Opinion

Celebrating Tunji Bello at 65…

Published

4 months ago

July 1, 2026

By Bola BOLAWOLE,

What do you do when someone takes the wind off your sail? Two options readily come to mind: Either you try to force your way and swim against the tide – which is suicidal – or you ride the storm, like the eagle does. Isaiah 40:31 says: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” The eagle does not struggle or fight the storm; it simply rides it – leisurely, effortless ride.

Also read: Queen Mercy Atang Says She Wants Wealth to Support Flood Victims

That way, the eagle soars and conquers, and the eagle has its way; achieving its goal without struggle. When someone else helps you to get the job practically done, learn a lesson from the eagle!

On Monday morning while meditating on topics to comment about, I stumbled on Lasisi Olagunju’s “Tunji Bello at 65.” Lasisi is a must-read for me every week or whenever he writes and whatever he writes on.

We both write for the TRIBUNE titles and we get on very well as professional colleagues and brothers, including other TRIBUNE writers like Festus, Suyi, Adewole, among others. But last weekend was hectic for me and I had not read any of my favourite columnists, including Lasisi. The topic, Tunji Bello, also fascinated me.

Olatunji Bello has a good heart – and I mean, a good heart. If you ask our professional colleagues to rate Tunji, he will score 100 percent – or close to it! I was at the University of Ibadan (for my NYSC, followed by my M. Sc. degree programme in the Political Science department of the same university (1982-1984) when Tunji campaigned for the post of vice-president of the Students Union – and he won.

As a member of the Socialist Collectives at U.I at the time, we took active interest in the students gunning for elective officers. We were Dr. Gboyega (where is he now?), Femi Falana (now SAN), Prof. Niyi Osundare, myself, among others.

As Tunji campaigned for votes, he also had his eyes on other things. It was here that he sighted Ibiyemi in one of the female halls, and the pretty lady later became his wife.

Handsome man won the hand of a beautiful lady! I was there in 1989 when they both tied the nuptial knot. Ibiyemi, the current vice-chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), has part of her roots in Owo, where I also hail from.

Lasisi is one of this generation’s most cerebral and delectable writers. So I am so happy to soar on his wings today! Einstein says, “If I have seen farther than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” It is my pleasure, then, to stand on the shoulders of this literary giant today! Blunt and severe on many occasions, let’s see what Lasisi has to say about Tunji:

“I call myself a dove. That is why I choose my friends carefully. Yet, for reasons I have never understood, many of those I deliberately choose turn out to be delightful rascals. One of them is an Edo man named Louis Odion. We met in Kano in 2002 and have remained family ever since.
“One day, I asked Louis, “Tell me about OPEC.”

“That is KGB-classified information,” he replied with a laugh. Then, like every good conspirator, he broke the code of silence.

“OPEC,” he said, “was the Organisation of Petroleum (Lifting) Correspondents. The crude we traded was Stout beer. It was our opium against the tyranny of Sani Abacha.”
He explained that in those Concord years, confronting a murderous military dictatorship without regular salaries required more than courage; it required fellowship.

Tunji Bello, whom everyone simply called TB, was OPEC President. Kayode Komolafe was Vice-President. Louis served as Secretary-General. Their “summits”, he said, were dictated by “operational necessity.”

Whenever the Abacha regime committed an outrage, an “extraordinary summit” was promptly convened. Membership cut across the CONCORD stable, with visiting comrades from The GUARDIAN, VANGUARD and PUNCH. Consumption was measured in barrels—bottles of Stout. Fines for late stories or sloppy copy were also paid in barrels, while Secretary-General Louis enforced compliance by collecting the “dead-cold crude” from CONCORD’s famous “bush canteen.”
“TB gave a good account of himself as OPEC President,” Louis concluded. “He still does.”
Louis is a gifted storyteller. One day he told me he was trained as a secretary. I immediately corrected him: “You mean a typist.” He laughed.

That secretary-turned-journalist trajectory, incidentally, he shares with another mutual friend, Festus Adedayo.

