Akinbode's BLOG on Faith, Politics, Science, Engineering, Education and Health

  I watched this video with amazement... and I cast my mind back to the 1990s, when the culture of first-name calling infiltrated the new-generation banks then. One of those banks was co-founded and owned by a 34-year-old man. His name is Tony Elumelu . A lot of the staff from top to bottom were young guys; some were older. Everyone from the cashier to the CEO, Tony, called everyone by their first name. What I heard from those who applied for jobs in those banks then was that the last person you interview with was Tony Elumelu. He would insist you call him by his first name, or TOE if you could not stomach calling your CEO by his first name. Tony called many people of his father's age by their first name then. What changed for Tony? When Tony Elumelu interacts with people outside the shores of Nigeria , they call him by his first name... why insist you are called by a title at home? Maybe cultural perception at home front, and again, Mr. Elumelu is older now, with a few chieftainc...

The suicide of Prof. Jason Arday speaks to the larger issue of modern-day lynching of minority in a European-dominated world... The story is the same everywhere - U.S., Canada, EU.... The door is often closed on you because of the color of your skin... They frequently talk about meritocracy, but underlying bias fuels reasons why many people of African descent are ignored in top positions. Before you open your mouth, you are already being second-guessed. I face this daily in my job here in the U.S. on many fronts - they never believe you are fit for your position, you are excluded from opportunities deliberately, you are talked down at, you are ignored when you seek support, and the worst of it is that you are SCRUTINIZED all the time... You are told to your face you are not good enough... This is in the face of your unmatched outstanding RECORDS that transcend just one unit or organization that prove otherwise... the records do not matter; you have to do it over again all the time th...

I give credit to President Tinubu for not illegally interfering in the Osun State governorship election that held yesterday - maybe they are under pressure from influential people like Davido , who used their platforms to draw global attention to the election. Or maybe because of a pact between the two - a second-term ambition that removed "do or die"... I just saw a video where Governor Adeleke endorsed President Tinubu for a second term. Whatever, the election appears to be generally fair with a few skirmishes here and there. If we continue to practice democracy this way, the people (at least during general elections) will be able to choose their leaders... Politicians will start to behave in office when they realize the power to win an election belongs to the people and not them through intimidation, rigging, and vote manipulation... I hope he will let the Oyo governorship election go the same way next year... I was having a conversation with my 15-year-old son yester...

I was a young lecturer at Lautech when GSM was launched in Nigeria in 2001. I could not afford one immediately because of the cost of purchasing a phone and the rates. It cost ₦ 50 per minute to make a call... Many blamed the cost of licensing the telecom providers - Econet , NITEL , and MTN - which was a whopping $285 million. To put the call rate in perspective, the minimum wage in Nigeria was ₦ 5,500 then. If you had one line, speaking for 10 minutes could cost you 10% of your salary. Fast forward to today, the rate is ₦13.80 per minute, a 72% drop since GSM came in 2001. Unlike in 2001, when there were no per-second rates , Nigerians can now make calls for a few seconds without being charged at a per-minute rate. There are also several options for consumers at cheaper rates on the surface - data plans of all kinds, combos of call and data, pay-as-you-go, etc. Many attribute these options and lower rates to technological advancement in the GSM space, including the proliferatio...

APC (the ruling party in Nigeria) has played itself into a corner with its divide-and-rule strategy with PDP , the main opposition party in Nigeria until recently... PDP has now splintered into several other parties, which will make it hard for APC to win in 2027. Because the new parties represent several different political blocks that connote ethno-religious groups that determine two-thirds of one-quarter of the vote for a winner in the Nigerian elections. The frantic effort to ensure these new political parties ( NDC , ADC , APM, etc...) are exempted from the ballots in 2027 is seen as a form of desperation to hold on to power. An incumbent party that is doing well by the people should not be afraid of the opposition. It should engage and not try to disengage the opponents through crooked means... Democracy is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people ... The people should choose their leaders, and not the other way round. Records and programs of a...

How Many Dangote , Elon Musk , Bezos , Have Been Turned to AKARA (fried bean cake) VENDORS in Nigeria – This Tantamount to “ Brain-Waste ” After watching the video, I did not see any ill advice in the statement made by Nigeria’s first lady, Mrs. Remi Tinubu , which has been interpreted out of context… She was directing her statement to peasant women – the mama l’ojas (uneducated market women). The problem is that she and her spokespeople are embracing the wrong interpretation of the video as a defense… Telling every jobless Nigerian to consider all sorts of menial jobs. Some of her jingoists are sharing videos of graduates frying akara by the roadside and others selling kuli-kuli in fancy-packaged bags… Doubling down instead of providing context and showing empathy for millions of jobless Nigerians that have been disappointed by successive governments in Nigeria, including the current one.   This weak defense demonstrates nothing but a complete disconnect from the reality of Ni...

