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.clears air on birth controversy

The family of the founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim (CandS) Church, Saint Moses Orimolade Tunolase, has reaffirmed that the deceased remains the sole founder of the church, dismissing recent media reports that sparked controversy over his parentage, place of birth, and the origin of the CandS movement.

Speaking at a press briefing in Akure, Ondo State capital, His Grace, Elder George Tunolase-Arole (heir) of St. Moses Orimolade, cleared the air on some misconceptions and misinformation as contained in some reports during the centenary celebration of the church that have generated controversies about his place of birth and parents.

He described some of the misinformation and misconceptions that emerged during the church’s centenary celebration as misleading, saying the publications about the founder of the CandS movement were designed to distort the true historical account of the revered spiritual leader.

According to Elder Tunolase, St. Moses Orimolade was born into royalty in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, and said, ‘He was born by Prince Tunolase, whose ancestor, Agbaode, was the first Owa Ale and founder of Ikare-Akoko. His mother, Abigail Odijorotan, was from the Eleho family in Ishakunmi Quarters, Ikare-Akoko.’

He clarified that, contrary to reports, it was the founder’s father, not his mother, who was from the Owa Ale royal family, and explained that ‘It is not the mother that came from the Owa Ale family but the father of St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase. Our great ancestor, Agbaode, founded Ikare-Akoko, so the Tunolase family has deep royal roots.’

Elder Tunolase further debunked claims suggesting that St. Moses Orimolade hailed from Lagos or co-founded the CandS with another person.

He affirmed that ‘Those are false narratives. The Cherubim and Seraphim Church worldwide was solely founded by St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase, and this fact has been upheld by the Supreme Court.’

He also recalled that during the centenary celebration held in Okorun Quarters, Ikare-Akoko, the Owa Ale of Ikare, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeleke Adegbite, reaffirmed the founder’s ancestral connection to Ikare-Akoko.

‘That royal confirmation was clearly stated, but some media reports misrepresented it, leading to unnecessary confusion,’ he added.

On the reason the centenary celebration took place across several cities, Elder Tunolase explained that it was purely for safety and logistics. ‘If everyone had gathered in one place, it would have caused a stampede.

‘Different groups held their celebrations in Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, and Akure, but all commemorated one truth – that the Cherubim and Seraphim Church was founded and registered in 1925 by St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase.’

He, however, maintained that: ‘ the father, instead of the mother, is from the Owa Ale family. It’s not the mother who is from the Owa Ale family, but the father of St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase.

‘He was a Prince. So his father was a Prince of Owa Ale of Ikare. Yes. The great ancestor of Tunolase is Agbaode, who founded Ikare-Akoko. So, Tunolase is a royal member of the Owa Ale of the Ikare family.

‘The second thing is that they said his mother is from Owa Ale’s palace. She’s not from Owa Ale’s palace, but from the Eleho family in Ishakunmi in Ikare-Akoko.

‘Then the third thing that is going on in the newspapers is that St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase is not even from Ikare-Akoko, but from Lagos. This is not correct.

‘Then thirdly, there is also some misinformation saying that the Cherubim and Seraphim organization worldwide was jointly founded by Moses Orimolade Tunolase and someone. So, the sole founder of Cherubim and Seraphim worldwide is St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase.’

He urged members and the public to disregard misleading publications and focus on the divine legacy of St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase.

‘He was chosen by God and remains the undisputed and sole founder of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church worldwide,’ he declared.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has dismissed an attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) to downplay the wave of defections rocking its ranks, describing the opposition’s response as ‘a pitiable display of denial and self-deception.’

Spokesperson of the party, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, on Saturday, described the mass defections from the PDP as not just a routine political movements but the inevitable outcome of years of deceit, ideological bankruptcy, and serial betrayals within the party.

He said, ‘When a house is built on quicksand, it doesn’t take much for it to collapse. The exodus from the PDP shows that even its most loyal members have lost faith in a party that has failed to reform itself or offer Nigerians a credible alternative.’

