Metro
Chrono-Strategy: How to Spot Your Moment and Make It Count
By Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
…Mastering Kairos for Global Transformation
“Don’t just chase the clock. Learn to read the seasons. Mastery isn’t controlling time; it’s recognizing your moment within it.” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD.
Introduction: The Hidden Skill of Perfect Timing
As we turn the page into a new year, most of us are focused on time management—juggling calendars and chasing deadlines. That’s chronos: the measurable, ticking clock.
But there’s another kind of time that truly changes things. The ancient Greeks called it kairos—the opportune moment. It’s not about how fast you go, but about recognizing the exact right time to act. It’s that instant when preparation meets an open door.
History gives us a fascinating example: the ancient tribe known as the sons of Issachar. In sacred texts, they’re singled out for one remarkable skill: they “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” They weren’t just observers; they were interpreters. They could read the political, social, and military climate and translate that understanding into decisive, timely action. They mastered kairos.
Today, that skill is more valuable than ever. Let’s explore how you, your team, and your leaders can move beyond managing minutes to mastering moments.
The Core Idea: Read the Seasons, Then Act
The lesson from Issachar is simple but profound: insight without action is just trivia. True advantage comes from connecting the dots between what’s happening and what to do about it.
· Chronos is your schedule. It asks, “Did you get it done?”
· Kairos is your timing. It asks, “Did you do the right thing at the perfect time?”
· The Issachar Mindset bridges the two. It’s the practice of discerning the season—is this a time to plant seeds quietly, or to harvest aggressively?—and having the courage to act accordingly.
The New Year is itself a shared kairos moment. It’s a cultural pause button that gives us all permission to stop, assess, and choose our direction with intention.
For You: Becoming a Modern-Day Issachar in Your Own Life
How do you develop an eye for your own pivotal moments? It starts with shifting your focus.
1. Audit Your Personal Seasons. Four times a year, take an honest look at your energy, opportunities, and challenges. Are you in a personal “winter” (a better time for planning, learning, and rest) or a “summer” (ripe for launching projects and pushing hard)? Stop fighting your season. Work with it.
2. Become a Curator of Clues. The sons of Issachar read the landscape. You can, too. Diversify your information diet. Follow smart people outside your field. Don’t just collect data; look for the one or two trends where your unique skills could suddenly become incredibly valuable. That’s where your kairos awaits.
3. Build in a “Discernment Pause.” When a big “opportunity” lands, don’t jump from reflex. Pause. Ask yourself: “Is this truly urgent, or is it actually important? Is this just a demand on my time (chronos), or is it a legitimate, one-time window (kairos) that could change my trajectory?” Issachar’s skill was knowing the difference.
4. Set “Kairos Intentions,” Not Just Goals. Frame your year around timing. Instead of “network more,” try: “In Q1, I will identify and connect with three key people in the emerging X field, before the space becomes overcrowded.” You’re not just stating a goal; you’re strategically placing it in its most effective season.
For Your Organization: Building a Culture That Sees Around Corners
The most resilient companies aren’t just fast; they’re timely. They create an environment where people can sense a shift and respond intelligently.
1. Make Foresight a Real Function. Move beyond just quarterly reports. Dedicate time (a meeting, a task force) to asking: “What are the weak signals in our world? What might they mean for us in 18 months?” The goal isn’t prediction; it’s preparation. Like Issachar’s tribe, you’re interpreting the signs.
2. Resource for Agility, Not Just Efficiency. Rigid annual budgets often miss fleeting opportunities. Create a small, flexible “opportunity fund” that empowered teams can access when they credibly say, “We see a window, and here’s our plan to seize it.”
3. Reward Discernment, Not Just Hustle. Promote and celebrate leaders who show good judgment about when to act. Sometimes, the smartest move is to wait, prepare, and strike when the moment is ripe. Analyze missed signals as learning opportunities, not failures.
4. Align with the Cultural Moment. Understand the broader season your customers are in. Launching a product that solves a newly felt pain point, or taking a genuine stand on a societal issue at the right time, shows you’re not just selling—you’re understanding.
For Leaders and Nations: Governing with a Sense of Moment
The highest stakes for understanding times and seasons lie in leadership and policy.
1. Create “Adaptive” Policies. Build frameworks that can evolve. Instead of a static law, design policies with built-in review triggers (e.g., “If renewable adoption hits X%, incentive Y adjusts”). This is governing for the kairos of technological or social tipping points.
2. Recognize Diplomatic Windows. Geopolitical opportunities are often brief—after an election, during a shared crisis. Maintaining agile, prepared diplomacy allows a nation to engage productively when the moment is right, not just when it’s convenient.
3. Invest in Foresight. Support non-partisan offices or commissions tasked with looking ahead. Their job is to ask, “What’s coming?” so the nation isn’t blindsided but can lead in the kairos moments of the future, from AI to public health.
