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The Police Service Commission (PSC), in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has fixed April 28–30, 2026, for the written examination for applicants seeking enlistment as Police Constables (General Duty and Specialist).

Torty Njoku Kalu, Head of Protocol and Public Affairs (Spokesman), Police Service Commission, Abuja, in a statement on Thursday, said the exercise will take place at designated centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The Commission stated that only candidates who successfully passed the physical and credential screening are eligible, adding that qualified applicants are to log on to www.npfapplication.psc.gov.ng from Friday, April 24, 2026, to print their Examination Invitation Card, which indicates the specific date, time and venue of their test.

Required items for the examination include a pen, National Identification Number (NIN) slip from NIMC (with clear photograph), printed Examination Invitation Card, and a dress code comprising white shorts, a white T-shirt and white canvas shoes.

According to the statement, the Police Service Commission reiterated that the recruitment process is entirely free and warned that any form of job racketeering, scams or financial inducement will be met with the full force of the law.

Police constable recruitment exam to begin April 28

McLaren have made 11-year-old Harry Williams their youngest ever signing.

Williams is two years younger than F1 great Lewis Hamilton was when he joined the team in 1998.

Ella Hakkinen – daughter of double F1 world champion Mika – was previously the youngest driver currently on the McLaren driver development programme, having joined last year aged 14.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton joined the programme aged 13, going on to make his F1 debut in 2007.

Reigning champion and McLaren driver Lando Norris also came through the programme, joining aged 17.

“Our goal is to build a consistent pipeline, laddering into our race programmes in F1, IndyCar and the World Endurance Championship for many years to come, and adding Harry as a talented young karter demonstrates this,” said Alessandro Aluni Bravi, McLaren’s chief business affairs officer.

“For this driver, I think there is no target, no pressure other than enjoy karting to get maximum experience, but also to understand what does it mean to be a McLaren driver.”

Williams, from Cheshire, first started karting in 2021 and was the 2025 British Open Champion, O plate winner in the Italian Waterswift Series and was fifth in the European Waterswift Championship.

“I am really excited to join the McLaren driver development programme. They’re known for developing talent, so it’s great to join the team as I continue to progress in karting and into single-seater racing in the future,” he said.

McLaren Sign 11-Year-Old To Young Driver Programme is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Activist, Omoyele Sowore, has questioned the effectiveness of the federal government’s fuel subsidy removal, arguing that the policy has deepened economic hardship rather than alleviated the sufferings of Nigerians.

He stated that the reform has not translated into improved living conditions, insisting that ordinary citizens have borne the brunt of the policy shift.

Sowore spoke on Thursday, during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, and monitored by our correspondent in Abeokuta.

He criticised the current administration’s economic direction, maintaining that the value of the naira has collapsed and is an evidence of economic mismanagement.

According to him, inflation, borrowing, and wage stagnation have worsened under the policy framework introduced by the administration.

His words, “Well, the economic situation in the country is transparent to all of you. It’s not something that you need an expert analyst to tell you. Like the government from day one of its inception mismanaged the Nigerian economy. And how do you know?

“The strength of your currency is one of the ways you judge your economic relevance and your purchasing power. It went from 400 Naira that Tinubu met in Naira, to a dollar. And now we are now at 1,400 or 450, as the case may be, or 1,500.”

Sowore further argued that the removal of subsidy was accompanied by promises that have not been fulfilled, stressing that citizens have not seen any improvement in infrastructure or social services.

“He removed what he called subsidy and lied to all of you that the removal of subsidy will lead to more prosperity, that he will invest the money in building roads and securing your neighborhoods and securing your schools, and he will somehow give you more money in your pocket. Ask yourself, has that happened? So all of you are vanquished economically.

“We have engaged, or he has engaged in borrowing money that has never been done before. They are borrowing money to pay salaries. They are borrowing money to do everything. The Nigerian economy can’t even fulfill its obligations to its lawful budget. So you have several ministries that get zero capital revenues for their ministries. So what economy are you talking about?”

