Feature/OPED
Peter Enahoro, Legacies And Lessons
By Jerom-Mario Chijioke Utomi
Though it’s been long known via research that when traumatic events –those involving anxiety and pains occur or are told to those who feel linked by identity to the victims- whether the shared identity is ethnic, religious, historical, cultural, linguistic or nationalistic, it can never produce emotional and physical responses similar to those experienced by the victims.
The above fact notwithstanding, Nigerians a few days ago received with rude shock, disbelief and excruciating pain the news about the demise of Mr Peter Enahoro, eminent satirist, celebrated author, and journalist-extraordinaire. To many, the pains that emanated from that news were, to an appreciable extent, similar to that of the victim.
Adding context to the piece, Peter Enahoro, who passed on at the ripe age of 88, was ‘raw talent’ when he joined the Daily Times in 1955 and became editor of the Sunday Times in 1958 at the tender age of 23. He became the editor of the group, the Daily Times in 1962 at 27. In 1965, he was made the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Times conglomerate. He was just 30. He was young, restless, cerebral, eager and courageous.
Peter, going by records, was blessed with mastery of the English Language and a deep understanding of our society. He was an incurable wit who soon got a large following. He wrote his Peter Pan column twice weekly.
Aside from practising journalism that qualifies as pro-people, and in sharp contrast with present-day journalism, there are, in the opinion of this piece, very sterling legacies he left behind that present-day journalists must draw lessons from.
First and very fundamental, throughout his period of practice, he recognized and demonstrated that as a journalist, he should watch the society and not be watched over; that he should watch over crimes, injustices, malpractices, and every other act deemed unfair and unlawful. He was not the kind of ‘watchdog’ with ropes tied around his neck and so had no freedom of speech and expression.
He knew what to do, where to go, and how to discharge his duties when due and should not be dictated by any force or power whatsoever. Professionally, he was capped with competence to carry out the duties as a vibrant member of the fourth estate of the realm.
To ensure that this standard was upheld, the Uromi, Edo state-born Enahoro went into a self-imposed exile that lasted for 13 years. That was in the 1960s. While abroad, he functioned as the Contributing Editor of Radio Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany, from 1966 to 1976, and was the Africa Editor of National Zeitung in Basel, Switzerland, becoming Editorial Director of New African magazine in London in 1978.
Secondly, he supported the positive purpose of the elected government that did not in any way dent/obstruct the media’s primary responsibility to the masses in a democratic society. He used his writing to inculcate and reinforce positive political, cultural, and social attitudes among the citizens. He created a mood in which Nigerians became keen to acquire skills and disciplines of developed nations.
But he stood stoutly against military rule in Nigeria even at a time when it was considered fashionable to support military rule.
His attributes as a journalist say something more worthy of emulation.
Take, as an illustration, Peter going by his actions and inactions as a journalist, was among the very few who believed that ‘a free press is not a privilege but an organic necessity in a great society. For without criticism and reliable and intelligent reporting, the government cannot govern. For there is no adequate way in which it can keep itself informed about what the people of the country are thinking, doing and wanting.
Similarly, through his weekly analysis in his column Peter Pan, he became reputed for bringing to the surface the hidden political and socioeconomic tension in the country that was already alive to where they could be seen and treated like a boil that can never be cured as long as it is covered up. But it must be opened with all its pus-flowing ugliness to the natural medicine of air and light; injustice must likewise be exposed to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.
To him, the function of the press was very high. It was almost holy. It serves as a forum for the people, through which the people may freely know what is going on. Enahoro believed that misstating or suppressing information is a breach of trust. To him, that was sacrosanct and pivotal for a development-oriented society.
However, while the world stands in awe for the late pen pusher because of his time-honoured understanding that the sole aim of journalism is service and in providing this service, one enjoys great power and followership, it remains a painful narrative that modern-day journalists have, unlike Mr Enahoro, used the same profession to communicate more hatred than love, injustice than justice and deprivation than equity.
Very regrettably, their use of the asymmetrical press in the country has brought about a state of affairs where tribal loyalty is now considered stronger and more important than our common sense of nationhood. In recent years, the press in Nigeria has become the stage for fierce political and ideological warfare in ways that negate our rationality as human beings.
Through the unfortunate process, a great amount of innocent human character has been spilt, wars of words waged, and countless souls/ambitions persecuted and martyred. The press has failed to communicate noble ideas and ideals. This consequence of their failures is responsible for why anarchy presently prevails in the country and accounts for why Nigerians daily diminish and are impoverished.
Also, presently in the country, media professionals, in their search for new but personal fields to increase their wealth and well-being, have opted out of its primary mandate of objective reportage to become a willing tool in the hands of these political gladiators.
While some have overtly become more cautious than courageous in performing their agenda-setting roles, others have on many occasions watched the making of political cum economic decisions that breeds poverty and perpetrates powerlessness, yet took the easy way out without addressing the underlying factors.