He stressed that the PDP’s woes are self-inflicted, rooted in a long history of propaganda, mismanagement, and internal discord.

He said, ‘Nigerians are now more discerning and can no longer be swayed by empty rhetoric from a party that squandered the nation’s fortunes for sixteen wasteful years. The PDP’s so-called unity is nothing but a fragile alliance of opportunists united only by desperation for power. Recent defections to our party demonstrate the growing confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which is already delivering measurable progress across key sectors.’

He further mocked the PDP’s dwindling membership, suggesting that those who remain are the undertakers left to perform the final rites on what is now a lifeless political carcass.

He advised the opposition party to accept its diminishing relevance ahead of the 2027 elections and to focus on introspection rather than hollow press statements.

‘The PDP should conduct an honest post-mortem of its failures and come to terms with the reality that its influence in Nigeria’s political landscape has drastically declined. You cannot claim to be unshaken when your members are fleeing in droves to a party that represents progress and stability.’

Concluding, he described the ongoing defections as not just political wins but endorsements of the APC’s commitment to national renewal and people-centered governance.

‘The Nigerian people have spoken clearly. The era of deceitful opposition politics is over’ he said.

James Williams, a Nigerian-American artist and founder of Acada, shares a heartfelt tribute to his father, Joshua Popoola Williams, who made his American dream possible. Through his music, James expresses gratitude for his father’s tireless efforts and guidance. He credits his father as the most influential male figure in his life, describing him as his guiding light.

‘My father, Joshua Popoola William, singlehandedly worked hard to make sure my American dream became a reality. He is the most influential male figure in my life. I have been looking for ways to celebrate him and i want him to know how much I love him while still alive. He has been my guiding light.’ He said.

James dedicated his song ‘My Father Son’ to his dad, highlighting the importance of celebrating loved ones while they’re still alive.

‘I have always been a book guy, I studied policy. Last December, I decided to return to the creative side of myself.

I have a journaling practice where I meditate, write and reflect.

There is nothing I do in the real world that does not begin in my journal.’ He added

James’ music career took off when he partnered with friends to turn his journal entries into lyrics. This creative pursuit allows him to share his story and connect with others. With his father’s love and support, James continues to shine in his artistic endeavors. By celebrating his father while he’s still alive, James sets an inspiring example of gratitude and appreciation. His story is a testament to the power of family support and pursuing one’s passion.

James’ journey into music is a reflection of his personal growth and creative expression. His music serves as a reminder to appreciate the people who matter most in our lives.

He explained that she never took counsel from him and always loved to have her way.

Ibrahim also said that Rekiat was in the habit of leaving home in the morning and returning in the evening.

The plaintiff further added that he later discovered that she went about doing a menial job, washing clothes for people without discussing it with him.

Ibrahim pleaded for the custody of their children, whom Rekiat had neglected.

He stated that his wife’s vision is impaired, and as such, her ability to take proper care of their children was limited.

The plaintiff further requested an order restraining his wife from harassing, threatening, and interfering with his private life.

Rekiat acceded to divorce.

The defendant admitted doing a menial job.

According to her, she took up the job of washing other people’s clothes in order not to die of hunger.

She stated that the plaintiff had constantly neglected and starved her.

Rekiat further explained that her vision was clear and bright before she got married to Ibrahim, but that it became impaired as a result of the slaps she always received from her husband and his mother during misunderstand.

She agreed that her husband had custody of their children while she pleaded for easy access to them.

Ibrahim, in his testimony, said, ‘I met my wife in 2018, and we started dating.

‘I impregnated her in 2019, and she moved in with me.

‘I started to discover my wife’s real nature after we started living together.

‘My wife is stubborn and loves to have her way.

‘She always refuses to receive instructions from me and will insist on her way.

‘She leaves home early in the morning each day, not bothering about our children’s welfare, and would return in the evening.

‘The more I complain, the more adamant she becomes.