“There is no economy here anymore. People are just living from hand to mouth. A lot of people can’t even lift their hand to mouth anymore. That’s where we are. So there’s nothing to evaluate economically about this Tinubu regime.

“Nigeria has gone bankrupt since removal of subsidy. How do you know you’re bankrupt? Because you can’t even fulfill basic obligations” he added.

He argued that the removal has benefitted only a small elite group while worsening inflation and insecurity.

“I ask again, who has benefited from the removal of subsidy? If you know anybody, please point them to me. Apart from the 1% people who dominate the political and economic stage.”

Sowore insisted that economic policy must be judged by its impact on ordinary citizens rather than macroeconomic indicators alone, arguing that Nigeria’s current direction reflects elite protection rather than public welfare.

Sowore questions Tinubu’s reform, says Nigerian govt mismanaged economy

President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the United States Navy to destroy any vessels attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions continue over access to the critical shipping route.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said U.S. forces should “shoot and kill” any boats found placing mines in the waterway, adding there should be “no hesitation.” He also called for mine-clearing operations in the strait to be intensified.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, carries about 20 percent of global oil shipments, making it one of the world’s most strategic waterways.

The United States has accused Iran of deploying naval mines in recent weeks, disrupting shipping and complicating efforts to restore safe passage after clashes involving U.S., Israeli and Iranian forces. Tehran has not publicly responded to the claims.

U.S. officials say clearing the mines could take months, citing the scale of the operation and ongoing security risks.

The order comes as the United States maintains an increased naval presence in the region, including mine-clearing operations by specialised vessels and unmanned systems. Reports of attacks and ship seizures earlier this week have heightened concerns over maritime security.

Trump has also called on allied nations, including major energy importers, to support efforts to secure the route.

Oil prices rose on Thursday amid uncertainty over when normal transit through the strait will fully resume. Diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran remain stalled.

The situation remains fluid, with U.S. forces on heightened alert.

Trump Orders U.S. Navy To Destroy Mine-Laying Boats In Hormuz is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disbursed N434.5 million as the final tranche of support funds to complete ongoing projects in schools nationwide.

The funds are under the 2023 and 2024 School-Based Management Committee–School Improvement Programme (SBMC-SIP).

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Aisha Garba, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the national flag-off of the 2025 SBMC-SIP implementation, disbursement ceremony and launch of the Learner Retention Programme.

Garba was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Mr Rasaq Akinyemi.
She said the disbursement would support the completion of 11,484 ongoing projects across beneficiary schools in the 36 states and the FCT.

According to her, the projects include minor infrastructure rehabilitation, provision of classroom furniture, construction of classrooms and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities aimed at improving learning environments.

Garba said the intervention reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening community participation in school governance and improving access to quality basic education.

“The SBMC-SIP remains one of the Commission’s most impactful community-driven interventions. At its core lies a simple but powerful principle; schools perform demonstrably better when communities are actively involved in their governance and development.

“Through this programme, communities identify priority needs, participate in project execution, promote accountability, and support enrolment and retention efforts,” she said.

Garba said that since the inception of the SBMC-SIP, UBEC had supported 1,112 schools nationwide, with over N1.5 billion disbursed across implementation cycles. She added that the programme had facilitated 13,670 completed and ongoing community-driven projects, expected to attract more than 400,000 children back to school.

The UBEC boss announced that under the 2025 SBMC-SIP cycle, a total of N5.18 billion had been earmarked for disbursement to 518 communities nationwide. She said the funding would benefit 14 schools in each of the 36 states and the FCT, with priority given to underserved communities facing infrastructure deficits.

Garba said the 2025 intervention would focus on the renovation of dilapidated structures, improved WASH facilities and the provision of essential classroom furniture to enhance learning outcomes. She emphasised that strict adherence to transparency, accountability and monitoring guidelines would guide implementation, adding that UBEC would collaborate closely with State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) and community stakeholders.

The executive secretary also announced the launch of the Learner Retention Programme designed to tackle socio-economic barriers responsible for school dropout. She said the programme would target one million learners across eight states in its first phase, with a budget of N5 billion.