Curiously, media practice in Nigeria has seen power lately gone the wrong way but assumed it’s the right thing, I watched the nation’s political gladiators redefine democracy in the image of their actions but viewed it as normal.
And very oddly, unlike Mr Enahoro, who used media practice to promote nation-building and development, media professionals in the country presently no longer see themselves as problem solvers or watchdogs of the society but now occupy a high ground they do not understand while leaving the masses that initially depended on them confused.
As the world mourns this iconic writer who was a few days ago described as a national asset by the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, it will be highly rewarding, in my view, if journalists in the country emulate his sterling virtues. That will be the best way to have him immortalized.
Adieu Peter Enahoro, the pen pusher!!!
Utomi is the Program Coordinator (Media and Politics), Advocacy for Social and Economic Justice (SEJA), Lagos. He can be reached via 08032725374
By Onah Ishioma Adaeze
As a beginner, choosing between stocks and forex for your investment goals in 2026 can feel overwhelming. Before investing your hard-earned money, it is important to understand how both markets work.
While both markets present investors with opportunities to grow their wealth, they also differ in terms of volatility, liquidity, market hours, and leverage. Stocks involve owning portions of a company, while forex has to do with trading a base currency against a quote currency.
In this article, we will be going through the basics of stocks and forex, pointing out their differences, and helping you decide which asset better suits your investment journey in 2026.
What is Stock Trading?
When it comes to stock trading, you are buying shares of a company, which makes you a shareholder of that company. As a shareholder, you may be entitled to receive dividends whenever the company decides to pay dividends.
As for those companies that do not pay dividends, there are other benefits a shareholder may enjoy, like being called upon to attend shareholder meetings and having voting rights on certain company matters.
On a global scale, over $100 trillion worth of shares are traded annually. Also, the rising popularity of AI companies and technological innovations continues to drive investor participation and market growth.
If you’re an investor looking to buy and hold capital assets, then stock trading is definitely for you, as it allows for short-term, medium-term and long-term investment goals.
When you buy shares of a company and the company performs well, your shares increase in value. Another benefit of stock trading is access to index funds and ETFs.
These funds consist of companies that are grouped under an index. They are carefully selected and monitored under the fund, sparing the investor the stress of actively tracking the fund.
They can be a way of building a long-term, diversified portfolio, and some of these funds may pay dividends.
What is Forex Trading?
Forex trading has to do with buying one currency and selling another. With a pair like USD/JPY, USD is the base currency being bought against JPY, which is the quote currency.
In order to execute a trade in the forex market, you have to analyse and make predictions based on price movement, as well as pay attention to what’s going on in the global news scene.
The forex market runs twenty-four hours every weekday, with over $9 trillion traded in the market every day. Being the largest financial market in the world, there is very high liquidity.
Forex trading involves buying one currency against another, making predictions based on price movements on the forex charts. Price moves based on the activities of large institutions like hedge funds, big banks, the government, etc.
The forex market runs 24 hours a day, every weekday, with global forex turnover reaching $9 trillion per day in the BIS 2025 survey. Being the largest financial market in the world, there is very high volatility and price fluctuations.
At the same time, there is high liquidity in the market, which means that currency pairs can easily be bought and sold without hassle. Highly liquid instruments that are traded regularly include: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and gold (XAU/USD).
As a retail trader, knowing when to enter and exit the market is important. As easy as it is to make profits from price fluctuations, it is also very easy to lose money if the market moves against you. This is why it is important to set stop losses and take profits. This helps manage your trading capital.
Major Differences Between Stocks and Forex
While investing in stocks and forex can yield great capital gains, there are lots of ways in which they differ.
As a beginner, stock trading provides opportunities for long-term investments, ensuring slow but consistent returns for wealth building. But if you are looking for an active, short-term style of investment, then forex trading is for you, as it allows you to enter and exit the market within a shorter time frame.
Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing an asset to invest in all boils down to personal preference. At the same time, if you are not averse to risk, nor opposed to asset diversification, then it’s okay to invest in both.
For beginner investors in 2026, stock trading is easier to understand and get into, especially because of mutual funds, index funds and ETFs. With those funds, you don’t have to be an expert to start investing. You can just buy a fund that suits your needs and hold it over a long period of time.
If you are an investor who enjoys technical analysis, highly volatile and liquid markets, as well as trading under short time frames, then forex trading is the right pick for you.
Conclusion
You do not need to put all your eggs in one basket. There are investors who invest in both stocks and forex simultaneously. When starting out, you can start investing in stocks while learning forex. Take calculated risks and do not invest above your means. Diversify your investments and remember, when starting out, you should prioritise acquiring knowledge over profits.
