Bolaji A.

Foodie, Optimist, Realist, lifer...

[Sherifdeen of Nigeria 🇳🇬 @AbuUbayy1]

Is Lagos State for Everybody or Only a Selected Few?
Around 3:20 a.m. last night, our 7-month-old baby girl started crying with a very high fever. She had been running a temperature for the past two days, but it became worse during the night. When I checked with the thermometer, her temperature had risen to 38.5°C.

My wife and I were worried. It was raining heavily, and without a car, we didn't know how we would get her to the hospital.

We used a towel soaked in water to gently wipe her body and help reduce the fever while we waited for the rain to ease.

Then I remembered the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency-LASEMA number, 112. I called at about 4:07 a.m., hoping they could help. A lady answered and asked about the emergency. I explained that my 7-month-old baby had a high fever, it was raining heavily, and we couldn't get to the hospital. She could hear my baby crying in the background.

I asked if they could send an ambulance. She immediately took my address and a nearby landmark.

At about 4:27 a.m., I received another call from the Lagos Emergency Response Call Centre. The officer informed me that an ambulance had already been dispatched. He asked how the team could locate my house because it was still dark and there might not be anyone outside to direct them. I asked if I could send my live location, but he explained that he was calling from the control centre and was not with the ambulance team.

By 5:07 a.m., the rain had stopped. I received another call informing me that the ambulance was waiting at Checkpoint Bus Stop. My wife, our baby, and I quickly took a motorcycle there, and to my surprise, the ambulance was already waiting for us.

The medical personnel welcomed us into the ambulance and asked about our baby's condition. They asked which hospital we normally used. I mentioned the new Primary Health Centre at Ilepo, but explained that it does not operate 24 hours a day. They agreed and advised us that the best option was to take our baby to GeneralHospital Badagry where she could receive proper emergency care.

I believe the ambulance couldn't reach our house because of the heavy rain and the poor condition of the Ibiye–Checkpoint–Magbon road to our street. This is another reason why that road needs urgent attention from the Lagos State Government and the local government. Good roads save lives during emergencies.

One thing that amazed me was that the ambulance came all the way from Badagry General Hospital about 24 kilometres to Checkpoint Bus Stop just to respond to our emergency. Wow. Honestly we are still shock. I only see this happen in developed countries.

For that, I sincerely commend the Lagos State Emergency Response Team. They proved that the emergency service is working and that lives truly matter.

The journey to the hospital was smooth. The Lagos–Badagry Expressway from Agbara Junction to Badagry is now a modern six-lane road with no potholes. Credit goes to former President Muhammadu Buhari for starting the project, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for continuing it, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for ensuring the reconstruction around Badagry, including the road leading to the General Hospital. Good roads make emergency response faster and more effective.

At the hospital, we were asked to open a new patient file because records from the Primary Health Centre could not be accessed there. I believe Lagos State should work towards creating a unified electronic medical record system so that patients' records can be accessed at any government hospital. I no there is existing smart card, we have that with our Lagos health insurance but had expired. I'll renew it.

We paid ₦2,000 to open a new file. The doctor attended to our baby immediately and requested a Full Blood Count (FBC) test and a malaria test, which cost ₦8,000. We also bought the prescribed injections and medications from the hospital pharmacy for about ₦4,000.

[Stacin Goins @LCyance]

Big John Thompson had a great clip about how the sports and business world hated educated athletes...Still seeing this issue showing this with how The Celtics dealt with Jaylen Brown

[Kris D. Lofton @RealKrisDLofton]

Every NBA coach next season pregame speech before they play the Lakers…

[Bolaji A. @youngproffBJ]

@HAHayatu So you want traditional police, lower than state and local govt police… smh…

[Bolaji A. @youngproffBJ]

@GbengaWemimo God Bless PBAT and His administration…

[Gbenga Samuel-Wemimo @GbengaWemimo]

