Category Archives: Feature

The Silent Backbone: Africa’s Unsung Workforce Deserves Recognition

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By Oluwaseyi Ige

They don’t trend on social media. They don’t speak at conferences. They’re not the faces in campaign posters or corporate profiles. But without them, Africa’s cities would stall, public offices would freeze, and homes would fall apart.

From cleaners in Marrakesh restrooms to transporters in Maputo weaving through chaotic traffic, millions of Africans are working jobs they never dreamed of. Not by passion, but by necessity. And yet, they show up—day after day—to keep the continent moving.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), over 85% of sub-Saharan Africa’s workforce is informal or employed in low-income, low-productivity jobs. These are positions often dismissed as “ordinary”—yet include indispensable roles such as lab technicians running blood tests in under-resourced hospitals, security guards patrolling school gates, cooks in roadside restaurants, and taxi drivers navigating cities with little protection or pay.

In Nigeria alone, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that more than 20 million people are engaged in “elementary occupations.” These include office assistants, cleaners, market porters, and Okada riders. The country’s education sector is no exception—public and private school teachers often earn below-average wages while shouldering the nation’s hope for an educated future. And in the sports industry, behind every celebrated athlete is a team of groundskeepers, local coaches, jersey washers, and trainers, these workers who ensure whatever is needed is done so that our stadiums function and games go on, yet rarely get a mention.

Their contributions are immense, but society treats them as invisible.

The common narrative often celebrates tech entrepreneurs, reformist politicians, and elite professionals. But what of the woman who prepares 200 plates of rice daily at her roadside buka? What of the young man who teaches 60 pupils in an overcrowded classroom with no electricity? Or the lab assistant in a rural clinic working overtime with outdated equipment?

Many ended up in these roles not by choice, but because life gave them few alternatives. Some were derailed by poor or no early education. Others found themselves in bad marriages, had kids too early out of wedlock, or trapped in the consequences of prior decisions. A few are victims of policy gaps and poor governance. “In Africa, opportunity is not just unequal—it is rationed,” said the late Malawian scholar Thandika Mkandawire, whose work on African development highlighted how systemic barriers shape personal destinies.

Aisha, 43, cleans offices in Victoria Island, Lagos. She has done so for over a decade. “I wanted to be a nurse,” she says, “but I had to drop out when my father died. This job is not what I planned, but it keeps my children in school.” Like millions across the continent, Aisha doesn’t live her dream, but she works to keep others’ dreams alive.

According to a 2024 World Economic Forum (WEF) briefing on Africa’s labor future, economies must begin to “recognize the dignity of labor at every level” to foster inclusive development. Without such recognition, we risk building fragile societies propped on invisible suffering.

And the implications extend beyond the workplace. A UNICEF report warns that children from households in low-income and insecure jobs are more likely to suffer poor nutrition, drop out of school, or be forced into child labor themselves, perpetuating the cycle of disadvantage.

Africa’s youth, which is over 70% of the population, is vibrant, aspirational, and talented. But many of them are stuck in what Harvard professor Dani Rodrik calls “premature economic stagnation,” where the formal job market cannot absorb the growing labor force. While tech hubs and innovation clusters are celebrated, the average worker—without access to advanced education or elite networks—remains stranded in survival mode.

Still, they persist. With quiet dignity. With enduring strength. And often, with little thanks.

To quote Nigerian academic and satirist Pius Adesanmi (of blessed memory), “In Africa, to be ordinary is to be heroic.” In that sense, the overlooked workers like the cooks, teachers, cleaners, security men, and Okada riders are some of the most heroic of all.

It’s time we recognized them. Not with pity, but with respect. Not as failures, but as pillars.

Because without them, nothing works.

THE TIMELESS ECHO OF RADIO

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The Timeless Echo of Radio: A Tribute on World Radio Day by Oluwaseyi Ige

In an era dominated by digital media, streaming services, and artificial intelligence, one might assume that radio—a technology that first crackled to life over a century ago—would be a relic of the past. Yet, here we are, on another World Radio Day, celebrating its enduring influence. Radio has not only survived the tides of technological change but has also remained a steadfast companion through wars, revolutions, and ideological shifts. It has continued to inform, entertain, and unify audiences across the world

Radio’s resilience is rooted in its simplicity and intimacy. The technology behind radio, though complex, has been readily available. Unlike television or social media, where visuals often distract, radio fosters a direct connection between the voice and the listener’s imagination. Orson Welles demonstrated this power in 1938 with War of the Worlds, a radio broadcast that sent listeners into panic, believing an alien invasion was underway. This incident underscored the medium’s unparalleled ability to engage emotions and minds.

“Radio is the theater of the mind; television is the theater of the eye,” legendary American broadcaster Steve Allen once remarked. That imaginative element—the ability to paint vivid pictures through words and sounds—remains radio’s magic touch.

Beyond entertainment, radio has been a powerful agent of social and political transformation. It has been the voice of resistance in times of oppression and the beacon of hope during crises. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats reassured Americans during the Great Depression and World War II. Similarly, Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid messages were transmitted clandestinely over radio waves, fueling the struggle for justice.
It has also been misused. The embers of genocide in Rwanda was in part fanned to flame by the use of radio.

In Nigeria, radio has been an integral part of national discourse. During the independence movement, figures like Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe recognized the importance of radio in rallying public support. The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), established in 1951, became the nation’s voice, informing and educating people across diverse regions. Olusegun Obasanjo’s resolve to establish 32 Radio Nigeria FM stations across the country was a game changer. That gave myself, and others like me, the opportunity to properly hone our voices in the profession.

