The Creativity Site

By Victor Olubiye If you’ve ever lived the real student life in Nigeria, then you already know — it’s not beans. And if you’ve passed through Osun State Polytechnic, Iree (popularly called Ospoly), then you’ve seen it all: the lectures, the hustle, the all-night reading, and the fun that makes it all worth it. Tucked in the rocky town of Iree, Ospoly may look like just another higher institution from afar. But ask the students, and you’ll hear stories that go beyond the classroom. Stories of survival, discovery, and growth. Let’s start with the tough part — because Ospoly student life is not for the faint-hearted. First off, accommodation wahala. Most students live off-campus in nearby areas like Small London,Igaa 2, and Ladoja. While these places are lively and close to school, the amenities can be frustrating. Think of power outages right in the middle of night reading, or heavy rains turning your path to class into a muddy obstacle course. Then comes the financial struggle. With...

By Victor Olubiye On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok arrived at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, a place he frequented for poker games. By that time, Hickok was already a legend of the Wild West—known for his deadly gunfights, performances in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, and a reputation for having killed as many as 100 men. Yet, despite his larger-than-life persona, that summer day would mark the abrupt and tragic end of his story. As Hickok sat down to play, he made the unusual choice to sit with his back to the saloon’s entrance—a decision that would prove fatal. Jack McCall, a man angered by losing to Hickok at poker the previous day, entered the saloon armed with a .45 caliber revolver. Without hesitation, McCall approached Hickok’s table, shouted, “Damn you, take that!” and fired a single shot into the back of Hickok’s head. Hickok fell forward, dying instantly with his hand still clutching a pair of black aces and eights—later immortalized as the “Dead Man...

By Victor Olubiye Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye (born 1951), also known as Nike Okundaye, Nike Twins Seven Seven and Nike Olaniyi, is a Nigerian Yoruba and adire textile designer. She is best known as an artist for her cloth work and embroidery pieces. Nike Okundaye was born May 23, 1951 in Ogidi, Kogi State, in North-Central Nigeria, and was brought up amidst the Yoruba traditional weaving and dyeing as practised in her home town. Her parents and great grandmother were musicians and craftspeople, who specialized in the areas of cloth weaving, adire making, indigo dyeing and leather. She learned how to use the loom to produce cloth during the time she lived with her great grandmother Ibitola (“Red Woman”). She spent part of her early life in Osogbo, Western Nigeria, modern-day Osun State. Growing up in Osogbo, which is recognized as a major centre for art and culture in Nigeria, young Nike was exposed to the indigo dyeing and adire production that dominated her informal training. Nike Dav...

 By Victor Olubiye Sonny Okosun (1 January 1947 – 24 May 2008) was a Nigerian musician, who was known as the leader of the Ozzidi band. He named his band Ozzidi after a renowned Ijaw river god, but to Okosun the meaning was "there is a message". His surname is sometimes spelled Okosuns and his first name Sunny. He was one of the leading Nigerian musicians from the late 1970s to mid-1980s. Okosun's brand of African pop music, Ozzidi, is a synthesis of Afro-beat, reggae and funk music. From 1977, he became known for protest songs about Pan-Africanism, freedom and a few other social and political issues affecting Africans.[citation As a young boy, Okosun spent his early childhood with his grandmother at Ibore, near Irrua in Edo State. Thereafter, he moved to Enugu to live with his parents, where his father worked with the Nigerian Railway Corporation. Okosun attended various training schools starting with St Brigid's School, Asata, Enugu before enrolling at a government ...

By Victor Olubiye   In a famous photograph taken in 1981, André the Giant is pictured holding a 12-ounce Molson beer can that appears tiny in his massive hand. The stark contrast between the small can and André’s enormous size captures the imagination and highlights just how colossal he truly was. This iconic image was created during a Sports Illustrated photo shoot, aiming to showcase André’s extraordinary physical stature. Known for his towering presence and legendary wrestling career, André’s size was a defining part of his identity, making the photo an instant classic. The picture remains a memorable visual symbol of André the Giant’s unique place in popular culture—a gentle giant whose sheer scale set him apart from everyone else.