‘She never discussed with me where she always went.

‘I later found out that she goes about washing clothes for people.

‘My wife has soiled my name enough.

‘I, therefore, pray that our wedlock be dissolved.

‘I entreat the court to grant me custody of our children.

‘My wife’s vision is blurred, and therefore can not take proper care of them.

‘I want to monitor our children’s education and give them the best.’

Rekiat responded, ‘My lord, I am also no longer interested in our marriage.

‘It is true that I took up a menial job.

‘I wash other people’s clothes to avoid dying of hunger.

‘My husband cares less about my welfare and that of our children.

‘I work round the clock to ensure that our children in particular do not starve.

‘My lord, my eyes were clear and bright when I got married to my husband, but he and his mother have made me almost blind because they always slap me during misunderstanding.

‘He can have custody of our children, but I plead that the court grant me access to them. ‘

The court president, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, giving judgment, stated that there was no marriage to be dissolved because no customary marriage was held, and no bride price was paid.

She added that both were just cohabiting.

Owoseni further said that the paramount interest of a child must be considered when it comes to the issue of custody.

According to Owoseni, the defendant is virtually impaired and has no proper job to sustain herself and their children.

She added that again, the defendant had bequeathed her right to have their children in her custody to the defendant.

Ruling, Owoseni granted the plaintiff custody of their children while the defendant was awarded the right of reasonable access to them.

The former Coordinator of the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team, Babatunde Ogala (SAN), has debunked viral social media claims alleging that the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), was a member of the President’s legal team.

In a statement issued on Friday, the former coordinator described the allegations as ‘false and misleading’, emphasising that Prof. Amupitan had no involvement whatsoever with the legal team that represented President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 election petitions.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, Prof. Amupitan, SAN, was never, at any point, a member of the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team.

‘His name does not appear among the over 123 legal practitioners formally engaged for that assignment, including 60 Senior Advocates of Nigeria,’ the statement read.

He further clarified that Prof. Amupitan’s counsel, opinion, or professional services were never sought or rendered during the entire legal process.

Everyone who is familiar with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s unabashed Yorubacentricism expected him to appoint a Yoruba person to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as INEC chairman. However, because, as I pointed out in my September 20 column, no president, prime minister, or head of state has ever appointed an INEC chairman from his immediate geopolitical region, Tinubu’s Yorubacentric excesses had a restraining order.

Of course, Tinubu really doesn’t care what anybody thinks about his overt project of inaugurating and sustaining Yoruba hegemony in Nigeria’s national sphere. He could easily have appointed the next INEC chairman from the Southwest and watched with satisfied amusement as people from other regions squirmed in impotent rage.

But he had an alternative, which he seized. There are Yoruba people in northern Nigeria. Why risk needless, even if impotent, national outrage by appointing someone from Osun, his native state, or Lagos, his adopted state, when he could achieve the same Yorubacentric state capture by appointing a Yoruba person from the North? Thus, we have Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a Yoruba man from Kogi State, as the new INEC boss.

To be fair, that was precisely what Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, did. Although Mahmood Yakubu is from the Northeast and Buhari is from the Northwest, their identities are indistinct. They are both ‘Hausa-Fulani,’ a term Buhari said he personally liked because it accurately captures the complexity of his ethnic, cultural, and linguistic identity.

Like Buhari, Yakubu traces patrilineal descent to the Fulani but is linguistically and culturally Hausa. So, the fact that they come from different so-called geopolitical zones doesn’t erase the reality that they are more or less indistinguishable in identity terms.

Just as Buhari and Yakubu are both ‘Hausa-Fulani’ who happen to belong to different ‘geo-political zones,’ Tinubu and Amupitan are both ‘Yoruba’ (there are people from Kogi West such as Professor Etannibi Alemika and journalist Tunde Asaju who insist they are not Yoruba) but from different regions.

