Meet UNILAG’s 24-Year-Old Ph.D Graduate Who Ran Two Undergraduate And Masters Degree Concurrently

    Excerpts...

24-year-old Olaoluwa Hallowed Oluwadara will pass for a prodigy. Born in 1989 in Central African Republic, he bagged his Ph.D in Mathematics at the recently held 2012/2013 University of Lagos Convocation Ceremony and earned a 5.0 in his research topic. He bagged his first and second degrees in Mathematics and Physics in the years 2007 and 2008 respectively from the Universite de Bangui in CAR. He hails from Ekiti State, and is the last of three boys in the family. He concluded his primary school at the age of nine. Got admitted into secondary school at the age of 10. Hallowed got promoted from JSS 2 to SS1 and on completion of the class, got another double promotion to SS3 because his abilities were deemed far beyond the class he was. MOYOSORE SOLARIN spoke to him.

What informed your choice of coming back for your Doctorate degree in Nigeria, having obtained all your previous degrees including masters in Central African Republic?

Firstly, I will like to say that when I finished my masters degree, I applied to a university in France, Universite Paris VI, which is the top most university in France when it comes to Mathematics and I was admitted. I decided to come back to Nigeria because it is my home and I also wanted to have a feel of how the system here is, like they say, there is nowhere better than home.

With your experience so far, how well will you say the Nigerian education system is doing?

They have access to current research, materials, articles and journals across the globe. They have the privilege of conferences around the world. Like during my Ph.D programme I attended one conference in the United States. And then there are lots of scholarships available, general financial support, actually it is not like you are really being supported but some people have been able to enjoy the opportunities. So, like I said, Nigeria is trying. Although, we can do better in terms of background because as far as Mathematics is concerned, French speaking countries have a more solid background, they inherited from that traditional rigorous kind of system, but I believe we can catch up in that aspect and even do better.

Young people are generally known to get easily distracted, coupled with the fact that the vices for distraction are more all over the place these days, the internet, social media and even the opposite sex. How did you overcome them?

Firstly by making myself busy, for example I took two undergraduate degrees concurrently and later two masters degrees also at the same time because I wanted to compete differently and achieve something great also because that would give me little time for things that may cause distractions. Secondly, Christianity had an impact, we are always taught in church; from read the Bible, and at home to shun youthful lust, youthful passion and what have you. So anytime I notice I may be getting distracted, I know how to caution myself. So in a lot of ways, Christianity really did help me as well.

Being so young and dealing with so much academic work load. How were you able to still achieve such outstanding successes?

Definitely there is the God factor; i owe all of my success to Him. There is no way i could have done it without Him. I remember those day my parents will call me and tell me “your name is Hallowed, it means consecrated; you are consecrated unto God” and so on. But speaking in the secular sense, I. I must also add that my being so young somehow contributed to my performances, with a fresh brain and has little to worry about. So as long as there is focus, it is easier to think and be more dedicated for a young person. It was more of an advantage than a disadvantage for me.

What informed your love for mathematics so much that was what you studied for your doctorate degree?

Right from time, I have always been good at calculation. Though, I was also good at other subjects but I loved calculation; so my parents, on noticing that, channelled my orientation towards it. So just t felt like it was the natural choice to make. After my secondary school, I did not even think twice about it, I chose Mathematics for my undergraduate degree and since I did not want to let go of it, I pursued it to my PhD level.

After your doctorate degree now, what is the next step for you? Do you have interests in lecturing?

I am definitely interested in the lecturing job. My dream is to be a lecturer and also a researcher you know, work with various research groups and centres. I would also involve myself in consulting jobs for firms but that would be a side thing.

A lecturer at the University of Ibadan recently said the academia should gear their research work more towards imparting addressing issues and imparting positively on the society. Having gotten a 5.0 in your PHD research how is that going to impact on the society?

It is quite difficult to adapt or apply every result in Pure Mathematics to solve real life problems. It is a challenge and like I said during my convocation speech my research at the PhD level was on the six point theory, it has applications in computer science like when you talk about optimisation of algorithms, allocation of bands width in networking etc. It also has application in economics, in the aspect of equilibrium that is the balance between demand and supply. The application might not be so direct or obvious, it will take a process to transfer the result into a real life situation or concrete thing. it is something I want to do as further research and now that I have a PhD I will feel less pressure and have more time to achieve that.

What is your source of inspiration?

God, definitely. It is true Nigeria is a very religious country and people often think it is normal to say God in this regard, but His role cannot be over emphasised because there are a lot of times that my brain will feel dry and when I ask God for wisdom, it actually really works but of course not by magic. When you are focused on something, a problem or whatever, when you keep thinking about it and how to bring about a solution; with dedication, and putting your mental faculty into it, inspiration will definitely come.

Being aged 24 and having achieved so much. Do you see yourself getting married anytime soon?

I will say I am waiting for God’s leading on that. Although, it is one of the projects I have in mind for the nearest future.

The general belief is that to achieve the kind of feat you have, one has to pay little or no attention to all else, was this the case with you or were you able to combine your academics with social activities?

I keep saying it everywhere that I am a social person. I go to church and ofcourse that is being social.

Going to church is not being social that is being religious.

Okay, you are right. I definitely don’t attend parties. When one is already so busy with academic work and church activities, I believe it would be unwise to attend parties and all that, but I do attend weddings once in a while.

Who is or are your role models?

My role models are my parents. I want to be like them. I learnt a lot of lessons from them, humility, living a prayerful life, thinking big and much more. My dad will tell me things that I can achieve that the possibility of achieving such seems so bleak to me but he will encourage me and tell me that I can do it. Then I have my pastor, the General Overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor W F Kumuyi; with his teachings, I learnt a lot of things and that shapened my life. I also have my supervisor, when it come to academics, Professor Johnson Olaleru, I learnt a lot from him and I believe that by God’s grace i will be able to emulate his moral values and at the same time his academic excellence.

As an expert in the field of Mathematics, you know the subject is the most dreaded and most failed subject among students. What is the reason behind this general phobia and how can it be worked on?

I think Mathematics requires a lot of reasoning, a lot of brain tasking and people often want to remain in their comfort zone, so they don’t buy the idea of anything that will task their brain; from there the phobia develops and then that phobia is accentuated by a lack of solid background. A lot of primary and secondary schools do not have good Mathematics teachers, so when students are not taught well, when they get to the examinations, it comes as difficult, whereas, they have not been properly taught. The antidote is just develop a liking for challenges, indulge in brain teasing exercises and brain tasking work. If someone likes challenges and competitions, he will like Mathematics naturally, that is the first step. Secondly, a good background is very important, if the teacher at school is not good enough, students can find a mentor at home, a senior student or class mate who is more knowledgeable in the subject or even parents. The next thing is to push the fear away and treat the subject like every other; there is really no reason to be afraid of the subject. When one has the necessary tools to succeed in it, then why not?

Well it is easy for you to say because you are a natural genius at the subject?

(LAUGHS). Well I will like to say that during my primary school days, I was not always first. There were times that I was first but I was not always first; then I was just an average regular student. If people say that I am a genius, then I am telling you that anybody can become a genius by hard work and determination.

Tribune.

Abuja Centenary City To Gulp N2.4trn

The Abuja Centenary City Project will gulp N2.4 trillion ($18.6 billion).

The chief executive officer (CEO) of Eagle Hills, the official developer of the city, Mohammed Al-Abbar, who disclosed this while speaking at the ceremony, also hinted that the city is expected to be completed within 10 years.

Speaking at the event, President Goodluck Jonathan, who performed the ground breaking ceremony, noted that the centenary city will kick off with a 10-storey building and added that the concept of the city will include presidential archives.

“It will be a city of elegance, unity and hope. We want Nigerians to appreciate our journey of 100 years,” Jonathan said.

