Youthfulperspectives

 I have vivid recollections of some periods in my childhood. I am sure there were moments in yours that you could also remember. I remember Uncle Ade back then in primary school. The dude must have just graduated from University then and had to make do as a primary school teacher for some kids.  I remember his face, height, and how he sometimes spoke to us in chilled tones and always added random facts about just anything to his lessons. I remember how he once asked us what our favourite cities were, and as you would expect, we mentioned the places where our homes were, faraway Lagos, and some other cities we must have heard in passing from our parents.  When it was Uncle Ade's turn to tell us what his favourite city in the world was, he mentioned the city of Dublin. He spoke about how much he wanted to explore the city, its food, and all the experiences he wanted to have in it.  As I write this piece, I check out Dublin (On Google) and marvel at how much the city mu...

It always starts like this: " A Reputable Pharmacy needs the service of a pharmacist..." The pharmacies are always "Reputable," which almost means the pharmacist must be ready to work for the money.  Or what better way will that 150k (Some 200k) be justified? Heard employers now even deduct randomly from the salaries paid to pharmacists. Let's call them deductions for pharmacy oversight. You know, in the case of the drugs on the shelf, not being " Pushed" and all of that. My colleagues should be fully aware of what I am speaking about by now. But before we get into the main gist, first of all, introduction... The Current Landscape of Pharmacy Practice in Nigeria. First, I do not like writing about seemingly tough topics, but they are drawn to me in a way. I see these anomalies and just want to get on my laptop and start typing. It is always like this; when you graduate as a pharmacist in this country, and after the compulsory internship year and poss...

This is my first article for the year, and I apologize for starting on this note. My first writing for the year should have started pleasantly. One of those extolling 'Self-Love' and the many talks of how you should be gentler in the new year, be more proactive, take it easy, forgive yourself, and all of that, but since we are not 'Greeing for anybody this year,' I am starting my year this way.  But then again, you should trust me because I have something like that in my drafts. Still, while scrolling through Twitter last night, I came across a user's comment saying, ' Our growth as Nigerians lies in us ditching our individualism as a society and embracing communal living.  That struck a chord, and just like that, I knew I had something to write about. However, before I get into all of that writing, let me offer you some context.  This takes me back to the very first time I stepped into Lagos. It was more like a rude awakening. I have never had to battle with tr...

Photo by Shedrack Salami on Unsplash Suddenly, my brother blurted out, "Guy, Shey, you know say if our refineries dey function, subsidy no go dey o". Well, spending a few days in Lagos and having to go back and forth on double the transport fares will make you have such thoughts. So, I fully understand where my guy was coming from.  Sometimes you get so angry at the system, and how things can be better done, and after some time, you calm down and then try to rationalize how powerless you might be in the grand scheme of everything. But anything for national development, right? If you can find a way of positively changing the thoughts of those in your immediate ecosystem, then all hopes might not be lost.  Although another factor to consider is how unhelpful it is that you are dealing with some of the most optimistic sets of people you can ever meet. No matter how terrible a government policy might be, there will always be its defenders. Even if the consequences of su...

Concoctions, drinks, mixtures, and different solid elements are a big part of our healthcare system in Nigeria and Africa. These traditional dosage forms have become a mainstay of the treatment patterns adopted in combating tropical ailments.  When discussions surrounding the use of these traditional dosage forms are held, their appropriateness, the need for standardization, and even their efficacy and effectiveness are points that generate arguments. Is it possible for a correlation to be drawn that unequal access to good, quality medications may be a core reason as to why these traditional forms of treatments still pervade our health system in Nigeria?  There are different sides to this argument, but a unifying opinion should be that standardized and properly dosed medications made under the best conditions are the best options for combating the many diseases of public health significance that tend to threaten the fragile healthcare of this nation.  Now, I would not wan...

Photo by Ayanfe Olarinde on Unsplash It's been a while here; I have been busy with some other things, so I have largely slacked in updating this space. Amidst everything, I decided to do this little opinion piece, and I would honestly love to hear as much feedback as possible when I put the full stop. Over the past few days, the social space has been swamped with different opinions, commentaries, etc. All of which border on who would be the next president of this country for the next four (4) or eight (8) years based on the zoning agreement. By the time you read this, the country's major political parties have held their primary elections, and their different choices have been placed before us.  These past few weeks, we have all seen that the political space in Nigeria is an obscenely expensive and dirty scene. It is a place where only those with guts can successfully navigate. We have all watched as party delegates were bought, and everything became severely "Dollarized,...

Photo by Ayanfe Olarinde on Unsplash Hope is a good thing. Hope is so good that in a life that is so random and filled with so many tricks and loopholes, In a life that no one has any manual to, It is hope that keeps us going. Take away hope from anyone, irrespective of the situation; you have taken something far greater than the air they breathe.  As Nigerians, and as confusing as it may be in describing our core characteristics, we have that hope in excess. I used to think of the word that would fully describe us, but I have not come across it yet. There is something very amusing about us as Nigerians; See, the excess hope I mentioned earlier? Yeah, it will be the end of us all.  That resilience we are well known for is not the big flex we think it is. The ability to endure so much suffering is not the ideal way to live. I really cannot understand our nature as Nigerians. I really do not know what has made us into such forms that we cannot differentiate between what is righ...