Olukorede Yishau

Houston

United States Bureau Chief at The Nation (Nigeria)

Nigeria Prize for Literature nominee. Books: In The Name Of Our Father, Vaults of Secrets, United Countries of America and Other Travel Tales, *After The End

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Articles

When blood isn’t thicker than water

1 day ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

In life, fortune romanced Adebayo Alao-Akala like a loyal consort. Politics, not the badge of his police years, adorned him with gold and laughter. It was in the corridors of Oyo State’s power, first by robbing Rasidi Ladoja and later by the ‘will’ of the people, that his cup ran over. His days as governor dripped with bounty; the kind of opulence that lets a man rinse his fingers in rare wine and banish want with a finger’s snap.
Flowers for Agbaletu

1 week ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

I neither knew Dele Adeyanju nor his programme Agbaletu before I left Nigeria. I stumbled upon him not long after America became home. It must have been a chance discovery on YouTube while I was searching for something to ease the weight of boredom as life abroad can, at times, feel achingly quiet. Since that moment, I have been a devoted fan. Revelations tumble out on the show. Conjectures are corrected with facts.
When science is trumped

2 weeks ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

I can’t remember ever reading a book and feeling like I had no right to enjoy it; this is neither about poor writing nor lack of depth, but because of the sorrow, the tears, and the blood soaked into nearly every page. These are not the imagined sufferings of a fictional character, but the lived realities of a 42-year-old woman whose wounds are still tender. Her debut work of fiction, ‘Tearless’, never made me feel like a sinner finding pleasure in someone else’s pain.
To whom it may still concern

3 weeks ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

I write this not as a heart in mourning, a conscience under siege. Being in a nation where the noise of sirens has become a lullaby, and the scent of gunpowder no longer startles but settles like dust, I find myself asking, again and again: Is America still concerned? Because if we are truly concerned, how can we live with the silence that follows five gunshots in a mall in Waterbury, Connecticut?
Fatima Bala’s ‘Hafsat Bebi’

4 weeks ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

For most children, parents are their first examples of what to aspire to, and we often assume they are perfect. When they fall short of that expectation, it’s not just disappointing—it can be deeply unsettling, leaving us struggling to accept reality. And when a major secret, whose burial was thought to have been well-done, tumbles out of the earth, hearts are shattered, but ways must be found to mend them.
Voting by force is not democracy

4 weeks ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

Once again, our lawmakers missed the point, but for the upteenth time, Nigerians made sure they heard it loud and clear. A controversial bill seeking to make voting compulsory for Nigerians of voting age has now been withdrawn following widespread public outcry. The bill, which had scaled second reading in the House of Representatives, threatened non-voters with fines of up to N100,000 or six months in prison.
NOA’s charter for our common values

1 month ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

Cultism, the get-rich-quick syndrome, and a general disregard for ethical norms are troubling trends our dear Nigeria contends with. These forces, often intertwined, have eroded the moral foundations of our society, replacing hard work and integrity with shortcuts. We also see a situation where social pressures blur the lines between right and wrong and leave us to confront the consequences of a culture veering off course.
Lola Akinmade returns with ‘Bitter Honey’

1 month ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

Onoaralolaoluwa Akinmade Åkerström, better known as Lola Akinmade Åkerström, faces microaggressions almost daily in Sweden, a country she has called home for several years since leaving the United States. It is thus not surprising that we see this in her novels. In her third novel, ‘Bitter Honey’, in which the trials and triumphs of Nancy, a single mother, Tina, her superstar daughter, and Tobias, her son, are laid bare, Sweden isn’t flattered. It is made to walk on all fours and unclad.
Who is a journalist?

1 month ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

It didn’t begin today, this age-old debate about who a journalist is, or who a journalist ought to be. And it won’t end today either. When I began my journey in journalism some two and a half decades ago, the prevailing assumption was clear: a journalist ought to hold a degree or diploma in journalism or mass communication.
Love alone doesn’t conquer depression

1 month ago | thenationonlineng.net | Olukorede Yishau

We are raised to believe that love conquers all. Fairy tales, songs, and countless movies teach us that if you care enough, if you fight hard enough, everything, even the darkest moments, can be overcome. But for those who have lived with depression, or loved someone who does, the painful truth becomes clear: love, no matter how deep, is not enough. Depression is a disease, not a deficiency of affection. It doesn’t respond to grand gestures, thoughtful notes, or whispered reassurances in the night.