Lifestyle

PHOTOS: The Soldier Idumota Cenotaph — Nigeria’s Monument to the Unknown and the Forgotten

Published

11 months ago

September 19, 2025

Perched in many Nigerians’ memory as a solemn reminder of service and sacrifice, the Soldier Idumota Cenotaph (often referred to in public conversation as the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”) commemorates the thousands of West Africans who served — and died — in the two world wars. Erected in the colonial era to mark Nigerian contributions to Britain’s war efforts, the cenotaph has also come to symbolise a wider national duty to remember those whose names and graves were lost to distant battlefields.

A colonial-era memorial with local meaning

The memorial was commissioned after the Second World War as part of a broader imperial practice of erecting cenotaphs to honour soldiers who fell in the Great War and World War II. For Nigerians it had the added importance of publicly acknowledging African manpower and sacrifice at a time when such contributions were too often marginalised in metropolitan histories.

Form and symbolism

The monument pairs two figures in bronze: a soldier and a carrier. These figures are usually described in contemporary accounts as representing the combatant troops of the Nigeria Regiment and the men of the Nigeria Carrier Corps — the latter being the porters and logistical personnel whose work was essential to Allied campaigns in Africa and elsewhere. The juxtaposition of the armed combatant and the carrier emphasizes that victory in large-scale wars depended not only on front-line infantry but also on the largely uncelebrated labour of carriers, orderlies and support staff.

Because many surviving descriptions in public sources are descriptive rather than archival, it is safest to describe the figures by role (soldier; carrier) rather than assign specific ethnic labels to them unless a primary source confirms such identification.

Sites and movement: from Idumota to national remembrance

Originally installed in Idumota, a busy commercial district on Lagos Island, the memorial served for years as a focal point for Remembrance Day ceremonies and local acts of commemoration. As Nigeria’s political geography and national institutions evolved after independence, the cenotaph’s place of honour also shifted. Public accounts indicate that the monument was moved to Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos for some decades, and that a national cenotaph and war-memorial complex in Abuja later incorporated or replaced the Lagos memorial as the principal federal site for national remembrance.

The exact dates and administrative details of those relocations vary in different accounts: contemporary newspapers, government gazettes and archival records offer the strongest route to precise confirmation. What is clear, however, is the monument’s continuing role: wreath-laying and remembrance ceremonies (notably around Armed Forces Remembrance Day) keep the memorial alive as a site of national memory.

National and historical significance

Beyond its original imperial context, the Soldier Idumota Cenotaph today stands as: a public recognition of West Africans’ wartime service;

a reminder of the logistical and human costs of global conflict; and a meeting point where veterans’ families, service organizations and the state perform rituals of remembrance.

In that sense it functions similarly to “unknown soldier” monuments elsewhere in the world: it is less about a single individual than about collective loss and national responsibility to remember.

Preservation, interpretation and contested histories

Like many colonial-era monuments in postcolonial settings, the cenotaph raises questions about interpretation and stewardship. Whose stories are told at the site? Which archives have been used (or neglected) when the memorial’s history is narrated? How have relocations and restorations changed the public’s access to — and understanding of — the monument?

Answering these questions requires archival work and cross-referencing: colonial government orders, Lagos city planning records, National Commission for Museums and Monuments files, and contemporary press coverage all shed light on the cenotaph’s provenance and movements.

Sources:
Nigerian National War Memorial archives

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Lifestyle

LACK OF TRUST IN MARRIAGE

Published

14 hours ago

August 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A marriage can survive difficult times, financial struggles, and disagreements—but when trust disappears, the relationship begins to lose its foundation.

When a husband no longer trusts his wife, or a wife no longer trusts her husband, even innocent actions can become suspicious. A simple phone call becomes a question. Coming home late becomes an accusation. A private conversation becomes a source of fear and jealousy.

Lack of trust creates emotional distance.

It produces constant suspicion, arguments, insecurity, resentment, and sometimes secretive behaviour. Instead of feeling safe with each other, couples begin to feel like enemies living under the same roof.

Trust is not built by controlling your spouse, checking their phone every minute, or constantly demanding explanations. Trust is built through honesty, faithfulness, transparency, consistency, and keeping your word.