But Louis’s story is more than a career change; it is the story of a destiny transformed by a destiny helper.

He tells it best:

“In late 1992, my internship at CONCORD was ending. I was only 18 and uncertain about my future. Part of me wanted to JAPA. Another part wanted to return to Federal Polytechnic for Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Administration. Tunji Bello, already an editor, had taken interest in my writing. He urged me to go to university instead and study for a degree. But where would I get the funds for a degree? Tunji Bello then persuaded CONCORD management to bend its rules and employ me as Political Correspondent because, as he argued, I had exceptional writing talent. At the time, a university degree was the minimum qualification for the editorial cadre.

“Tunji Bello made it possible for a 19-year-old to become Political Correspondent. Even after CONCORD ran into hard times following Chief MKO Abiola’s incarceration in June 1994, he continued to support my education at UNILAG, morally and financially.” The rest is history.
Whenever I think of Louis Odion, I think of Tunji Bello. Louis is one of his many creations.

Across the newsroom and every public institution where Bello has served, there are countless stories of men and women who carry similar testimonies.

Destiny helpers are among God’s quietest angels; they leave their fingerprints on lives rather than on monuments.

That young intern, Louis, eventually became Deputy editor of Saturday, Sunday and Daily THISDAY, editor of the Sunday SUN, Managing Director of NATIONAL LIFE, Commissioner in Edo State and today serves as Executive Commissioner (Operations) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

And when Louis says simply, “Oga,” everyone knows who he means.

When Tunji Bello turned 60, President Bola Tinubu described him as “an exceptional human being.” It was an accurate description. Tinubu also called him “friend, comrade and partner” and “the most accomplished and durable public servant in Lagos State of his generation.” Time has not diminished that verdict. Bello has been an editor, commissioner, Secretary to the State Government and now Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Through each role, one quality has remained constant: he builds institutions by first building people.

I knew him only in journalism. We never worked in the same newsroom. Yet, like countless others, I call him ‘Oga Bello.’ Not just because in rank he is the boss, but because he embodies what every good oga should be: generous with opportunities, respectful of colleagues and quietly investing in the success of others.

Shakespeare once lamented that “Men’s evil manners live in brass; their virtues we write in water.” Tunji Bello’s life offers a happy subversion of that verse. His virtues were not written in water. They were written in people. And people remember.

This week Wednesday, July 1st, he climbs the sixty-fifth rung of life with the measured grace of an ọmọlúàbí. On behalf of all who have benefited from his friendship and friendliness, his discipline and leadership, I wish him many happy returns.

Five years from now, when he reaches the seventieth rung, we shall summon the Eyo masquerade in celebration of a man whose greatest achievements are not merely the offices held, but the lives lifted.

Congratulations, Oga Bello.”

I endorse all that Lasisi said about Tunji: Team-player, destiny-helper, easy-going humanist, compassionate friend, among others. Lasisi calls him “Oga”; I call Tunji “Ore” – and a true, reliable, and dependable friend he is!

Tunji and I, along with many of our colleagues, were in the trenches during the June 12 struggle. He was one of the Generals that commanded the CONCORD sector while myself and others held forte at the PUNCH sector.

Interestingly, both of us (with Louis Odion, the story-teller mentioned here by Lasisi), together with many of our other colleagues, were knighted as Heroes of Democracy in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Democracy Day 2026 broadcast.

Ore, congratulations on your birthday which falls due today!

JUSTICE (PROF.) ALABA OMOLAYE-AJILEYE PRESENTS BOOKS, LAUNCHES FOUNDATION

Tomorrow, Thursday, 2nd July, 2026, all roads will lead to the Conference Centre of the National Open University (NOUN), Jabi, FCT, Abuja, as retired judge of the Kogi State High Court and Visiting Professor of Law at NOUN, Hon. Justice (Prof.) Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, presents two books as well as launches a Foundation for indigent students.

