English Expressions You've Been Misusing All Your Life (Part 3)
1.▫️RAMIFICATIONS
It doesn't mean all aspects or in all ways.
It rather means the consequences or effects of an action or decision.
“May God bless you in all ramifications.”❌
“The decision could have serious ramifications for the entire company.”✅
“If Arsenal beat Chelsea today, the result could have serious ramifications for Chelsea fans’ confidence.”✅
2.▫️OPPORTUNED
It isn't a standard English word.
Don't say, “I was opportuned to meet him.”❌
Say “I had the opportunity to meet him” or “I was privileged to meet him.”✅
3.▫️TRAFFICATOR
It isn't the standard English word for that thing in your car that indicates that you're turning.❌
Say INDICATOR or TURN SIGNAL instead.✅
4.▫️CHANCED
It doesn't mean to have an opportunity.
Don't say, “I wasn't chanced to attend.”❌
Say “I didn't have the chance to attend.”✅
5.▫️NIGHT VIGIL
A vigil is already a period of staying awake, especially at night, for a religious or other purpose.
So “night vigil” is redundant.❌
Simply say “vigil.”✅
6.▫️WAKE-KEEPING
It isn't the standard English expression for a gathering held before someone's burial.
Simply say WAKE.✅
7.▫️UPLIFTMENT
It is nonstandard.
Use UPLIFT instead.
“The upliftment of the community.”❌
“The uplift of the community.”✅
“Divine uplift.”✅
8.▫️MEDIOCRE
It doesn't mean an average person.
Mediocre is an adjective describing something of average or poor quality.
So don't say, “He is a mediocre.”❌
Say “He is mediocre” or “He is a mediocre person.”✅
I hope you learnt something.
Stay informed
And
Stay sharp! 🪒
You've been misusing these English words all your life.
1. BOGUS
It doesn't mean big. ❌
It means fake or fraudulent. ✅
2. LOUSY
It doesn't mean noisy. ❌
It means terrible or low-quality. ✅
3. TOUT
What you want to say is LOUT (a rude or violent person). ✅
4. PRACTICALIZE
There's no such standard English word. ❌
Say “practise” or “put into practice.” ✅
5. INFAMOUS
It doesn't mean not famous. ❌
It means famous for something bad. ✅
6. DISINTERESTED
It doesn't mean uninterested. ❌
It means impartial or unbiased. ✅
7. IRREGARDLESS
That's nonstandard. ❌
What you intend to say is REGARDLESS. ✅
I hope you learnt something.
Stay informed.
And
Stay sharp! 🪒
A woman has just given birth.
Everybody is happy. Then suddenly, she starts bleeding.
This is postpartum haemorrhage, and when it happens, no one has time to ask where the drug, tranexamic acid or TXA is.
That drug, Tranexamic acid can help reduce deaths from bleeding when it is given early after PPH starts.
So if a facility is providing emergency obstetric care, TXA should not be something they start looking for when the emergency has started.
It should be there.
As a man, if your wife is preparing to give birth, ask if the facility has TXA available. Same thing if you’re pregnant and preparing for delivery.
Ask questions. Know what is available.
Prepare before the emergency comes.
RT so that expectant mothers and fathers can see this very important message.
Source: Data, provided by @womenadvocate and @LSHTM.
Did you know? The guy portrayed jumping in this picture was actually a real Nigerian. His actions contributed to the events that led to the Biafran War and even though he fought on the side of Biafra, Lt. Col. Ojukwu ordered his killing.
He's Emmanuel Ifeajuna. He was the first Black African to win a gold medal at an international sports event when he won at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
He later joined the army and participated in the first Nigerian coup in 1966. He was the one that personally killed Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, his boss (Brigadier Zakariya Maimalari) and Lt. Col. Abogo Largema.