Some years ago, I was seriously embarrassed in Dubai when all their POS machines refused to honour payment from my Nigerian Bank Card, even though at the time I had the GoldCard, which was issued to me by Access Bank.
I also had my ATM cards, which I had used on previous trips in other countries.
A lady bailed me out at the Thai restaurant in Dubai that day, as I had no other form of payment whatsoever.
I came on X that same day and asked if there is a Nigerian food vendor in Dubai who could supply me with food and get paid in Naira.
That was how someone reached out to me in my DM, and that was how I was able to survive in Dubai for my one-week trip.
When I got back home, I was told that only Providus Bank Dollar and GBP cards were working abroad at the time.
I had no option but to sign up with Providus.
A few months later, I lodged into the Courtyard by Sheraton Hotel in Heathrow and my Providus bank card (Naira card was rejected too)
Again, the embarrassment was phenomenal.
A sister in London became my saving grace. I depended on her to use her bank cards for my hotel booking, train ticket, Uber, food and other essentials.
She would pay and send me the bill at the end of my trip, and I would then transfer the funds to her in Naira or GBP.
I tried hard to get a bank account in the UK, the USA and Europe.
I spoke with a bank in Amsterdam, spoke with a bank manager directly, and I was told that as long as I don't have a residence address in the UK, I cannot get a bank account.
I remember another friend who gave me her Bank card and PIN to use, but I had to politely decline because I didn't want to be indebted in that sense to this particular person.
Because travelling is a prerequisite of my work, it was extremely frustrating not to be able to do so with ease.
I would watch other people use their phones to process payment in foreign countries, but Apple Pay refused to recognise my Nigerian bank cards.
Eventually, I was introduced to some banking apps like WISE, GraBify, Titan, Revolut, Chipper, Timon and many more.
These were foreign solutions introduced to the Nigerian Market because the financial system of the country was not rated as acceptable by global financial institutions.
My sister in Canada could open a PayPal account on my behalf using her Canadian address, but I couldn't transact anything financial on the account because I have a Nigerian passport.
I came to Ghana for the Flight two years ago with @YoungFemo_, and I had to change Naira to Cedis at the airport because my Naira bank card wouldn't work.
I missed out on a foreign trip to Dubai that same year because Nigeria was blacklisted by airlines due to the country's inability to remit funds to them in USD.
For that trip, I went as far as Cotonou to catch a flight to Dubai, but I was singled out of the passenger list as we were about to board because I had a Nigerian passport on me.
My mother was travelling to Nigeria from the USA, and she had to stay at a hotel in Miami. I booked the hotel on my Marriott Bonvoy App, but my Naira card was rejected, and I had to call another sister in the UK to bail me out so that my mother would be able to check into the hotel in Miami
I believe in Nigeria
I refused to leave Nigeria or have any property outside of Nigeria
I refused to raise my children outside of Nigeria
My destiny in Christ was as clear to me as day
I know what was written about me and my life in the volume of the works.
Though it was frustrating and people were blaming the governments of the day at the time on every side, I held on and believed that the glory of Nigeria would be restored
I refused to shop abroad because I believe it is better to add my two cents to the local economy
Since last year, I noticed that my Nigerian bank cards have begun to work again in foreign countries.
I was in Dubai, Aberdeen, Qatar, London, Rome, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Paris, Amsterdam and many other countries, and my Naira card worked seamlessly.
I came into Ghana yesterday, and I have transacted my business with my Nigerian bank cards on their local POS, and it worked!
Someone somewhere has done something to make it work.
Today, I am saying thank you to that "someone".
Whosoever you are, God bless you.
If you are more than one person, I pray for you that your policies and visions will set Nigeria up in such a way that squanderers who could come into power and set the country backwards will be unable to do so.
It felt very good to be able to use my Naira card again, especially when I got to Marriott, and they told me their POS can only accept physical ATM cards.
My heart skipped a beat because I had planned to rely on my Grabify app.

May God continue to bless Nigeria.

-GSW-

[Bolaji A. @youngproffBJ]

@Charles_DPrince @TeeClassy29 🥸

[Osas @osazenoo]

“Lagos built a factory of unicorns. Lagos is doing what Kenya is failing to do” - Kenya Analysts.

It always foreigners who see the growth in the country while most Nigerians are distracted by the negative noise.

