WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia says it has driven Ukrainian army from 211 square miles of territory this year

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said his troops had taken control of 547 square kilometres (211 square miles) of territory this year in what he called Russia's "new regions," a reference to four Ukrainian regions that Moscow says it has annexed.

Shoigu, in remarks on Friday to senior military commanders, said Ukrainian forces were retreating all along the front line and that Russian troops were breaking what he called a network of Ukrainian strongholds.

"The Ukrainian army units are trying to cling on to individual lines, but under our onslaught they are forced to abandon their positions and retreat," said Shoigu.

"Over the past two weeks, the Russian Armed Forces have liberated the settlements of Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka and Berdychi in the Donetsk People's Republic," he said, referring to the name Russia uses for one of the four annexed regions.

Ukraine's top commander said on Sunday that Kyiv's outnumbered troops had fallen back to new positions west of three villages on the eastern front.

Moscow said in September 2022, seven months after sending troops into Ukraine, that it had incorporated four Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia - into its own sovereign territory despite not fully controlling any of them.

Ukraine said the move was an illegal land grab and has said it plans to evict every Russian soldier from its territory, including from Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Russia controls about 18% of Ukraine - in the east and south - and has been gaining ground since Kyiv's 2023 counter-offensive failed to make any serious inroads against well dug-in Russian troops.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russia reveals dramatic weapons production increase

There has been a multifold increase in the production of weapons and ammunition in Russia since the outbreak of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, the head of the defense conglomerate Rostec has said.

Sergey Chemezov told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting on Friday that around 80% of arms used by the Russian military in the conflict are being supplied by Rostec.

The conglomerate, which was established in 2007 on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, involves more than 800 research and production organizations in Russia’s defense sector.

"Compared to 2022, the production and refurbishment of tanks at our factories increased by three-and-a-half times, and of lightly armored vehicles by three times,” the Rostec chief said.

The manufacture of self-propelled artillery pieces has increased tenfold, while 14 times more towed guns are being produced, and the production of multiple rocket launch systems (MLRS) has doubled.

The output of ammunition rounds for tanks and infantry fighting vehicles increased by 900%, artillery shells by 600%, and munitions for MLRS by 800%. Three times as many unguided rockets for heavy flamethrower systems are being produced, Chemezov said.

According to the Rostec chief, new types of equipment have also been introduced during the conflict, such as TOS-2 heavy flamethrower systems, which are capable of firing munitions with thermobaric warheads and are “widely used in the area of the military operation.” Zemledeliye remote mine-laying systems are also being produced, as well as Krasnopol guided shells, Kub loitering munitions, and guided missiles for UAVs.

Rostec is also working with JSC Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV) to equip standard aviation bombs with gliding modules and guidance systems, he said.

The Washington Post reported in March that the use of glide bombs, which can travel long distances and have high precision, has “dramatically boosted” the effectiveness of the Russian Air Force. The Independent wrote last month that those munitions had been “changing the face” of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday that the country’s forces are continuing “to break up” Ukrainian defensive positions along the entire front line. Russia’s territorial gains since the start of the year have amounted to 547 square kilometers, while Ukraine has lost more than 111,000 troops and some 21,000 heavy weapons during the period, according to the minister.

Reuters/RT

Old teachers never die;/They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

Below is a slightly amended version
Of my ode to the Teacher
Two remarkable decades ago….

Old teachers never die;

They simply wax wiser with passing moons…

Old teachers never die

The wine of age is winking in your glass,

Sip it in style;

Sip it with relish.

For when you sat in the saddle*,
You never rode roughshod upon our earth.
Your voice called up our depths

Your silence gingered us into song
Our growing scrawls mellowed into hieroglyphs
On the tender papyrus that was your palm:

(Allophones we all, of your happy phoneme)
Liberal star, compassionate moon.
Scion of a stock in league with Light

Let your ebony laughter unknot our brows
As we journey all season from sky to sky
Powered by the wind of your word.

Morning by morning**
We count your blessings
And regard our days

Old teachers never die;
They simply wax wiser with passing moons..

** In the Saddle and Morning by Morning are two exceptionally crafted and evocative autobiographies of Ayo Banjo.

Niyi Osundare, one of Africa’s foremost poets and academics, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans. 

PT

I interviewed millionaire early retiree Steve Adcock recently on the subject of financial regrets.