 By Victor Olubiye – Mice can’t vomit, and giraffes can’t swim. – Snakes can sleep for up to 3 years, but they can’t hear. – Honey never spoils — it’s the only food that lasts forever. – Ants don’t sleep, and polar bears are left-handed. – Dolphins sleep with one eye open, and camels have three sets of eyelashes. – Flies have 5 eyes, kangaroos can’t walk backward, and a full-grown bear can run as fast as a horse. – Your tongue print is as unique as your fingerprint. – The water we drink is over 3 billion years old. – The hip bone is stronger than concrete. – Mosquito repellents don’t repel them — they make you invisible to them. – Apples, onions, and potatoes taste the same if you can’t smell. – If you started counting non-stop, it would take 32 years to reach a trillion. – Butterflies taste with their feet. – A shrimp’s heart is in its head. – One lightning bolt has enough energy to toast 100,000 slices of bread. – Sharks have been around longer than trees. – Cows have best friend...

 By Victor Olubiye What you're seeing in the image is not just an ordinary sphere… it’s a scientific marvel! This sphere, made from ultra-pure silicon-28, was developed by scientists in the Avogadro Project to help redefine the kilogram using universal constants instead of physical objects. Why is it so special? It was crafted with such precision that its deviation from a perfect sphere is only 50 nanometers. To put that in perspective: if this sphere were the size of the Earth, its imperfections would be just 2 to 3 meters high. This level of perfection allowed scientists to calculate exactly how many atoms it contains, which helped redefine the kilogram in 2019. Since then, the unit has been based on the Planck constant, not on a physical cylinder stored in France. Its surface is so smooth that a single speck of dust could reveal whether it’s rotating. There’s truly nothing like it.  The image reflects a scientific laboratory, where this technological gem was handled with ex...

 By Victor Olubiye Sefi Atta (born 19 January 1964) is a Nigerian-American novelist, short-story writer, playwright and screenwriter. Her books have been translated into many languages, her radio plays have been broadcast by the BBC, and her stage plays have been performed internationally. Awards she has received include the 2006 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa and the 2009 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa. Atta was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in January 1964, to a family of five children. Her father Abdul-Aziz Atta was the Secretary to Federal Government and Head of the Civil Service until his death in 1972, and she was raised by her mother Iyabo Atta.  She attended Queen's College, Lagos, and Millfield School in England. In 1985, she graduated with a B.A. degree from Birmingham University. She qualified as a chartered accountant in England and as CPA in the United States, where she migrated in 1994. She earned an MFA in creative writing from Antioch University Los...

By Victor Olubiye Justice James Omo-Agege was a no-nonsense and courageous judge of the Bendel State High Court, best remembered for presiding over one of the most high-profile criminal cases in Nigeria’s history — the trial of Lawrence Anini, the infamous armed robber who terrorized the country in the 1980s. Justice Omo-Agege fearlessly handled the trial of Anini, his notorious accomplice Monday Osunbor, and members of their gang, ultimately sentencing them to death by firing squad. He also passed the same sentence on DSP George Iyamu, a senior police officer who was shockingly found to be complicit in the gang’s criminal activities — offering them protection and vital information. Presiding over such a dangerous and politically sensitive case earned Justice Omo-Agege a reputation as a fearless and incorruptible judge, someone who was ready to stand for justice no matter the risks involved. He later served as the Chief Judge of Delta State from October 3, 1993, to November 4, 1998, an...

 By Victor Olubiye In the background stands the residence of Rev. H.W. Stacey, the trailblazing founder of the Methodist Junior School in Abeokuta. The woman dressed in white is his wife, Mrs. Stacey, who was also an educator. Have you observed the two distinct styles of attire? And the women's feet? The formal outfit represents the "Anglo-Egba" fashion—a style influenced by British culture and embraced by formerly enslaved returnees. In Wole Soyinka’s memoir, You Must Set Forth at Dawn, he describes these two dominant categories of women in colonial Egba society: Oníkàbà (gown wearers) and Aròso (wrapper wearers). Photo credit: Her granddaughter, Kate Cutler (née Stacey). Historical Context: In 1846, missionaries arrived in Abeokuta, making it the first Yoruba settlement to host such visitors. This moment laid the groundwork for the town’s leadership in Yoruba education. By 1850, its population had skyrocketed to 100,000, quadrupling that of Cape Town at the time and equ...

By Victor Olubiye A team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has taken a major step forward in vision loss research. They successfully regenerated nerve cells in the retina of mammals without surgery, using an experimental treatment that could change the future of diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration.  How does it work? Researchers discovered that a protein called PROX1 blocks the natural regeneration of retinal cells. By using a special antibody (CLZ001), they were able to deactivate this protein, allowing glial cells to transform into new neurons. In tests with mice suffering from vision loss, sustained visual recovery was observed for more than 6 months. While this therapy is not yet available for humans, it represents real hope for millions living with blindness or degenerative eye diseases.  Clinical trials are expected to begin in 2028. Source: Nature Communications, via KAIST.

