When I listen to people discuss on WhatsApp, I laugh at times and other times, I get irritated
Social media has democratised thought and enhanced constitutionally sanctioned freedom of speech and as such, we all can TALK
But talk is what most of us do. We hide under the anonymity of WhatsApp to talk and not lift a finger
As the country is declining, I have decided long ago not just talk but in my own little way join the advocacy for a better Nigeria
One of the vehicles that I have chosen is in writing, airing my views, curating influence such that policy makers, leaders from all sectors would at least hear my voice and cry even if they don’t hearken
The Maddtimes Power list Coffee table book is one of those platforms that I have decided to use as a strong weapon to fight
The 537-page book has within its covers 51 of the best ever written essays on all aspects of Nigerian life.
Such prominent brains like Dakuku Peterside who with his brother Magnus Onyibe are gradually becoming major thought leaders with the prolific ways they churn out essays
Other such powerful brains like Prof Ahmed Yerima, Prof Julie Okoh and fmr economic adviser to the President, M Liman and many others including ephemeral banker Tope Fasoranti, PR goddess Lami Tumaka and Babatunde Fashola to mention a few did justice in their contributions
These 51 people have now chosen 100 Nigerians whom they consider the most powerful and influential over the period
To add spice, we now profiled the nominees in the best satirical format written by Nigeria’s most active Satirist – me, and then garnished it with superb caricatures
A sample of the Book sent in from Dubai continues to awe and shock the few who have seen it.
Someone after seeing it, described it as 10 books in one.
Now the challenge. When we started the project, the estimated cost of publishing was put at about N24m today we are getting about N42m
Double, as a result of the war in Iran and forex fluctuations
We had already secured funding for the N24m but now we are in a lurch as a N20m gap is staring me in the face
What do I do, do I abandon it and hope that sometime in the future when I’m dead and gone someone will pick it up and publish it posthumously or do I stare the bull in the eye and attack
Would I let 7 months of work with over one million words, 100 caricatures, sleepless nights by award-winning artists Ugo, go down the drain just like that?
Most importantly, would all the ideas, vision, recommendations and positions crafted by the most important brains in Nigeria just go down the drain-I mean the elusive Dr Segun Akin-Olugbade a first-class brain and scholar broke protocol and wrote ooo.
I am a child born into risk. I was born into the Civil War where my survival was not assured
I have lived a life of risks, rushing towards risk without cover like a deranged matador
I have suffered for taking these risks, lost money, gone to jail, beaten up to say the least
I’ve also gained a lot from these risks – made money, built one of the biggest theatre platforms on the continent, gotten some level of influence and a strong network that can give me almost anything.
So this risk im about to take comes with the terrain
So I have no savings, no investments and nothing to fall back on in my old age
I am free-spirited and live my life by the day. Nothing worries me that much, nothing inspires me except the unpredictable nature of my life. I float
But tarry. I have two flats in Lagos. One I had totally forgotten I had, until the tenant came and introduced himself to me at Mena’s funeral
I screamed – aghhhh, I remember oo and since then the man has been paying me N500k every year and anytime I want to increase the rent he will shout and I will say oya just send and he will send and I will use it to buy a shoe or something
The other one is luxury o. Na, that one I want to use as a retirement pad. It’s very fine o and one Yoruba boy is living there and he too no gree increase rent so we are just there looking at ourselves
Anyways, I just dusted the papers of one of the flats and walked into a Bank and said, ” Take mbok give me N42m
They looked at me and asked, ” What do you want to do with the money and I said publish Book
They almost fainted. Who borrows money to publish a book? I am sure if I had said Invoice or contract or to buy Land in Ikorodu they would have understood
To publish a book, in these days that everyone is on social media?
When I told my partner Ugo, he heaved a sigh and said Ogaaaaaa. Your house?
Let’s do this, just make sure the quality is good that’s all I ask for, let’s do this
I have submitted the house, about to sign it away in an agreement that gives the Bank the house if I fail to pay back with me thanking my stars that my mother is not alive cos this book would never see the light of day if I had to mortgage my house
As I write, fingers crossed waiting for the authorities to perfect the documents that would move the house to the Bank so that the funds can be released for Nigeria to be free
Only 500 copies would be published out of which 100 would be gifted to contributors and strategic people like President Tinubu and Obasanjo and political science departments of strategic Nigerian universities
Only 400 would be sold out of which another 100 have already been prebooked
At N599k this would be one of the most expensive books ever produced by a Nigerian and guess who brought it all together – me.
If he fails, we sell the house and move to the IDP camp and from there start work on a new Book – how I failed spectacularly
Kai, God help me
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: May 5, 2026
