The Creativity Site

 By Victor Olubiye Once hailed as the longest car in the world, a 30.5-meter-long limousine with 26 wheels, its own swimming pool, a giant waterbed, and even a helicopter landing pad, became a global symbol of extreme engineering — and extreme impracticality. Designed with a hinged middle section to help it bend around corners, this mammoth vehicle was less about transportation and more about showmanship. Navigating regular roads, parking lots, or city streets proved nearly impossible. It wasn’t built for function; it was built for spectacle. While the limousine captured imaginations with its over-the-top features, it eventually faded into obscurity — remembered not as a breakthrough in automotive innovation, but as a rolling reminder that bigger isn’t always better. A luxurious monster with nowhere to go, it remains a fascinating piece of automotive history: proof that just because something can be built doesn’t always mean it should be.

 By Victor Olubiye A world-renowned neurosurgeon gave up part of his high-paying U.S. salary to provide free life-saving surgeries in Africa. Dr. Olawale Sulaiman, a Nigerian-American neurosurgeon,made the inspiring decision to reduce his income in the United States by 25% so he could travel monthly to Nigeria and offer free brain and spinal surgeries to patients who couldn't afford proper care. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Dr. Sulaiman moved to Canada on a scholarship and later trained in neurosurgery in the U.S., where he became Chair of Neurosurgery at the Ochsner Neuroscience Institute in Louisiana. Despite his success, he felt a deep responsibility to give back.Since 2010, he has provided medical care to over 500 people in need, many from underserved communities.  Through his non-profit, RNZ Global, he not only performs surgeries, but also trains local doctors, donates advanced medical equipment, and supports the development of neurological care centers across Nigeria. His mis...

 By Victor Olubiye In a field where women were once rarely seen, Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye stood out—not just for her brilliance, but for breaking barriers that had stood for generations. Born on 26 May 1940 in Plateau State, she became Nigeria’s first female physics professor, blazing a trail in a male-dominated discipline and inspiring generations of women in science. Deborah’s academic journey began at the University of Ibadan, where she earned her BSc in Physics. She went on to obtain her MSc from the University of Birmingham and later a PhD in geophysics from Ahmadu Bello University. Her work focused on geovisualisation and the mapping of Nigeria’s mineral resources—vital efforts that supported national development. She made history in the 1980s when she became a professor of physics at the University of Jos. Beyond titles, what defined her was her dedication to education and nation-building. She later became the Dean of Natural Sciences, one of the few women to hold such a post ...

 By Victor Olubiye Roger Cotes (1682 - 1716) was an English mathematician. He his most well-known for editing the second edition of Newton's Principia Mathematica, but he also made several significant advances in analysis, including logarithms, integral calculus, and numerical interpolation. Cotes was born on this day (July 10) in 1682. Roger Cotes' mother was Grace Farmer, who came from Barwell in Leicestershire, and his father was Robert Cotes who was the rector of Burbage. Roger had a brother Anthony one year older than himself, and a sister Susanna who was one year younger. He attended Leicester School and by the age of twelve his teachers had already realised that he had an exceptional mathematical talent. His uncle, the Reverend John Smith, was keen to give Roger every chance to develop these talents and so Roger went to live with him so that he might be personally tutored. Roger later attended the famous St Paul's School in London, but he continued to be advised by h...

 By Victor Olubiye He ran for the office of governor of Adamawa State in 1990 and 1996 unsuccessfully, but won in 1998. Before he was sworn in, he was selected as running mate to former military leader, Olusegun Obasanjo, during the 1999 presidential election and was re-elected in 2003. Atiku Abubakar ran unsuccessfully for President of Nigeria six times, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. He ran in the Social Democratic Party presidential primaries in 1993, but lost to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming in third to Umaru Yar'Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP. He contested the presidential primaries of the People's Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primaries losing to...

 By Victor Olubiye General Ibrahim Babangida and General Sani Abacha were two of the most influential military figures in Nigeria's history. Both men were commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1963 and steadily rose through the ranks. Together, they played decisive roles in shaping Nigeria’s political landscape from the 1980s through the 1990s. Though they were close allies in several military coups, their relationship was never founded on absolute trust. Beneath the surface of cooperation lay a careful balance of ambition, strategic calculation, and mutual suspicion. Their collaboration gained national prominence during the December 1983 coup that toppled President Shehu Shagari and ended Nigeria’s Second Republic. Two years later, in August 1985, they worked together again to remove General Muhammadu Buhari. Their alliance was strategic: Babangida served as the political mastermind, while Abacha operated as the military enforcer. Once in power, Babangida appointed Abacha to seve...

 By Victor Olubiye On July 10th, the world remembers the birth of inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) A key figure in the history of science, Tesla made remarkable contributions to the development of alternating current (AC), wireless communication, and electrical innovation. He was known for his incredible imagination and unique approach to invention. It’s said that he could mentally design devices before physically building them. According to various accounts, Tesla slept very little and was fluent in several languages.His routines and lifestyle have fascinated researchers and admirers around the globe. In his later years, he lived quietly in New York City, where he showed deep affection for pigeons and continued to work on scientific ideas until his final days.

 By Victor Olubiye 1.Ancient City with Over 2,000 Years of History Kano is one of the oldest inhabited cities in West Africa, with human settlement tracing back over 2,000 years. The Kano Kingdom formally began in 999 AD under King Dawud Bagauda, the founding ancestor of the Hausa Sarauta (royalty) in Kano. 2.Home of the Great Kano City Wall (Ganuwar Kano ) Built between the 11th to 14th centuries, the building started during the reign of King Gijimasu, the Kano City Wall was among the largest city walls in sub-Saharan Africa, built for defense and prestige — a symbol of Kano’s power and urban advancement. 3.Center of Islamic Scholarship Kano has been a major hub for Islamic learning and scholarship since the 14th century, attracting scholars, clerics, and students from across the Sahel, Maghreb, and West Africa. 4.Renowned for Dyeing and Textile Production The ancient Kofar Mata dye pits, some of the oldest active dye pits in the world, are famous for their deep indigo textiles, a...

 By Victor Olubiye The man in this picture is Amos Stanley Wynter Shackleford, shortly known as Amos Shackleford (AKA The Bread King of Lagos). He was born in 1887 in Jamaica. In his early 20s, he relocated to Nigeria where he worked as a railway officer In 1913. However, in 1921, Shackleford and his wife, Catherine, had an idea, to begin bread production in the country. In those days bread was not a popular food in the region known today as Nigeria. The available ones were imported bread from the West Indies. Amos' idea led to the establishment of the first bread factory in Nigeria at Agege, Lagos State. The quality of the bread and texture (dough) was different from the imported ones. Thenceforth, people referred to any bread of such texture as Agege Bread even to this day. After his retirement in 1950, Shackleford built a house in Lagos but he wouldn't live in that house as he returned to Jamaica where he died four years later in 1954 at the age of 67.  Even though his name...

 By Victor Olubiye THE ONLY SUSPENDED LAKE IN AFRICA CONTINENT IS LOCATED IN YORÙBÁ LAND, IYAKE LAKE, ADO-AWAYE, OYO STATE, NIGERIA. Ado-Awaye is a town in Oyo State, Nigeria. It is popular for it’s hill (Oke Ado), upon which is a lake (Iyake). It is one of only two suspended lakes on top of a mountain in the whole World. The lake is believed to be bottomless and no one enters it and survives.  History has it that beneath the lake lies another world, a parallel existence ruled over by a goddess of fertility who lives inside the lake. It’s rumored that if one puts their foot in the hole near the lake known as Agbómofúnyàké (Yoruba for “collects child and gives to iyake”) when it’s filled with water, the person will be dragged to the bottom.  The IYAKE Lake Intriguing History Behind it: It’s name, Iyake (Yoruba) means “Woman cry.”  It is said by the locals that, a barren woman from Ota, Ogun State, migrated to Oyó during the ancient Oyó Empire. She was loved by many bu...

 By Victor Olubiye Over 39 years ago, the notorious bandit who terrorised Benin City and old Bendel State in the 80s, Lawrence Nomanyagbon Anini A.K.A. "Ovbigbo" or "the Law" and some members of his gang were executed by firing squad after being convicted by the defunct Bendel Armed Robbery and Firearms Tribunal presided over by Justice James Omo-Agege      Anini was born in a village about 20 miles from Benin City in present-day Edo State. He migrated to Benin at an early age, learned to drive and became a skilled taxi driver. Anini became known in Benin motor parks as a man who could control the varied competing interests among motor park touts and operators. He later dived into the criminal business in the city and soon became a driver and transporter for gangs, criminal godfathers and thieves. Later on, he decided to create his own gang which included, Monday Osunbor, Friday Ofege, Smallie, Henry Ekponwan, Eweka and Zed Zed or Zegezege who was never captured. T...

 By Victor Olubiye 1. 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Olakulehin ascended the throne on July 12, 2024, as part of Ibadan’s unique rotational chieftaincy system—a method that ensures a peaceful transition of power . 2. Lived to 90 Born July 5, 1935, he lived through both colonial and independent Nigeria—passing just two days after his 90th birthday and less than a year into his reign . 3. Brief but Symbolic Reign Though his time as monarch was under a year—and impeded by health struggles—it proved deeply meaningful. His presence was viewed as a unifying force for Ibadan residents . 4. Rose Through the Civil Line Before ascending as Olubadan, he diligently climbed the ranks of Ibadan's chieftaincy hierarchy—from Mogaji to Balogun—through years of community service and loyalty . 5. Military and Political Career Commissioned via direct short service in 1970, Olakulehin rose to Major in the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers before retiring in 1979. He later founded enterprises in pri...