Because most of the top ranking Northern politicians and military officers were killed in this coup and Aguiyi-Ironsi became the Head of State, Northern officers staged a counter coup that killed Ironsi, six months later. Many Igbo officers were killed too and some Igbo civilians were killed and attacked in the North. This led to Ojukwu asking Igbos to come back to Biafra and the struggle for secession began.
To cut the story short, the war started and of course, Ifeajuna fought on the Biafran side. Sometime during the war, it became obvious that the Nigerian forces were winning. Ifeajuna and others started negotiating a ceasefire with Nigeria through British contact. In his words, he said he was doing this to save thousands of civilian lives and end the war early. Ojukwu got to know about it and Ifeajuna, alongside three others, were arrested. He was summarily tried and sentenced to death by firing squad.
Before he was shot, he reportedly said "You may kill me now, but it is too late. I'm sorry for you all because it won't be long before they get all of you.."
What he said came to pass. Enugu, the Biafran capital, was captured by the Nigerian forces, just two days after he was killed.
If you are interested in growing your NGX portfolio, bookmark this, you will need it
INCOME / DIVIDEND STOCKS
GTCO - High ROE, industry-leading efficiency, consistent dividend history
ZENITHBANK - Massively profitable Tier-1 bank with heavy twice-yearly dividend distributions
PRESCO - Palm oil giant benefiting from local demand and dollar-linked commodity pricing
SEPLAT- Upstream energy leader paying quarterly dividends with USD exposure
DANGCEM - dominant cement player with huge cash generation and payout history
OKOMUOIL - High gross margins, low import costs, strong cash payout conversion
STANBIC - Strong wealth and pension management engine generating sticky fee income
GROWTH STOCKS
Companies scaling capacity, expanding operations, and driving revenue upside
ARADEL - Upstream exploration + expanding modular refining capabilities
WAPCO - Operational modernization and rising infrastructure cement demand
TIP - Niche player capturing growing industrial waste management & ESG demand
Huh - Leading local pharma maker capturing market share as imports get pricier
TRANSCORP - Power sector reforms + dominance in hospitality driving bottom line
MTNN - Data expansion + MoMo Payment Service Bank fintech scaling
UCAP - Fast-growing asset manager expanding into consumer lending & regional deals
MECURE - Diagnostic services & localized healthcare manufacturing
FIRSTHOLDCO - Balance sheet turnaround + massive agency banking network.
ETI - Pan-African banking footprint giving natural geographic hedge.
Which of these are you holding from 2026 into 2029?
If you are a young investor trying to build a portfolio today,learn to copy these 5 rules from Tony Elumelu's style of investment
✅️ Own the "Turnaround," Don't Buy the Peak
Tony Elumelu's entire foundation is buying things that look broken or undervalued and staying there until they work. Look at Transcorp. Years ago, people laughed at it as a penny stock but by early 2026, it is paying out major multi-Naira dividends per share.
Learn to stop buying stocks when they are at an all-time high and everyone on Twitter is hyping them. Look for systemically important companies that are currently cheap or undergoing internal restructuring
✅️ Bet Big on the "Africapitalism" Ecosystem
Look at how Heirs Holdings interconnects everything. His power companies supply energy, his hospitality business (Transcorp Hotels) consumes services, and his financial institutions (UBA, United Capital) process the money.
When picking NGX stocks, look for companies that aren't isolated. Back businesses that have a massive footprint across multiple integrated sectors of the Nigerian economy
✅️ Democratize Your Earnings (Build Your Network)
The Tony Elumelu Foundation is currently deploying millions of dollars across Africa because TOE openly admits that "poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere". As an investor, don't keep your knowledge hidden. Share data, build investment clubs with your friends, and pool capital together. You cannot build a massive portfolio in a broken, uninformed community
✅️ Value "Skin in the Game" Above Everything Else
You will rarely see TOE backing a business where he is just a passive passenger. He buys enough stake to have structural control and influence execution.
avoid companies where the directors own almost zero shares of their own stock. If the board of directors doesn't have their own personal money tied to the company's survival, your retail capital is at risk.