Nigeria, July 26 -- The last few hours have been incredibly hard since I heard the devastating news of the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Leon Usigbe. I'm still in disbelief, especially after having seen him frequently over the past two weeks during my visits to the various hospitals he was admitted to-four in total.

Each visit brought hope, a chance to connect, and a reminder of how strong and spirited he remained despite his health battles. Losing him leaves a deep void, especially in the way we cover important events like the Presidential Villa and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

This loss is even more profound because I have already lost several close buddies from the State House family-Kola Oshinyemi, Dani...