Adcock identified one thing he wishes he knew in his 20s that would have made him wealthier faster: how much emotional intelligence matters.

“Your personality will get you 10 times richer than your intelligence,” Adcock told me. “I learned that throughout my career, slowly but surely. I worked with a lot of smart people, no doubt about it. But those smartest people in the office weren’t necessarily the ones getting the raises and promotions.”

In short, your EQ can get you more opportunities for raises and promotions than your IQ, he said.

I think that was something I generally understood to be true, but hearing it aloud got me a little nervous. I’m one of the few fully remote workers on my team. I’m doing good work, but who would you promote — the guy you chat with on Slack or the person who you take your lunch break with every day?

So I enlisted the help of Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, to find out how anyone – remote or not – can show off their EQ at work. She suggests three strategies.

1. Act the part. If you think you’re ready for a bigger job at your company, start stepping into that role. “Even if the management position doesn’t exist, act as if you are the manager and take the lead,” she says. That doesn’t mean start bossing people around. Rather, make it a point to come to meetings ready to propose new ideas and initiatives.

2. Get people on your side. If you’re looking to hone your soft skills, ask your boss or even colleagues or external clients which ones they think you should focus on in order to advance your career. “Ask them what areas you need to develop. Make them part of this journey with you,” says Salemi.

3. Find a mentor. Do you have a favorite person in the office? It could be someone whose career you aspire to have or the colleague you enjoy working with the most. Ask them to show you the ropes, either in a formal or informal mentoring relationship, Salemi says. What’s more, think about what makes them such a great colleague and emulate them.

CNBC

Investigation reveals that the Federal Government has amassed a staggering sum of N11 trillion through auctions and sales of Treasury bills and saving bonds issuance over the past four months, as uncovered by The PUNCH.

An in-depth analysis of bonds and bills results issued in the first four months of the year by both the Central Bank and the Debt Management Office indicates that the government secured N3.1 trillion in FGN bonds and N7.92 trillion in T-bills between January and April 2024, totaling N11.2 trillion.

These bonds play a pivotal role in the government’s debt management strategy, serving various purposes such as providing investors with a relatively secure investment avenue, aiding in the management of the country’s debt profile, and facilitating efficient fund management.

Treasury bills and FGN bonds are classified as risk-free, theoretically with zero risk, as the government is expected to always fulfill its debt obligations, with the option of printing money if necessary.

In January 2024, the Federal Government raised approximately N418.197 billion from four bonds auctioned, followed by N1.49 trillion from two FGN bond offers issued by the DMO in February, albeit falling short of the N2.5 trillion target.

March 2024 saw the DMO raising N475.67 billion in its bond auction, capitalizing on the current upward trend in rates, while April 2024 witnessed the Federal Government raising N626.8 billion in its FGN bond auction.

The total amount raised was approximately 32 per cent higher than the N475.67 billion raised in the March auction, signaling robust market confidence in the government’s creditworthiness.

Regarding T-bills, a total of N1 trillion was on offer in January, but investor demand oversubscribed, reaching a whopping N2.3 trillion. The one-year bill, offered for N600 billion, attracted a massive N1.8 trillion subscription, of which the central bank sold N908.7 billion.

In March 2024, the DMO sold bills valued at N2.69 trillion across its auctions, marking an increase of N11 billion compared to the value of T-bills sold across auctions in February 2024 (N2.589 trillion).

The CBN also conducted a successful T-Bills auction on April 24, 2024, raising approximately N362.45 billion across various maturities, showcasing the market’s strong appetite for government securities.

This significant amount raised comes amid the government's plans to fund the 2024 budget deficit of N9.18 trillion and settle debts, including Ways and Means Advances.

Approximately N4.83 trillion from the proceeds of Nigerian Treasury Bills and Bonds issued in 2024 has been allocated to settle the Ways and Means Advances from the CBN, as disclosed by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun.

Nigeria's military has ordered two officers to face court martial proceedings over a drone strike that killed at least 85 civilians, the defence HQ said on Thursday, more than four months after President Bola Tinubu ordered an investigation.

The Dec. 3 air strike was one of the deadliest to hit civilians as the Nigerian military increasingly relies on aerial assaults in fighting Islamic militants in the northeast and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest.