An authority and leading light in the new field of electronic evidence, Omolaye-Ajileye’s new books are “Electronic Evidence, Second Edition” and “A Compendium of Cases on Electronic Evidence, Volume 11, 2020 – 2025.”

Also read: Queen Mercy Atang Says She Wants Wealth to Support Flood Victims

Justice Omolaye-Ajileye is also the Chief Executive Officer of Forensic Electronic and Digital Law Consultancy (FEDLAC).

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Entertainment

Reel Momentum: Nollywood Releases That Defined Q3

Published

2 weeks ago

October 21, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Olayinka Akanbi

The third quarter of 2026 offered a clear picture of where Nollywood stands today. Across July, August and September, filmmakers told stories centred on family, culture, history, identity and everyday life.

Some films looked inward at personal struggles, while others drew from folklore, real-life events and Nigeria’s past.

Also read: Orlando Owoh Music Festival Set for November 7 in Lagos

There were also signs of change in how films are distributed, with streaming platforms increasing their investment in original content.

July was defined by personal, character-driven stories.

One of the standout releases was Alechenu, directed by Biodun Stephen, which followed the journey of an autistic teenager travelling from Oyo State to Lagos in search of the mother he had never met.

The film explored themes of family, identity and perseverance through a simple yet emotional narrative.

Around the same period, Lami focused on the life of a retired soldier grappling with the emotional effects of war, examining trauma, healing and second chances through the experience of one man trying to rebuild his life.

Another notable release, The Return of Omotara Johnson, marked the return of veteran actress Bukky Wright in a crime drama centred on family secrets and unresolved past conflicts.

Later in the month, films such as Wire Wire and Njem: The Journey continued the trend of storytelling rooted in real-life experiences and social issues.

In August, attention shifted towards history, tradition and culture.

The month opened with Sweet 16, a coming-of-age family drama that also drew attention as one of the final completed performances by the late actor Alexx Ekubo.

This was followed by Ikenga: The Last Festival, a story centred on tradition, power and destiny, featuring veteran actors Pete Edochie and Patience Ozokwor.

Released around the same period, Aláhùn (The Weaver) drew heavily from Yoruba mythology and folklore, highlighting a growing interest in indigenous narratives and local fantasy storytelling.

Towards the end of the month, King Kosoko revisited the life of one of Lagos’ most influential historical rulers, reflecting a broader shift by filmmakers towards exploring Nigeria’s history on screen.

By September, the conversation had expanded beyond storytelling to include audience engagement and distribution models.

One of the month’s notable releases was Mama Deola’s Wedding Story, which became the first original production from Nigerian streaming platform Kava. Its release underscored the increasing role of local streaming services in shaping the industry.

Other films focused on contemporary life and younger audiences.

Ordinary People examined the lives of everyday Nigerians, while 19 explored themes of identity, ambition and relationships from a youthful perspective.

One Gidi Night captured the rhythm and character of Lagos, using the city itself as a central narrative element.

The month also saw the release of Black Market, which generated widespread attention due to efforts to stage a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest film screening audience at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.

Taken together, these releases reflect an industry in transition one that is expanding its storytelling range while experimenting with new platforms, audiences and formats.

Also read: Orlando Owoh Music Festival Set for November 7 in Lagos

Nollywood is not only telling more stories; it is also redefining how those stories are created, distributed and experienced.

Opinion

Rotary hails IPDG Lanre Adedoyin polio drive

Published

2 months ago

September 14, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Victor Ojelabi,

The Rotary Foundation has recognised the polio eradication efforts of Rotary International District 9112 under Immediate Past District Governor Lanre Adedoyin, following the District’s transfer of District Designated Funds to the PolioPlus Fund during the 2025 to 2026 Rotary year, a contribution acknowledged recently, as part of the global funding effort to protect children from the disease.

Also read: Rotary Club of Lagos Strengthens Traders With Fresh ₦6m Business Grant

The recognition brings a fitting international dimension to a Rotary year in which Adedoyin, a lawyer and member of the Rotary Club of Surulere South, repeatedly placed polio eradication among District 9112’s major humanitarian priorities across Lagos and Ogun states.