Onah Ishioma Adaeze is a finance writer who is passionate about simplifying complex concepts into easily digestible pieces. Her hobbies are reading and watching anime
By Owoloye Emmanuel
Every business starts with a problem. For us, that problem was hiding in plain sight.
Across organisations, we kept seeing HR professionals, payroll teams, and business leaders spend significant time navigating processes that should be simpler. Employee records sat across multiple systems, payroll processes required manual intervention, and routine workforce tasks often became more complicated than they needed to be.
As businesses grow, workforce operations naturally become more complex. Yet many organisations still rely on disconnected tools and workflows that create unnecessary friction for both employers and employees.
The consequence is more than operational inefficiency. HR teams spend valuable time managing systems instead of supporting people. Business leaders struggle to access timely workforce insights, while employees experience delays in processes that should be seamless.
These weren’t isolated challenges. They were recurring realities across workplaces, regardless of industry or size.
That observation led us to a simple question: what if workforce management could be easier?
What if HR, payroll, and workforce operations could work together within a single, connected experience?
That question became the foundation for 234 Solutions.
We are building 234 Solutions with a clear belief that workplace technology should reduce complexity, not add to it. Our goal is to help organisations spend less time navigating processes and more time focusing on productivity, growth, and people.
As we prepare for launch, our focus remains simple: building practical solutions for real workplace challenges and helping organisations create better experiences for the people who power them every day.
Owoloye Emmanuel is the founder of 234 Solutions
Scroll through social media today, and you will notice something interesting: everyone is either reacting to a series, quoting a movie line, or debating a character as though they personally know them. Beneath the memes and binge-watch culture, however, lies something deeper. Television remains one of the most powerful tools shaping how Africans see themselves, remember their history, and tell their own stories. In a continent as diverse and expressive as Africa, that matters more than ever.
TV as a Cultural Archive, Not Just Entertainment
Long before streaming algorithms began shaping our viewing habits, television was already preserving African identity. From Nollywood dramas that capture the rhythm of everyday Lagos life to documentaries exploring Maasai traditions and Ghanaian folklore, TV has served as a living archive of the continent’s stories.
It preserves more than entertainment; it preserves language, culture, humour, values, and shared experiences. Unlike fleeting social media content, television allows stories to unfold with depth, exploring the realities of family, tradition, ambition, and modern African life without reducing them to stereotypes. That is the power of TV: preserving not just stories, but perspective.
Why Representation on TV Still Matters
There is a subtle but important truth: if people do not see themselves on screen, they may begin to believe their stories are not worth telling. This is why African TV content is more than entertainment; it is affirmation.
Seeing a character who speaks like you, struggles like you, or celebrates like your community does something powerful. It validates identity and challenges outdated narratives that have historically defined Africa through external lenses.
This is where MultiChoice Group, through platforms such as DStv and GOtv, plays an important role. They do not simply broadcast content; they help distribute cultural memory at scale.
GOtv, DStv, and the Everyday African Viewer
Think about a typical evening in many African homes: the TV is on in the background, someone is laughing at a comedy show, another person is watching a local series, and someone else is catching up on the news. That shared viewing experience remains very real.
Through platforms such as DStv and GOtv, African households are exposed to a blend of local storytelling and global content. More importantly, they have helped amplify African-produced content by bringing Nollywood films, African reality shows, talk shows, and documentaries into mainstream rotation.
It is not just about access. It is about visibility.
A young filmmaker in Lagos today is more likely to believe their story matters because they have seen similar stories broadcast widely. A child in Accra grows up hearing familiar accents and seeing environments that look like their own on screen, not as exceptions, but as the norm.
TV Is Also Shaping Modern African Identity
African identity is not static; it is evolving. Television reflects that evolution in real time.
Today, audiences see:
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Young Africans balancing tradition and modern dating culture
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Stories tackling mental health in African households
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Fashion and music influences spreading through TV series
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Political satire shaping public conversation
Conversations that were once confined to homes are now being explored on screen, giving audiences the language to discuss issues that were previously unspoken.
In many ways, television is doing what oral tradition has always done: passing stories, values, humour, warnings, and history from one generation to the next. The difference is that today’s griots are writers, directors, and broadcasters.
The Future: From Watching to Owning Our Narratives
The next stage of African storytelling is not just about being seen; it is about ownership.
As more African creators produce content and platforms continue to invest in regional storytelling, television becomes more than a mirror. It becomes a tool for shaping how Africa is represented to itself and to the world.
While streaming continues to grow, television, particularly accessible platforms such as GOtv, remains one of the most effective ways to reach everyday audiences across different income levels and regions. After all, storytelling only matters if people can access it.
African stories are not new. They have always existed in families, on streets, in markets, in history books, and through oral traditions. What television has done, and continues to do, is give those stories a stage wide enough for millions to experience them at once.
The next time you watch a local series or documentary on DStv or GOtv, remember that you are not just being entertained. You are participating in the preservation of African identity itself.
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