In fact, unlike Buhari and Yakubu, who share not just common ethnic and regional identities but also similar faiths, Tinubu and Amupitan do not share the same faith. Tinubu is a Muslim, while Amupitan is a Christian. Of course, as I’ve pointed out multiple times in past columns, in the South, where Tinubu is from, ethnicity is a more potent instrument of identification than religion.

It’s therefore obvious that while Amupitan is eminently qualified for this job-he is an accomplished professor of law and a revered Senior Advocate of Nigeria who has no known record of partisan political affiliations, even though a few people mistook him for Professor Taiwo Osipitan, a Tinubu lawyer in the 2023 election-the primary reason Tinubu chose him is his Yoruba identity.

However, I want to go beyond the discernible ethnic considerations that informed Tinubu’s choice of Amupitan. No true northerner should take Tinubu’s ethnic bait.

Northern Nigeria (or what some of us like to call ‘Lugardian northern Nigeria’) is the country’s most complex region. It is home to almost every ethnic group in Nigeria, including the three major ones. (Most people don’t know that there is a minority of Igbo people in Ado, Oju, Obi, and Okpoku local government areas of Benue State who are native to the state and speak the same Igbo dialect as people in Ebonyi State.)

As I pointed out in my February 2, 2019, column titled ‘Even Ahmadu Bello Would Be Ashamed of Buhari’s Arewacentricity,’ being a genuinely northern sub-nationalist draws you close to being a pan-Nigerian nationalist.

I wrote: ‘A real, Ahmadu Bello-type northerner. would regard Yoruba people from Kwara and Kogi states as his or her ‘regional kin.’ Well, if you can do that, you might as well extend that ‘kinship’ to other Yoruba people in the Southwest in the interest of nation building.

‘If you accept Ebira people in Kogi as your regional kin, you might as well extend it to the Igara in Edo State whose language is mutually intelligible with Ebira. If you regard the Idoma of Benue as your regional kin, why not do the same to the Yala in Cross River who are linguistically and culturally similar to the Idoma?

‘If you regard the Igala in Kogi as your regional kin, you might as well like the ethnic kin of the Igala known as the Ebu in Oshimili North LGA of Delta State or the Ilushi in Edo State, who are linguistically and culturally indistinguishable from the Igala.

‘If your benign northern sub-nationalism causes you to accept Iyiorcha Ayu as your brother because he is Tiv from Benue, why would you not accept his own brothers and sisters in Obanliku in Cross River State who are also, for all practical purposes, linguistically and culturally Tivs?’

The Yoruba people in Kwara and Kogi states have had the disadvantage of being prominent yet invisible. They tend to be distrusted by their regional kith in the North and suspected by their ethnic kin in the Southwest. That is a delicate, unenviable position to be in.

Tinubu’s pan-Yoruba ethnic project is visibilizing northern Yoruba people on the national stage in ways we are not accustomed to. In April this year, he appointed Bashir Bayo Ojulari, a Yoruba Muslim from Kwara State, as the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of NNPC Limited, Nigeria’s ultimate cash cow.

Now, he has appointed Amupitan, a Yoruba Christian from Kogi State, as the head of INEC, Nigeria’s gatekeeper of political power. One controls the flow of money; the other controls the tide of electoral mandates. That is a lot of power. That is a lot of visibilization. It reverses decades of enforced invisibility.

This may be an ethnic project for Tinubu, but if managed well, it can become an unintentional empowerment of the North-or at least the idea of the North that Sir Ahmadu Bello carefully worked to nurture when he was alive. For him, no part of the North was more northern than another.

That was why he appointed Joseph Aderibigbe, a Yoruba Christian who hailed from Erin-Ile, the last town in northern Nigeria before one crosses over to the West, as the Provincial Secretary (equivalent to a state governor) of the Sokoto Province, which comprised what is now Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, and parts of Niger states. Bello was a councilor in Sokoto and used to joke that Aderibigbe was his ‘boss’ in Sokoto but his subordinate in Kaduna.