He expressed delight that what started as a dream was now becoming reality, adding that “we are developing the city for security, and to be free trade zone.”

Also speaking, the chairman of the Centenary City Plc, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, said the project will create 69,000 jobs and 250,000 construction jobs.

He noted that the city is being designed in a way that ranks it among the big cities in the world and that the model unveiled was in line with that vision.

According to him, “The board had worked diligently in concluding the first phase of the project,” adding that the issue of compensation of the indigenes was still ongoing.

Abubakar added that Sterling Partners was appointed as legal advisers, Price Waterhouse Coopers as financial consultants, while the official marketers for the centenary activities is Messrs DDB, Lagos.

On his part, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, said his ministry would be working hand-in-hand with the the group to ensure high quality infrastructure in the area. It will also maintain five per cent equity share in the project.

Bala said while all certificates of occupancy have been issued, the administration does not expect any hitches in the execution of the project.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, noted that the city is not a housing estate but an economic project which Eagles Hill properties has the sole responsibility to fund at no cost to government

http://leadership.ng/business/375839/abuja-centenary-city-gulp-n2-4trn

OJUDE OBA: The evolution of the ‘‘Ijebu brand’’

 By Olugbenga Adebanjo

Among the Yorubas of south western Nigeria, one of the major linguistic groups are the Ijebus. The Ijebu ‘‘nation’’ can be found in Lagos and Ogun states. The contribution of this unique linguistic group to contemporary Nigerian culture cannot be underestimated. There is the common saying that the Ijebus live to party or that you may find it difficult to get the Ijebu to commit his funds to a cause, but for the sake of celebration. This may be a very simplistic assessment of the psychology of the people, but two things however stand out about the Ijebu person, his resourcefulness and his strong belief in the celebration of life whatever the circumstances.

The two ‘‘virtues’’ stated above have been exploited over the years to maximum effect through the Ojude Oba festival, literarily translated as the ‘‘King’s Square’’. Initially celebrated in 1830 to herald the end of the fasting period for the Muslim community in Ijebu ode, the ancient capital of Ijebuland and by extension the Muslims in the kingdom, the Awujale the paramount ruler of the Ijebus felt that the celebration would help in gathering his subjects together in a form of thanks giving ceremony. He did not only achieve his first objective but in retrospect what has been achieved is the forging of a strong identity among the Ijebu linguistic group of the Yoruba people.

After a year of ‘‘individual struggles’’ citizens converge in Ijebu Ode to celebrates their accomplishments, share their travails but above give thanks to the almighty for preserving their lives for a successful reunion. Celebrants dress up in very expensive gears and usually divided into age groups referred to as the ‘’Regbe Regbe’’ indulge in merriment of all sorts. Horse ride displays is another interesting feature of the ceremony, where the kingdom’s past military might and pedigree is showcased for the visitors. This show of splendour which is exemplified through resourcefulness and a proud sense of identity has thrown up what can be called the ‘‘Ojude Oba Brand’’. What has made the brand accessible and acceptable is the fact that it ties with the growth of the leisure and tourism subsector of the Nigerian economy.

Over the years the Nigerian government has been at pains to ginger the interest of tourist attractions and tourism as a form of economic bulwark, among Nigerians and foreign visitors. Thus efforts to diversify the economy had been a very big tall order until recently. The Ojude Oba festival has helped in creating awareness of available viable tourist attractions in the country. Marketers and advertising firms have brought the importance of the festival to the attention of major manufactures and service providers, sold the idea of the brand, which has been grasped with both hands. Expectedly government institutions have gotten themselves caught up in the ‘‘melee’’ and for the right reasons, realising the urgent need to diversify the Nigerian economy through the creation of jobs and additional income to government coffers.

The multiplier effect of this successful brand is the spinoff of fringe festivals catering for diverse audiences. Through comedy and music festivals, marketers and advertising firms are further provided with the opportunity of exposing other businesses catering for youths, the upwardly mobile etc. Without doubt the evolution of this ‘‘Ijebu brand’’ a plus for one of the most misunderstood peoples of Nigeria, is a cause for celebration for the nation.

Nigerians are the melting pot of fashion - Bello

Toyin Bello-Mc Caughn, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JCONCEPTZ.com, is a US trained and registered nurse turned fashionista. In this chat with YEMISI AOFOLAJU she submits that Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnicity love to look good. Excerpts:

What prompted the birth of JCONCEPTZ ?

My mother is a textile trader, so while growing up, I helped her a lot with choosing textile designs and also marketing them during school vacations and weekends. I would say that was where I developed my first love for shopping and marketing. I moved to the United States and became a registered nurse, but my love for shopping and fashion didn't wane. So, I started shopping for myself, family and friends. 

People started consulting me when they had special occasions and I was doing this free of charge with joy. I also enjoyed travelling a lot with my younger sister who also happens to be my best friend. She also enjoys shopping and fashion. On a fateful day, while we were vacationing together in Dubai, shopping, talking and just having fun, the idea of this outfit was born and here we are.

What was your dream as a young girl?

My dream as a young girl was to follow in the footsteps of my mother. She is a great entrepreneur. She is also hardworking, resourceful, a Godly woman, great mother and wife. She built her first house in her late 20s back in the days when women were typically housewives.

Can you give an assessment of an average Nigerian fashion sense?

Nigerians are very embracing of fashion, we love colours and trends and an average Nigerian loves to look good no matter what. If you look at our cultural attires even during the ancient times, they were very vibrant and rich. I think it's in the nature of Nigerians regardless of ethnicity to look good. I love to tell people that if you want to know what fashion is trending globally, look at what Nigerians are wearing, we are the melting pot of fashion.

With global trends, are you of the opinion that Nigerian designers have arrived? 

Nigerian designers are doing well, they have started to gain international recognition. Macy's, one of the biggest stores in the world, now carries an African line designed by a Nigerian. Nigerian outfits are displayed in a lot of stores overseas, something never seen before. The Ankara textile, popular in West Africa, is being used by Nigerian designers to create great new styles that have become popular throughout the continent. It won't be long before the world starts looking up to Nigerians as the trend setters.

How do you get inspiration for your designs?

When I think about buying a new piece, I'm inspired by styles created by designers throughout the world. I usually consider how the design, pattern, quality of the fabric, and finishing of the outfit will appeal to African tastes. Affordability is also important. I don't think that it is necessary to “break the bank" in order to look good. The bottom line is, I look at every detail of every piece that I buy, and if I wouldn't be happy wearing it myself, I don't stock it. With a good eye for fashion and experience in shopping, you always find something great.

Can the fashion industry in Nigeria compete with its counterparts globally?

The fashion industry in Nigeria is growing in comparison with other fashion industries all over the world. In times past, you had to travel abroad to get decent clothing, but this is not the case anymore. A lot of stores have sprung up since then and with the new internet shopping, it is a lot more easier to shop. If we keep our borders open and allow easy trading across borders, I believe Nigerian fashion industry will boom beyond our imaginations.

Don’t you think that our penchant for low quality good’s will affect the industry?

I, honestly, do not believe Nigerians have a penchant for low quality goods at all. The economy has not been too great and although the middle class which drives the market is growing, there is still a lot of room for improvement. People can only spend what they have and times have been very tough in Nigeria. Hopefully, with good governance and a strong middle class, people would be able to afford more of what they really want and not be forced to make do with what they simply can afford.

Since you had your red carpet launch, what has been the response of the fashionistas?

We have had great response since our red carpet launch, things are looking up for Jconceptz.com. We are seeing an increase in followers and we have very loyal customers. We are very excited about the business and we hope to do very well and gain more recognition.

How affordable are your wares?

At jconceptz.com, the average Nigerian woman is our target market. Our goal is to leave no one behind when it comes to looking good. We want everyone to go on the website and find something that works for them and within their budget. We have also great sales, promotions and discounts throughout the year and the more you buy, the more you save.