By Victor Olubiye The incredible story of Blanche Monnier is one of the most tragic and astonishing tales you’ll ever hear Born on March 1, 1849, in Poitiers, France, Blanche came from a respected aristocratic family. Known for her beauty and charming personality, she attracted much attention and numerous suitors from high society, but her family showed no interest in allowing her to marry. When Blanche began receiving letters from admirers, her mother, Louise Monnier, became deeply disturbed and took drastic measures. For 25 years, Blanche was locked away in a dark room, completely isolated from the outside world. Her mother ensured that no sunlight entered through the windows and that no one ever saw her daughter again. Blanche was forbidden to leave her bed or attend to even the most basic hygiene needs, spending years lying in the same bed where she ate and suffered. The family severed all contact between Blanche and the outside world, telling friends and relatives that she was awa...

By Victor Olubiye The word "Ọba" is a pure Yorùbá word meaning "he who sits over or lord over." It was Ọ̀rànmíyàn that introduced the word to Benin. The word can be divided into two morphemes: Ọ and BA. Ọ as a prefix signifies the word refers to a being. For example, ọ-kùnrin - male. ọ-ká - that which coils up, referring to a specie of snake that coils up - Gabon viper. Ọ-ya - that which breaks its bank and flows uncontrollably, name of Yorùbá goddess of river Niger. This same ọ-rule exists in nouns that are formed from possessive relation with something. For example: ọlọ́jà, ọlọ́rọ̀, Ọlọ́run, Ọlọ́yọ̀ọ́, ọlọ́fà, ọlọ́ya, ọlọ́ba, Ọlọ́wọ̀ etc.  No wonder it is only in Yorùbá language that the word means anything close to rulership. In Benin, it is not even a NOUN as one would expect it to be. They themselves claim it means "to shine." meaning it was originally a verb turned noun. It is only in Yorùbá language that the word is a noun ab initio. Historically, t...

 By Victor Olubiye Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the “nail-cutter of Goliath,” dating back about 3,000 years, in a region that belonged to the ancient Philistine Empire. The artifact, made entirely of solid wood, was discovered during a routine excavation and is being studied by experts, who believe the item may have belonged to the legendary giant warrior. The size and weight of the object drew attention: the cutter had to be lifted by an industrial crane due to its uncommon proportions. Researchers are now analyzing organic traces on the piece to confirm the authenticity of the dating and its origin.

By Victor Olubiye Ẹbun House was designed by Herbert Macaulay for Andrew W. Thomas, father of Ọlabode Thomas and Tinuọla Thomas, in the Afro-Brazilian architectural style. The structure was adorned with intricate decorative elements above the arched windows and wooden shutters. A prominent feature on the first floor was a covered wooden balcony, extending from the façade, with elegantly crafted window frames and Gothic arches on the lower section, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Distinctive dentil moldings lined the cornices beneath the second-floor windows, adding to the building’s grandeur. The top floor was accentuated by four dormer windows, while an elaborate fence and gateposts enclosed a small front courtyard, leading to a beautifully arched entrance. Andrew W. Thomas: A Lagos Auctioneer and Social Figure Andrew W. Thomas was a renowned auctioneer who thrived in Lagos and played an active role in associational life. He was the brother-in-law of Marian Oyebomi Thomas and brother ...

By Victor Olubiye Sir Shina Peters (born Oluwashina Akanbi Peters; 30 May 1958) is a Nigerian Jùjú musician. Born Oluwashina Akanbi Peters in Ogun State, Peters' career in music began at a young age when he played with friends under the handle Olushina and His Twelve Fantastic Brothers. While playing with his friends, he taught himself how to play the piano and later joined Ebenezer Obey's band. Thereafter, he left Obey's band and joined General Prince Adekunle's band as a guitar player. Adekunle's band played in Lagos hotels such as Western Hotel, Palm Beach Hotel and Executive Hotel. When Adekunle was ill, Peters sometimes acted as lead singer. He left Adekunle to form Shina Adewale, a band with Segun Adewale. However, the duo soon split. Shina Peters, after releasing many albums with Segun Adewale through the 1980s, went on to form his own band, "Sir Shina Peters & His International Stars". Peters was an actor in 'Money Power', a movie produ...