When northern Nigeria’s Muslim, Hausaphone leaders mishandled Olusegun Obasanjo’s similar preference for previously invisibilized northern ethnic minorities in appointments and caused deep regional disaffection, they were compelled to form the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in 2000 to unite the region and assuage the anxieties of minorities.

Guess who was its inaugural chairman of the board of trustees until his death in 2007? Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi, who hailed from the same area as Amupitan.

The mistake the North would make, which would please Tinubu to no end, is to alienate these northern Yoruba appointees by calling them Yoruba while tacitly denying their northern identity.

As Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar suggested in a July 1999 interview in the Weekly Trust when northern Muslim leaders had a conniption because northern Christians were visibilized by Obasanjo, I would advise northern leaders with symbolic and cultural authority to be strategic and embrace Tinubu’s appointment of northern Yorubas to consequential positions as a plus for the region, even if that is not his intention.

The alternative is to be receptive to a redrawing of the political and geographic map of Nigeria that cedes Yoruba-speaking Northern Nigeria to the West.

Perhaps what began as a parochial design might paradoxically fertilize a broader national idea. If the North embraces these appointees as its own rather than as southern implants, Tinubu’s maneuver could, ironically, advance the inclusive regional vision that Sir Ahmadu Bello once imagined. Nigeria’s fate has often turned on such unintended consequences of power.

But if northern leaders fall for the ethnic traps laid in these appointments by rejecting their own sons because of linguistic or cultural labels, they will not only vindicate Tinubu’s divisive calculations but also weaken the North’s moral claim to unity. The region’s future strength will rest on its ability to see through the politics of symbolic baiting and recognize substance where others see difference.

A 51-year-old man, Abubarkar Aliyu, has begged a Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to compel his wife, Kadija Akarami, to return to him.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Aliyu told the court he went into relationship with Khadija in 2015 and got married to her on June 15, 2020.

He stated that Khadija packed out of his house on June 20, and moved to her parents’ house at Dutse Alhaji, Abuja.

‘All efforts to make her return home proved abortive.

The petitioner, however, pleaded with the court to compel his estranged wife to come back to him.

Responding, Khadija said she was no longer interested in their marriage.

‘I am no longer interested in our marriage.

‘My parents forced me into it from the beginning.’

In 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women of the United Nations was successfully held in Beijing. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the conference has since become a milestone for global gender equality. Standing at the historical juncture of its 30th anniversary, China will hold another global leaders’ meeting on women in Beijing this October.

At this pivotal moment of continuity and renewal, China’s release of the white paper ‘China’s Achievements in Women’s Well-Rounded Development in the New Era’ not only showcases the remarkable progress made in advancing women’s causes in China, but also profoundly articulates China’s vision, practices, and accomplishments in promoting gender equality and women’s comprehensive development in the new era. This contribution offers the world a vivid example of ‘China’s governance.’

In the new era, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government it leads have elevated their commitment to women’s advancement to unprecedented heights, consistently integrating national development with the progress of gender equality. China’s practice of advancing women’s comprehensive development is rooted in a solid foundation of policies and the rule of law.

The fundamental state policy of upholding gender equality has been enshrined in the CPC’s governing program. The 18th, 19th, and 20th CPC National Congresses all emphasized ‘adhering to the fundamental state policy of gender equality and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of women and children.’ President Xi Jinping personally planned, deployed, and promoted this work. Party committees and governments at all levels conduct annual thematic studies on women’s work, providing strong political guarantees for the advancement of women’s causes. China enacted its first Civil Code incorporating a section on marriage and family, as well as the Law Against Domestic Violence. It revised the Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests and amended the Criminal Law and the Rural Land Contract Law, among others.

Gender equality assessment mechanisms for laws and policies have been established at the national level and in all 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. Women’s federations at all levels have carried out legal awareness campaigns, with legal services reaching over 400 million women.

In the new era, women’s pivotal role as one-half of society has achieved breakthroughs across all sectors. In political participation, women reached historic highs as members of the 14th National People’s Congress (26.5%), the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (22.4%), and delegates to the 20th CPC National Congress (27%).