What do you enjoy doing most?

I love travelling. I am equally a professional shopper, stylist and recreational athlete who loves fashion and is obsessed with fitness. Shopping particularly gives me a thrill like nothing else!

Acknowledgement : Tribune, TUN Extra

Stolen artifacts by British invaders returned to Benin

The Palace of the Benin Monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa was a beehive of activities Friday following the return of some stolen artifacts from the Palace by British invaders in 1897.

Doctor Andrian Mark Walker, great-grand-son of Captain Philip Walker, who took part in the 1897 Benin Massacre returned the bronze, popularly known as Ahianwen-Oro and presented it to the Oba of Benin in company of other foreign nationals.

Acknowledgement: Nobi benin, TUN TV

Nigeria holds lessons for SA on farming by Zhann Meyer

South Africa would do well to take a leaf out of Nigeria’s book and apply the lessons it offers in successful economic turnaround, writes Zhann Meyer
NEWS that Nigeria has leapfrogged SA to become Africa’s largest economy has raised more than a few global eyebrows. But while politicians from Nigeria’s neighbouring countries rushed to pat the new African economic powerhouse on the back, they would do well to take a leaf out of Nigeria’s book and apply the many lessons it offers in successful economic turnaround to their own countries. And SA is no exception.

Granted, with a population of 170-million, Nigeria is about three times bigger than SA, and it enjoys access to significantly more arable land (about 84-million hectares) than SA. But when one considers that Nigeria’s agriculture sector contributes about 22% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), while SA’s agricultural contribution is about 2%, it is clear that Nigeria is doing something right when it comes to fully leveraging the economic potential its farming offers.

What makes this GDP contribution by Nigerian agriculture even more impressive is that it comes following an extended period of severe neglect, during which the country placed a much higher priority on its oil resources.

But as recently as 2011, the economic focus shifted back to agriculture with the launch of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, which had as its primary goals the addition of 20-million metric tonnes of food to domestic supply by next year and the creation of 3.5-million jobs in farm-and food-related industries.

While these were obviously ambitious goals, Nigeria has largely achieved them.

One of the main keys to Nigeria’s relatively astounding agricultural turnaround since 2011 was almost certainly political will. The Nigerian government recognised the immense potential that agriculture had to drive greater economic growth and, more importantly, it acknowledged that it needed to take proactive steps to drive the transformation that would allow the sector to fulfil that role. When politicians, policy makers, and the private sector put their minds to finding and delivering practical mechanisms to promote change and growth in this way, transformation happens.

The clue to Nigeria’s ability to take a holistic view of agriculture and the potential it has to not just drive economic growth, but also uplift the lives of the country’s people, lies in the title of one political figure. Akinwumi Adesina is Nigeria’s minister of agriculture. However, he is also the country’s minister of rural development.

Given the potential for small-scale farming not only to contribute significantly to overall agricultural sustainability and independence from imports, but also to create sustainable livelihoods for millions of people in rural communities, it makes sense that the same political leader heads both of these portfolios.

In the majority of developing nations, innovation and farming do not typically coexist. Under Adesina’s guidance, Nigeria has changed this paradigm — with impressive results. The country recognised that offering subsidies is one thing, but these cannot be effective unless they are made easily accessible to all farmers. To achieve this, it harnessed technology by developing an “electronic wallet system” that delivered subsidy vouchers to farmers via cellphones. So far, the initiative has enabled 5-million smallholder farmers to receive subsidised electronic vouchers for seeds and fertilisers.

Possibly the most significant of Nigeria’s achievements in this area is the ability to deliver on its top millennium development goal by reducing the number of hungry people by half — three years ahead of schedule.

It is interesting that South African agriculture is already in a much better position to deliver the same transformation than Nigeria was when it started the process in 2011. Our country has world-class mechanisms in place to access and capitalise on agriculture markets. Our infrastructure is generally highly advanced, with the challenges of produce storage, cold chain management, processing and transport largely met. What is more, our government clearly recognises the importance of agriculture as a key economic growth and social change driver.

So, the solid foundations are in place, but to build our agriculture sector on them, we need to be willing to learn from the success of others, adapt the lessons they offer, and diligently apply them to transform our country’s agriculture.

Arguably the most valuable of all these lessons is that it can be done. Now we just need to make the decision to do it.



(BUSINESS DAY)

Nigeria is Africa’s top investment destination -Report

A US-based economic advisory firm, Frontiers Strategy Group, said investment interest in Nigeria by international organisations and multinationals had continued to grow despite rising insurgency in the country.

This is contained in a report entitled, ‘Frontier Market Sentiment Index’, issued by the Wall Street Journal, monitored in Abuja.

The report said out of 11 African countries in a survey conducted by the firm, Nigeria ranked first as the most preferred economy for investment by the multinationals, which included European and American firms.

According to the report, Nigeria emerged the number one frontier-market economy in Africa in terms of attracting the most attention from European and American multinationals.

It stated that the country led other African nations with 29.57 per cent and was followed by Kenya with 23.17 per cent.

It quoted the Global Head of Advisory and Analytics of the US firm, Mr Matt Lasov, as saying, “We collect data about which countries the companies are watching for potential future investment.

“Over time, that gives us a clear picture of their market priorities; which countries they are including in their future plans and which they are dropping.”

The report said security situation in Nigeria and Kenya was least considered by the multinationals in their preference for both countries as top business destinations in Africa.

“Rising insurgency in both countries apparently has not discouraged multinationals from venturing into business dealings as opportunities in the countries probably outweigh security risks,” the report said.

It stated that Angola was rated third preferred investment economy by the multinationals, with 21.9 per cent and was followed by Ghana with 18.73 per cent.

“The top three African countries’ rating may not come as a surprise to many. Firstly, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and it is still growing; Kenya is East Africa’s largest economy.

“Angola’s oil wealth had in recent times made its economy bigger, with crisis-hit Portugal relying on the Southern African country as it seeks foreign investments to put its economy back on track.

“The corporate world’s fascination with Africa shows clearly in the rates of change of sentiment,” the report said.

It, however, said Nigeria remained the clear leader out of the African countries with twice the number of companies in the index considering investing in the West African country.

“Nearly three in 10 companies have Nigeria on their watch list,” it said.

punchng.com/news/nigeria-is-top-investment-destination-in-africa-report/

Adetayo Adeyeye Of Taryor Gabriels

Adetayo Adeyeye is a Nigerian menswear bespoke designer. His fashion label Taryor Gabriels is popularly known for handcrafting bespoke suits for high profile private and celebrity clientele.

Taryor Gabriels eponymous fashion label ushers in the epochtechnical techniques and textures for the refined gentleman. This designer“developed his own line by working on ideas centered on individuality, his entire line is based on working creatively with unique select fabrics and trims; working with colors and focusing on creative finishes and touches including fitting after working with and training under accredited designers such as Gbani one time creative assistant to Armani.

Taryor Gabriels' exquisite design of specialist menswear has developed through devotion, hard work and intuitive dedication coupled with a strong creative and unique flair into a strong and exclusivebespoke label.

Adetayo's flair is unique, vibrant, exclusively inspired and altruistically pleasing. Over the last few years, he has delivered some of the best trend setting formal and occasional wear outfits seen in Nigeria on many a catwalk, fashion event/exhibition/ television, concerts and adorning many top rated celebrities worldwide.

Adetayo has made suits for top celebrities from2Face Idibia, J Martins, Julius Agwu to Don Jazzy, Wande Coal, Dr. Sid, DPrince, Praiz and Alex Ekubo.

For more information on TaryorGabriels, contact:
Address: 60Jubril Martin Street, Off Alhaji Masha Street, Surulere,
Website: taryorgabriels.com
Email: info@taryorgabriels.com
Facebook: TaryorGabriels Bespoke
Twitter: @TGbespoke

Not All That Fails To Glitter Is Bad: ‘My Impressions About Nigeria'

By David Hayward

 I was approached to do some media consultancy in Nigeria. I had just left the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) after 18 years to set up my own business, so this seemed a great opportunity.

