Christiana Layeni

Dear Younger Me, If I could sit across from you at Hans and Rene, indulging in Zobo Sorbet with that perfect cozy vibe and just the right lo-fi beats playing in the background, I’d smile and say this: Money isn’t just for surviving; it’s for building a life that looks soft and sweet and actually feels soft and sweet too. You’ll make some wild money mistakes (chai! tears don plenty), but each one will shape your financial wisdom. Here’s what I wish you’d known earlier: 1. Tracking Spending na Koko Then: You thought budgeting was a punishment or too complex. Now: I track every expense while lounging in my garden, sipping my green tea using my Spending App that helps me stay sharp without stress. The wake-up call? Realizing my N1,500 data + airtime habit = N45k/month. In a couple of months, that’s literally a weekend getaway to Ghana! The pivot: I moved to monthly bundles and redirected the extra money to books and plant babies. Lesson: When spending feels invisible, so...

  The Energy Transition’s Inconvenient Truth Explained The global energy landscape is at a pivotal crossroads in 2025. Despite the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, global oil demand hit a record 102 million barrels per day in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This paradox highlights why the energy transition is a marathon, not a sprint. Why Global Oil and Gas Demand Remains High Emerging economies depend heavily on affordable fossil fuels to drive development and reduce energy poverty. Nearly 775 million people worldwide still lack electricity access, and renewables alone cannot scale fast enough to meet this demand. Even under aggressive decarbonization scenarios like the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050, fossil fuels will still supply 20–30% of global energy. How Oil Majors Are Navigating the Transition Oil giants are adopting two main strategies to balance energy security and decarbonization: • Integrated Energy Model: Companies like Shell and ...

  The Hidden Cost of ‘Made in Nigeria’ Nigeria’s fashion industry is celebrated for its vibrant creativity-from Shade Thomas-Fahm’s pioneering post-independence designs to the global rise of brands like Lisa Folawiyo and Veekee James. Yet behind the glittering runway shows lies an inconvenient truth: Nigeria’s supply chains face significant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges that threaten its potential as a sustainable fashion leader. While Lagos Fashion Week draws comparisons to Paris or Milan, the industry’s heavy reliance on imported textiles, informal labor, and carbon-intensive logistics mirrors early-stage fast fashion hubs but lacks the infrastructure to manage these risks sustainably. To avoid becoming a victim of extractive globalization, Nigeria must confront these supply chain contradictions. As noted by industry observers, “The rise of sustainable fashion in Nigeria is an underreported but significant trend". By embracing eco-friendly practices and ...