Yusuf Usman

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...

The passing of President Muhammadu Buhari was received with shock across Nigeria. Even to his critics, it evoked mixed emotions. The former President lived a life marked by personal integrity and admirable character, acknowledged even by those who opposed him. Personally, my most enduring memory of him will be his democratic administration. It shaped my understanding of governance in Nigeria, especially as someone who grew up with the stories of his character and honesty. His picture stickers, often inscribed with "Mai Gaskiya" & "General Muhammadu Buhari", were everywhere — on plates, pots, and even torchlights. He was seen far more than just a politician. During the 2015 general elections, Nigeria was electrified with the anticipation of change. It was a transformative period for our political landscape. As a young citizen which was then ineligible to vote, I was still immersed in the excitement and optimism surrounding the elections. We all wanted for him to...

You need a little observation to see that we are not far different from the leaders that we constantly criticise (maybe even worse than them). That doesn't make an excuse to their menace. The point is, the normal injustice or corruption that happens in our locals which we labelled as "favor" or "alfarma" is the same that happens at the top level, just that the threshold and frequencies are different. If we always scold our leaders for differing common sense in making policies, do we also question the common social vices around us? The concept of having an ideal state is as fallable as being an atheist. Leaders are responsible with making laws and orders, but are they gotten from Mars? The local mechanic that destroy a different component of his customer car after handing it to him for repair (so that he'll return for another repair) may be a Minister in the future. The replica of his actions will continue, but this time, the consequences will be felt by the ...

 The Islamic etiquettes for using the telephone by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd.  Review: The book gives account of Islamic guidelines for using the telephone, starting with the caller dialing the correct number, to excusing himself in making mistakes calls and the person wrongfully called to be kind in his response “Sorry, you’ve called a wrong number”. The author further explains the ethics to be adorn by the caller, by starting with “Assalamu alaikum” instead of “Hello” and the receiver been obliged to respond back the Salam. Also, the Caller should know when is the right time to make call and to move forward by starting to speak, instead keeping silent even after being the caller. We should also give excuses to people for not picking our calls as everyone has their different time of activities routine. Also, among the most malicious act done by phone users is taking the recording of conversation without the permission of the opponent, this is clearly Haram and very unethical. All ...