If trust has been broken, don’t pretend everything is fine. Talk about it. Admit mistakes. Forgive where possible. Set healthy boundaries. And be willing to rebuild what has been damaged.

Remember: love may bring two people together, but trust helps keep them together.

💔 Don’t allow suspicion to destroy what communication and honesty can repair.

BUILD TRUST. BE FAITHFUL. BE HONEST. PROTECT YOUR MARRIAGE.

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour.”
— Ephesians 4:25 (KJV)

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Lifestyle

LACK OF OPENNESS IN MARRIAGE

Published

14 hours ago

August 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A marriage can look beautiful on the outside and still be struggling on the inside when there is no openness between husband and wife.

When couples stop communicating honestly, keep secrets, hide their feelings, or are afraid to discuss important issues, emotional distance begins to grow. What starts as “I don’t want to cause a problem” can eventually become mistrust, resentment, loneliness, and constant misunderstanding.

Openness does not mean telling your spouse everything in a hurtful or careless way. It means creating a safe relationship where both partners can honestly talk about their feelings, concerns, mistakes, finances, expectations, struggles, and dreams without fear of unnecessary humiliation or condemnation.

A strong marriage requires:

• Honest communication — Talk about problems instead of allowing them to grow in silence.
• Trust and transparency — Avoid unnecessary secrecy that can damage confidence in the relationship.
• Active listening — Listen to understand, not simply to respond or attack.
• Emotional vulnerability — Let your spouse know when you are hurting, worried, disappointed, or afraid.
• Respect — Honesty should never become an excuse for insults, threats, or emotional abuse.
• Forgiveness — When mistakes are acknowledged, work together toward healing and restoration.

The Bible says:

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” — Proverbs 11:14 (KJV)

And:

“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” — James 1:19 (KJV)

Marriage should be a place where two people can feel safe enough to communicate, honest enough to admit their weaknesses, and humble enough to work through their differences.

Don’t allow silence, secrets, and suspicion to build walls between you and your spouse. Talk. Listen. Understand. Forgive. Grow together.

❤️ Openness builds trust. Trust strengthens intimacy. And healthy communication helps build a stronger marriage.

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Lifestyle

THE EFFECT OF LAYING CURSES ON YOUR CHILDREN

Published

15 hours ago

August 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Be careful with the words you speak to your children.

A child should not grow up hearing, “You will never succeed,” “You are useless,” “Nothing good will come from you,” or “You will suffer in life.” Words spoken repeatedly by a parent can deeply affect a child’s emotions, confidence, and relationship with the family.

Even when spoken in anger, such words can become negative messages that a child may carry for many years.

SOME EFFECTS OF CONSTANTLY CURSING YOUR CHILDREN:

1. It can destroy their confidence.
Children need encouragement and guidance. Constant insults and negative declarations can make them believe they are not good enough.

2. It can create fear and insecurity.
A child who is constantly threatened or cursed may become afraid of making mistakes, expressing themselves, or trying new things.

3. It can damage the parent-child relationship.
Instead of seeing the parent as a source of love and protection, the child may grow resentful, distant, or bitter.

4. It can affect their emotional well-being.
Repeated humiliation, rejection, and negative words can contribute to sadness, anxiety, low self-worth, and emotional distress.

5. It can influence how they see themselves.
Children often believe what the people closest to them repeatedly tell them. Speak to the potential you want them to develop—not the failure you fear.

6. It can teach them to use hurtful words themselves.
Children learn from what they experience. If they grow up hearing curses and insults, they may eventually speak to others in the same way.

CORRECT YOUR CHILDREN, BUT DON’T DESTROY THEM.

Discipline is necessary, but discipline should teach—not humiliate. Correct their mistakes, set boundaries, explain consequences, and show them how to do better.

The Bible says:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
— Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

And:

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
— Ephesians 6:4 (KJV)

Your child may make mistakes today, but that does not mean their future is ruined.

Don’t curse your children. Correct them with wisdom. Pray for them. Encourage them. Bless them. Speak words that build their character, strengthen their confidence, and remind them that they are loved.

YOUR WORDS CAN LEAVE A SCAR OR BUILD A FUTURE.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY.

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