Defence Headquarters spokesperson Edward Buba said the findings of an investigation of the strike in a village in northern Kaduna state showed that it should never have happened.

"The military has conducted a painstaking investigation into the incident and has initiated disciplinary action against those culpable," said Buba, adding that they would face a court martial.

The military has said it wrongly took the religious gathering of villagers in Kaduna as that of armed criminal gangs and apologised for the error.

But it was one of a series of aerial assaults by the Nigerian military that have killed civilians.

Last month, an air strike on a village in northwestern Zamfara state killed at least 33 people, according to residents and a traditional leader, in a military operation targeting armed kidnap gangs and their hideouts.

Reuters

Suspected bandits have attacked Maraban Agyaro where they abducted the village heads of Kakangi and Kisaya villages, and killed eight villagers in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The attackers invaded the area around 8am on Thursday, during which they also abducted four farmers who were on their respective farms.

A local source in the area also reported that six women were abducted in the village.

It was gathered that the two village heads were on their way from Kakangi to Birnin-Gwari when they were abducted.

Daily Trust gathered that the eight villagers were killed as they tried to rescue the captives.

The Member Representing Kakangi Ward at the State House of Assembly, Yahaya Musa Dan Salio, who confirmed the incident, said all eight people killed were from Kakangi.

“Yes, I just received a call that two village heads in my constituency were abducted and eight other people killed. All those killed are residents of Kakangi,” he said.

When contacted, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mansur Hassan, said he would get details from the area before commenting.

In a related development, bandits operating in Sokoto State have ambushed members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) killing nine of them with several others sustaining varying degrees of injuries, according to local sources.

The incident occurred last Sunday in Isa Local Government Area, known to be a stronghold of bandits and a dangerous zone for security operatives.

According to a reliable source familiar with the situation, three CJTF members were abducted by the bandits during the ambush.

“Our members encountered the ambush while responding to a distress call to assist security forces,” the source recounted. “Tragically, we lost nine brave comrades in the attack, with many others wounded. Additionally, three of our members were abducted. 

Since the beginning of the year, following a call from the state government to reinforce security efforts against banditry in the northwest, CJTF members have been actively engaged in supporting the troops.

“This latest loss adds to the toll of 19 gallant members who have fallen victim to bandit attacks in Sokoto State alone,” the source lamented.

This marks the second ambush targeting CJTF members in Sokoto State in a span of two months.

Daily Trust

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces from the country.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hanger at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

The move by Russia's military puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.

It also raises questions about the fate of U.S. installations in the country following a withdrawal.

"(The situation) is not great but in the short-term manageable," the official said.

The Nigerien and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. and its allies have been forced to move troops out of a number of African countries following coups that brought to power groups eager to distance themselves from Western governments. In addition to the impending departure from Niger, U.S. troops have also left Chad in recent days, while French forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso.

At the same time, Russia is seeking to strengthen relations with African nations, pitching Moscow as a friendly country with no colonial baggage in the continent.

Mali, for example, has in recent years become one of Russia's closest African allies, with the Wagner Group mercenary force deploying there to fight jihadist insurgents.

Russia has described relations with the United States as "below zero" because of U.S. military and financial aid for Ukraine in the war now approaching the end of its second year.

The U.S. official said Nigerien authorities had told President Joe Biden's administration that about 60 Russian military personnel would be in Niger, but the official could not verify that number.

After the coup, the U.S. military moved some of its forces in Niger from Airbase 101 to Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez. It was not immediately clear what U.S. military equipment remained at Airbase 101.

The United States built Airbase 201 in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Since 2018 it has been used to target Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) fighters with armed drones.

Washington is concerned about Islamic militants in the Sahel region, who may be able to expand without the presence of U.S. forces and intelligence capabilities.

Niger's move to ask for the removal of U.S. troops came after a meeting in Niamey in mid-March, when senior U.S. officials raised concerns including the expected arrival of Russia forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials in the country, including uranium.

While the U.S. message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, the official said, it was made clear U.S. forces could not be on a base with Russian forces.

"They did not take that well," the official said.

A two-star U.S. general has been sent to Niger to try and arrange a professional and responsible withdrawal.

While no decisions have been taken on the future of U.S. troops in Niger, the official said the plan was for them to return to U.S. Africa Command's home bases, located in Germany.