In a message addressed to District 9112, The Rotary Foundation thanked the District for committing its District Designated Funds to the campaign, saying the collective support from Rotary districts helped the organisation reach its fundraising target and secure matching funds that translate into US$150 million for polio eradication.

“Your support helped Rotary reach our goal and secure the matching funds that translate into US$150 million toward eradicating polio,” the Foundation said.

The money has consequences far beyond the balance sheet.

According to the Foundation, polio funding supports frontline workers taking vaccines into remote communities, environmental surveillance capable of detecting the virus in wastewater and programmes designed to interrupt transmission in affected areas.

The Foundation said the continuing effort was particularly important in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries where wild poliovirus remains endemic.

That assessment is consistent with Rotary International’s latest account of the global campaign.

Rotary says its partnership with the Gates Foundation generates up to US$150 million annually for polio eradication, with Rotary raising US$50 million and the Foundation providing a two-to-one match.

The money supports vaccine procurement, social mobilisation, outbreak response, surveillance and other operational requirements.

Rotary’s involvement stretches back decades. Its first polio vaccination project began in the Philippines in 1979, and the organisation became a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. Since then, global polio cases have fallen by 99.9 per cent.

For Nigeria, the story carries particular resonance.

The country recorded its last case of wild poliovirus in Borno State in August 2016.

Four years later, the World Health Organisation African Region was formally certified free of wild poliovirus, leaving Afghanistan and Pakistan as the remaining countries with endemic transmission.

That historic achievement, however, did not mean the end of the polio challenge in Nigeria.

Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus can still emerge in communities with low immunisation coverage, making vaccination and surveillance essential even in countries that have eliminated wild poliovirus.

It was against that backdrop that the IPDG’s polio drive developed during the 2025 to 2026 Rotary year.

Adedoyin, who became the second District Governor of District 9112 following the division of the former District 9110, had signalled early in his tenure that healthcare would remain a central part of the District’s service programme.

His installation in Lagos in July 2025 marked the beginning of a year that subsequently combined fundraising with grassroots advocacy and support for health workers.

By September 2025, the District had held a PolioPlus seminar at which Adedoyin warned against complacency simply because wild poliovirus had disappeared from Nigeria. District records show that the campaign remained prominent in its programme in the months that followed.

In October, Districts 9111 and 9112 took the End Polio Now message beyond conventional conference halls with a joint train journey from Lagos to Abeokuta.

Led by Adedoyin and then District 9111 Governor Henry Akinyele, alongside Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee Chairman Joshua Hassan and other Rotary leaders, the initiative turned the train journey into a public awareness campaign for polio eradication.

District 9112 also took the message to communities in Ogun State, including a roughly 10-kilometre Keep Polio @ Zero awareness walk in Sagamu aimed particularly at encouraging parents and guardians to ensure that children receive their vaccinations.

In Lagos, the campaign moved from advocacy to practical support.

District 9112 donated 100 pairs of rain boots and 200 raincoats to the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board in October 2025 to assist health personnel working on polio eradication during the rainy season. The intervention was valued at about ₦1.6 million.

Adedoyin made the District’s position clear at the presentation.

“Our commitment to ending polio is absolute,” Adedoyin said. “We will continue working with the Lagos State Government and our partners until polio is completely wiped out.”

Another significant moment came towards the end of his tenure.

In June 2026, District 9112 announced that it had raised US$13,000 through the World’s Greatest Meal initiative for The Rotary Foundation’s PolioPlus Fund.

The contribution was described by World’s Greatest Meal Committee Chairman Tokunbo Opanubi as one of the highest recorded by the District through the initiative.

The US$13,000 contribution is separate from the District Designated Funds now acknowledged by The Rotary Foundation.

Together, however, the initiatives illustrate the different channels through which District 9112 supported the global eradication campaign during Adedoyin’s tenure.