Even today, with over 150 radio stations operating in Nigeria, the medium remains deeply woven into the fabric of society. Bisi Olatilo, a veteran broadcaster, once said, “Radio is still the best way to reach the heart of the people. No other medium speaks so directly, so personally.”

Some feared that television and the internet would render radio obsolete. Instead, it has evolved. Podcasts, online radio stations, and AI-driven broadcasts have expanded its reach beyond traditional frequencies. BBC’s transition into digital broadcasting and Nigeria’s growing number of online radio stations are testament to this shift.

Larry King, the iconic American radio and TV host, once declared, “I’ve always believed that radio, when done well, was a lot more intimate than television.” That intimacy has now extended into the digital space, where listeners can tune in from anywhere in the world.

As we celebrate World Radio Day, we are reminded that radio is more than just a medium—it is a legacy. It has survived world wars, military coups, the rise and fall of empires, and the digital revolution. Through each phase, it has reinvented itself, proving that sound alone can be more powerful than the most dazzling visuals.

To paraphrase the legendary Nigerian broadcaster, Soni Irabor, “As long as there is a story to tell, radio will never die.”

Today, as we commemorate this incredible medium, let us honor those voices—past and present—that have kept the airwaves alive. The story of radio is far from over; in fact, it is still being written, one voice at a time.

Happy World Radio Day!

  • Oluwaseyi Ige, Chief Operating Officer, Jabbok Media

Find Your Footing: Times Are Slippery

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Find your footing.
The times are slippery.
Permit me to recommend The Rock (not Dwayne Johnson)
The storms will come (they always do)
It’s not just about the material you build with
It’s also about ‘where’ you have built your shelter

Get on the Rock
A sure point of reference
Your vertebra column
Because surely, in this
This monotonous druggery you’ll slip (sleep) off
But your sure crimp
Is you firmly planted on the Rock!

Side note: Jesus is the Rock. No other way to say it.

The Gen Z Conundrum

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By Lawrence Okenyi

Who is still awake like I am?. In my analytical way I have given this Gen Z matter some thought.

I have a teenage daughter and boys that are becoming very conscious of themselves, so the matter is worth giving a thought to.


History has shown that major changes occur in the church when technology advances. The Lutheran objection to the Roman Catholic church occured at the time of the breakthrough in the printing press technology, with the capacity to mass produce books and we know the Bible was a scarce document at the time.


With the breakthrough on social media today and what is referred to as citizen journalism, every Joe now has a voice and there is a ‘democratization’ of information, knowledge does cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The millennials and Gen Zs have access to information at the click of a button that was hitherto locked away in libraries.

People in church today have access to other voices around the globe. This has the tendency to challenge the status quo.


This development has it’s positive and negative sides.
It is my opinion that young people are more open minded than the Gen X and baby boomers whose minds have been harrowed by the winter of life, making them more cautious and rather closed minded.

The problem is that God is passing information all the time and it’s the open minded that are more prone to accommodate new ideas.


The best way to approach millennials and Gen Zs is to listen to them. Don’t stifle them because their approach seems different, don’t stereotype them either just because they tend to be louder than usual. Eliab called David stubborn and loving danger and tried to shut David down. Saul asked David to wear his armour, thinking it was the only way to defeat Goliath, if armours save why didn’t Saul use it instead? We must learn to listen to the younger generation, God has communicated certain solutions to them, their approach may not be conventional but listen to them all the same.


The down side is that the younger generation are not as focused as we were growing up, the distraction of social media is real, the discipline to stay focused is priceless.

Another downside is that they are prone to pride, the Bible says knowledge puffs up. David did not listen to Eliab neither did he take on Saul’s armour but David’s knowledge had been tested in the backside of the desert, he had overcome a hungry lion and a ferocious bear. Don’t be puffed up with knowledge you have not tested.

Don’t be puffed up with knowledge you have not tested.

– Lawrence Okenyi


After the young ladies sang that David had killed his 10 thousands, David still went back to the sheepfold even after the national awards and recognition. David still honoured Saul when Saul went after his life and called him God’s anointed. The tendency to criticize everyone and call them names on social media was not something David would have done.


This leads to my third consideration of the downsides. On the social media highway, the younger generation is exposed to all kinds of information, they must be witty enough to sift the wheat from the chaff like David did. There is a massive onslaught of an anti Christ movement going on; and social media has aided it a great deal. To gain audience they started by attacking tithing and they have since grown in sophistication peddling all kinds of heresies. It got so bad that Daddy Freeze started mentoring some. David could reject Saul’s armour but never said anything evil about Saul even though Saul was not a good guy.

This democratization of information like I call it gives this generation a sense of freedom, freedom is good if the boundaries are clearly marked. Someone referred to it as “taking a dog on a walk without a leash”. The young generation must learn to be more discerning and be accountable to an authority figure, they must learn that “freedom is a myth and only exists within predestined structure”.


Let’s allow the younger generation to thrive, they may make their mistakes as long as it is not fatal, let’s give them opportunities for expression. They do bring a lot to the table.
The leash may be long but let there be a leash regardless.


Good night.

Let’s allow the younger generation to thrive, they may make their mistakes as long as it is not fatal, let’s give them opportunities for expression

– Lawrence Okenyi

Lawrence Okenyi is the pastor of The Baptizing Church, Kubwa, Abuja, Nigeria.