Garba noted that the initiative aims to encourage regular school attendance, reduce dropout rates and strengthen parental commitment to children’s education. Earlier, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening basic education delivery through improved infrastructure, community participation and learner retention.

He was represented by the Director of Basic Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David.
Alausa said the initiatives demonstrate the administration’s resolve to improve school infrastructure, promote community ownership and ensure that every Nigerian child enrols, remains in school and completes basic education.

He noted that the programmes are anchored on national education frameworks, including the Universal Basic Education Act 2004, the National Policy on Education and federal and state Education Sector Plans.

According to him, the interventions also align with Nigeria’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education.
Alausa said the initiatives would consolidate gains recorded under existing education programmes such as HOPE-EDU and the Better Education Service Delivery for All Additional Financing (BESDA AF).

He described the SBMC-SIP as a strategic platform that empowers School-Based Management Committees to take ownership of school development through transparent planning and accountable implementation.

He said the disbursement would enable beneficiary schools to complete critical projects, procure learning materials and undertake rehabilitation works aimed at improving teaching and learning conditions nationwide.

Alausa stressed that education transformation requires active participation of communities, noting that meaningful impact can only be achieved through decentralised governance and grassroots ownership.

“Our children deserve quality education in safe, inclusive and supportive environments. The Federal Government will continue to provide policy direction, funding support and leadership to the sector,” he said.

UBEC Releases N434.5m, Earmarks N5.18bn For School Infrastructure is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Kylian Mbappe’s social media activity has added to the debate surrounding who could be Real Madrid’s next manager.

With Los Blancos looking set to end the season without a trophy – they are out of all cup competitions and nine points behind Barcelona with six games remaining in La Liga – scrutiny has intensified on head coach Alvaro Arbeloa and whether he will be in charge next season.

Real president Florentino Perez is expected to assess his options and former boss Jose Mourinho, now in charge of Benfica, is among those to have been linked with a return.

Mourinho managed the Spanish club between 2010 and 2013, winning La Liga with a record-breaking 100-point total, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup during his time in charge,

Speculation increased after fans noticed that star striker Kylian Mbappe had liked a social media post suggesting Mourinho could be a leading candidate for the role.

The post highlighted the Portuguese coach’s win rate during his previous spell and his impact on Cristiano Ronaldo at the club.

Asked about Mbappe’s social media activity before Friday’s game against Real Betis, Arbeloa played down its significance.

“These are things I don’t even consider,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me if he gives a like to Mourinho, Julia Roberts or anyone else. It has no importance.”

It’s not the first time American actor Roberts has been mentioned by a football manager.

In 2023, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said that she was one of his three idols, alongside Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

When asked about his future at the club, Arbeloa shifted the focus to the upcoming match.

“My responsibility is to win every game, that’s how I see it and that’s what I ask of the players. We have to be professional and respectful of the badge.

“My role isn’t to motivate Real Madrid players. They already set the highest standards for themselves. My job is to prepare them for what they’ll face on the pitch.”

Real Madrid now face three consecutive away matches, the final one of which is away at Barcelona on 10 May, before finishing the season with two home games aside of one more away game.

‘Mourinho Or Roberts, It Doesn’t Matter’ – Arbeloa On Mbappe is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Mayowa Lambe, has issued a cease-and-desist notice to her ex-husband and popular media personality, Roby Ekpo, over comments about their marriage.

This came a few days after Roby Ekpo publicly cried during an interview with the Honest Bunch podcast after Mayowa got married to another man abroad without an official divorce with him.

Narrating how he supported Mayowa to travel abroad, Ekpo accused her of secretly using contraceptives throughout their 11 years of marriage, while he kept visiting hospital over fertility concerns.

He further shared evidence of how he had been sending money to her without knowing she was living with a man.

While describing the experience as painful, the media personality said “I woke up to videos and pictures of my wife on Instagram getting married to another man.”

His emotional breakdown heightened public interest, with many users criticising Mayowa for using Ekpo while some demand her own side of the story.

