Feature/OPED
Japa Ideology, Molue, Civilisation and Traveling Abroad for Africans
By Nneka Okumazie
In the history of transportation in Nigeria’s Lagos, there was a Mercedes Benz-911 tractor front converted to a bus used for public transportation called Molue where overloading was common, standing and people clung to the edges, with some of the old buses tilting to the side.
The buses are no longer in use, but in recent videos showing the city, there are red and white buses, separate from the government’s blue-coloured public buses, where there is also often overloading, standings, and some of the buses are tilted sideways.
One era to another, different buses, similar ideology, with nothing done to transform it for years. This means that nothing has changed because what changes is not the object but the thing that runs the object.
A home is to the taste or desire of the occupant, some are painted differently or arranged differently, but it is not often the function of the house, but what runs it. There could be constraints for some choices, but ideology leads whichever way.
There are lots of Africans desirous of leaving the continent, and some of the countries have special names for it. In some situations, it could make sense to leave a bad place for a better place, but to use this as a dominant ideology is erroneous.
Africa may have frustrated some people, but whatever is wrong with Africa is a result of any individual African and the people they like, not the people they know. There is usually this throwaway of responsibility that the continent is bad because of government or foreigners, yes, in some cases, but in general, there is no adult African in Africa who does not have a share of the wrong of the place.
There is responsibility with whatever anyone has or does as an African adult that, if handled better, has a way to prevent deterioration. But people don’t often see what is wrong with what they do or with those they like. It has to be others, so they have to leave the place when they still carry that attitude that does not accept responsibility, and they are guided by the ideology to go somewhere for mostly self-interest, or loyalty for what to gain, or bias for status like others.
Some say their place will never become like other places, but they forget that building is not just the problem; it is maintenance, the character and quality of a people to maintain what they have, correct and build better.
As evil and forceful as slavery was, carried out by foreigners, there were elders and leaders that were excited by things they benefitted for themselves and those they liked, making what could have led to aspects of reforms, technology transfer, or industrial revolution annexation, by collective bargain or negotiations, never fruitful.
There are often situations where many Africans have elevated self-interest over a common interest, subtracting the responsibility of that from the problems their places face. Some African countries are worse, requiring that some leave, but there are people there with responsibilities that could make a difference, but they do nothing.
Some often say they have to travel to possibly have a better future for their children. Most children of recently migrating Africans to new places would do fine, but at an average level, very few would excel at a very high level in the future, but not necessarily for obvious reasons at present. However, a few too would do very badly, doing things their families would never approve of, causing pain and hurt to them and that place.
There are adults too who have left who would get in situations where what they have to do to get themselves out would be things they never believed they could ever do and would not be able to tell anyone, though they would be fine with hypocrisy to judge others, for whatever reasons, continuously.
There are those who think what it means to be better is to have more material things when they have weak values and character. They mend and bend along the self-interest bias of whatever others are doing. They would do whatever it takes to buy things that knowledge built, even as others build new knowledge to build new things they would want to keep buying, remaining in that loop.
In some African countries, people often complain that some tribes have more national political power than others or that they stay in power and are responsible for the decline of the country, maybe or not so. The measure of the excellence of a people is not what they do in other places or positions, it is what they have done for themselves, as a people, at home.
There are tribes where that have power, but their region or home is where they cannot go back to stay. They may exercise power, or what some would call cleverness, elsewhere, but what it means to transform their place is beyond their capability. Those in position also, in their place, have nothing also to offer, so their place is backward and static. They may do well where there seems to be a path, but to create one in their place, they cannot.
This is similar to some foreigners from all over the place in other countries who rise to positions and prominence, the measure of their excellence is not what they do where there is also ready a path, but what they have done for themselves back home, as a people, or how their place is getting transformed, more quickly.
Those back home cannot, those elsewhere cannot, they may seem different, but not that better according to what drives them.
