Mencius said, "When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on any man, it will exercise his mind with suffering, so as to stimulate his mind, harden his nature, and improve wherever he is incompetent." (Mn. 6B.15)
Lazarus Edward Ekwueme, popularly known as Laz Ekwueme, is recognised as Nigeria's first-ever Professor of Music.
The 90-year-old composer and actor is also the Igwe of Oko town in Anambra.
“NO BROMATE!”
Have you ever stopped to wonder why those words are boldly written on most bread nylons in Nigeria?
Today, let’s talk about it.
Potassium bromate (KBrO₃) was once a common ingredient in bread-making. Bakers used it because it helped dough rise faster, made bread softer, and gave loaves that attractive, fluffy look.
But there was a serious problem, a dangerous one.
When bread isn’t baked at the right temperature or for long enough, bromate may not fully break down. That means traces of it remain in the bread we eat.
Over time, it can accumulate in the body. Scientific studies revealed that bromate is carcinogenic, it can cause cancer and also damage the kidneys.
For years, Nigerians unknowingly consumed bread containing this harmful substance. It was widespread because it was cheap and effective.
Then, everything changed. A woman decided it was time to put a stop to it.
Her name was Professor Dora Nkem Akunyili, who served as Director-General of NAFDAC from 2001 to 2008.
When she assumed office, Nigeria’s food and drug system was in chaos — fake products, unsafe additives, and weak regulation dominated the market. But Dora Akunyili was not one to ignore such dangers.
She launched investigations, sending officials to bakeries across the country to secretly collect bread samples. The findings were alarming.
A large portion of bread in circulation contained unsafe levels of bromate. That was all she needed to act.
In 2002, under her leadership, NAFDAC officially banned the use of potassium bromate in bread production across Nigeria.
But she didn’t stop at policy. She took the fight to the public — speaking on air, addressing the press, and openly naming offenders. She warned Nigerians that the very bread many families relied on daily could be harming their health.
The resistance was fierce. Many bakers pushed back. But she stood her ground.
NAFDAC carried out raids, shut down non-compliant bakeries, and educated the public. Gradually, things began to change.
Bakers adopted safer alternatives like ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and the label “NO BROMATE” became a symbol of safety and accountability. Today, many people don’t realize the impact of that decision.
Dora Akunyili was more than a regulator, she was a defender of public health. Her courage and integrity forced an entire industry to choose human life over profit.
So, the next time you pick up a loaf of bread and see “NO BROMATE” on the nylon, take a moment to remember the woman behind it.
Her name is Dora Akunyili.
She didn’t just enforce a policy.
She saved a generation.
On this Valentine’s Day, it is well to remember, there is no greater labor on earth than love, the endless apprenticeship to it. There is no other work worth doing but this, to love, to fail at loving, and to dare, still, to love again.
To the Nigerian woman, romantic gestures mean nothing if it doesn't come with a clear and basic cost
That's why the lovely gesture of giving flowers was replaced with cash bouquets because they can't comprehend the value of actual roses
One hill I’ll die on: I’m just as valid as my ancestors.
Culture didn’t arrive complete, it was built, edited, and influenced over time.
So I’m not abandoning tradition but becoming part of it.
I’m an ancestor creating what tradition could comes next.
@Nithya_Shrii High attraction can create an invisible wall because people assume you are already taken or too busy for them. This creates a strange paradox where the most striking people often feel the most lonely.
You have angels assigned to you. They aren’t winged babies playing harps, they’re ancient, terrifying, tactical and ferocious. They are not nice at all, they are gangster.
Some of us take for granted that some of our friends are actually “legends” in the making.
I see some of my friends do that most insanely impressive things, and I’m like “damn, I’m so proud to know this man”