Reacting to the controversy, Mayowa, in a legal document signed by Chinedu Nwaneli Esq, issued a cease-and-desist notice to Ekpo and gave him 48 hours ultimatum to pull down the post online, retract and apologize, and pay N100 million in damages for defamation or face legal action.

“A Cease & Desist has been formally issued on behalf of Ms. Mayowa Lambe over false and defamatory statements being circulated publicly.
Let this be clear, there is no existing marital relationship. There is verifiable evidence contradicting these claims”, he said.

DAILY POST reports that the couple met on Instagram in 2015 after Mayowa Lambe slide into Ekpo’s DM, and got married a few months after a brief courtship.

Mayowa Lambe issues cease-and-desist notice to Roby Ekpo, demands N100 million in damages

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned that climate change is increasingly reshaping infectious disease patterns across Africa, driving new transmission dynamics for malaria and other epidemics.

It said the development is also exposing gaps in national surveillance systems, raising concerns about preparedness and response capacity across several African countries.

Prof. Yap Boum I, Deputy Incident Manager for Mpox at the Africa CDC Incident Management Support Team IMST, disclosed this on Thursday. He spoke during the agency’s weekly high level regional press conference on disease preparedness across member states.

He said African countries were at varying levels of preparedness, noting that while some had strong outbreak response capacity, others still faced critical gaps in surveillance, early detection, and effective epidemic response systems.

Boum added that Africa CDC was working closely with member states to identify system strengths and weaknesses, with the aim of providing targeted technical support and strengthening continental epidemic preparedness frameworks.

In a related discussion, Dr Landry Tsaque, Director of Primary Health Care at Africa CDC, said Africa still accounted for nearly 95 per cent of global malaria deaths in spite of available tools such as diagnostics, treatment, and vaccines.

He warned that climate change was altering mosquito behaviour, contributing to malaria resurgence in areas previously close to elimination, including parts of Southern Africa and other vulnerable regions. Tsaque explained that shifting rainfall patterns, rising temperatures, and environmental changes were expanding mosquito breeding sites and affecting parasite transmission and response to existing control measures.

He said Africa CDC was scaling up genomic surveillance and cross-border monitoring to track evolving disease patterns and improve regional coordination for more effective public health interventions. He added that upcoming World Malaria Day activities on April 25 will focus on strengthening surveillance systems, improving data sharing, and closing gaps in epidemic intelligence across African countries.

Africa CDC Warns Of Climate Impact On Disease Patterns is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday adjourned to rule on an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to represent an exhibit to its witness, Abdullahi Jamilu, in the ongoing trial of former Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case until April 24 after taking arguments on the validity of the application from lawyer to the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and Bello’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN,

The development followed an evidence in court that appeared not to have aligned with what Jamilu, the 12th prosecution witness (PW-12), had written in his initial statement to the commission.

It would be recalled that Jamilu’s statement made to EFCC was admitted in evidence in court and marked as Exhibit 46. The former governor’s lawyer had objected to the move by Pinheiro to represent Exhibit 46 to Jamilu following the witness’ contradictory response while given his evidence.

Daudu argued that to contradict its witness, the prosecution must first seek the leave of court to declare the witness hostile. The PW-12, who is the owner of Kumfayakum Global Limited, had said that he converted certain funds deposited in his account by one Abba Adaudu to United States dollars and handed it over to the latter at various times, either in his office or at the recipient’s office in Abuja.

When the EFCC lawyer asked if Jamilu could recall delivering the funds at any other location other than the offices of both parties, the witnesd said he could only remember delivering the foreign currency at the offices.

It was at this point that the prosecution lawyer sought to show the witness his earlier statement (Exhibit 46) to the EFCC, but the defendant’s counsel objected.

“My Lord, I object. If learned counsel intends to contradict his witness, he must first apply to have him declared a hostile witness. The witness has clearly stated that the transactions took place only at his office and that of Abba Adaudu. Counsel cannot rely on this document to contradict or augment the witness’ oral evidence without following due procedure,” Daudu argued.

Pinheiro then said that he only wanted to show the witness the document to refresh his memory, noting that the transactions occured in 2022. He referred the court to Section 239(1), (2) and (3) of the Evidence Act (formerly Section 218), which permits a witness to refresh his memory, while also citing other authorities that supported his stand.