I spoke to a number of friends and former colleagues. I had heard many of stories about Nigeria, seen the reports on Boko Haram and had my own impressions of sub-Saharan Africa.

The advice fell into two camps: “Don’t go, you’ll get kidnapped or catch malaria. Either way, you’re going to die,” and, “Nigeria is a nightmare. When you arrive, you’ll be swamped by hustlers trying to rip you off, steal your luggage and all your money. If they don’t get you, the corrupt police officers and officials will.”

I was mainly to be based in Asaba, the capital of the Delta State, one of the biggest oil producing states is Nigeria.

In an attempt to be a bit more thorough with my research than asking a few old mates, I contacted the office of BBC Media Action in Abuja.The fairly pragmatic response was: “We treat the Delta State as a hostile environment. It is an oil producing area and there is a strong risk of kidnapping.“However, if you have armed security, this risk will be slightly reduced.” I took this to be reassuring and made sure an armed security clause was written into my contract.

I spent some time talking to my wife, Jo, and children about the prospect of going to Nigeria. Jo’s attitude was: “For God’s sake, this is exactly what you love doing. The more dangerous a place, the better the stories. You’ll be able to show off and bore people senseless about roadblocks, men with guns and how brave you are.”

Buoyed by this, I accepted the work and prepared for Asaba. I got my Visa, all the vaccinations I could fit into my arm and made sure I had a small mountain of malaria tablets. I really didn't know what to expect from Nigeria. It is easy to fall into preconceptions that Africa is all about war, famine, corruption and poachers killing endangered animals.

I caught the overnight BA (British Airways) flight from Heathrow to Abuja, arriving first thing on Sunday morning. The flight was made slightly more interesting by the chap next to me hissing at the flight attendant to attract her attention. This did not go down very well. I was later to discover this is common practice in Nigeria and not considered rude in the least. Not sure the flight attendant saw it this way!

So, the first challenge and opportunity for anecdotes was here. Running the gauntlet through the hordes of hustlers outside the airport, once I had collected my luggage and passed through security.

Interestingly, this is the first airport I have been to in the world where they check your bags belong to you by making sure your baggage labels match your ticket. I had always thought it would be very easy to simply walk off with the nicest looking suitcase on the carousel. Not here!

Imagine my disappointment when I was almost completely ignored and simply met Yinka, the guy I would be working with. We walked, unthreatened, straight to his car. We drove through newly completed roads, past new buildings and billboards advertising numerous western goods and luxury items. This is not the Africa I was expecting. We checked into the hotel, logged onto wifi, I emailed home and uploaded a couple of pictures to facebook, still waiting for this hardship and danger to kick in. Maybe when we go out into town this afternoon, I will see a bit of the real Nigeria.

We certainly didn't come across it at the couple of bars we went to that evening. I think it will take some time to get used to the isi-ewu (goat’s head pepper soup) and the chilled red wine. But the Star beer is very much to my taste.

The next day, we flew down to Asaba. Again, there was no problem at the airport; it was quite the opposite.

I was struck by the way the airline, Arik, made sure with every passenger that his or her bag was on the flight. I wish this had been the case when I went to Moscow last year and had to spend the first three days in the same clothes, because the airline had lost my luggage somewhere between Heathrow and Domodedovo.

The airport at Asaba is something to behold. It is brand new; everything was gleaming and had that just unwrapped feel. It was relaxed outside too. The driver picked us up, no hustlers grabbing our bags. This is really not the Nigeria I was expecting. The runway is being extended to take international flights. Within the next six months, Emirates will be flying in. Warehouses are being built around the site to cater for a mass of cargo.

About 10 minutes drive away, just across the Niger Bridge, is the city of Onitsha, one of the busiest markets in Africa, where you can buy almost anything. I was to travel in and out of the airport several times in the next five weeks. Each time, something new was completed. The baggage carousel, sadly lacking when we first flew in, was fully operational the next time. So were the check-in areas and the very plush departures hall.

The next morning was the first venture out. Yinka and I decided to go for a bit of a run. It seemed sensible to set off early, because of the heat and to avoid the risk of being kidnapped or shot at. So, at 6am, we were off. About a minute into the jog, we approached a group of somewhat hard-looking men with very big guns. They were guarding the gates to our compound. This is not a sight I am used to on my normal runs in rural Leicestershire in the UK (United Kingdom).Anxious to appear as inconspicuous as possible, I tried to sneak past, not drawing too much attention to myself, convinced I was about to be arrested. But it was quite the opposite, as we were greeted with cheers of “Good morning sir. Well done. How far?” Once I had composed myself from the shock, very nearly tripping over in a sweaty heap, we continued our circuits. Every time we passed someone, we had the same greeting.

It began to feel as though we had our own troupe of heavily armed cheerleaders (or should that be troop?).

This was quite an introduction to what, I began to realise, was one of the most friendly countries I have been to. This is a genuine friendliness; it is not a means to get to know you and rip you off.

The following few weeks continued to surprise me- and to make me feel very embarrassed about my initial preconceptions. I have been lucky enough to visit a whole range of places in the Delta State. The television and radio stations need some work, but the staffs are young, enthusiastic and very hardworking. Warri, the oil centre, is a thriving hub that is only going to get bigger with the construction of the largest business park in West Africa. The sign at our hotel was a bit disconcerting. It asked everyone carrying guns to make sure they weren’t loaded- which was nice.

The University Teaching hospital in Oghara is as well equipped as any I have been to in the UK or the rest of Europe. There are state-of-the-art CT and MRI scanners, a world-class renal unit and 25 paediatric intensive care beds.

The journey to the hospital gave me the first opportunity to see a proper Nigerian village. This was far closer to what I had been expecting- the goats and cattle roaming the dusty roads, the food stalls cooking chicken, fish and corn over open fires and dozens of bars with dodgy looking satellites, advertising the latest football matches live.

When we slowed down or stopped the car, we were surrounded by two groups: The children pointing at me were shouting Oyibo, Oyibo (white man), and teenagers trying to sell anything from palm wine to cola nuts to the latest mobile phones. Now, I can’t be sure, but I don’t think the iphone 5 I was offered for N5000 (about £20) was as genuine as it could be. All of this was done with great fun and humour. If you chose to, you could buy everything you needed from your car. If you didn’t, that was fine too. The transport system is far from perfect, but all the roads we have driven on are absolutely fine. The most interesting experience was seeing the suicidal okada (motorcycle taxis) in full force for the first time. They have been banned in the Delta State and replaced by three-wheeled kekes.

But this is certainly not the case in Onitsha, about a 15-minute journey from the centre of Asaba. It could be on another planet. You drive over the Niger Bridge, enter the neighbouring (Anambra) state and a different world, one where thousands of the small machines ferry people and any goods you can think of around.

We saw one driver with four passengers- two adults and two children- precariously balanced in front and behind him and oil barrels, containing God knows what, weighing heavily on the clearly inadequate suspension.

The drivers are quite mad. We were there for about a minute before our car had its first near miss. We were to have many more in the next half an hour, with the rules of the road, like driving in the same direction on a dual carriageway, simply ignored.

The noise is deafening. As the okadas rev their tiny engines, they sound like a swarm of very loud insects buzzing inside your head. You very soon begin to choke on the fumes of burning oil and petrol.

It was quite a relief to cross back over the bridge into the far more serene and calm home ground of Asaba. The welcome I have had everywhere is stunning.