[Bolaji A. @youngproffBJ]

@Charles_DPrince Loll

[WhatsThePoint @thehouseoffootb]

🚨🗣️ Thierry Henry on Cristiano Ronaldo vs DR Congo:

“Let me be very clear about something.”

🗣️ “Every time Cristiano Ronaldo steps onto a pitch, people expect miracles.”

🗣️ “And every time, he delivers something that keeps him in the conversation of the greatest ever.”

🗣️ “Tonight against DR Congo, it was another example of what he still brings to football.”

🗣️ “His movement inside the box, his positioning, his mentality… these are things you cannot teach.”

🗣️ “Even when the game is difficult, even when Portugal are under pressure, he is always there waiting for one moment.”

🗣️ “That's why he has scored goals for so many years at the highest level.”

🗣️ “People keep asking if Cristiano is finished.”

🗣️ “Finished players don't create chances every game.”

🗣️ “Finished players don't scare defenders the moment they enter the box.”

🗣️ “Finished players don't still decide matches in World Cups.”

🗣️ “Now, let's address the comparison with Messi.”

🗣️ “This is where people make football too simple.”

🗣️ “Messi and Ronaldo are not the same type of players.”

🗣️ “Cristiano is about efficiency, power, mentality, and finishing.”

🗣️ “Messi is about control, creativity, vision, and making the game look like art.”

🗣️ “You cannot judge them with the same formula.”

🗣️ “They changed football in different ways.”

🗣️ “Cristiano turned himself into a machine built for goals.”

🗣️ “Messi was born with football in his feet.”

🗣️ “And that's why this debate will never die.”

🗣️ “But what people forget is this: greatness is not only about style… it's about impact.”

🗣️ “And Ronaldo's impact is still massive.”

🗣️ “Even against teams like DR Congo, he demands attention from every defender.”

🗣️ “He opens space for others.”

🗣️ “He changes defensive structures just by being on the pitch.”

🗣️ “That is respect at the highest level.”

🗣️ “So when people say he is finished, I don't agree.”

🗣️ “I see a player who is still dangerous.”

🗣️ “Still competitive.”

🗣️ “Still hungry.”

🗣️ “And still capable of deciding games.”

🗣️ “As for the Messi comparison…”

🗣️ “I will say this.”

🗣️ “We are lucky.”

🗣️ “We are lucky to have lived in a generation where both exist at the same time.”

🗣️ “Because once they are gone, people will realize how special this era really was.”

🔥🐐🇵🇹🇦🇷

🗣️ “Ronaldo is not finished.”

🗣️ “Messi is not replaceable.”

🗣️ “And football will never be the same again.”

[Akinwumi @Big_marvis]

No wonder they want PBAT out by all means.

We remain steadfast in our support and belief in the leadership and vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT).

Tinubu till 2031, by God’s grace. 🙏🇳🇬

[Front Office Sports @FOS]

Have you ever noticed the guy always sitting next to Spike Lee at Knicks games?

His name is Al Palagonia, and he’s much more than Lee’s courtside companion. Here’s his story.

[Bolaji A. @youngproffBJ]

@FAAN_Official it is unfortunate we have to escalate & bring @fkeyamo in before things are done. Why are there so many touts at MMIA. At arrival/pickup, too many touts just hanging around harassing passengers about taxis et al, constituting a nuisance. Pls organize the airport.

[ASCHOR BABALOLA @EkitiOracle]

For 12 years, a South African company called Optasia quietly controlled Nigeria's entire airtime and data borrowing market, collecting over N3 trillion every year.
No Nigerian staff. No local office. The money just left the country.
This week, President Tinubu changed that.

[Bolaji Fesomade @MasterBolaji]

JUST IN: Tinubu has approved plans to allow more companies into Nigeria's airtime and data loan market. For years, one company named Optasia, from South Africa, largely powered these services for major telecom networks. The goal is to boost competition and give Nigerians options.

[Obiasogu David @afrisagacity]

Nigerians do not understand the gravity of the dispute between South Africa’s Optasia and Nigeria’s FCCPC, even though I have repeatedly written about it.

Let me give a summary breakdown!

Optasia is a global conglomerate, listed on the South African Stock Market. In Nigeria, it operates as Nairatime.