Some people went to other places hundreds of years ago, in expedition and exploration, to find what is elsewhere; they sometimes got into battles, some died, they faced diseases, cold, storms, wrecks, deprivation, etc. Though some of the histories of what they later did were not great, they at least went from their places, say average, better or just ok, to the unknown, which is part of how they dominated and continue to.
There are several Africans who have left for many years, and no one knows them except their family. What it should really mean back home for how they have advanced, to benefit and in responsibility of that edge, is nothing. They may send money to build or do things in the place they left, but for the most part, it makes no difference.
This does not mean there are those who have not excelled because they left or there are those who have not done great, there are many. However, the ideology of leaving as the only possible way to excel is itself a weak value and quality action.
The African who has left and who is leaving should ask, what would this leaving mean to the collective development of the place if people look back in years to come? If the question is too stupid to ask one’s self or to consider, then maybe the same reason some go into government to benefit and loot, for comfort could find a loose parallel with their objective.
[Ezekiel 16:22, And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.]
By Louis Strydom
Last year, I argued in my piece Lean Carbon, Just Power that a limited and temporary increase in African carbon emissions is justified to meet the continent’s urgent electrification needs.
That position was not a retreat from climate ambition. It laid out a credible lean-carbon pathway that reconciles power systems development realities with climate arithmetic.
The central question remains: not whether emissions must fall, but how much temporary headroom is tolerable to accelerate energy prosperity for a continent responsible for roughly 4% of global CO2.
The flexibility equation
The future of Africa’s electrification is neither “all renewables tomorrow” nor “gas indefinitely”. Intermittent renewables alone cannot power the continent’s fragile grids at scale. Â Solar and wind require highly dispatchable power capacity to ensure the reliability of the system.
The real choice is not between renewables and fossil fuels in the abstract; it is between flexible firm power that complements solar and wind, and the de facto alternative: the increasing reliance on high-emissions diesel backup and widespread grid instability.
I argue that a realistic transition strategy must embrace “a capped carbon overdraft”: a strictly bounded, time-limited deployment of flexible power plants running on gas that supports the deployment of renewables and declines according to a binding schedule. This strategy means accepting minimal, temporary emissions to allow for a faster, cleaner and more resilient clean transition.
The response to this argument drew serious scrutiny. Three objections deserve a direct answer.
First: Does the case for flexible thermal power hold on a full life cycle basis?
It does. Our power system studies in Nigeria, Mozambique, and Southern Africa consistently reach the same conclusion – the least-cost long-term system is renewables-led, with flexible engines balancing variability. That holds across capital, fuel, maintenance, carbon pricing, and decommissioning. South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan 2025, approved in October, makes the point concretely: it projects 105 GW of new capacity by 2039 with renewables as backbone, yet includes 6 GW of gas-to-power by 2030 explicitly for grid stability. Even the continent’s most industrialised economy concludes it needs dispatchable thermal capacity to underpin a renewables-heavy system. The question is not whether firm power is needed, but how to make it as clean and flexible as possible.
Second: Does this argument talk over Africa’s ambition to leapfrog fossil fuels?
No. It is designed around that ambition. Wärtsilä launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant concept in 2024, certified by TĂśV SĂśD, with orders opening in 2025. Ammonia engine tests now demonstrate up to 90% greenhouse gas reductions versus diesel. These are not roadmaps. They are ready-to-use technologies. The honest difficulty is timing. Sub-Saharan grids averaged 56 hours of monthly outages in 2024. The African diesel generator market is growing at nearly 7% a year, projected to reach 1.3 billion dollars by 2030. Nigerian businesses spend up to 40% of operational costs on fuel for backup power. That is the real counterfactual – not a continent neatly powered by sun and wind, but a billion-dollar diesel habit deepening every year the grid stays unreliable. Even Germany is tendering 10 GW of hydrogen-ready gas plants with mandated conversion by 2035 to 2040. If Europe’s largest economy needs transitional thermal flexibility to backstop an 80% renewables target, insisting low-income African nations skip that step is not climate leadership. It is development deferred.