The one thing you cannot escape in Nigeria is the love of the English Premier League. I have so far failed to meet another Leicester City fan, an obvious shame, but there are millions of diehard Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea supporters.Watching the Liverpool v Man Utd game at the Asaba Viewing Centre, with thousands of people wearing the respective replica kits, was one hell of an experience, although my eardrums may take some time to recover. There is no doubting their passion. They may not have been to Old Trafford, The Emirates or Stamford Bridge, but the passion they exuded was clear. I am not sure what ‘come on ref,’ or ‘what was that, you idiot’ is in pidgin (English), but I heard it several times that day.

Nigeria and Delta State are far from perfect. You see great poverty next to immense wealth. There is a long way to go before the full potential of the natural resources and people are used for the good of all.

While I have had no real security problems, we have not been stupid. When going into potentially dangerous areas, we have had armed police officers.

The truth is that Nigeria and Delta State have some problems. There is the risk of kidnapping and malaria. But it is not the place I was expecting.I am going to find it very strange walking around London and not saying hello to everyone, using elaborate handshakes and bumping shoulders. I will miss it a great deal.

In my view, it is a fascinating country that needs a massive PR (Public Relations) overhaul. I would better find another source of anecdotes about how brave I am for my friends at home in the Leicestershire countryside and at my favorite place in London, the Frontline Journalism Club.

Nigeria has not given me half as many heroic stories as I had hoped. How very disappointing

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-unknown-nigeria/not-all-that-fails-to-glitter-is-bad-my-impressions-about-nigeria/593002100735282

KOLA ALUKO - Raising the bar for motor racing in Nigeria

By Sarah Cartledge

In December 2012 Nigerian businessman Kola Aluko stepped on to the podium at Rome’s Vallelunga circuit to celebrate third place in the Endurance Champions Cup. It was a defining moment in his motor racing career as he stood next to one of his idols, former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella.

“I never imagined it would happen,” he says in his office at Atlantic Energy, surrounded by silver-plated pistons and engine parts that reveal where his heart really lies. “It was one of the toughest races with a field several levels above us. But two of the teams made critical mistakes which shows that slow and steady wins the race.”

The race at Vallelunga was the fourth and final race of the Cup which was won by Fisichella and Italy’s AF Corse. Aluko’s Kessel Racing team, with co-pilots Thomas Kemenater and Maurizio Mediani, were consistent throughout the six-hour race which is as much a feat of endurance as of skill.

Aluko is one of a handful of black racing drivers driving change in the perceptions of a traditionally white and Asian sport. He is on the board of the Nigeria FIA and recently hosted FIA President Jean Todt as he made a two day visit to Nigeria to investigate the possibility of bringing motor racing to the country.

Firm in his belief that African manufacturing industries will soon be in a position to compete with major global suppliers to the sport he says: “We’ve already seen multinationals in other industries moving manufacturing operations from China to Africa, and I think that’s a trend that’s likely to continue as factory wages continue to rise throughout many parts of Asia.”

Aluko’s love of cars and racing was ingrained from an early age and has dominated the way he has approached both his businesses and his hobby.

“When you are in a race car you can’t think of anything else,” he says. “On a race track the difference between you and the next best driver is 0.5 seconds so you can imagine how precise you have to be. Driving is very technical and your mind is 100% focused on the task.”

Aluko owns Kessel Racing’s Ferrari 458 GT2 and has previously competed in the Winter Series GTOpen in Montmelo Catalonia, Spain.

“It is a way to take my mind off everything else,” he considers. “These days it is not so dangerous, unless you have a big shunt at high speed. There are a lot of passive safety features on the track and the cars and in fact I never drive quickly on ordinary roads as I know that road cars are not as safe. They only have single point seat belts that don’t restrain you as well, and the raw cages in the cars are not as sturdy. The windows are glass – all the inherent things that make a car not safe are more apparent to me because I drive on the racetrack. There are so many unpredictable factors on the road, but on the track most drivers are my standard. On the road the guy who got his licence yesterday is on the road with you.”

Aluko has had one major crash in a race car, but he walked away with just a mild concussion. “It made me a bit slower,” he laughs as he admits he finds racing exhilarating.

“A lot of people like to play chess because they feel it hones their strategy thinking, but for me racing is like a fast version of living and is mentally challenging. Everything in life you can apply to racing – strategy, skill, preparation. On a race weekend I prepare every corner mentally. You have to memorise the track within one practice session. When I first started I was racing against people who had raced it before and I couldn’t just cruise round!”

To prepare he watches videos and plays PS games based on the circuits. “When you are driving you have to push the limits without going over the limits, because they are long races – Abu Dhabi 12 hours, Villalonga six hours. I have three other drivers and we do two-hour stints. They design the track to challenge your skills as much as possible.”

He currently races out of his base in Lugano Switzerland, where Kessel Racing is also located. There he stores his collection of race cars and classic cars. They include classic cars from the 1960s like a California Spider and a 250 Luso, a Ferrari Dino and others like the Aston Martin DB5, thoroughbred Ferraris like the 2GO, the F40, the F50 and the Enzo.

“Obviously I can’t drive all the cars but the guys who look after them are professionals,” he says. “My cars are my passion and an investment, mostly they go up in value but I do drive them.

“The Maserati MC12 racing car was one of only nine built and has won championships in the past. I have the F1 car from 2008 driven by Kimi Raikonnen and tested by Michael Schumacher, a Goldwing SL from the 60s. They are better investments than a lot of other things.”

But it’s not enough for Aluko to push the boundaries in racing. He takes the lessons he learns and applies them to his global business interests which range from energy to private aviation to his Made In Africa Foundation that funds feasibility studies for major infrastructure projects.

“If you look inwards and try to focus on the best you can do; if you are the sort of person who always challenges himself, then you are so far ahead of the others and the game. You can only do as best as you can. That is something I have got from racing.”

And no doubt Kola Aluko will always be ahead of the game, no matter which car he is driving.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-unknown-nigeria/kola-aluko-raising-the-bar-for-motor-racing-in-nigeria/601273943241431

The Kofar Mata dye pits of Kano

By Olugbenga Adebanjo

To any student in Nigeria studying between the 1960s to the mid 1980s, social studies was one of the pivotal areas of second school academic experience. Its two main components were history and geography. Breaking it down further, contemporary and ancient history made the subject very interesting to students, so also was the study of geography, which had both the physical and the human aspect to it.

The human geography component of social studies brings to the fore one very interesting feature. It’s the dying pits of Kano, popularly referred to as the Kofar Mata Communal Dye Pits. These dyeing pits which have their origin going back to 1498 gave birth to the city’s famous textile industry. 

A day in the life of the dyeing pit shows that the dying process has not changed in centuries: water and ash, to give the dye a glaze, is mixed with potassium, to fix the colour. Finally, dried indigo twigs are added and the whole mixture is fermented in a six-meter deep pit for four weeks.

The garments are then dipped in the dye for between 30 minutes and six hours, depending on the depth of colour desired. Every minute, they must be taken out so that oxygen can aid the colouring process.

‘‘On a good day, one of the sixty dyers who work here could earn 2,000 naira dying five garments --. These days, the workers also have chemical dyes to produce different colours such as red, orange and brown’’.

Once an indigo pit has been exhausted, the sludgy residue at the bottom is dredged out and burned: the ashes are used to alleviate pregnancy pains and make other traditional remedies.

The dying pits have not evolved with the times as the techniques of dying of clothes and other textiles still reflects old technology and practices. As such the art faces the risk of dying out in an ever fast evolving environment. Somehow there seems to be a lack of passing on the skills or modernizing the skills to attract the younger generation.

The result of the lack of evolution which once saw ‘‘ The purple cotton of Kano’’ as ‘‘famous throughout Africa's arid Sahel belt, in the days when the Nigerian emirate was a center of trans-Saharan trade in salt and gold, rivaling the fabled riches of Timbuktu’’ has now led to what could be termed as a near sorry state, where ‘‘more than 100 pits have fallen into disrepair and many of them are clogged with refuse and stones’’.