It is the only company in Nigeria that powers the platform MTN, Airtel, and other telecoms companies in Nigeria use to lend airtime and data to Nigerians. It takes all the profits and flies the money to South Africa, where it’s based.

Since Telecoms companies like MTN and Airtel began lending airtime and data to Nigerians, their transactions have been unregulated, unlike in other countries.

So, earlier last year, the FCCPC, the federal authority in charge of regulating the relationship between companies and customers in Nigeria, moved to regulate airtime and data lending by the telecoms companies.

The regulation included opening up the market to other players, especially Nigerian-owned companies. It mandated that Optasia will no longer be the only company that will provide MTN, Airtel, and co the platform to power their airtime and data lending services.

The regulation provides that the telecoms companies must do business with or employ the services of at least one Nigerian-owned company.

Immediately the regulation came out, Optasia, the South African company, seeing that it would crush its monopoly, moved into full swing to stop it. They ensured that the regulation, which has been pending since July 2025 till now, is not implemented

When Optasia saw that its efforts were not yielding, it rushed to obtain a dubious court order from a Nigerian court stopping the FCCPC from proceeding to implement the regulation. Can you imagine that?

Well, I was one of the voices who got wind of the case and stood against Optasia’s effrontery and disrespectful audacity. I wrote a couple of times to educate Nigerians on the issue.

Finally, and fortunately, the FCCPC has risen to the occasion and is proceeding with implementing the regulation, after appealing the dubious court order that Optasia obtained from one of our courts.

This is the situation! For the corruption that has eaten so deeply into our system, Optasia had the guts to reject and fight to stop a regulation by a Nigerian authority.

Meanwhile, in the over 30 countries where it operates, including South Africa where it is listed, Optasia obeys the regulations of the country, even to the letter!✍️

[Steven Bartlett @StevenBartlett]

Before this conversation, I thought I understood Bruno Fernandes.

I knew the numbers. The goals, the assists, the leadership, the criticism he’s faced over the years at Manchester United.

But I didn’t understand the mentality behind it.

Bruno has arguably become United’s greatest player of the post-Ferguson era, carrying their creativity season after season.

He’s won more club player of the year awards than Ronaldo, and only five players have scored more than his 70 league goals.

So I went to Manchester United Training Ground to ask him questions the footballing world wants to know.

Bruno spoke about growing up in Porto, watching his father sacrifice his own football career to provide for the family. He told me his dad never praised him for scoring goals. Instead, he’d point out the small things he still needed to improve.

And somehow that mindset shaped one of the most resilient athletes in world football.

We spoke about:

- Why he believes character matters more than talent in elite teams.
- How dressing room culture determines whether talent succeeds or fails.
- Why taking risks is essential if you want to create anything extraordinary!
- His honest opinion on pressure and why he thinks it’s a privilege.
- His thoughts on having Michael Carrick as a manager.
- Addressing Roy Keane’s criticism.

When you listen to Bruno speak, you understand that what makes him exceptional isn’t just technical ability. It’s his standards.

The standards he holds himself to.
The standards he expects from teammates.
The standards he believes define culture.

I really respect how Bruno chose to join United during instability because he believed in rebuilding something meaningful rather than joining an “easy” project.

I saw a much softer and more thoughtful side of Bruno that I don’t think people will expect. So, thank you Bruno for taking the time to sit down with me and for being so vulnerable.

Even if you don’t care about football, there’s a huge amount to learn from this conversation about leadership, resilience and high performance.

[AARONATION 👽 @AARONATION_M]

2019/20 season when De Bruyne got 20 assists.

KDB = 304 crosses in 35 games (10 assists from crosses, 1 from a shot that slighy touched his teammate, and 1 more from a miss-timed shot that landed in front of his teammate).

KDB = 175 corners taken

Bruno Fernandes 2025/26 season:

Bruno = 177 crosses this season in 34 games

Bruno = 87 corners taken

Guess who's being accused of spamming crosses by twitter users.

[Bolaji A. @youngproffBJ]

@MRB_AI24 Very apt. Support staff need to do better to make the team work.