The defence counsel, however argued that the cases cited by the prosecution lawyer were not relevant to his objection.

My contention is that my learned counsel is attempting to treat his witness as hostile by confronting him with prior statement already tendered as exhibit. This amounts to contradiction without first seeking leave of court to declare the witness hostile, contrary to Section 230 of the Evidence Act.

“I further rely on Ibe v. State (1997) LPELR-1389 (SC), which addresses the consequences of breaching this provision,” Daudu submitted.

Justice Nwite, then, adjourned the matter until April 24 for ruling on whether or not the prosecution could alter the witness’ evidence by representing Exhibit 46, and for continuation of trial.

Earlier, during his examination-in-chief, the PW-12 said he did not make any cash deposit at the Lokoja branch of Access Bank. He said the name; Abdullahi Jemilu or Jamilu Abdullahi might have been used as narration in the cash deposits, but maintained that he did not make the deposits.

On certain transactions of Oct 8, 2021; Oct. 11, 2021 and March 17, 2022, he said one Abba Adaudu was the depositor and the deposits were made at the Lokoja branch.

According to him, after receiving the funds from Abba Adaudu, he converted them to U.S dollars and handed them over to Abba Adaudu. The witness’ attention was drawn to Exhibit 37(1), statement of account of Kumfayakum Global Limited, specifically the transactions of Dec. 15 and Dec. 17, 2021.

He identified the nature of entries from Keyless Nature Limited as N100 million bank transfer on Dec. 15, 2021 and N400 million on Dec. 17, 2021. The witness also told the court that Keyless Nature Limited is owned by Abba Adaudu.

He was also told to confirm the transactions of Feb. 18, 2022, an inflow from Ejadams Essence Limited into his account, which he did.

EFCC, Defence Clash Over Exhibit In Yahaya Bello Trial is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Driven by loneliness, hunger, and a relentless flow of ideas, Motell Solomon Ovat known by his stage name, Motell has emerged as a viral content creator after years of quiet persistence, achieving his breakthrough in 2026.

Motell, who’s from Cross Rivers State, did not initially pursue a career in skit-making. He spent several years working behind the scenes as a videographer, collaborating with content creators and filmmakers while steadily nurturing his own creative concepts.

In 2023, he took a decisive step by bringing one of those ideas to life – a spontaneous move that marked the beginning of his transition into content creation.

From that point, his journey evolved through consistency and authenticity. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences including moments of loneliness, hunger, and everyday realities, he began producing short, organic skits that resonated strongly with audiences.

In this interview with THE WHISTLER, Motell explains how persistence eventually paid off in 2026, when a viral breakthrough propelled him into the spotlight, earning him widespread recognition and a rapidly growing fan base across social media platforms.

Excerpts…

Can you tell us about your background and how your journey into skit-making began?

This wasn’t part of the plan at all in my whole life. Very accidental. Speaking of showbiz, I’ve always been a videographer. I’ve been working behind the scenes. I share ideas with skit makers. I work with skit makers. I work with filmmakers as well.

So I always have special ideas, and I share them. That’s how I managed to have this close relationship. Then I had this idea, that’s the idea of Philip’s friend, always calling Philip beside the window to ask for N1K (a thousand naira).

That was actually the skit that first went viral. Before I started it, as I said, it wasn’t the plan.

So I shared the idea with a friend of mine, two friends actually. Why don’t you guys do it? It didn’t really sit well with them. I don’t blame them because people have their differences. So I decided to try it, and that opened the way for me.

I was like, okay, this thing is working. Let’s keep it going.

At what point did you decide to transition from working behind the scenes to creating content yourself?

What brought about the content creation idea is loneliness. I was in my room. Lonely and hungry and I decided to try something.

How did your family react to your decision to venture into content creation, given your background?

Well, I lost my dad at a very young age. My mom, a very good trader, is hustling to make ends meet, to make sure we go to school. As I said, it wasn’t part of the plan.