Out of the ashes and flipping the other side of the coin over, this experience reveals yet an untapped ‘‘tourism Mecca’’ which needs to be exploited to the maximum. Kano state and indeed Nigeria can expand its tourism industry by harnessing the opportunities which this unique community offers. It is a tourist attraction for visitors from different parts of Nigeria and for visitors from other parts of the world. This community is a vehicle for vocational training in print dying and other ancillary activities where people who have an interest in prints /clothes dying, clothes making or textiles business administration can be offered first hand skills, with rapid employment generation.

In the long term the industry will survive as it offers an exotic service to its numerous customers. In the era of industrialization and the influx of cheap cotton prints, quality and originality are two major factors which will continue to provide oxygen to the existence of the kofar Mata Dye pits of Kano.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-unknown-nigeria/the-kofar-mata-dye-pits-of-kano/603017089733783

Nigerian community where trade by barter still thrives

By Mudiaga Affe

They come from far and nearby riverine communities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states to buy and sell under a typical village market setting. But there is a unique feature that makes the market different from others; goods are exchanged for goods. Trade by barter is the hallmark of traders who come to buy and sell in this typical village market.

Esuk Mba Market is located in Esuk Mba clan in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State. It is about 30 kilometres away from Calabar metropolis by road. The community itself is usually agog with business activities every Saturday morning as traders from neighbouring communities from within and Akwa Ibom State throng the market with their goods to buy and sell and above all, engage one another in trade by barter as survival instinct.

Literally defined as trading of goods or services without the exchange of money, the ancient practice which is no longer common in most climes, appears to have found a long stay in the Esuk Mba Market.

The tranquil Esuk Mba community is usually ignited every Saturday by the business consciousness of the farmers who are seen with loads of farm produce heading for the market to observe their only market day.

The market begins at 6.30am and starts winding down from 12noon.Traders from creek communities such as Ewang, Ibaka, Oron, among others in Akwa Ibom State and others from Bakassi and sometimes Cameroun whose major occupation is fishing, find their way to the Esuk Mba Market with loads of smoked fish, periwinkles and crayfish. These creek dwellers do not have fertile land to cultivate food crops, so they depend on Esuk Mba farmers whose major occupation is farming for such rare items. Esuk Mba farmers produce large quantity of cassava tubers, palm products, vegetable and fruits like oranges, pineapple and coconut, among others.

On a typical market day, the fishing people from the creeks travel several distances on canoes and flying boats, berth in a body of water stretching from the sea behind the market and drag their items through a narrow hill into the market square for the business transactions.

The usual practice is for a farmer with her harvest to move round the market in search of a particular sea food she is interested in. When she sees someone that has what she wants, she stops and presents her items to the person. Agreement to exchange is reached when the second party accepts the harvest with her hands. If the sea food seller shows signs of rejection, the farmer keeps going round the market until she finds a willing person. The willing sea food seller assesses the quantity of the harvest and determines the quantity of fish commensurate with it. The fish seller appears to be superior as she sets the values of the exchanged items.

But the farmer may bargain for more items of sea food if she is not satisfied. The deal is sealed and the parties gather their items and continue with other transactions. On arrival at the market, the creek dwellers simply take their conspicuous positions in various thatched stalls and wait for the farmers to bring their food items.

A 65-year-old trader from one of the Akwa Ibom creeks, Mrs. Ekwo Effiong, who claimed to have been in the business for over 40 years, said the trade by barter is the only way to get food back home at the end of normal trading involving cash.

She explains, “We bring in smoked fish, periwinkles and crayfish to the market. We normally sell most of the things that we bring in exchange for money. But we also reserve a portion to exchange with farm produce so that we can have food to take back home.

“For instance today, I brought fish and sold much of it for money. I only reserved some fish with which I used to exchange for cassava.”

Effiong, however, lamented that traders from the creeks face difficulty in transportation. She said only a few boats are interested in plying the route and as a result of this, they charge exorbitant fares as much as N1,500 per trip of 30km on waterway.

Besides, at the close of business, creek traders have no choice than to patiently wait for hours in order to allow the river bank to get filled with water before their boats could move.

“Apart from the high fare of N1,500 that we pay, we also need to sit down and wait for the water to flow back to the river bank before we move. When we come in the morning, the river bank is usually filled with water but it starts drying up as from 9 am and gets full again as from 4pm,” she said.

Another trader from Oron, Mary Bassey, said, “We mostly buy cassava and process it into garri and fufu. We sometimes sell to those who cannot come to the market. I determine the number of tubers of cassava that will go for a particular quantity of fish. The higher the number, the more fish a person gets. But sometimes, you can disagree and demand for more fish.”

While the creek dwellers assemble their tubers to take home and process into garri and fufu for their personal consumption and for sale, the farmers simply pack their fish and take home to prepare soup and other food types.

A 30-year-old food crop farmer from Esuk Mba, Rosemary Ita, explains, “We come here every Saturday to exchange what we have with what we don’t have. Here we produce cassava, fruits, palm oil, vegetables and banana but we don’t have fish to prepare our food. So, we come here to exchange these food items with fish, periwinkle and others. Whatever we buy today will sustain us till the following Saturday.

“We like the market. It is not as if we cannot buy these things with money, but most of us don’t have enough money and most times, they will be pricing your items very low. So, we prefer it the way it is.”

However, the origin of the market may be difficult to be established. Most of the elderly people appear to be oblivious of when the market was established. Those who attempted to trace the origin succeeded in giving conflicting accounts. But one of the community leaders, Okon Bassey, traced the inception of the market to the early colonial era when a Briton simply identified as Doe set up the market in a residential apartment which was later relocated to the permanent market around 1947.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-unknown-nigeria/nigerian-community-where-trade-by-barter-still-thrives/606916692677156

Ogun Varsity Appoints Ebenezer Obey as Music Professor

Call juju Commander, Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi, a modern-day wonder, you wouldn't be wrong. This is because this veteran musician has today become the most sought-after artist in the music industry. So busy has Ebenezer Obey gotten that he now plays at functions almost on a daily basis.

“His greatest strength in music, he tells all those who care to listen, is in his composition of music”

And he still finds time to combine music with his church evangelism. What is more stunning is how Obey went off the music scene in the late 80’s and returned about 4 years ago to pick up his leadership position yet again.

The big news right now is that Ebenezer Obey who is in his 70’s has just been appointed a visiting Artiste/Emeritus Professor in the Dept. of English and Performing Arts of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago- Iwoye. He would be publicly presented to the university on 7th July, 2014.

At 73, Ebenezer Obey- hale and hearty- is a music guru, a successful artist, band leader, church leader, father, grandfather and businessman. Despite all these, he still has time to rehearse once a week and still composes new music. He is a gifted musician who is in 50-year career has composed lots of hit song that have remained evergreen tunes.

Right now, Ebenezer obey has new sets of fans aside his generation who knew him before his long break from music. This 2nd generation consists of those who only got to see him after his return. And the third is the absolutely new generation who didn't grow up to meet Ebenezer Obey. There is also another generation of Nigerians who live abroad who have never seen Ebenezer Obey’s live performances and as such they are eager to see him perform live in far off countries like Dubai, Canada, USA, and England. Across South West Nigeria , Ebenezer Obey has been the reigning artiste among the rich, the mighty and the famous.

Ebenezer Obey recently completed a successful trip to Dubai for a big show and embarked on a month playing tour of the US. He has also been moving from one church to the other on invitation for music ministration. Despite his busy music schedules, he balances them well with his church activities and crusade programs.

Acknowledgement: TUN Telev, goldmyne.tv

FIFA confiscates Nigeria Football Supporters Club instruments

The World Football Governing Body (FIFA) on Monday confiscated musical instruments belonging to the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) claiming they constitute a nuisance. The over three hundred high-spirited Nigerian Supporters Club members were in a colourful procession after they alighted from their luxurious buses about 500 metres to the stadium and were joined by Brazilians who were chanting ‘Nigeria’ and dancing to the rhythmic and gyrating display by the Dr Rafiu Ladipo-led fans.

