Teens Sex Awareness Programme - TSAP

In 2023, more than 6,000 Christians were reportedly killed in Nigeria, mainly across Ondo, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba States, while some thousand others have been forced to convert or flee their lands.

Full story: https://www.thehistoryville.com/nigerian-christians/

Last Man standing ❤️

What's keeping you awake?

And when I stopped counting the Days I started making the Days Count!
I realized “Acting my Age” was holding me back. I was capable of being beyond my Years. Smart people learn from their own Mistakes. Wise people Learn from the Mistakes of others. Walking the distance between those two Destinations is how I became a Young Girl with an Old Soul.

Age is not just a number! It’s Accountability

Everyone gets old, but not Everyone Grows up.

Stress Steal Your Joy & End Your Life.

©️ Examined by Ugo Ubili.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. There is no such thing as a stress-free life. No evidence has ever been presented, which suggests that a stress-free life can ever be achieved. Stress can be managed, relieved, and lessened but never eliminated. If we respond positively to stressful situations, we can learn and grow in ways that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

The first step in managing stress is recognizing it in your life. Everyone feels stressed in a different way through physical and emotional response to new or challenging situations. You may get angry or irritable, lose sleep, or have headaches or an upset stomach. Once you know what signals to look for, you can start to manage it.

But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to stress management. That’s why it’s important to experiment and find out what works best for you. Whether you’re looking to reduce your overall stress levels, avoid unnecessary stressors in your life, or deal with stress in the moment. The truth is that stress doesn’t come from your boss, your kids, your spouse, traffic jams, health challenges, or other circumstances. It comes from your thoughts about your circumstances.

Almost any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or you're out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever.Exercise can also refocus your mind on your body's movements. This refocus can improve your mood and help the day's irritations fade away. So go on a walk, take a jog, clean your house, bike, swim, or do anything else that gets you active.

Laugh more. A good sense of humor can't cure all ailments. But it can help you feel better, even if you have to force a fake laugh through your grumpiness. When you laugh, it lightens your mental load. It also causes positive physical changes in the body. Laughter fires up and then cools down your stress response.

Connect with others.When you're stressed and irritable, you may want to isolate yourself. Yes, isolation is a deep sign after depression of stress.
Instead, reach out to family and friends and make social connections. Even one good friend who listens can make a difference. It is a good stress reliever because it can offer distraction, give support, and help you put up with life's up and downs.

The greatest weapon against stress is your ability to choose one thought over another. Stress acts as an accelerator: it will push you either forward or backward, but you choose which direction. It’s not stress that kills us. It’s our reaction to it. Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one. You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle. That's why some people are at best and perform better under stress. To others, It’s not how far you fall, it’s how high you bounce back.

When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter in 5 years from now? If yes,then do something about the situation. If not, then let it go because if you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago. Times of stress are also times that are signals for growth, and if we use adversity properly, we can grow through adversity. Beware of eating too much, smoking, drinking alcohol or using illicit drugs, sleeping too much or not sleeping enough is not about the solution.

Don’t believe every worry thought you have because some of them are notoriously inaccurate. The number one root of all illnesses, as we know, is stress. God will never give you anything you can’t handle, so don’t stress.

Bolanle Awe was not just Nigeria's first female professor of History; she was also the first female lecturer in any Nigerian university.

Born on January 28, 1933, in Ilesa, Osun State, Bolanle Awe was nurtured in a family that appreciated education. Her father, Samuel Akindeji Fajembola, was a manager with John Holt & Co., and her mother, Mosebolatan Abede, was one of the early female teachers trained in Ibadan.

Her early schooling took place in Ilesa and Ibadan before she earned a place at St. Anne’s School, one of Nigeria’s first girls’ secondary schools.

With unwavering ambition, she proceeded to the P***e School for Girls in Cambridge (1952–54) and then to the University of St Andrews, where she graduated with a degree in History in 1958. She furthered her studies at Somerville College, University of Oxford, obtaining a DPhil in History in 1964.

Upon her return to Nigeria in 1960, Bolanle Awe shattered glass ceilings as the first Nigerian woman formally appointed to academic office, joining the University of Ibadan’s Department of History as an Assistant Lecturer in October that year.

In 1967, she moved to the University of Lagos before returning to Ibadan in 1969, where she rose to the substantive rank of Professor of Oral History by 1976, becoming Nigeria’s first female professor of history.

Awe's scholarship was revolutionary. She championed oral history as a valid and vital method to reconstruct pre-colonial Nigeria and the intra-African past, especially among the Yoruba. Her academic work restored the reputations of historical women figures, including Efunsetan Aniwura, previously misrepresented in folklore and drama.