So she tried all she could. Growing up, I’ve been this calm and quiet guy.

I don’t look for trouble. I’m just there on my own. I was always all about school, books and the like.

But as I said, certain things happen, and we don’t even know how they begin. But I also found out that I had a lot of ideas. I knew how to do a lot of things.

I knew how to paint. I mean, I tried music. So my mom and my sisters, because I have four sisters before me, they were just watching me. I come from a family where nobody discriminates against you. Do what you do. We’ll support you as long as it is good. Just keep doing what you do.

Your content often revolves around everyday experiences—how did the “garri” concept come about?

Oh, you know, in our society, looking at it, garri is at least one of the most necessary things you have in your house as a Nigerian.

Permit me to use the word Nigerian, because in my comments, I see some people from some African countries, they’re like, ” This is garri. They’ve not really had it before. They’ve not heard of it before.

So they would like to try it because Motel is always talking about this garri guy. So I grew up in a place where people often beg. Yes, some take it as an entitlement.

Yes, locality. So garri was this particular gold or diamond, that was easy to give out. And also, when I started, although I didn’t start with garri, the first content was when I heard a friend of mine who told me that raw rice could actually absorb water from a phone.

I was like, how? Maybe your phone gets wet, and you put it inside a bag of rice or something. So I came up with that idea, you know, going to meet my neighbour, I told him my phone fell into the water. If he could give me a cup of rice, and I further demand tomatoes, pepper and the like? Looking at it very well, not everyone can easily feel comfortable giving you other foodstuffs.

But garri is common in Nigeria, it is something you can ask anyone. And if the person has it, they’ll just give it to you. But my case is always different, they don’t give me.

Maybe because I ask too much.

Some viewers interpret your use of garri as a subtle reflection of economic realities—how do you respond to such interpretations?

Well, for now, I haven’t. Instead, I even get the opposite of it.

I get comments like some people who sell garri should actually reach out to this guy for adverts and collaboration. This is an opportunity. All those garri vendors, those who package their garri in such a way, Ijebu garri, reach out to this guy now.

And I’ve actually had a lot of bookings, which I’m yet to put out the content here. So, yes, those are the most comments I get. People don’t really make it look like because of my content, the price of garri is on the increase.

Are you personally concerned about rising living costs and how they affect everyday Nigerians?

Honestly, I don’t know where to put the blame. I don’t know if I should say the government or the farmers. Inflation is affecting the prices of garri, please, let this garri cost drop, so that those who I’m begging can give me.

Many public figures speak out on social issues and governance—have you made a conscious decision about how you engage with such topics?

No, it’s not.

Sometimes I do. I have a few friends who are politicians as well, and we do talk.

And sometimes, I’ll say this, our discussion is so deep that I get to understand them. Yes. Some of my political friends, they try as much as they can, but you can’t please people.

Of course, presently, the economic situation is crazy. But I do have some deep conversations with a few people, my friends. Sometime last month or two months ago, they protested against bad governance and all.

I had messages, dm (direct message) saying Motel, you should join, I don’t jump into things like that.

And they went as far as saying is it because it’s not happening to your family? Excuse me, I’ve had family members who have been victimised. I’m not one who actually jumped into anything because some people believe I should, and even some of these people who come to me saying, ” Ah, motel, look at what is going on. You’re supposed to use your platform to speak against the government.

I look at these people’s platforms. You have influence, too, and there is nothing on your page. Do you understand? So I understand when people do all of that, but I need to have some conversation with some of the close friends in politics.

I may not know the meetings you might have had. I may not know what is going on in this aspect. And they’ll sit me down and break it down with me, and to be frank, not every news you see on the internet is true.

Your skits are typically short, sharp, and engaging—what informs this creative choice?

Well, I’ve been doing longer skits before now. But in our industry, you need to think very fast. And if you don’t, you will be left behind. So there is innovation everywhere. You need to try as much as you can to evolve.

So I started with at least two to three-minute skits. And later made it a little bit longer. And I saw the engagement, nice storytelling still.

I do hear things like a skit is dying because it is so saturated and stuff. No, it is not. You can’t say skit is dying or skit is dead.