District Designated Funds form part of The Rotary Foundation’s funding system and allow Rotary districts to direct portions of avail

IPDG Lanre Adedoyin with wife at a Rotary event recently

able Foundation resources towards eligible programmes.

PolioPlus is one of the avenues through which districts can deploy such resources in support of Rotary’s eradication objective.

The Foundation’s latest acknowledgement therefore adds another layer to District 9112’s polio record for the 2025 to 2026 year.

It also demonstrates the multiplier effect behind Rotary’s funding model.

A contribution originating from clubs and districts can ultimately support a much larger global pool used for vaccines, surveillance, community mobilisation and the difficult task of reaching children in areas affected by conflict, insecurity or geographical isolation.

The stakes remain considerable.

Polio is a potentially fatal infectious disease that primarily affects young children and can invade the nervous system, causing irreversible paralysis.

Although its global footprint has been reduced dramatically, Rotary cautions that eradication requires sustained vaccination and surveillance until transmission has been stopped everywhere.

The Foundation’s message to District 9112 captured that unfinished mission.

It thanked the District for supporting the PolioPlus Fund and helping move the world closer to the point where “no child is threatened by this disease ever again”.

For Adedoyin, who handed over the governorship of District 9112 at the end of the 2025 to 2026 Rotary year, the recognition offers a powerful postscript to a year in which the District’s contribution was measured not only in fundraising figures, but also in public advocacy, community mobilisation and support for those working closest to vulnerable children.

Also read: Rotary Club of Lagos Strengthens Traders With Fresh ₦6m Business Grant

And for District 9112, the acknowledgement connects a local Rotary story from Lagos and Ogun states to a much larger global ambition: ensuring that the final cases of polio become part of history rather than the beginning of another outbreak.

Culture

WAKE UP! Art Exhibition Returns for a Second Act

Published

2 months ago

August 27, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The contemporary art and photography exhibition “Wake Up!” is back again for a second edition.

Curated by Awele Onwordi, Wake Up! 2 exhibition pays homage to the Nigerian youth and burgeoning street culture which many of its contributing artists reference in their works.

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Titled “Young, Wild, Free”, the exhibition celebrates the creativity, resilience, freedom and cultural influence found in Nigerian youth.

Taking aim at societal issues and economic concerns, the exhibit reflects the youth and their refusal to compromise or bow despite all the challenges stacked against them while charting youth culture through art, music, fashion, skateboarding, photography and community.

The exhibition will be held, once again, at the Angel and Muse Gallery at 25 Sumbo Jibowu street off Ribadu Road off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi.

It will open on Saturday 5 September 2026 and will run until 11 September 2026
This second edition which focuses on celebrating, nurturing and exploring artistic practices rooted in youth and street culture will feature works from DENCITY and SUPERGLIDER HOUSE.

Exhibiting artists include Ajilore Kehinde – their work is deeply influenced by Nigerian street culture and works of other artists like Slawn, Peters Ejiro, etc, Chuka Onwordi – graphic designer who embodies themes of death, melancholy and beauty in his works, ZIDYEP – Abuja based creative whose works move between digital and physical spaces through art, graphic design and air brushing , Franklyn Okoye – graphic designer and artist whose works explore themes of identity and hyper-reality, Awele Onwordi – founder & curator of WAKE UP and multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans character art, creative logo design, album covers and more , Oluchi Kogolo – digital illustrator whose work explores street culture, personality and storytelling through a raw and playful visual style and Kozetuo Apeji – multidisciplinary artists who work explores experimental approaches to problem solving through both digital and traditional art forms.

Commenting on the exhibition in her curatorial statement, Awele noted that “despite economic instability, limited opportunities and socio-political challenges, Nigerian youth continue to shape culture through music, fashion, art, skateboarding, raves, photography and community.”

Also read: Five rising stars battle for 2026 Headies Next Rated

Continuing and harping on the raison d’etre of the exhibition she said, “Young, Wild and Free exists to celebrate Nigerian youth while also creating a platform that supports and amplifies them.”