She also pioneered feminist historiography in Nigeria, critiquing universalist feminist frameworks and insisting on intersectional, culturally specific analysis.

In 1985, she founded the Women’s Research and Documentation Centre (WORDOC) at the University of Ibadan, the first institutional hub in Nigeria devoted to women’s studies and gender documentation. Under her leadership, WORDOC became a resource centre, advocacy platform, and intellectual network for advancing women's histories across Africa.

Awe’s influence extended beyond academia. She served as Commissioner for Education and Commissioner for Trade, Industries and Cooperatives in the then Western State (1975–78).

In 1990, she became the first Chairperson of Nigeria’s National Commission for Women, pioneering national women’s policy before resigning in 1992 amid political restructuring.

Later, she served as Pro‑Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and held leadership roles in multiple educational councils and boards, such as Ilorin Teaching Hospital and Ajayi Crowther University.

Her academic impact is enduring. Observers credit her with reshaping how Nigerian history is written; infusing it with women’s voices, oral traditions, and deeply contextual perspectives. Writing about her, Toyin Falola described her as the “matriarch of feminist history” and highlighted her as a crucial figure in reclaiming African agency in historiography.

In recognition of her contributions, Bolanle Awe was awarded the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 1983, became a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria, and later an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters and other institutions.

Even after her retirement in 1995, she continued to mentor scholars, attend church activities, serve as a diocesan historian, and uphold the ethos of community, scholarship, and service through her faith and family life.

At 92 years old, Professor Bolanle Awe remains a towering intellectual and moral giant. She taught that Africa’s stories, especially those of its women, deserve to be heard in their own voice. Her work transformed not just historical narratives, but also the possibilities of scholarship, activism, and collective memory in Nigeria and beyond.

Affectionately known as “Dodo Mayana,” Peter Rufai was to succeed his father as a king in 1998, but he rejected the crown for football.

Born on August 24, 1963, in Oshodi, Lagos, Peter Rufai came from a royal background: his father was a traditional ruler in the Idimu region of Lagos State. Despite expectations to inherit the throne, Rufai declined royal succession after his father’s death in 1998, choosing instead to pursue his passion for football.

Rufai began his playing career with local clubs Stationery Stores and Femo Scorpions, before embarking on a 20-year professional journey across Europe. He featured prominently at Dragons de l’Ouémé in Benin, and in Belgium (Lokeren, Beveren), the Netherlands (Go Ahead Eagles), Portugal (Farense, Gil Vicente), and Spain (Hércules, Deportivo La Coruña).

On the international stage, Rufai earned 65 caps for Nigeria between 1983 and 1998. He was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper when the Super Eagles finally clinched the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia and helped guide Nigeria in its first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance later that year. He also represented the country again at USA 1994 and France 1998, anchoring the defence with composure and leadership.

Some career highlights include:

Scoring a rare international goal—he converted a penalty in Nigeria’s 6–0 victory over Ethiopia during AFCON qualifiers in 1993.

Playing a pivotal role in SC Farense’s historic qualification for the UEFA Cup in the 1994–1995 season, while conceding just 38 goals in 34 matches.

After hanging up his gloves, Rufai remained committed to football development. He enrolled at the National Institute for Sports in Lagos in 2023 to earn coaching credentials, founded the Staruf Football Academy in Lagos, and mentored countless young talents, emphasising the balance between sport and education.

Peter Rufai passed away on July 3, 2025, in Lagos after an extended illness. He was 61 years old.

The Nigeria Football Federation described him as “a giant of Nigerian football,” and tributes poured in from President Bola Tinubu, former Anambra governor Peter Obi, and numerous football colleagues, all acknowledging his legacy both between the posts and beyond.

Peter Rufai’s life epitomised discipline, passion, and national pride. He was more than a goalkeeper; he was a trailblazer, a mentor, and a symbol of Nigerian football excellence. His decision to forsake royal inheritance for football speaks of his devotion not to status but to purpose.

Though he has passed on, his legacy endures in the institutions he built, the players he mentored, and the countless saves that lifted the Super Eagles to global prominence.

On November 6, 1976, Nigerian musicologist Ayo Bankole and his wife, Toro, were brutally murdered by his half-brother while sleeping in their bed in their own home in Lagos. Bankole was just 41.

Ayo Bankole was born on May 17, 1935, into a musical and culturally enriched Yoruba family in Jos, Nigeria. His father, Theophilus Abiodun Bankole, served as the organist and choirmaster at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Jos. His mother, equally musically inclined, was a dedicated music instructor for many years at Queen’s School, Ede, one of the foremost Federal Government girls’ schools now in Osun State. In such a home, music was not a pastime; it was a calling.