Skit is like art. So you can’t say art is dead. It’s longing.

You need to look for a way to evolve. Yes. Because if you say skit is dead, some people have not even started, and they are planning to start.

So what do you want them to do? Should they give up? The answer is no. You should instead know by yourself what the next step is, what is needed to evolve. That way, you would be able to educate those who are coming or who are looking up to you.

Personally, I sat down and discovered that presently, people don’t have time. I’m not saying that those people who actually do long skits, interesting ones, are not evolving; actually, they are Interesting with nice storytelling, and they have their engagements.

Everybody has their audience. But for me, I am a deep thinker, and my kind of skits are organic. I don’t do too much.

It has to be relatable. So for something to be relatable, it has to be short. People don’t have time; they have a whole lot to do. So don’t expect people to just sit on your page on a video and be like, where is the humour now? We need to see it. Just make it fast and enjoyable.

How do you manage audience expectations and reactions, especially when people applaud your work so highly?

When I see such comments, I’m always like, yes, okay what’s next. I don’t feel too comfortable with compliments.

Oftentimes I get long paragraph messages like Motel. It has really been a rough day, a rough week, but I just came across you. Today is the first day I discovered you and it’s crazy. Your page heals and stuff.

I’m like, thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. And the next thing I ask myself is, what’s next?.

So these things, they don’t really get to me but how do you keep it going to sustain it? Because you have to keep it going. And I also understand that people get tired. So you don’t have to keep giving them the same content. I get comments like this guy actually drops the same content, but it’s still funny.

I still don’t let that get into me. These are humans we are talking about. So they tend to change. So we try to think and look for how to make the next one better than the previous one.

You recently introduced silent skits—what inspired this shift, and how do you adapt to new creative styles?

I just think, as I said, I grew up in a locality. I was born and raised in Akwa-Ibom state, and I have seen some things and, you know, especially from my mom.

She’s a typical African mother, her name is Nancy and I love her a lot. She does not even need to say anything, just her stare you will just know you’re in trouble. Those experiences then birthed this new approach. And because a lot of African mothers are alike in that pattern of training, it was easy for everybody to understand the message,

There’s a recurring “neighbour” character in your skits—can you tell us more about this person?

I don’t know. It’s the neighbour that don’t want to be unveiled. We have so many people as neighbours, but that female neighbour whose voice is heard in almost all the skits gives an interesting and engaging energy. Sometimes I don’t know when she closes the door.

Really?

Yes, I don’t know when she shuts the door, I don’t need to know actually, but once the door is shut, I need to stop talking and she knows the timing.

Can you walk us through your creative and brainstorming process?

I write down my scripts. I review them and I try to see if I will laugh at this. Some days I record at least 15 times. And that has enabled me to be consistent with posting every day.

I post every single day on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

But sometimes it does not work that well. What you watch and it’s not funny to you as the creator. It might be funny to others.

I take an example from the content I did by the window. When I was doing the window content, calling my friend Philip, there was this video that went viral that I did not believe would. The video where I was hailing him. Philo, Philo. Philadelphia, Philadelphia. So, I did that content, I watched it, and I was like, okay, should I post this one? I recorded another one. I posted the rest. That one was still there.

I delayed. I dragged until one faithful Saturday, when I was just bored, to tell you how I didn’t even regard that content. I didn’t post it on my Instagram, I didn’t post it on my TikTok. I went and posted it on my Twitter, where I didn’t have enough engagement. After posting it there, people started reaching out to me on WhatsApp.

Ah, Motel, we saw this, your video. People are using the sound on TikTok. I said, but I never post on TikTok now.

So, when I went on TikTok, I posted the video again, and people started using the sound under my own post. So, I had close to a million users in a few weeks.

I was like, “ Oh, wow. So, that post alone gave me over 500,000 followers. Wow.

I mean, Mercy Johnson used the sound. A lot of people used the sound because it’s a relatable sound. You’re hailing somebody you want to borrow money from, only for the person to hang up.