FIFA officials stopped members of the club from entering the Arena da Baixada Stadium at Curitiba in Brazil that hosted the Super Eagles and the Iranian national team.

The confiscation saga ensued when members of the club got to the entrance and were told by security personnel that FIFA had banned musical instruments, and that the drums and trumpets be kept at a store if members must go in.

The World football Governing Body had placed security personnel to refuse persons with any musical instruments entry into the stadium owing to the fact that it constitutes noise. 

Acknowledgment: theeagleonline.com, TUN Extra

NIGERIA SET TO LEAD AFRICA’S $1TR AGRIBUSINESS

As African countries strive to key into the agricultural sub-sector identified as crucial for the continent’s future, Nigeria is poised to take the lead in the ongoing Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) initiatives.

With estimation that Foreign Direct Investment in agriculture in Africa will increase from $10 billion in 2005 to $45 billion by 2020, the size of the agriculture and agribusiness sector in Africa is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2030.

Nigeria is the first country to develop the electronic wallet system for reaching farmers with subsidized farm inputs on mobile phones.

Today, several African countries, India, Brazil and China have expressed interest in adopting the electronic wallet system.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in an opening remarks at the just concluded Agric Expo disclosed that the Growth Enhancement Scheme introduced in Nigeria was one of the initiatives that indicated the country’s seriousness at tapping into this agric growth projection in Africa.

According to him, within two years, the e-wallet system reached over 8 million genuine farmers as high quality fertilizers and improved seeds reached millions of farmers, food production rose dramatically, and food security of 40 million persons in rural households was improved.

The minister noted the initiative has opened up the sector to new investors with $5 billion combined investments in fertilizer manufacturing by Dangote, Indorama and Notore.

With the investments brought by GES, Nigeria expects to become a net exporter of fertilizers within three years. He said: “We must let the light shine on African agriculture. Like diamonds in the rough, we must buff up agriculture and focus on agriculture as a business. Only then will its impact shine.”

Adesina stated that there was so much to exhibit in agriculture with abundance of potentials to take lead, adding:“Think of our agricultural potential first. With over 84 million ha, abundant water and cheap labor, Nigeria is poised to become a major player in global food and agricultural markets.

(Daily Trust)

Wrong Flag Displayed For Nigeria During Opening Ceremony - Brazil 2014

To fly the national flag of any country is a sign of pride and patriotism. It a positive affirmation of loyalty and commitment. It marks out a country that has confidence in itself, and is comfortable with its place in the world, its history and its future. 

This was sadly not the case for Nigeria as the organizers of the opening ceremony of the world cup deprived Nigeria of this significance. Instead of Nigeria's flag, an image of Niger's flag was projected to the entire world during the ceremony.


Investigations are presently ongoing as to reason for this wrong display of flag especially when Niger did not even qualify for the world cup.


Nigeria is currently ranked No. 44 in FIFA rankings while Niger is ranked No. 112

Nigeria to enjoy robust growth —World Bank

After reviewing economic activities in the world in the first quarter of the year, the World Bank delivered a verdict that developing countries were headed for a year of disappointing growth.

However, the bank singled out Nigeria as a country in the African sub-region where growth would remain robust in a report entitled: ‘Global Economic Prospects’, which was released in Washington on Wednesday.

The report stated, “In sub-Saharan Africa, strong domestic demand underpinned GDP growth of 4.7 per cent in 2013, up from 3.7 per cent the previous year. The regional aggregate was depressed by weak 1.9 per cent growth in South Africa due to structural bottlenecks, tense labour relations and low consumer and investor confidence.

“Excluding South Africa, average regional GDP growth was six per cent in 2013. Fiscal and current account deficits widened across the region, reflecting high government spending, falling commodity prices, and strong import growth.

“Medium-term prospects for the region remain favourable, with GDP growth projected to remain broadly stable at 4.7 per cent in 2014, before rising moderately to 5.1 per cent in each of 2015 and 2016, supported by firming external demand and investments in natural resources, infrastructure, and agricultural production.

“Growth is expected to be particularly strong in East Africa, increasingly supported by FDI flows into offshore natural gas resources in Tanzania, and the onset of oil production in Uganda and Kenya. Although growth will remain subdued in South Africa, it will pick up modestly in Angola and remain robust in Nigeria, the region’s largest economy.”

Developing countries are headed for a year of disappointing growth, as first quarter weakness in 2014 has delayed an expected pick-up in economic activity, the bank said.

Bad weather in the United States, the crisis in Ukraine, rebalancing in China, political strife in several middle-income economies, slow progress on structural reforms, and capacity constraints are all contributing to a third straight year of sub-five per cent growth for the developing countries as a whole, the bank added.

Acknowledgement: World Bank, TUN Telev, www.reubenabati.com

SUPER EAGLES LAND IN BRAZIL

Super Eagles of Nigeria arrived Brazil on Wednesday morning as they get set to make their fifth appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

The team led by coach Stephen Keshi left Miami where they faced the United States of America in their last world cup friendly match and after a flight of about nine hours landed in the South American country.

On arrival, the team was received by Nigerian Embassy officials led by Salau Bello, who expressed his delight at their safe arrival and admonished them to make the country proud.

After a little wait at the Sao Paulo International Airport, the Eagles drove to Campinas to start their preparation to face Iran (16 June), Bosnia-Herzegovina (21 June) and Argentina (25 June).

Mo·ré·ni·ké: the Trend-setting Pharmacist

-Founded “Ribbon Rouge” at 22
-Qualified as a Pharmacist at 25
-Opened a fashion outfit at 27
-Became a Pharmacy associate with Shoppers Drug Mart at 28
-Sews, knits and paints with uncommon dexterity:

Meet an African difference-maker in Alberta:

                                Mo·ré·ni·ké - NIGERIA
In the comity of persons who can thump their chests for having accomplished many major achievements in their early to mid-twenties, Morenike Eniola Olaosebikan, 30, stands tall. Within six years – between her 22nd and 28th birthdays – Morenike, Nikky to her friends, accomplished six awe-inspiring milestones.

Early Years
The eldest child in a family of four, Nikky showed signs of greatness early in life. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a physician father and a chemist-turned businesswoman mother, Nikky was always one of the youngest and brightest in her class.

She was motivated to do well by both parents who challenged her in extremely different ways. Nikky recalls on the one hand, receiving adulations from her father whenever she came home with a school scorecard that awarded her over ninety percent. Her mother, on the other hand, always demanded to know what happened to the outstanding ten percent! Although her mother’s reaction to her ‘great grades’ puzzled her at the time, Nikky soon learned that it was her mother’s, Kofoworola, way of toughening her up for the real world and all its challenges.

Nikky believes her mother taught her to see herself, and not her classmates, as her biggest competition. She could be the best in everything she ventures into, her mother would tell her. Her mother has influenced all her work ethics, attitude to life, thoughts about what and how much she can accomplish.

As an early demonstration of her resourcefulness, Nikky took to sewing at age 8 using the sewing machine she inherited from her grandmother. With a sewing machine and a natural inclination to make things, Nikky began spending more time indoors; more time than her gregarious younger siblings could appreciate. She found the times when her brother would like her to kick a ball around the house were just as perfect for her to knit, make a new drawing or just be introspective.

Despite her mother’s influence on how she has turned out, Nikky says: ‘I really don’t think I have a role model’. The Bible, says Nikky, has helped to shape her principles, outlook on life, and guiding principles in ways similar to mother’s. Once in her early teens, she decided to explore one outdoorsy activity and biking was her sport of choice. Not everything went as planned though. She fell of the bicycle and abandoned learning to ride. True to her resilient nature, Nikky – aged 26 years - determinedly picked up a bike and learned the art of cycling.