Reuters

Here's what's on the table for Israel and Hamas in the latest cease-fire talks

Israel and Hamas appear to be seriously negotiating an end to the war in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages. A leaked truce proposal hints at compromises by both sides after months of stalemated talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week praised Israel for offering what he described as significant concessions and saying “ the time is now” for Hamas to seal the deal. Hamas leaders, meanwhile, say they are reviewing the proposal in a “positive spirit” and sending a team to Egyptin the coming days to continue the talks.

Here’s what we know so far about the current proposal, confirmed by Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss behind-the-scenes negotiations.

WHERE THE TWO SIDES STAND

Israeli leaders are weighing whether to accept a deal that would delay or prevent their planned ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah — a scenario that falls short of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledges of “ total victory ” and the destruction of Hamas.

Hamas’ militant leaders must decide if giving up the hostages, the group’s biggest bargaining chip, is worth securing a long-term truce but not necessarily a permanent end to the war.

The plan offered by Egyptian mediators aims to stave off Israel’s Rafah offensive, which the U.S. says would have devastating consequences for over a million displaced Palestinians crowded against the border with Egypt. The Egyptians have also warned Israel against the operation, fearing a flood of Palestinian refugees driven into its territory.

DE-ESCALATE IN PHASES

The initial stage of the deal would last for 40 days. Hamas would start by releasing female civilian hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

After this first batch, Israeli troops would withdraw from a coastal road in Gaza and head inland to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid. This would also allow displaced civilians to return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip. Hamas would provide a list of hostages who are still alive during that time. Israel estimates that Hamas is holding about 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others either killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war or who have died in captivity.

Within the third week, both sides would start indirect negotiations that aim to restore permanent calm. Three weeks into the first phase, Israeli troops would withdraw from central Gaza.

NEXT STEPS TOWARD PEACE

The second six-week phase would seek to finalize arrangements for a permanent calm, the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, both civilians and soldiers, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners. The soldier hostages would not be released before the start of the calm.

The third and final stage would include the release of the remains of deceased hostages still in Gaza, more prisoners held by Israel, and the start of a five-year reconstruction plan. The plan says that Hamas would agree not to rebuild its military arsenal.

STICKING POINTS

Both sides want to end the war on their own terms.

Hamas leaders have for months refused anything short of a full Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip and a permanent end to the fighting. Hamas negotiators will be seeking clarification on these issues when they return to Cairo.

Israel wants to see all remaining hostages home safe, with Hamas and other militant groups crushed on the battlefield and expelled from power in Gaza — unable to launch another attack like the one on Oct. 7 that sparked the war.

Israel says the Rafah invasion is critical for these goals. Netanyahu says Israel will invade the town with or without a hostage deal.

Netanyahu also faces heavy domestic pressure. Thousands of people have joined weekly demonstrations calling on him to reach a hostage deal immediately. At the same time, hard-liners in his Cabinet have threatened to bring down the government if he ends the war.

The Biden administration, which provides Israel crucial military and diplomatic support, says it opposes a Rafah invasion unless Israel provides a “credible” plan for protecting civilians there.

POST-WAR UNCERTAINTY

It is not clear whether the cease-fire proposal addresses key questions about what happens in Gaza once the current round of fighting ends.

The United States has called for a plan that includes a return of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in 2007 and now administers parts of the occupied West Bank.

The Biden administration seeks eventual Palestinian governance in Gazaand the West Bank as a precursor to Palestinian statehood. Netanyahu and his right-wing government reject a role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and say they will never allow a Palestinian state.

Israel wants open-ended freedom of action for its military in Gaza, while the Biden administration says it won’t accept a return of Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip.

It also remains unclear who will run Gaza during the five-year reconstruction phase, what will happen to Hamas during that time and who will pay for the daunting job of rebuilding.

The stakes were underscored in a new U.N. report Thursday that estimated damage caused by the war in Gaza at over $18.5 billion. It said it would take until 2040 to rebuild all of the homes destroyed in nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment and ground offensives. Gaza was already grappling with a 45% unemployment rate before the war, according to the U.N. Development Program.

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Britain's Cameron, in Kyiv, promises Ukraine aid for 'as long as it takes'

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron promised three billion pounds ($3.74 billion) of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes" on Thursday, adding that London had no objection to the weapons being used inside Russia.