Regarding high-quality development, women account for approximately 43% of the workforce and 45.8% of scientific and technological professionals. Women constitute about one-third of workers in new sectors like digital trade, e-commerce, and live-streaming, with the digital economy continuously unlocking gender dividends. Women have also made outstanding contributions in cutting-edge fields such as manned spaceflight, domestically produced large aircraft, biomedicine, deep-sea exploration, and artificial intelligence. In cultural prosperity, female cultural workers have produced an abundance of high-quality works, with women accounting for 25% of the 3,997 national-level inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.

In the new era, China has integrated into the global governance of women’s affairs with unprecedented depth. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has transformed the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping into concrete actions that promote the comprehensive development of women.

Together with the United Nations, we have co-hosted the Global Summit on Women and established the Education Award for Girls and Women. Within cooperation frameworks such as APEC and the G20, we have created platforms to empower women, leading efforts to advance multilateral and regional women’s development agendas.

We have expanded our ‘circle of friends’ in women’s cooperation, maintaining friendly exchanges with women’s organizations and institutions in over 140 countries. We have implemented projects worth more than $40 million in the women’s sector in over 20 countries, and our mushroom grass technology has helped women in 106 countries find employment. In the face of global challenges, we have dispatched more than 1,200 female officers and soldiers to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, providing humanitarian assistance to women and children affected by conflict and disasters, demonstrating the responsibility of a major country.

As the first female Consul General of China in Lagos, I have witnessed firsthand the comprehensive development of women’s causes in China and experienced the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Nigerian women, fostering a deep connection between our peoples. Since the beginning of this year, the charity initiative ‘Together Fight Hunger’ launched by our Consulate General, has delivered batches of essential supplies to low-income women and children, embodying the principle of ‘teaching a man to fish’ rather than merely giving him a fish. In the ‘Small World’ charity event supported and participated in by the Consulate General, the Association of Chinese Women in Nigeria and women’s groups from multiple countries took turns on stage, showcasing the brilliance of cultural exchange and mutual learning.

The vast majority of Chinese women in Nigeria are committed to public welfare initiatives and actively giving back to the local community. Female Chinese language teachers at Confucius Institutes, who make up more than half of the teaching staff, sow the seeds of Chinese culture and promote the continuous deepening of cultural exchanges between the two sides. Several Nigerian women have traveled to China to participate in women’s capacity-building training courses, where education empowers them to shine in their lives. This is a vivid practice of the vision of the Beijing Declaration.

As the Global South rises, the unleashed potential of women will be an indispensable force for building a more equal, inclusive, and prosperous world for all. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027), released during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) last September, explicitly incorporates multiple initiatives.

These include supporting women’s dialogue, enhancing capacity building for African women, and promoting women’s comprehensive development. This plan charts the course for deepening cooperation between China and Nigeria, as well as China and Africa in women’s affairs, vividly illustrating China’s commitment to translating its pledge to advance global women’s causes into concrete actions.

From initiative to practice, the path of women’s development that bridges Chinese wisdom with global action grows ever broader. The upcoming Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women offers a new opportunity to advance this journey. Let us pool our wisdom and unite our strength, jointly tackle new challenges in the digital age, explore fresh pathways for women’s empowerment, and write a new chapter in the advancement of women’s causes

Adenike Adekanmbi is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan (UI), and recently completed a Master of Science (MSc) in Law and Finance (MLF) from the University of Oxford on a fully funded MasterCard Foundation Scholarship in partnership with the Africa Oxford Initiative. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about her life and studies at Oxford, law and finance, among other issues.

After you graduated from the University of Ibadan law faculty and the Nigerian Law School, did you feel ready to be a lawyer, or did you have other interests?

At that time, I was eager to begin my career. Working as a lawyer was something I had looked forward to for years, and I was fortunate to have launched my career in the Lagos office of a very reputable law firm.