Third: Does the carbon comparison include full life cycle methane?
It must. Methane leakage materially worsens the climate profile of gas-to-power because methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than COâ‚‚. If leakage exceeds a few per cent of production, gas loses its advantage over coal on a 20-year timeframe.
But the IEA notes that 40% of fossil methane emissions could be eliminated at no net cost with existing technology. My claim that gas has a lower footprint than coal is conditional on aggressive methane management – eliminating flaring and venting, enforcing measurement under frameworks like the EU Methane Regulation and OGMP 2.0. Without those conditions, the arithmetic fails. But the real choice in most African markets is not between pristine gas and pristine renewables. It is between ageing coal, a growing fleet of unregulated diesel generators, and new fuel-flexible plants that start or transition to gas and convert to hydrogen or ammonia on a contractual schedule. Displacing diesel and coal with well-managed gas in future-fuel-ready engines cuts COâ‚‚, local pollution, and water use now, while building the infrastructure for fuels that eliminate fossil dependence.
The critics are right to demand rigour, full life cycle accounting, methane transparency, and credible timelines. Those are exactly the conditions that make a lean-carbon pathway work. Africa does not seek permission to pollute. It seeks the tools to end energy poverty while peaking emissions early and declining fast. Build engine power plants that run on available fuel today. Mandate their conversion tomorrow. The carbon overdraft stays small. The payback stays fast. And the technology to switch to sustainable fuels is already here.
Louis Strydom is the Director of Growth and Development for Africa and Europe at Wärtsilä Energy
You’re back home after mudik (homecoming), the suitcases are unpacked, and the excitement of being with family for Eid already feels like a long time ago. But just because Eid is over doesn’t mean the special connection of being with family has to fade. Here are the best group chat features for beating the post-Raya blues.
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Keep The Vibe Going by Sharing Ramadan Highlights
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Keep the Memories Rolling with Status: Your Status feed doesn’t have to go quiet just because you’re back home. Post the most memorable throwback photos from the Eid reunion and add questions to spark responses like “What was your favourite Raya dish?” Add music and stickers to Status to keep the energy alive.
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Express Yourself with Text Stickers: Turn inside jokes, family slogans, or a favourite Eid quote into a Text Sticker. It’s a quick, personalised way to add some warmth and humour to the group chat.
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Skip the Stock Cards, Use Meta AI for a Personal Touch: Don’t just send a generic “Hi” or “Good morning” in the family chat. Use Meta AI to make your personalised greeting card or quickly transform a single photo into an animated image to send a heartfelt, animated check-in.
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Schedule The Next Reunion
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Plan Your Next Post-Raya Get-Together: The blues often hit when the fun ends. Keep spirits up by creating a new Event in the group chat right away. Add event reminders so everyone doesn’t miss the opportunity to connect.
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Schedule a Call, Don’t Just Say “Call Me”: Carry on the family tradition of staying connected, even when you’re miles apart. Tap + then Schedule a call in the Calls tab to lock in a regular “Post-Raya Check-in” video call. Send a reminder so everyone can join on time.
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Keep the Raya Spirit Alive by Getting Everyone Involved
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Assign yourself a fun “tag” in the family group: Are you the one who always ends up cooking? Or the one who plans the itinerary for family trips? Or the master of GIFs who keeps everyone amused? Use the Member Tag feature in the group to give yourself a witty, funny, or practical role—”Next Event Planner” or “Tech Support Guru,” maybe?. Member tags can be customised for each group you’re in.
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Share a Spontaneous ‘I Miss You’ Video: Did you just see something that reminded you of the reunion? Press and hold the camera icon to record a spontaneous Video Notes message. It’s faster than typing and instantly brings warmth and real-time emotion back into the group.
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Digital Hugs: Making the Long-Distance Moment Count
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Share a Moving Memory: Don’t just send a still photo. Share a Live or Motion Photo to capture the ambient sound and movement of a recent Eid moment. It makes your memories feel more vivid, personal, and real—a perfect antidote to feeling disconnected.
