VeryDarkMan Rejects Police Invitation Over Lagos AIG Allegations — Nigerians React, and It Made Me Think About Why Owning Your Digital Skills Gives You More Control Over Your Future

As I followed the conversations, I noticed something interesting. Everyone seemed eager to decide who was right and who was wrong. Some people defended VeryDarkMan, arguing that he had every reason to take the position he did, while others believed he should have honoured the invitation and allowed the process to run its course. The opinions were passionate, emotional, and, in many cases, completely opposite.

I read through many of those reactions, but instead of focusing only on the debate itself, my mind wandered somewhere else. I kept asking myself a different question. Why do some stories hold our attention so tightly? More importantly, what if every major headline could teach us something useful beyond the obvious?

That question changed how I looked at this story.

The truth is, we live in a world where news travels faster than ever before. A single post can become the biggest conversation in the country within minutes. Before the day ends, millions of people would have watched videos, read comments, shared opinions, and moved on to the next trending topic. Tomorrow, another story will almost certainly replace this one.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing. Staying informed matters. Knowing what's happening around us matters too. However, I have come to believe that there is an even more valuable habit we should develop alongside following the news. We should constantly ask ourselves how today's conversations can inspire tomorrow's opportunities.

The VeryDarkMan story reminded me that while we cannot control public controversies, we can control how prepared we are for our own future.

That may sound unrelated at first, but hear me out.

Every day, countless Nigerians spend several hours consuming content online. We watch videos, argue in comment sections, refresh our timelines, and react to breaking news. Yet very few people stop to ask themselves whether the same smartphone they use to consume information could also become the device that helps them build financial independence.

That thought stayed with me because the internet has quietly changed the rules.

Years ago, building a business required a physical office, huge capital, expensive equipment, or powerful connections. Today, many people are earning legitimate income with nothing more than their phones, internet access, and a valuable skill. Writers are building audiences. Video editors are working with international clients. Graphic designers are serving businesses across different countries. Content creators are partnering with brands. Affiliate marketers are recommending products they genuinely believe in. Freelancers are finding work on global platforms without ever leaving their homes.

What all these people have in common is not luck. It is the fact that they own skills nobody can take away from them.

That, more than anything else, is what this story reminded me of.

News changes. Governments change. Social media algorithms change. Public opinion changes. Even the people dominating today's headlines may not be the ones everyone is talking about next month. But when you invest in learning something valuable, that investment stays with you. It becomes something you carry into every season of life.

As I continued reflecting on everything happening online, I also realised that every trending story creates opportunities that most people never notice. While millions of people are busy consuming the news, thousands of others are quietly building businesses around it. Journalists write detailed reports. Bloggers publish opinion pieces. YouTubers analyse events. Podcasters break down the issues. Graphic designers create visuals. Video editors produce engaging clips. Social media managers help brands stay relevant by joining conversations at the right time.

The trend itself may last only a few days, but the skills used to create all that content remain valuable long after the headlines fade away.

Then another thought crossed my mind.

Creativity is one of the most powerful digital skills anyone can develop today, and one area that continues to grow rapidly is music creation. Every week, a new sound takes over TikTok. A fresh beat dominates Instagram Reels. A catchy chorus becomes the soundtrack to thousands of videos. Most people listen to those songs without ever imagining that they, too, could create something original.

The reality is very different.

Technology has made music creation far more accessible than many people realise. If you've ever dreamed of writing songs, creating catchy beats, producing original music, or developing sounds capable of going viral , you no longer have to wait until you can afford an expensive recording studio. With the Music Creation service on Auxi Sherpa, aspiring creators can receive support to write songs, create beats, and begin producing music using modern digital tools, all from the convenience of their smartphones.

What I love about opportunities like this is that they remind us that the digital economy rewards creativity just as much as technical knowledge. Sometimes the difference between someone who only enjoys trending music and someone who earns from creating it is simply the decision to start learning.

Perhaps that is the biggest lesson I took away from this entire conversation surrounding VeryDarkMan.

We often spend so much time watching other people make headlines that we forget to build stories of our own. We become experts at following trends but never stop to develop the skills that could eventually make us trend for something positive ourselves.

That is why I now ask myself different questions whenever a major story dominates the news. Instead of only asking, "What happened?" I also ask, "What can I learn from this?" Instead of spending all my energy reacting, I ask, "How can I use this moment to improve my future?" Those questions may not generate thousands of comments online, but they have the potential to change someone's life.

If reading this article inspires you to do anything at all, I hope it encourages you to spend a little less time simply consuming the internet and a little more time creating something valuable with it. Learn a digital skill. Start writing. Create videos. Explore freelancing. Build a personal brand. Learn affiliate marketing. If music has always been your passion, begin exploring songwriting, beat production, and music creation using services like Auxi Sherpa. Whatever path you choose, let it be one that gives you greater control over your future instead of leaving it entirely in the hands of circumstances.

The headlines will keep changing. The arguments will continue. New controversies will emerge. But the skills you build today can continue creating opportunities long after today's trending topic has been forgotten.

If you have an article, opinion piece, or news story you'd like published on Global News Arena, or you're ready to begin your journey toward building a profitable digital business from your phone, I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email. 

Read more at Global News Arena.