Even as a child, Ayo exhibited a natural affinity for music. Recognising this rare gift early, his father made a life-shaping decision: in 1941, when Ayo was just six, he sent him to live with his grandfather, Akinje George, in Lagos. George, a respected organist and choirmaster at First Baptist Church, Lagos, was a towering musical figure in his own right and took the young boy under his wing. From him, Ayo received his first formal training on the piano and harmonium, and more than that, an immersion in a rich variety of musical traditions.

George often invited friends over to listen to his grandson play, proudly exhibiting the boy’s prodigious talent. By the age of seven, Ayo Bankole was already dazzling guests with his performances.

His formal musical education began in Nigeria but soon took him abroad. He studied at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he earned a diploma in composition and piano performance. He later proceeded to study ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), demonstrating his deep interest in the marriage between traditional African sounds and Western classical structures.

Upon returning to Nigeria in 1966, Bankole established himself as one of the country’s most important classical composers. He taught music at various institutions and played a crucial role in shaping the musical direction of post-independence Nigeria. At a time when the country was seeking its cultural identity, Bankole stood as a bridge between worlds: his compositions drawing from Yoruba folklore, Christian liturgy, and the structures of European classical music.

His body of work is both profound and innovative. He composed choral pieces, solo instrumental works, orchestral music, and liturgical pieces. Notable among them are Oboe Sonata, Toccata for Organ and Orchestra, Te Deum Laudamus, Yoruba Hymns, and a large body of vocal music deeply rooted in African traditional melodies. His Piano Sonata No. 2 remains a striking blend of the twelve-tone technique and Yoruba rhythmic patterns.

Yet, behind the academic acclaim and creative brilliance was a man of deep introspection and quiet dignity. He was known for his humility, strong Christian faith, and an unwavering dedication to the promotion of African classical music. He believed fervently in the potential of African music to stand on the global stage—not as imitation, but as innovation.

Tragically, his life was cut short on November 6, 1976, when he was murdered with his wife in Lagos by his half-brother, who was later reported to suffer from mental illness. The shocking nature of his death sent a wave of grief through Nigeria’s artistic and academic communities. It was not just a loss of a man, but of a musical future that held limitless promise.

Most of Bankole’s works are unpublished, since in his day, there was not a single publishing firm in Nigeria to put his works into print, and black composers had serious problems at that time publishing their compositions in Europe and the United States.

Today, Ayo Bankole is remembered as a pioneer, one who fearlessly walked the line between tradition and modernity, between the spiritual and the scholarly. Though his life ended far too soon, his music continues to echo, reminding generations that Africa, too, has symphonies to sing.

Nigeria's Major-General John Mark Inienger as the Field Commandant of ECOMOG (Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group) in Monrovia, Liberia, during the First Civil War (1989–1996), 1994.

Born on April 16, 1945, in Mbaduku, now Vandeikya LGA, Benue State, John Inienger's father was Tiv from Mbaduku, and his mother, a member of the Bebuabung community in Obudu, Cross River State. He attended Mkar Primary School (1952–59), Nigerian Military School in Zaria (1960–63), and later trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy, before further honing his strategic acumen at the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College in Kingston in 1974.

Commissioned in 1967, Inienger served in successive roles, including adjutant and company commander in the 29 and 82 Infantry Battalions (1969–73), instructor at the Nigerian Army School of Infantry (1975–76), and brigade major in Jaji (1973–74). He commanded the Nigerian Battalion in peacekeeping duties in Lebanon (1980–81), and rose to lead the 4th Mechanised Brigade by 1985.

In the wake of General Ibrahim Babangida’s 1985 coup, Lieutenant Colonel Inienger was appointed Military Governor of Bendel State, serving from September 1985 to July 1988. He presided over the region as it underwent significant economic and political reorientation under military rule.

He later commanded the elite Brigade of Guards, responsible for protecting the Head of State and the seat of power, from 1988 to 1989.

In 1993, he assumed command of ECOMOG, the Nigerian-led West African peacekeeping force deployed to Liberia during the First Liberian Civil War. Under intense operational pressures, he defended ECOMOG’s neutrality and resisted the narratives branding it an army of occupation. Inienger led the mission until 1996, after which he was appointed Commandant of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji.

Following the transition to civilian rule in 1999, Inienger was among over 90 senior officers retired from active service. He passed away on February 8, 2002, while travelling between Jos and Makurdi. He was 56.