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Your Group Chat Background: Create a vibe with Meta AI: Don’t settle for a plain background for your family group chat. Use Meta AI to generate unique, custom chat wallpapers that reflect something uniquely memorable to your family: be it food, travel or a sport that unites everyone. Every time you open the chat, you’ll feel the warmth, not the distance.
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Make Sure No One Misses Out
No More FOMO: Send the Conversation History: Just added a family member who couldn’t make it to mudik? When adding a new member, you can now send up to 100 recent messages with the Group Message History feature. No need to recap; let them catch up instantly and feel included from the first tap.
By Olumide Balogun
Nigerians are natural explorers. Whether finding the best supplier in Balogun market, hunting down a recipe for party jollof, or looking for the most affordable flight out of Lagos, we are always searching.
Today, human curiosity is expanding, and the way Nigerians express it is evolving. We are speaking to our phones, snapping photos of things we like, and asking incredibly complex questions. For the Nigerian business owner, understanding this shift is a massive opportunity to get discovered by eager customers.
Here are four ways AI is rewriting how Nigerians search, along with simple steps to ensure your business is exactly what they find.
1. Visual Discovery is the New Normal
People are increasingly using their cameras to discover the world around them. Picture someone spotting a brilliant pair of sneakers in traffic and wanting to know exactly where to buy them. Today, shoppers simply take out their phones and search visually.
Tools like Google Lens now process over 25 billion visual searches every single month, and many of these searches are from people looking to make a purchase.
How to adapt: Your product’s visual appeal is paramount. Make sure you upload clear, high-quality images of your products to your website and social media. When a customer snaps a picture of a bag that looks like the one you sell, having great photos ensures your business pops up in their visual search results.
2. Conversations Replace Simple Keywords
Shoppers are asking highly nuanced, conversational questions. They are typing queries like, “Where can I find affordable leather shoes in Ikeja that are open on Sundays and do home delivery?”
To handle these detailed questions, new features like AI Overviews act like a superfast librarian that has read everything on the web. It provides users with a perfectly organised summary and links to dig deeper.
How to adapt: Answer your customers’ questions before they even ask. Create detailed, helpful content on your website and fully update your Google Business Profile. List your opening hours, delivery areas, and unique services clearly. This ensures the technology easily finds your details and recommends your business when a customer asks a highly specific question.
3. Intent Matters More Than Exact Words
Predicting every single word a customer might use to find your product is a huge task for any business owner. Thankfully, modern search technology focuses on the underlying need behind a search.
If someone searches for “how to bring small dogs on flights,” AI understands that the person likely needs to buy an airline-approved pet carrier. The technology looks at the true intent of the shopper.
How to adapt: You no longer need to obsess over guessing exact keywords. By using AI-powered campaigns, you allow the technology to understand your products and match them to the customer’s true needs. Your business will show up for highly relevant searches, bringing you customers who are actively looking for solutions you provide.
4. Smart Assistants Handle the Heavy Lifting
Running a business in Nigeria requires incredible hustle. Managing digital marketing on top of daily operations takes significant time and energy. The next frontier in digital advertising introduces agentic capabilities, which hold a simple promise of delivering better results for your business with much less effort.
The technology now acts as your personalised assistant.
How to adapt: You can simplify your marketing by using the Power Pack of AI-driven campaigns, including Performance Max. You simply provide your business goals, your budget, and your creative assets like photos and videos. The AI automatically finds new, high-value customers across Google Search, YouTube, and the web. It adapts your ads in real time to match exactly what the shopper is looking for, allowing you to focus on running your business.
The language of curiosity is constantly expanding. Nigerians are discovering brands in entirely new ways using cameras, voice notes, and highly specific questions. By understanding these behaviours and embracing helpful AI tools, you can let the technology connect eager customers directly to your digital doorstep.
Olumide Balogun is a Director at Google West Africa
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