4. Articulate the “Why Now.” Great leaders frame a compelling sense of moment. A call like “This is the decade we rebuild our infrastructure” or “This generation will close the skills gap” does more than set a goal—it creates a shared understanding of the season and mobilizes action.
A Call for the New Year: Understand, Then Do.
The legacy of the sons of Issachar isn’t a secret intelligence. It’s a method: Observe. Interpret. Act.
As we enter this New Year, let’s all commit to that practice.
· For individuals, it means looking up from your to-do list to ask if you’re doing the right things.
· For organizations, it means valuing discernment as highly as execution.
· For societies/Nations, it means having the wisdom to prepare for tomorrow while acting decisively today.
And let’s anchor our timing in ethics. Seizing the moment should make things better—for our teams, our communities, and our world. The goal isn’t just to be successful; it’s to be significant.
In the end, mastery isn’t about controlling time. It’s about recognizing your moment within it—and having the clarity and courage to step through. Here’s to a year of perfect timing.
Remember the timeless skill: to understand the times and know what to do. It’s the bridge between insight and impact.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke is a globally recognized scholar-practitioner and thought leader at the nexus of security, governance, and strategic leadership. His work addresses complex institutional challenges, with a specialized focus on West African security dynamics, conflict resolution, and sustainable development.
He holds a PhD in History and International Studies and is credentialed as both a Distinguished Fellow Certified Management Consultant and a Fellow Certified Human Resource Management Professional. This dual expertise in academic rigor and high-level practice enables him to diagnose systemic failures and architect actionable, reform-oriented solutions for institutions and nations.
Metro
Ubuntu As Africa’s Moral Compass: Healing Xenophobia, Restoring Dignity and Rebuilding Continental Unity
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
The recent surge in xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa has once again exposed painful fractures in the ideal of African brotherhood. These incidents — marked by violence, looting, destruction of businesses, and loss of innocent lives — represent not only a humanitarian crisis but a profound moral failure that contradicts the very essence of what it means to be African. In the face of such division, the ancient African philosophy of Ubuntu offers a powerful, practical, and deeply human framework for healing, reconciliation, and sustainable unity.
Ubuntu, often translated as “I am because we are,” is more than a cultural expression. It is a complete worldview that affirms the interconnectedness of all people. It teaches that a person’s humanity is realised through their relationships with others, and that harming another ultimately diminishes oneself. In the context of xenophobia targeting Nigerians and other Africans, Ubuntu directly challenges the “us versus them” mentality and calls for a return to shared identity, dignity, and mutual responsibility.
Core Principles of Ubuntu in Relation to Xenophobia
- Interconnectedness: No African exists in isolation. The suffering of Nigerians in South Africa affects the dignity of all Africans. Ubuntu reminds us that an attack on one community is an attack on the collective African family.
- Human Dignity: Every individual, regardless of nationality, deserves respect and protection. Xenophobia violates this fundamental principle by dehumanising fellow Africans.
- Communal Responsibility: Success and security are collective. South Africans and other African nationals share common struggles — unemployment, inequality, and poverty. Ubuntu urges joint solutions rather than scapegoating.
- Reconciliation and Restoration: Harm must be acknowledged, justice served, and relationships restored. Healing requires both accountability for perpetrators and systemic reforms that address root causes.
- Harmony and Shared Destiny: True progress emerges when communities live in balance, recognising that Africa’s strength lies in unity, not fragmentation.
How ECOWAS, AU, SADC and Other Bodies Can Intervene
Regional and continental institutions have a critical role to play in providing structured, legitimate, and sustainable responses to xenophobia.
ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) As the primary regional body for West Africa, ECOWAS should:
- Establish a standing Joint Task Force on Migration and Social Cohesion with South Africa to facilitate dialogue and monitor tensions.
- Develop and enforce a Regional Migration Management Protocol that protects the rights of legal migrants while addressing irregular migration.
- Support skills-transfer and joint investment projects between member states and South Africa to reduce “push” factors of migration and demonstrate mutual economic benefit.
African Union (AU) The AU should elevate xenophobia as a continental concern by:
- Convening emergency sessions of the Peace and Security Council to treat xenophobia as a threat to African unity.
- Developing an African Citizenship and Mobility Charter that promotes legal, rights-based migration and integration.
- Strengthening the Continental Early Warning System to detect rising xenophobic sentiments and enable timely diplomatic intervention.
- Facilitating high-level mediation missions and reparative dialogue between affected countries.
SADC (Southern African Development Community) As the immediate regional bloc:
- Lead internal dialogue and mediation within Southern Africa to address cross-border tensions.
- Promote harmonised border management and labour mobility policies.
- Invest in joint infrastructure and human development projects that visibly demonstrate the benefits of regional solidarity.
Other Relevant Bodies
- The United Nations (through UNHCR and IOM) can provide technical support for humane migration management and protection of victims.
- The African Development Bank can fund large-scale regional projects that create shared prosperity and reduce migration pressure.
- Civil society, faith-based organisations, and the African diaspora should lead grassroots reconciliation and awareness campaigns.
Practical Solutions Aligned with Ubuntu
To transform Ubuntu from philosophy into action, the following multi-sectoral solutions are recommended:
Education Sector
- Integrate Pan-African history, shared heritage, and migration studies into school curricula across South Africa and the continent.
- Establish joint South African–Nigerian cultural and academic exchange programmes to build personal connections from a young age.
Economic Sector
- Develop joint business cooperatives and value-chain projects in agriculture, trade, and small enterprises involving both South Africans and migrants.
- Create government-backed township entrepreneurship funds that prioritise inclusive models benefiting legal foreign nationals and locals alike.
Governance and Leadership
- Publicly and consistently condemn xenophobia while addressing legitimate local grievances through transparent dialogue.
- Create national integration councils with representatives from South African communities and African diaspora groups.
Media and Public Communication
- Highlight positive stories of African cooperation, migrant contributions, and shared success.
- Partner with civil society for Ubuntu-inspired awareness campaigns promoting “One Africa, One Destiny.”
Youth and Community Engagement
- Organise cross-border youth leadership and entrepreneurship summits.
- Support community sports, arts, and cultural festivals that bring South Africans and other Africans together in celebration.
Global Relevance and International Standards
The fight against xenophobia in South Africa aligns with international human rights standards, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (particularly Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Solutions must therefore meet global benchmarks of human rights protection, rule of law, and inclusive development while remaining rooted in African agency and ownership.
A Balanced Conclusion: Ubuntu as Africa’s Moral Compass
Xenophobia is a betrayal of African humanity. It weakens the continent’s global standing and delays the realisation of a united, prosperous Africa. However, through the deliberate and consistent application of Ubuntu — in education, economy, governance, media, and community life — South Africa and the broader continent can heal these wounds and build something stronger.
Ubuntu does not deny legitimate grievances. It simply insists that solutions must honour the dignity of every African. When leaders model it, institutions embed it, and citizens live it, xenophobia will lose its appeal. Africa’s greatest contribution to the world may not be its resources, but this timeless philosophy that reminds us: our humanity is bound together.
The path to lasting peace does not require perfection — it requires commitment. With courage, honesty, and collective will, South Africa and Africa can move beyond xenophobia toward genuine solidarity. The world is watching, and history is waiting. The time to choose Ubuntu is now.
Dr. Tolulope A. Adegoke, AMBP-UN is a globally recognized scholar-practitioner and thought leader at the nexus of security, governance, and strategic leadership. His mission is dedicated to advancing ethical governance, strategic human capital development, resilient nation building, and global peace. He can be reached via: tolulopeadegoke01@gmail.com, globalstageimpacts@gmail.com
The Academic Board of Kogi State Polytechnic has approved the first semester results for the 2025/2026 academic session and withdrawn 229 students over poor academic performance.
The decision was taken at the Board’s meeting held on May 12, 2026, in Lokoja and chaired by the Rector, Professor Salihu Sanusi Avidime, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the acting Coordinator of Public Relations and Protocols, John Amos Onimisi.
The meeting had in attendance principal officers, deans, heads of departments and other members of the Academic Board, who deliberated on key academic issues affecting the institution.
Onimisi said the results were approved following a rigorous verification exercise conducted by the Academic Board Central Results Verification Committee.
He explained that the committee thoroughly reviewed and authenticated submissions from various departments to ensure accuracy, fairness and compliance with the polytechnic’s academic regulations.
“The committee’s report subsequently served as a critical guide in the Academic Board’s deliberations and final decisions on the results,” he stated.
The Rector was said to have commended members of the committee for their diligence, professionalism and commitment to maintaining academic standards in the institution.
The Board said the withdrawal of the 229 students is aimed at upholding academic excellence and preserving the integrity of certificates issued by the polytechnic.
It added that the decision is in line with existing academic regulations, and intended to promote discipline and encourage better academic performance among students.
Comedian and actor, Ayo Makun aka AY, has recounted the final moments of actor Alex Ekubo before his death on May 11, 2026.
Ekubo reportedly died from complications following liver failure, having been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer in 2024.
AY, who was reportedly present at the hospital, said Ekubo was smiling at the time of his death.
He described the loss as difficult to accept and reflected on their shared experiences in the film industry over the years.
The comedian stated that he witnessed the grief of family and friends at the hospital, expressing shock at the actor’s passing.
AY added that Ekubo would be remembered for his contributions beyond film and public recognition.
“Some losses do not feel real no matter how many times you try to process them. Still struggling with the reality that you are gone, Alex.
“From the laughter to the conversations, the random moments, the brotherhood, and all the memories we shared in this industry. This one hurts deeply.
“I was there. I saw you still smiling even in death. I saw the tears from friends and family. And honestly, a part of me is still in shock. Rest well my brother. You will be remembered beyond the lights, the cameras, and the fame,” AY wrote.