You recently posted on your LinkedIn page that, last year in May, you had a choice to make: a full tuition grant for a master’s degree in law (LLM) at Harvard University in the United States or a fully funded Master of Science (MSc) in Law and Finance (MLF) at the University of Oxford, England. Why did you choose Oxford over Harvard? Looking back now, would you say you made the right choice?

Both schools are in the upper echelon of global education institutions. So, I would have been happy to attend either. However, Oxford edged out Harvard for two reasons – my programme at Oxford was a better fit given my goal of building a more multidisciplinary career, and I received a more comprehensive scholarship package at Oxford that covered all my needs, including tuition and living expenses.

So, yes, I believe I made the right choice. My year at Oxford gave me the multidisciplinary exposure I was seeking and broadened my intellectual and professional horizons.

Beyond academics, the experience also gave me access to a diverse network of people and opportunities that continue to shape my career goals.

Coming from a law background, how were you able to blend well into finance studies and even graduate with a distinction and an award? Was Oxford that easy?

As you can imagine, the finance aspect was initially unfamiliar. I had to consciously orient my mind not to think strictly as a lawyer. It was not easy. However, it was not the hardest thing to do either. I found it reasonably and sufficiently challenging, but still very doable.

Financially and academically, what made your studies at Oxford memorable?

Financially, Oxford was memorable because I never had to worry about funds, thanks to my sponsors. Everything I needed, and even a little extra, was provided. I often joked with my friends that I felt like a trust fund kid. I will always feel a deep sense of gratitude to my sponsors, the Mastercard Foundation and the Africa Oxford Initiative, for making this experience possible. Their support allowed me to fully immerse myself in my studies without financial worries.

Academically, Oxford was stimulating. A few weeks into my programme, someone asked what I was enjoying the most about being in school and what I was finding most challenging. I realised the answer to both questions was the same: the learning. I often caught myself feeling excited about engaging with concepts I had been oblivious to before arriving at Oxford. At the same time, becoming knowledgeable was stressful.

As the saying goes, ‘The more you know, the more you realise you do not know.’ Repeatedly confronting my relative ignorance was not a walk in the park. Yet, I loved the feeling I got when I finally waded through the unfamiliarity and grasped the information. The blessing was also the curse. I enjoy being knowledgeable, but the process can be daunting and not always fun.

You summarised your Oxford experience with a post titled My Year in the ‘Intellectual Disneyland’. What do you mean by ‘Intellectual Disneyland’? Would you use the same title for your University of Ibadan and Nigerian Law School experience?

Disneyland is famously referred to as the happiest place on earth, mainly because you have aggregated in one place – more thrills, adventure, and magical experiences than you could have anywhere else. In the same way, when I referred to Oxford as the Intellectual Disneyland, it was precisely because Oxford has aggregated in one place more intellectual resources than almost anywhere else in the world.

To answer the second part of your question, it would not be a fair comparison to contrast Oxford with either the University of Ibadan or the Nigerian Law School. The circumstances and relevant factors of comparison are vastly different. That said, I deeply appreciate my time at the University of Ibadan, and I think it shaped me in many ways. It may not be an intellectual Disneyland, but even after attending Oxford, I can confidently say that some of the smartest students I have ever met were at the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan.

From the knowledge and skills you have gained studying finance and financial law, what major financial problems in Nigeria would you like to address if allowed to address them?

Off the top of my head, the most obvious is the absence of comprehensive financial data and sophisticated market intelligence platforms. This problem has the greatest impact on the private capital market because investors make projections based on available data. If data is scarce or largely unavailable, investors struggle to make proper risk assessments and must then make more stringent assumptions about the risk profile of a particular venture. This drives up the cost of capital, making it harder for both investors and investees.

At the moment, I know some work is already being done in this regard by the likes of Stears, which is developing a financial database not just for the Nigerian market but for Africa. I am optimistic about these efforts.

You studied at a Nigerian University, and you just finished studying at a prestigious UK university. What three lessons can the University of Ibadan learn from the University of Oxford in terms of teaching, research, and student welfare?