So, when I posted it on Instagram, people were like, really? So, it’s this guy who owns this sound? So, it increased my number of followers. I was like, ” Oh, this thing doesn’t work this way.

So, yes I brainstorm. I work. I do a lot of work.

You recently crossed major follower milestones on Facebook and celebrated it—how did that feel?

Yes, I did.

How would you describe that milestone and what it means for your journey?

It does serve as a special inspiration for me to do more because every day I check. I’m young. So, I need to work. So, I handle my socials myself.

Yes, I check my numbers and see if they are increasing. If I notice any glitch, I put in work. This is my office. So, it really inspired me, and I just have to keep it What brought about the content creation idea is loneliness. I was in my room. Lonely and hungry. I decided to try something.

Looking ahead, how do you see the future of content creation in Nigeria?

I don’t know. I can’t even tell, honestly. Asking me about the future, I think, in a way, is equivalent to asking how to define my own way of consistency. I never knew this short content was going to go this viral.

So, right now, I would tell anybody that the future of this industry is that you have to keep it going, try to meet up with what is trending, try to evolve, and know that you have to really capture people’s attention with what you’re doing. It’s okay to start small.

It’s okay to start, even if it doesn’t make sense, be consistent in the process. I don’t know how to say this is the future. But the truth is, content creation is the new crude oil.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to upcoming skit makers?

You have to keep it going. I started three years ago, on April 13th. It doesn’t have to make sense. As I said, you also have to understand that it’s not going to be easy. You have to be careful.

You have to be ready to take the pain. There was this skit I watched way back, I think 2018 or 2019, where someone went to meet his boss in the office. Informing him of the intention to venture into content creation.

And the boss‘s response was like bring this form, sign that you’re ready to cry, I’m ready to take curses and abuses. What kind of rubbish content is this? Sign that you are ready to get one comment in one year.

So, it’s not going to be easy. I get messages like, “ Can you put me through on how to be a better content creator? I didn’t even know how to be better. Right now, I even feel I’m not even better.

Have people ever commented on your appearance or how it contributes to your content?

People do tell me that I look funny. I even got paid for that one. They will tell me Just come to my show. You’re not doing anything.

Just be around. Just sit down.

You’ve collaborated with several established creators—how do you navigate relationships in what many consider a competitive industry?

Well, when I started, I started alone. I just wanted to keep doing what I do.

Keep doing my thing until I am discovered. Shout out to Tunde Ednut and Don Jazzy. These are the people who first put out my content on their platform. When people say that I’m collaborating with other colleagues, I don’t see that as a problem.

Even my colleagues, they see my kind of content. They’ll be like, okay, fine. This guy has been doing well.

The beautiful thing is that it’s just him, his face. Whoever is behind the camera, I guess the person should be, maybe his sister, his friend or somebody who wants this person to grow.

Not somebody that is struggling like, ah, it’s only my voice that is out there. Let me also show my face. So I started content creation alone. I built it brick by brick.

So even if it tries to collapse, it won’t collapse. I will rebuild it brick by brick.

Don Jazzy has been accepting my collaboration. I post on Instagram, and I send collaborations, and he accepts them immediately. And I go to his DM to thank him.

And funny enough, he does not respond. He has never responded. Until recently, he just responded.

He was like, “how far guy” I’ve really been busy and I understand. Don Jazzy is a busy person. So for him to accept your collaboration is a whole lot.

Do you have plans to transition into filmmaking?

Yes, I have plans to go to the big screen and to do big things.

What message would you like to share with your fans?

My fans are my angels. I just want to thank you for riding with me from day one. I see comments like, I’ve been watching this guy since 2023, that’s true.

Thank you. I can’t thank you enough. I can’t thank everyone, even for some of you who just discovered me.

I mean the share, the engagement. I’ll just put, it’s not even up to five minutes, and I’m seeing over a hundred comments. Do you people sleep on my page? Thank you.

I don’t take it for granted. Please keep sharing. I have lots of new concepts coming, I’ve not even started.

INTERVIEW: How Loneliness, Hunger Led Me To Skit-Making — Motell is first published on The Whistler Newspaper