"We will give three billion pounds every year for as long as is necessary. We've just really emptied all we can in terms of giving equipment," he told Reuters in an interview on a visit to in Kyiv, adding that the aid package was the largest from the UK so far.

"Some of that (equipment) is actually arriving in Ukraine today, while I'm here," he said.

Cameron said Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by London to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself," Cameron told Reuters outside St. Michael's Cathedral.

Cameron, who led the UK from 2010 and 2016 as prime minister and only returned to frontline politics several months ago, met Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on his second visit to Kyiv as foreign secretary.

Britain's top diplomat celebrated the release of a long-delayed $60 billion aid package by the U.S. Congress.

"It's absolutely crucial, not just in terms of the weapons it will bring, but also the boost to morale that it will bring to people here in Ukraine."

However, Cameron did not answer directly when asked how he thought the possible re-election of Republican frontrunner Donald Trump to the White House could affect U.S. support for Ukraine.

Trump and hardline Republicans in Congress oppose further aid to Ukraine, with the possible exception of a loan.

"It's not for us to decide who the Americans choose as their president - we will work with whoever that is," Cameron said, adding that the strategy for Ukraine's allies ought to be to ensure Ukraine is on the front foot by the time of the U.S. elections in November.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

French president doesn’t rule out sending troops to Ukraine if Russia breaks front lines

French President Emmanuel Macron does not rule out that sending troops to Ukraine could be considered based on Kiev’s request if Russian forces broke through the front lines.

"I’m not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out. We have undoubtedly been too hesitant by defining the limits of our action," he said in an interview with The Economist, when asked if he stood by what he had said about possibly sending ground troops to Ukraine. The French leader pointed out that "many countries <...> understood" Paris’s approach and agreed "that this position was a good thing."

"If the Russians were to break through the front lines, if there were a Ukrainian request - which is not the case today - we would legitimately have to ask ourselves this question," Macron noted. "At the NATO summit in the summer of 2022, we all ruled out the delivery of tanks, deep-strike missiles, aircraft. We are now all in the process of doing this, so it would be wrong to rule out the rest," he added.

The French president said on February 26 that some 20 Western countries taking part in a Paris meeting on further assistance for Kiev had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. According to Macron, no consensus was reached on the issue but such a possibility cannot be ruled out in the future.

Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin pointed out on March 19 that France was already training troops to be sent to Ukraine.

Reuters/Tass

Earlier this week, I teased on my social handle about my encounter with a deity. Of course, not in the sense that one might meet a deity in the groove of a village forest.

Yet, those who have met this man – who know him – might agree that Sam Amuka, fondly called Uncle Sam, is a deity of sorts. The trail that forged the seasons of his career goes back many decades to his years at Daily Times which at its prime, was Africa’s leading journalism shrine.

On Sunday I went to see Uncle Sam, to talk about my new book, Writing for Media and Monetising It. I had dispatched a copy to him in advance, but the ritual would be incomplete without a libation.

So, I took along an extra copy and went to his Anthony Lagos residence, where he has lived like a regular Joe for many decades. As I waited for him upstairs on the balcony of his house, I glanced back and forth between the Sunday newspapers strewn on a cane table, and a silver tray with a big flask, teacups, a box of Lipton and assorted teas, a bottle of honey, skimmed milk and over a dozen of packets of Kemps cracker biscuits. 

It wasn’t long before Uncle Sam emerged from the corridor, his imminent presence announced by the barking of a puddle that first accosted me when I climbed the stairs. The puddle was not here when I visited a few years ago.

“Superstar!” Uncle Sam teased, as he came out.

I replied, smiling, that 88 was good on him. He corrected me: “I’m 89!” He then tore a packet of Kemps crackers and sat on the bed-shaped cane chair to my right, waiving the young man who had followed behind to make him some tea. 

The young man took out two Lipton tea bags, and after pouring hot water from the flask went on to add not one or two, but I think three teaspoons of honey. Then, he grabbed the tin of skimmed milk. I looked at Uncle Sam, thinking the young man was mistaken and expecting he would ask him to stop. He didn’t. Instead, he looked approvingly, even expectantly, munching his Kemps.

At 59, in my obsession to live a long, healthy life, only God knows how many things I have given up. I can’t remember the last time I used any sweetener, gluten-free or not, for my tea or pap, much less milk. I was puzzled to see an 89-year-old man having his tea not just with plenty of honey but also topping the brew with spoonsful of milk. 