Every World Cup tells a clear story that extends far beyond football. It tells the story of families who crossed borders, children who grew up between cultures, and nations strengthened by talent from around the world. The 2026 FIFA World Cup offers another reminder that migration is not simply about movement—it is also about opportunity, innovation, and shared success. Case in point - FOLARIN BALOGUN: The soccer world in the US is elated and in jubilation mode because FIFA just cleared FOLARIN BALOGUN to play in their next match against Belgium this week. Folarin is US best striker in the current World Cup tournament with a total of THREE goals contribution (two goals and one assist). One thing the news does not focus on is that FOLARIN BALOGUN is of Nigerian descent . He was born in the US by chance to Nigerian parents. This raises the question of human migration, whether there is benefits to it or not. Does it make sense for America to continue to open its door to those seeking ...

  Now we know why Tyla, the South African singer, beat the likes of Davido, Ayra Starr, Asake, Burna, and Olamide together at the 2024 Grammy - It is Madam Sylvia Rhone Sylvia Rhone is an American record executive and a big influential entertainment ICON in the US music industry. She is the first African American woman to lead a Fortune 500 entertainment company... If she signs you, and you have talent, you will win awards like play.... Those who are familiar with the entertainment culture in the US, they will tell you that when you sign with a big-name producer or CEO or industry heavyweight like the late Clive Davis, the disgraced Harvey Weinstein, or Sylvia Rhone, you will always have a better chance at winning awards... Awards increase the bottom line of artists, so as do the bottom lines of those who represent them. It is a cult... Talent alone is not enough; you need connections to make it big in the US entertainment industry. Two of three Nigerian musicians who have won a Gr...

     While Iran was making all efforts to get nukes to counter their arch rivals possession of one of the most lethal weapons of war that has ever been developed, they completely ignored the leverage they have in the Strait of Hormuz . This has proven to be more powerful and effective than the nuclear weapon that they have failed to develop and lost so much for. Iran’s economy has been decimated over the last couple of decades because of this quest. It took an unprovoked attack for them to discover the magnitude of the noose they hold around the global jugular of world trade. Over 20% of the global energy (petroleum, their products, and gas) and petrochemicals, such as fertilizers, are ferried through the Strait of Hormuz annually. Closing that strait creates panic everywhere, including in the corridors of their enemies. The war in Ukraine has also shown how technology leverage can counter the onslaught of one of the most powerful militaries in the world. Donald Tru...

Did anyone notice that Zohran Mamdani , the Mayor of New York, is adding weight, literarily, while: 1. Balancing the budget - they said it is IMPOSSIBLE... this guy did it in a few months of being in office... that tells you there was monumental corruption in NY before now 2. Being the lucky Mayor to bring the NBA Championship to the city since before he was born... 53 years... 3. Cutting crime rate by an unbelievable rate in a few months...21% decrease in homicide , others... burglaries (-19%), robberies (-18.1%), auto theft (-13%), and grand larceny (-12.4%). 4. Hosting World Cup games and giving away highly discounted tickets to New Yorkers.... $25 per ticket, instead of $800... 5. Courting Donald Trump , the Democrats' no. one enemy.... he tamed the guy during their first meeting, and many, including moi, were shocked.... How did this guy do it... Trump is Mamdani all the way.... All NY funding frozen released over $127 million released since Feb 2026... Chief MAGA loving ...

Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the middle of nowhere in central Africa . They are a classic example of leadership that works, a nation with purpose... Rwanda, a country with population (14.5 million) less than that of Lagos Nigeria , has a tourism industry that generates more than $600 million annually... that is over N820 billion naira... You see " Visit Rwanda " at the back of top clubs globally.... LA Clippers , Bayern Munich , PSG , Atletico , and about to bring Formula 1 home...Rwanda is the second most patronized country after South Africa for big global conference... Nigeria has hosted nothing in years... Why? Insecurity fueled by corruption at every level of our government ...   In Nigeria, we continue to battle insecurity because of corruption...a few people in government have refused to act because it is a means to continue to milk the country from appropriation for fighting insecurity....so the tourism industry cannot grow....   Can you imagine how man...

How I wish other African countries would do to France and the West what Burkina Faso and a few Francophone countries are doing to them... Burkina Faso is removing the neocolonialism framework that ensures the wealth of former colonies are tied to France. France determines the size of many Francophone countries' armies; they are mandated to purchase ALL their military wares from France; they control their currencies with fraudulent CFA franc now benchmarked to Euro; they install fake democratic leaders that mostly do their bidding and protect their interests, and mandate that their foreign reserve is domiciled in France and not any other country or entity as they wish... Macron reduced it to 50%, we hear it is no longer mandatory.... These are nonsense policies that subjugate sovereign African countries and make them lesser partners... When President Macron of France was confronted about this in a recent African summit by some African youths, he was sweating like a Christmas chi...

Love him or hate him, Elon Musk (EM) is doing extraordinary things. He just became the first trillionaire with the market launch of SpaceX today... It is a big bet for those who invested in the IPO... but as of today, EM is the first trillionaire humans have ever produced... the closest person, Larry Page , worth $294 billion, is miles away - about 20% of EM's worth... and richer than the next four richest people after him... He is richer than 170 countries globally... Musk lobbied Democrats to feed his electric vehicle (EV) ideas when republicans would not touch him with a ten-foot pole - they said his vision and ambition are a lost cause, EVs are a mirage, and they will never come to fruition ... he succeeded... EVs are now everywhere with unbelievable mileage.... He said it is possible to cut the cost of launching space rockets by reusing spent rocket barrels... some told him he is crazy....yes, he appears to be a crack head allegedly addicted to drugs... but his mind can ima...

The New York Times article released yesterday, which detailed a dark strategy to kill the attempt to open Congressional review of the Epstein case , has reopened the wounds of the pains and sufferings of many innocent minors and young women who were victims of Epstein and his accomplice for decades. Some of these people are rich and powerful. Some of them, as we are told, are religious people. This administration's position is that Epstein was solely responsible for abusing dozens of women... no other powerful people are responsible... The monarchy in England has been proactive by dealing with the black sheep among their rank who was implicated in the Epstein case... Time will tell if other rich and powerful will face justice eventually....Someone's name was mentioned over 38,000 times, yet we are told he is completely innocent... why? Perhaps because he sits on the most powerful seat in the world now... The question that remains in the minds of many onlookers like myself is,...

I have seen many social media posts lately comparing and asserting the unique place and sometimes the ingenious of our forefathers that reflects in our numbering, alphabet and language... These are good to know but needs to be made more believable... I think our Yoruba culture and language scientists need to do more... In the context of science components of Yoruba education that reflects in some Yoruba proverbs, we need the etymology of Yoruba proverbs to know how they originate... were they curated when Western education has already enlightened on us on certain facts and science or do they predate European influence? The English spoken before 11th century is gibberish compared to the English spoken today... almost completely different (REF: https://www.medievalists.net/2023/08/the-differences-between-old-english-middle-english-and-modern-english/ ). Yoruba language spoken two centuries ago is different from what we speak today..Those of us born in the 1960s and 1970s will reme...

The Southwestern governors and power brokers should be wary of Sunday Igboho ... he is not who he claims he is ... many people in Oyo State whom this man has terrorized, and he is still terrorizing, know... I wonder why the news media is not reporting on the atrocities of Sunday Igboho , and why the law has not truly caught up with him... People who know I do not write on things I am not sure of... This is personal for me... Sunday Igboho is an instrument in the hands of LAND GRABBERS and powerful people in Oyo State... I am a victim of Sunday Igboho, and I am still in court, fighting to get my land back from those who used him to forceful grabbed my land in Ologuneru ... a land I bought in 2008 when the area was not motorable, when no single house existed in the area, a land I have a record copy of land survey registered at the local government... I was talking to one of my former students yesterday, and he told me how Sunday Igboho collected money from him on a land he has C-of-O o...

  Secretly, the U.S. government has paused the issuance of OPT (Optional Practical Training - temporary work permit) to Nigerian students. They have also ceased awarding new student visas to Nigerians with full scholarships. They did this for several other visa categories, including F1 , asylum , and naturalization . It is not that you cannot apply; you can; they just will not process your visa. The reasoning behind this remains a mystery, other than the fact that Nigeria is a nation of concern. No Nigerian has carried out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil or anywhere outside their country... Some relate this to the non-cooperation of President Tinubu 's administration with the current U.S. government in making Nigeria a dumping ground for undocumented migrants. Ghanaians continue to enjoy access to all U.S. visas. The disheartening thing is that this ban/pause/whatever also extends to sponsorship of siblings and several other visa categories... A new executive order, a few days ago...

As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marks three years in office, he argues that Nigeria is turning a corner and is better off today than when he assumed office. He points to improvements in the stock market , growth in external reserves, fiscal reforms , and endorsements from international financial institutions as evidence of progress. However, many Nigerians view the situation differently. While macroeconomic indicators may show signs of improvement, the daily reality for millions of citizens tells another story. Rising poverty, declining purchasing power , insecurity , unemployment , and the high cost of living continue to define life for many households. Economic statistics alone cannot adequately measure the well-being of a nation. The true test of government performance is whether the lives of ordinary citizens are improving. The Collapse of Purchasing Power Perhaps the most visible impact of the last three years is the dramatic decline in the purchasing power of Nigerians. Ma...