Nigeria has to think outside the box and do something dramatic to join the high table of big boys befitting her status as the world’s largest black nation with a population of 200m

Ayo Akinfe

How about exploiting the advances mankind has made in stem cell technology and begin the world’s first-ever winged horse breeding programme? Patent the technology and have a global monopoly on the supply of winged horses.

Just imagine the number of tourists a winged horse colony would attract. Just imagine the number of military orders Nigeria would get.

Before anyone describes this as crazy, please bear in mind that man has always believed in winged horses:

[1] In Ancient Greece, Pegasus is a mythological winged horse.

[2] The Hippalectryon is a half-horse, half-rooster hybrid depicted in ancient Greek art

[3] Devadatta is the winged flying white horse of Kalki in Hinduism, bestowed by the god Shiva

[4] In Islam, Al-Buraq was a mythical steed who carried the prophet Muhammad

[5] Tianma was a winged 'celestial' horse in Chinese folklore

[6] A Chollima is a mythical winged horse which originates from the Chinese classics

[7] In Islamic tradition, Haizum is the horse of the archangel Gabriel

[8] Tulpar is a winged or swift horse in Turkic mythology

[9] Uchchaihshravas is a white winged horse, described in Hindu scriptures as one of the supernatural beings which emerged from the churning of the ocean of milk

[10] Maybe we should name our tropical winged horse Nigersus. I can see it being a big hit!