jack. Nigeria became independent from Britain on October 1, 1960, under a parliamentary system of government. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was Prime Minister, while Nnamdi Azikiwe became Governor-General. Beyond the date and the celebrations, there are other details about Nigeria's independence that are less commonly discussed. Here are 10 of them. 1. Nigeria did not become a republic on October 1, 1960 Independence and becoming a republic were two different events. Nigeria became independent on October 1, 1960, but remained a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth. The Queen was still the head of state, represented in Nigeria by the Governor-General. Nigeria became a republic in October 1963, when Nnamdi Azikiwe became the country's first President. 2. Tafawa ...