On every 1st of October, around 1.7 billion citizens wake up to a day of national celebration. A fraction of that figure live in a separate country about 11,000 km away. It is a day of pride for both Nigeria and China. For China, it marks the birth of the People’s Republic in 1949, while for Nigeria, it celebrates independence from the British colonial system in 1960. Two nations, one date, yet seven hours apart. When Beijing rises to the afternoon of October 1st, Abuja is only waking up to the morning light. That seven-hour gap is more than a difference in time; it is a lens through which we can reflect on the journeys of both nations, from 1960 to today, and consider the dimensions in which one has advanced ahead of the other. 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗲— Nigeria lies in West Africa around longitude 3°E to 15°E, with a central position near 10°E. By the logic of time zones, every 15° of longitude equals about one hour difference in solar time. This position puts Nigeria in the UTC+1 zone, w...
Two weeks into my stay at USTB, I met Jack at the badminton court. He was a Chinese undergraduate who came over and asked if I could team up with him for doubles. That was exactly what I had been waiting for, so I agreed. We warmed up on the side court before stepping on to face the other players. After eliminating a few opponents, I ended up costing us our second round at the very last point. Jack was clearly the stronger player. Obviously fromsomeone who had been playing since childhood. He spoke English and was very kind. We had a conversation afterwards and I left earlier because I had an online class to attend. About a week later, our school held a cultural festival. While I was standing at the Nigerian booth in my "Babban riga" handing out Nigerian seal stickers and helping visitors place them on their world map papers, Jack appeared. I immediately recognised him and called him by his name. He remembered me too. I gave him the sticker before we took a picture together a...