Uncle Sam smiled as he took the steaming teacup from the young man, stirred it gently, and took a sip. As if to create the perfect ambience for his refreshment, he turned on music stored in a flash drive that was plugged into a player.

“You don’t know I’m called Daddy DJ?” he joked in response to my puzzled look.

Sam Amuka, I know. Uncle Sam, I know. Who doesn’t? He is the Jimmy Breslin of Nigeria’s journalism. Writing about Breslin, who died seven years ago at 88, Tom Wolfe described him as, “The greatest columnist of my era.” And that, from Wolfe, a master of the craft in his own right, says a lot. 

In a tribute to Breslin, The Guardian wrote that he was the champion of the trials and troubles of the ordinary people in New York. “He filled his columns with gangsters and thieves, whom he knew first-hand from drinking in the same bars. He told stories that smacked of blarney behind their anger.”

And Breslin himself once said, “Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing for newspapers.” That was Sad Sam, the tempered version of which we now know as “Uncle Sam.”

But “Daddy DJ?” I was meeting him in that incarnation for the first time this Sunday morning. Yet, it made no difference. I could see a common thread of empathy and humanity binding the three persons in one man. I was happy and comfortable to share the story of my new book, in-between sips of my own tea – sugarless, milk-less – and yes, also in-between mouthfuls of Kemps cracker biscuits which I had not tasted for a very long time.

I did not start out to write a self-help book. As my career as a journalist crossed the 35-year mark and I inch closer to the sixth floor of life, it became increasingly difficult to ignore suggestions to share my experience in a more permanent form. I’ve been writing for the media since I was 22 and even managed to write a book on Nigeria’s anti-corruption war in 2008. But the urge to share more has increased. 

In yielding, I wondered what I could do differently. In recent times, I have been invited by universities and professional groups to speak on the challenges facing journalists and young writers, especially in light of the extraordinary explosion in the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, at school and at home. 

Decades after TIME magazine famously predicted that journalism could be on its death throes and it turned out that the death was exaggerated, the technology appears to have sparked the second panic wave. 

So what? I thought perhaps it might be useful to combine my speaking experiences with decades of writing a weekly column now enriched in both audio and visual formats to serve the needs of a younger generation of content providers, especially students and those in the earlier stages of their writing career, trying to find their way. And not just trying to find their way – but also, trying to earn some extra money or attract value, while doing so.

The book title clearly suggests a media bias – media here meaning traditional and social media. That is deliberate as audiences in these areas are my primary focus. Whether you are still in school, just starting out on a writing career path or are, in fact, in the middle levels of your career, you would find this book useful. 

It draws not only on my personal experience – struggles and triumphs – I also interviewed professionals across age brackets who generously shared their experiences with me.

For me, writing this was like walking back through the years of my career, beginning from when there was even no career but just the dream to become a writer someday, to my schools when I was formally introduced to the craft, through many changes along the way, a good number of which I didn’t even see coming. 

You don’t have to wear my shoes or tread my path. But this book is a good guide for common obstacles many literary content providers face in the new world as they try to find their own way.  

I set out to do an online course largely on journalistic writing for value, not to write a book, but ended up with a resource that will benefit a much larger variety of audiences than I had envisaged. 

Uncle Sam listened patiently. When I finished, he asked one question, with a worried look: “How will you get this book out, and get people to read it?”

No easy answer. Research increasingly suggests declining interest in reading, especially among younger populations. I replied that I did what I could to make the book simple, anecdotal and relatable. 

“I’m hoping,” I told Uncle Sam, “that young people would see something of themselves in my stories and the stories of others across a generational spectrum and from it, chart their own course.” 

He didn’t seem fully persuaded, but he was in earnest for me – for us – to find a way. 

How can one claim to be a journalist, for example, without reading Peter Enahoro’s You’ve Gotta Cry to Laugh, Babatunde Jose’s Walking a Tightrope or Alade Odunewu’s Allah De? Or even the more recent 

Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics by Olusegun Osoba, to mention a few?

What is in a book is the thing that might just change your life; but you’ll have to read it to find it. On that, deities whether in journalism, carpentry, medicine or the good old craft of fortune-telling, might agree.

** Ishiekwene is Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP