Metro
Food for Living: Skills for Life
By Henry Ukazu
Greetings my friends,
We are currently living in the 21st century, regarded as the jet age. Progressive minds have admonished us not to compete with other people, rather we should compete with ourselves by distinguishing ourselves. The question we need to ask now is; how do we compete with ourselves? We distinguish ourselves by having the right skills. Just like information, education and our network sets us apart, in the same way, our skills sets us apart from our contemporaries.
Last week, I wrote on The Effect of Digital Age of Innovation and how it has influenced a lot young minds to believe that skills are of more relative importance than formal education in our contemporary society. This article seeks to shed more light on how we can maximize our skills.
This article is for progressive minds.
One of the qualities of a leader is the ability to bring out progressive change to the life of the people and the society in general. According to Quincy Adams. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”. One of the ways a leader can do this, is by being skillful. During the course of this article we shall shed more light on how we can apply skills to profit our business.
Skill can be defined as an ability and capacity acquired through deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to smoothly and adaptively carryout complex activities or job functions involving ideas (cognitive skills), things (technical skills), and/or people (interpersonal skills).
There are different types of skills, but we shall focus on hard and soft skills:
Hard skills are skills we learn in classrooms such as Accounting, Law, Medicine, among others. They are measurable unlike soft skills which one learns while at work and through interpersonal relations like leadership, empathy, time management and communication. We shall be focusing more on soft skills.
Communication Skills:
Non Verbal: This skill doesn’t involve speaking. It’s mainly applied via body language. Your ability to read in between the lines is very helpful.
Listening: This is the master skill of all soft skills because it is the foundation of all informal skills. I call it the mother of all learnable and acquired skills. You can only learn in life if you pay attention. You need this skill in order for you to learn and apply all skills.
Clarity and concision: In communication, you need be as concise and clear as possible. Never have you allowed anyone to assume what you are trying to say.
Verbal Communication: Sometimes it is good to speak and write depending on what is needed. Either way, you need to be coherent for people to understand your message, otherwise there will be no communication.
Organizational Skills: This skill is applied in both cooperate and personal life.
Time Management: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. This skill is in high demand by employers because they need employees to achieve more within the shortest period of time. Your ability to use this skill will set you apart from your contemporaries.
Decision Making: As a leader, you should be able to use your intuitive knowledge to make prompt decision when the needs calls for it. This is an uncommon skill which very few people have.
Delegation: A true leader knows how to delegate duties/authority as the case may be in order to complete a specific task and thereafter give accolades to such staff or team. This skill helps to reduce pressure on the leader.
Planning: In any progressive organization, they have a blue print for whatever they plan to do. They forecast the needs of the clients and the world and work towards meeting their needs.
Leadership Skills:
This is the mother of all skills. I call it the hallmark of all skills. As a leader, you have the responsibility of leading your peers and followers. This task can be hard, but it takes humility, love, and understanding to relate with people.
Feedback: You are required to provide feedback to your leader or peers when you are working on a project. This helps to foster team work. Feedback helps in keeping employees or target people in loop of the actual situation of things so that everyone will be properly guided on the most updated information.
Responsibility: This is the second most important skill any rational and progressive being can have. The world is truly governed by perception. Nobody relates or does business with an irresponsible being. If you are serious about making an impact in life or in business, you need be responsible. For some of us, our name is the only thing we have. This is because your reputation is what people think about you, but your character is reality who you are.
Flexibility: Every rational person must be flexible. As a leader, you must be able to understand the direction the world is moving towards to. You should also learn how to bend as opposed to breaking to fit into the needs of the company or organization especially if you don’t agree with their thoughts. For example, if you are having a Board meeting, most decisions are done by the Board of Directors. Be advised, you have to know when to take a stand from your colleagues and when you have to work with them. You need wisdom in order to decipher when to swing the pendulum.
Commitment: Anywhere you find yourself, always know that your word is your bond. I recently told myself; I will commit to what I can do and supposed to do as opposed to what the society wants me to do. This skill is hard to maintain because as human beings, we may experience many disappointments. The moral about commitments is that, it goes a long way to show how responsible and proactive you are.
Computer Skills:
This is one of the resourceful skill that is in high demand in the world today. Information and Communication technology has truly shaped the world. There’s hardly any company that will employ any individual who doesn’t have basic computer skills such as Word processing, excel, power point, publishing, and outlook. You need to be computer savvy in order to do a good presentation, be a computer analyst, and a good system administrator.
Social Skills:
This is another skill that is in high demand. There’s a saying; knowledge is of two kinds, its either you know the answer or you know where to find it. The same notion is applicable when working with people. According to Robin Sharma, “the business of business is human relation, but the business of life is human connection”. As a social being, your ability to relate with people is very important. This social skills transcends hard skills because it is the connection to all social skills. With the right social skills in place, you can network with the high and mighty.
Empathy: Empathy literally means showing concern and understanding to the feelings of others. As human beings, we go through situations, but how we react to those situations defines us. Sometimes stressed people are not concerned with the materials things that is given to them, they just want to feel the presence and care of anyone around saying “I hear you and I am with you on this”. This is an uncommon skill to have in real life. Most times, it is applied by selfless people who have a humanitarian heart of service.
Team Work: Empathy is a skill that is need in a work environment. As human beings, we are all wired in different ways and as such we learn in different ways. Some of us learn fast while some needs more time and attention. A great way to assist people when working in a group is by working together to get the work done.
Patience: Patience is one of the most priceless virtue. I call it the virtues of all virtues. We all need patience when we are dealing with human beings because human beings are the most difficult specie to deal with. We are naturally complicated. If you are in relationship, you need to accommodate the excess of your partner, if you are working in a professional environment, you need to tolerate in addition to dealing with some unprofessional work ethics of human beings because they will in one way or the other show what they are made of.
Trustworthiness: Trustworthiness is also similar to being responsible, although, it’s narrowed to a specific trait. It should be noted that nobody does business with anyone they don’t trust. As social beings, our customers are our most treasured asset after our name/product. Trustworthiness, does not only relate doing your fair share of the business, it also relates to how you relate with other people who can say a word about you and your product in addition to giving a review about your product.
Life Skills:
Life skills can be simply be regarded as the skills you need to live in the society. Personally, I think all skills originates from life skills because if you have life skills in your pocket, you can simply bring it out to solve any challenge facing you. I liken life skills to common sense. This is because with common sense, you don’t need hard formal knowledge to solve any problem. All you need is to think and reason. Isn’t it true that common sense isn’t common? Let’s see how common sense works with life skills.
Problem Solving: We face challenges daily at work, in our personal life, community etc. Being able to solve this problem entails caution depending on how sensitive it is. Problem solving is one of the most valuable skill employers’ love due to the friction that normally arises at work. This skill is normally used to diffuse problems in amicable and friendly manner to create a conducive work environment.
Handling Criticisms: How you handle criticism speaks volumes about you. Very few people know how to handle criticisms. Great men who think out of the box appreciates criticisms because it helps them to know what they are missing and how they can improve especially as it relates to their business. According to Uche Okorie, a maritime attorney, “When you are criticized objectively, examine it. If it is untrue ignore it. If it is unfair, rest the temptation to be irritated. If it is ignorant, just smile, If is justified, then it is not criticism, LEARN FROM IT”.
Adaptability: The ability to adapt to life is a life skill especially when you are in a new environment. As advance human beings, we have the ability to adapt to almost any condition or situation we find ourselves in. This skill is mainly used by strong minded people who normally turn out to be champions and great achievers. Adaptability is an emotional skill which only strong willed people maximize in order to produce results.
Resilience: The last but not the least of all skills is resilience. This skill is similar to adaptability, but the only difference is that it pushes harder in the sense that when you are not able to adapt, you are faced with either accepting the status quo or strive to try and try again without giving up. Without resilience, we wouldn’t able to achieve more in life. Nothing good in life comes easy. We succeed just because we are disciplined and push ourselves. Personally, churning out articles of this nature every week is not easy, but I have resolved to do it because I love and learn from it.
In conclusion, I do know there other skills life out there, I just thought is nice to share this skills with you. I hope they have been able to inspire and guide you. I wish you well in your endeavors.
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny- Actualizing Your Birthright to Success. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He can be reached via henrous@gmail.com
By Tolulope A. Adegoke
“True leadership in security is not measured by the strength of weapons or the reach of intelligence, but by the courage to protect the vulnerable, the wisdom to unite the divided, and the integrity to build systems that endure beyond fear — transforming the trials of today into the foundations of a safer, more just tomorrow.” – Tolulope A. Adegoke, PhD
Leadership in security matters is among the most demanding responsibilities any head of state or government can bear. It requires balancing the protection of lives and property with respect for human rights, navigating complex political pressures, managing limited resources, and responding to both visible and invisible threats. In many nations, especially in Africa, the trials of leadership in this domain reveal deep structural, historical, and human challenges. Yet, they also offer profound opportunities for authentic leadership to emerge — leadership that is ethical, strategic, inclusive, and people-centred. This write-up examines these trials through the lenses of Nigeria, broader Africa, and the wider world, before proposing comprehensive, viable, and sustainable solutions that can safeguard lives, properties, businesses, and national stability without compromising democratic values or human dignity.
The Nigerian Experience: Leadership Under Fire
Nigeria presents one of the most complex case studies of leadership trials in security. As Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, it faces multiple, overlapping threats: Boko-Haram insurgency in the Northeast, banditry and kidnapping in the Northwest, farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt, separatist agitations in the Southeast, and urban crime in major cities, which cut across the entirety.
Successive Nigerian leaders have grappled with these challenges under intense public scrutiny. The Buhari administration (2015–2023) prioritised military offensives against Boko-Haram, achieving territorial gains, but struggling with asymmetric warfare, intelligence gaps, and humanitarian consequences. The current Tinubu administration has emphasised a “whole-of-government” approach, combining kinetic operations with socio-economic interventions. However, persistent challenges such as corruption in security procurement, poor coordination between agencies, inadequate funding for intelligence, and the politicisation of security appointments continue to undermine effectiveness.
The trials here are multifaceted: limited political will in some quarters, ethnic and religious dimensions that complicate responses, inadequate technological infrastructure for modern policing, and the sheer scale of the country’s geography and population. Leadership in Nigeria’s security space has often been reactive rather than proactive, with short-term military solutions sometimes overshadowing long-term governance and development strategies.
Broader African Context: Patterns and Variations
Across Africa, leadership trials in security share common threads but manifest differently. In the Sahel region (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger), military coups have complicated counter-terrorism efforts, with new juntas struggling to balance sovereignty concerns with the need for international support. In the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia’s leadership faced the devastating Tigray conflict, highlighting how internal political disputes can rapidly escalate into humanitarian catastrophes.
The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to battle armed groups in the East, where weak state presence, illegal mineral exploitation, and regional interference create a vicious cycle. South Sudan and Somalia illustrate the immense difficulty of building security institutions from near-zero capacity after prolonged conflict.
What unites these cases is the tension between sovereignty and effectiveness, limited state capacity, and the challenge of addressing both immediate security threats and underlying drivers such as poverty, youth unemployment, and governance deficits. Leadership that succeeds tends to combine military resolve with political inclusion and development-focused interventions. Failures often stem from over-reliance on force, exclusionary politics, or inability to coordinate national and regional responses.
Global Perspectives: Universal Lessons
Globally, leadership trials in security are equally evident. The United States has faced challenges in balancing domestic security with civil liberties, particularly in the post-9/11 era. Colombia’s long struggle against FARC and drug cartels showed how sustained leadership, institutional reform, and international partnerships can eventually yield results. Sri Lanka’s post-civil war experience highlights both the possibilities of reconciliation and the dangers of majoritarian policies that alienate minorities.
These global cases reinforce a key lesson: authentic security leadership is never purely military. It requires integrating intelligence, law enforcement, justice, development, and diplomacy. Leaders who ignore any of these elements often achieve temporary calm at the cost of long-term instability.
The Hallmarks of Authentic Leadership in Security
Authentic leadership in security matters is defined by several non-negotiable traits:
- Strategic Foresight: Anticipating threats through robust intelligence and early warning systems.
- Ethical Balance: Protecting citizens without violating their rights.
- Inclusive Approach: Ensuring security policies do not disproportionately target specific ethnic or religious groups.
- Institutional Building: Investing in professional, well-equipped, and accountable security agencies.
- Transparency and Accountability: Regular public reporting and independent oversight.
- Regional and International Cooperation: Recognising that no nation can secure itself in isolation.
Comprehensive Solutions and the Way Forward
To overcome these trials, the following integrated solutions are recommended:
For Nigeria: Building a Cohesive National Security Architecture
- Creation of a National Security and Development Council: This high-level body should bring together security agencies, economic ministries, state governors, traditional rulers, and civil society to align security strategies with socio-economic interventions. Regular town hall meetings should be institutionalised to incorporate grassroots perspectives.
- Community-Oriented Policing and Intelligence Reform: Strengthen community policing by recruiting and training local officers who understand cultural dynamics. Establish neighbourhood watch systems with legal backing and technology support (CCTV, drones, and data analytics) to improve early warning and response.
- Youth Empowerment and Deradicalisation Programmes: Launch a National Youth Security and Prosperity Initiative targeting at-risk youths with vocational training, entrepreneurship grants, mentorship, and psychological support. Partner with faith-based organisations and traditional leaders for culturally sensitive deradicalisation efforts.
- Security Sector Reform and Professionalisation: Increase funding for training, welfare, and modern equipment while introducing performance-based promotions and independent oversight boards to reduce corruption and improve accountability.
- Judicial and Legislative Strengthening: Fast-track security-related cases through specialised courts and ensure adequate funding for the justice system to reduce impunity.
For Africa: Continental and Regional Solutions
- Strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA): The African Union should fully operationalise the African Standby Force with dedicated funding and rapid deployment protocols. Regular joint exercises with Regional Economic Communities (RECs) will improve interoperability.
- Establishment of an African Security Academy: A continental institution to train a new generation of ethical, professional security leaders in modern intelligence, counter-terrorism, cyber security, and human rights-compliant operations.
- Harmonised Migration and Border Management Framework: Develop clear, humane policies that facilitate legal labour mobility while strengthening border controls against criminal networks. Joint border posts and shared intelligence platforms between ECOWAS, SADC, and IGAD would reduce irregular migration pressures.
- Economic Integration as Security Strategy: Accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation with special focus on youth employment, women’s economic empowerment, and cross-border value chains. Shared prosperity reduces the desperation that fuels conflict and migration.
Global and Systemic Solutions
- Responsible International Partnerships: Global partners should shift from short-term military aid to long-term capacity building in governance, justice, and economic development. Support should be conditioned on transparency and human rights compliance.
- Diaspora Engagement Frameworks: African governments should create structured programmes to harness the skills, capital, and networks of the diaspora for national development and peacebuilding.
- Global Norms on Arms Control and Conflict Financing: Strengthen international cooperation to curb the flow of small arms and illegal minerals that fuel African conflicts.
Building a United Africa Mindset: Cultural and Educational Transformation
Sustainable security requires changing how citizens think. A genuine United Africa mindset can be cultivated through:
- Pan-African Education Curriculum: Teach shared African history, Ubuntu philosophy, and success stories of regional cooperation from primary school onwards.
- Youth and Cultural Exchange Programmes: Expand scholarships, sports tournaments, arts festivals, and technology bootcamps that connect young Africans across borders.
- Media and Storytelling Initiatives: Support content creators who highlight positive intra-African collaboration and shared identity.
- Citizen Diplomacy Platforms: Encourage town twinning, joint community development projects, and people-to-people initiatives between different African nations.
Conclusion: Leadership as the Bridge to Enduring Security
The trials of leadership in security matters reveal both the fragility and resilience of states. In Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world, the challenges are immense, but they are not insurmountable. Authentic leadership — courageous, ethical, inclusive, strategic, and people-centred — remains the most reliable bridge between threat and safety, between division and unity, between fragility and resilience.
The way forward demands a fundamental shift: from reactive security to proactive peace-building, from militarised responses to holistic development, and from narrow national interests to enlightened regional solidarity. When leaders embrace this higher calling, they do not merely manage crises — they transform societies.
Africa, and indeed the world, does not need perfect leaders. It needs honest, committed, and visionary ones who understand that the ultimate measure of security leadership is not the number of weapons acquired, but the number of lives protected, dignities restored, and futures secured. The time for such leadership 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 Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation has intensified its campaign against period poverty, calling for collective action to ensure that no girl is denied education, dignity, or opportunity because of menstruation.
The call was made during the commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day held at Isolog College, Akute, Ogun State, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The event, themed, “The Pad Bank Movement: Ending Period Poverty Together” brought together students, teachers, partners, advocates, and community stakeholders to promote menstrual health awareness and support for girls.
Speaking at the event, the Founder of Pad Me A Girl Empowerment Foundation, Theresa Moses, described menstruation as a natural biological process that should never be a source of shame or a barrier to education and personal development.
According to her, period poverty remains a major challenge affecting thousands of girls across Nigeria, forcing many to miss school, withdraw from social activities, and sometimes resort to unsafe alternatives due to a lack of access to sanitary products.
She explained that the Foundation established the Pad Bank Movement as a sustainable solution to ensure girls have access to menstrual products whenever they need them.
“The Pad Bank is more than a storage facility for sanitary pads. It is a symbol of hope, dignity, inclusion, and empowerment. It ensures that no girl has to suffer in silence because of her period,” she said.
Moses disclosed that the Foundation has reached and impacted more than 10,000 girls and women across schools, rural communities, and underserved areas through menstrual health education, advocacy campaigns, sanitary pad distribution, and empowerment programmes.
She called on schools, governments, corporate organizations, parents, and development partners to support menstrual health initiatives and establish Pad Banks in schools to help eliminate period poverty.
Addressing the students, she encouraged girls not to feel ashamed of menstruation, emphasizing that it is a sign of growth and health.
“Your period should never stop you from achieving your dreams. Speak up when you need support, ask questions, and take pride in who you are,” she advised.
A major highlight of the programme was an educational session delivered by Mrs. Amina Omoike, a media expert and life coach on the topic, “Ending Period Poverty Together.”
Omoike described menstruation as a normal biological process experienced by women and girls worldwide and urged participants to reject harmful myths and misconceptions associated with periods.
“Your period is not a sickness. It is not a punishment. It is not something that should stop you from achieving your dreams,” she told the students.
She explained that period poverty goes beyond the inability to afford sanitary pads and includes a lack of access to clean water, proper sanitation facilities, accurate menstrual health information, and social support.
According to her, period poverty can result in school absenteeism, reduced confidence, health risks, anxiety, and social isolation among girls.
“There are girls who stay home for several days every month because they have no menstrual products. Imagine missing classes every month through no fault of your own,” she said.
Omoike urged girls to learn about menstrual health, ask questions without fear, support one another, and share accurate information. She also called on parents, schools, and communities to create supportive environments where menstruation can be discussed openly without stigma.
She concluded with a message of encouragement:
“Never let your period make you feel less valuable, less capable, or less intelligent. Your period does not define you. Your character, your dreams, your talents, and your determination define you.”
The Foundation also recognized the invaluable contributions of its corporate partners and sponsors whose support contributed significantly to the success of the event.
Leading the list was ProStar Sports International, a fast-rising Nigerian sportswear and sports equipment manufacturer founded by Ambassador Paul Maduakor. The company is renowned for producing premium sports products, including the ProStar Evolution Ball, breathable jerseys, custom sports kits, and high-quality sportswear. Beyond manufacturing, ProStar is actively involved in grassroots sports development, sponsoring youth sporting events and local tournaments across Nigeria. The company has also built a reputation for supporting social impact initiatives, including menstrual health awareness campaigns and youth empowerment programmes. As part of its support for the programme, ProStar Sports International provided customized jerseys for team members and volunteers of the foundation.
The Foundation also acknowledged the support of BL Consulting, a Lagos-based financial services and business support firm established by accounting and finance professionals. The company provides both virtual and on-site services to businesses, helping organizations improve efficiency and growth through bookkeeping, financial reporting, tax administration, payroll management, inventory management, and other accounting solutions. BL Consulting’s commitment to business development and community support was commended during the event.
Also recognized was Vitabaites Foods, a growing Nigerian food processing company known for producing crunchy and nutritious Kuli-Kuli products enjoyed by consumers across different communities. The company continues to support initiatives that promote community well-being, youth development, local food production, and entrepreneurship.
The Foundation further appreciated its media partners for consistently amplifying messages around menstrual health, girls’ empowerment, and the fight against period poverty.
According to Theresa Moses, the media remain critical stakeholders in breaking the silence around menstruation and educating communities on the importance of menstrual health and hygiene.
The management of Isolog College, Akute, was equally commended for providing a conducive platform for the programme and for demonstrating commitment to the education, health, and overall well-being of young girls.
According to the Foundation, the support received from these organizations reflects the growing recognition that ending period poverty requires collaboration among schools, businesses, civil society organizations, the media, and community stakeholders.
Beneficiaries described the programme as impactful, educational, and empowering, with many students expressing appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about menstrual health and hygiene.
The Federal government has intensified border screening, disease surveillance and emergency response measures nationwide as part of efforts to prevent the possible importation of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), currently circulating in parts of East and Central Africa.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in a statement on Tuesday by its Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations, Ado Bako, said it has activated enhanced preparedness protocols across the country, including stricter screening procedures at airports, seaports and land borders.
According to the ministry, arriving travelers are now subject to temperature checks using infrared thermal scanners and handheld thermometers, while health declaration forms, travel history assessments and risk-based screening procedures are being reinforced at designated points of entry.
The ministry also disclosed that isolation, secondary screening and referral mechanisms have been strengthened for travelers showing symptoms consistent with viral haemorrhagic fevers.
It added that coordination has been expanded among immigration, aviation, maritime and border management agencies to improve early detection and response.
The heightened measures have become imperative following reports of outbreaks of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus disease in parts of the East and Central African region, raising concerns about the risk of cross-border transmission.
Despite the alert, the ministry reassured Nigerians that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.
As part of surveillance efforts, the ministry said Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) activities have been strengthened nationwide, alongside expanded community-based and event-based surveillance systems.
It said public health alerts and rumours are being actively monitored and investigated, while continuous epidemiological assessments are being conducted in collaboration with regional and international health partners.
To boost emergency response readiness, the ministry said specimen collection and transportation systems for viral haemorrhagic diseases have been enhanced, while laboratory biosafety and biosecurity measures are being reinforced.
Public Health Emergency Operations Centres have also been placed on alert, with Rapid Response Teams at national and sub-national levels ready for deployment if necessary.
Healthcare facilities have been directed to maintain a high index of suspicion for viral haemorrhagic fevers, strengthen triage systems, promptly isolate suspected cases and comply with established reporting procedures.
The Ministry added that healthcare workers, surveillance officers and other frontline personnel are undergoing continuous preparedness training, while infection prevention and control measures are being reinforced in health facilities nationwide.
It urged Nigerians to remain calm, avoid misinformation and rely only on information from recognised public health authorities.
Members of the public were advised to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic persons, refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources, and promptly report unusual illnesses or deaths to the nearest health authority.
The ministry assured it would continue to monitor developments closely and provide updates as necessary.