First, on teaching, Oxford places a strong emphasis on interactive and discussion-based learning rather than rote memorisation. That approach encourages students to think critically, develop independent views, and defend them in rigorous conversations. The University of Ibadan could benefit from incorporating more of this style.

Second, in research, Oxford fosters a culture where students and faculty are constantly generating knowledge, not just consuming it. Even at the master’s level, there is encouragement to contribute to ongoing debates in law, finance, and other disciplines. Strengthening research infrastructure and funding at the University of Ibadan would allow students and faculty to make more impactful contributions to scholarship.

Finally, on student welfare, Oxford provides extensive resources to support students’ academic, professional, and personal well-being, from career services to mental health support and a wide range of extracurricular activities. While the University of Ibadan already has a good sense of community, enhancing institutional support structures would greatly enrich the student experience.

Between having a career in law or finance, which one would you prefer now, and why? Where do you see your chosen career and yourself in five years?

Lately, I find futuristic questions difficult to answer. Nonetheless, I think I would build a career that sits at the intersection between both fields as opposed to being strictly in one, but I will have to wait and see.

You mentioned that you received a travel grant that enabled you to visit four cities in Denmark and three in Germany. How would you describe your Denmark and Germany experiences, and which country did you enjoy the most?

I loved visiting both countries, and the experience was enjoyable. I preferred Denmark, though, because it was more serene.

If the Harvard LLM scholarship offer is still on the table, would you take it? Have you thought of going for a PhD programme? Between a law and finance PhD, which would you go for and why?

The thought of a PhD has crossed my mind, and I may pursue one in the future, fingers crossed. If I do, it would be a PhD in law because that would be the best fit given my profile.

What is your advice to Nigerians hoping to study at Oxford on scholarship? What did you do to get into Oxford that they can do better?

I do not think there is a single formula for getting into Oxford, but there are patterns that stand out. Strong academic performance is important, but it is not enough on its own. Admissions committees look for clarity of purpose – knowing why you want the degree, how it fits into your long-term goals, and how you hope to use the knowledge to make an impact. Evidence of leadership, resilience, and a genuine desire to contribute positively to society also goes a long way.

For scholarships, telling your story authentically is just as important as your grades. Show how your experiences, both successes and setbacks, have shaped your perspective and prepared you for the opportunities Oxford provides. My advice would be to focus on building a track record of excellence, seek opportunities that align with your goals, and be strategic in presenting your journey and aspirations.

I’d been taking about 30 minutes a day to walk for almost two years, thinking I was doing all I need to be healthy and in shape, when I went in for my annual physical and was shocked to discover that bone density had decreased and that my muscle mass wasn’t what my doctor wanted it to be for a woman my age. In view of this, I want to know if walking is enough exercise for me.

Imele (by SMS)

It has been confirmed that while walking is absolutely wonderful and provides fantastic cardiovascular benefits, weight management, and mental health, it’s really only one component of the exercise equation that our bodies need as we get older.

Walking significantly involves your cardiovascular system and your larger muscle groups in your legs but does not provide the resistance training your bone density and your muscle mass require, especially after the age of 50 when we all naturally start losing approximately 1-2% muscle mass each year.

The research was very specific that you need to incorporate some sort of strength training at least twice per week to maintain your bones and prevent sarcopenia, which is this loss of muscle mass with age.

In addition, walking really doesn’t contribute much towards flexibility, balance, or core strength, all of which are very helpful in preventing falls and remaining functional in mobility as we grow older.

While your daily walking was great for your lungs and heart, you were not getting the overall benefit to physical functioning of resistance exercises, stretching, and balance training. Incorporating some bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, and yoga into your routine two times a week and continuing to keep with your every-day walking, will be very good for you.

Walking is definitely great as an exercise base if you’re just doing it, but adding in some strength and flexibility exercises a couple of times a week will make a huge difference in your overall health and aging process.