Nigeria, June 27 -- For decades, the spectre of a Third World War loomed large in my mind, fuelled by youthful readings of Nostradamus's prophecies and shaped by early global events when I was a student of Bayero University Kano (BUK). One defining moment was Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

As a student writer at the time, I penned a passionate defence of the allied forces backed by Saudi Arabia, condemning Saddam's aggression. That article, "In Defence of Saudi Arabia,"earned me more than a few enemies on campus, including a physical confrontation from my senior, Saka Raji Audu - a testament to the deep emotions stirred by global politics, even among students.

Looking back, my youthful conviction was both sincere and, in many...