Life changing moments
In 2006, she established Ribbon Rouge, a charitable organization that was borne out of her first-hand experience of the plights of HIV/AIDS patients.

Only 19 at that time, Nikky experienced up close the poor treatment HIV patients were subjected to. From lack of treatment to stigmatization and painful deaths, Nikky felt HIV sufferers deserved better treatment than they could access in the prevailing health system. For the first time, she was face-to-face with HIV and although she was emotionally and physically tasked by her ailment, she was acutely aware that she needed to do something to create more positive experiences for people living with the virus.

At the time, she thought herself handicapped as she felt one needed to be a qualified healthcare provider or a multi-millionaire to be effective. Later on, Nikky would unearth a couple of her talents -- sewing and painting; and the gears to fulfilling the promise she had made to herself and to humanity would be set in motion.

Birth of Ribbon Rouge
The journey to reaching her objective of playing her part in the de-stigmatization of HIV patients commenced on a -40ºc day when she came to Edmonton in December 2003. She had been accepted into the University of Alberta Medical School to study Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Although she had always wanted to follow her father’s footstep and become a physician, Pharmacy offered an interesting challenge.

At the University of Alberta, Nikky met a group of like-minded friends with whom she shared her idea of raising funds for HIV awareness. Nikky subsequently pitched the fund raising idea to an Afro-Carribean student group which supported the initiative. Thus, Ribbon Rouge was born!

The fund-raising idea was innovative: Nikky would design and sew African inspired clothes using mostly African fabrics, make drawings of famous personalities and these artworks would then be put up for auction at a Ribbon Rouge social event. The proceeds would then be donated to groups that raise public awareness for HIV.

That simple yet potent formula has netted over $30,000 in the seven years since the Ribbon Rouge event became an annual social gathering in Edmonton, Alberta. The 2013 Ribbon Rouge annual fundraiser is the biggest and most successful since inception owing to the efforts of volunteers that Nikky describes as “amazing people.”

In order to create a wonderful ambience for the night, Nikky secured space for the Ribbon Rouge 2013 at Edmonton’s Lexus South Pointe where guests were treated to a memorable night. According to Nikky, the 2013 event started the conversation toward breaking some of the barriers against HIV care in the Edmonton region. The 2013 event and the publicity leading to that day transformed Ribbon Rouge from a small, “student platform” to a large platform that allowed politicians, doctors, nurses and other health care practitioners in the city to participate in raising funds for HIV awareness.

Difference-Maker
Nikky’s achievements will, no doubt, be a challenge to many in her generation and older: she qualified as a pharmacist at age 25; opened a fashion outfit at age 27 and became a pharmacy franchise owner with Shoppers Drug Mart at age 28, all in a spate of 3 years!

As a business owner at just 30 years, Nikky manages 27 staff at her Shoppers Drug Mart outlet, 3 staff at her fashion company - Arewa, and 6 board members, including 26 regular volunteers, at Ribbon Rouge.

Nikky's appetite for community giving has only begun: currently, she participates in the International Pharmacists Bridging Program as a way of tutoring international pharmacists for the licensure recognition at Edmonton's Bredin Centre for Learning.

Community engagement
She also mentors several youth groups and help organize events for African socio-cultural associations in Edmonton. Nikky runs a fashion company – Arewa – where she designs and sews eye-catching outfits made of African materials for upwardly mobile individuals.

To solidify her love for books, Nikky has carved out some time in her tightly packed schedule to found a book club. With up to 16 members, her book club, which is creatively named “The Untitled book club”, is already a project that she hopes will blossom into something positive and impactful amongst her cycle of friends and her community.

Thoughts about Canada
For a lady for whom coming to Canada to study was a ‘default choice’, it is interesting that Nikky now loves living here. However, and for someone so active in the community, Nikky’s love for Canada does not cast a shade over her definition of home.

She believes ‘home’ is with her family and her close friends and given that she still has her family and friends outside the country Nikky is slow to call Canada ‘a home a way from home.’ Among many positives she sees in the country, Canada gives Nikky enough stability to plan for her future, being a person who loves to plan ahead.

Although these haven’t hindered Nikky’s career growth, she would however like to change the stereotypes that Africans face in Canada. She speaks of some of her many telephone episodes with some alumni when she worked as a ‘student caller’.

Charged with calling some of the school’s alumni to solicit funds for scholarships for Canadian students (which she wasn’t qualified to apply for being an international student), she recalls once being unfairly accused by an alumni who felt Nikky’s spot in the medical school could have been allotted to their child: a Canadian!

Quite surprising to Nikky, many of the alumni would often assume that she had called them to solicit for her own school fee when in fact she was only doing a job she was being paid for. Nikky describes some of the alumni’s reactions as ‘visceral, rude and argumentative’. This she puts down to judging her by her African accent. 

In another instance, Nikky experienced a sudden, unexpected change in her shabby treatment by a staff of an Edmonton-based bank when that staff, on viewing her bank account, realized that - though black - she was a business owner!

These experiences do not appear to have dampened Nikky’s enthusiasm for Canada as she says stereotypes “don’t get in my way; they don’t limit my potentials.”

To broaden her knowledge, Nikky reads widely. She has read many books, out of which she ranks Wole Soyinka’s The Man Died, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner and Yann Martel's Life of Pi as her favourite. Nikky spends time watching romantic comedy flicks and regularly listens to Fela Kuti’s afrobeat music.

There should be no doubting that Morenike is a rising African star to watch for in Canada.

Unveiling Nikky:
Favourite TV show: The Good Wife
African of note: Dora Akunyili
Would like to: Visit Singapore
Enjoys: Swimming
Craziest stuff: Jumped off a cliff, zip-lined, and walked a tight rope in Mexico.

Nikky's Awards Shelf:
2013: Sizzling 20 under 30 award winner
2013: Essence Woman of the Year
2013: Black Community Role Model

Acknowledgement : afrospora.com, TUN Telev

AISHA FALODE: A Mother’s Cry for Justice

It was sorrow and tears as Aisha Falode, popular Nigerian ace sports broadcaster, paid a visit to the House Committee on Diaspora, demanding justice for her son Toba, who she believes was allegedly murdered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ms. Falode was in tears as she narrated the incident. She said her son was murdered by the son of a wealthy Saudi businessman, adding that the UAE authorities were trying to cover up the murder.

Her words: “My son, whom we believe was murdered in Dubai, was thrown down from the 17th floor of his apartment at Manchester Towers in Dubai. When I got the call, I went there and requested to see the case file of how he died. It took us three months to get their response. So I went again with my lawyer and we met the people who gave verbal evidence. From what we gathered, he did not die a natural death, and his death is being covered up. I came here to get justice as a mother. I am pleading with the Nigerian government to help me get justice for my son and prevent another Nigerian family from experiencing such again.”

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said the parliament was trying its best to protect Nigerians abroad. She said:

“This committee, in pursuit of this matter, tabled a motion on March 19 on your son and other Nigerians, who are victims of such evil. If our children are not safe in Nigeria and are not safe abroad, then where is the hope?
For your son, we have obtained some documents from the Nigerian High Commission in Dubai and we must follow up to ensure that those responsible are brought to book. I assure you that this matter will not be swept under the carpet.”

Keyamo, giving an account of his investigation in the case, said the UAE Police was shielding an Arab boy called Faizal, whose father had a substantial investment in Dubai. He said the boy is suspected of murdering Aishat’s son.
Keyamo said:

“I am only concerned about the facts of the case. We need to briefly recount the facts. The mother took her son to a school in Dubai. There is a certain Arab boy called Faizal, whose father has a substantial investment in Dubai. It is a fact that the boy had been getting away with many criminal conducts. On that fateful day, he was seen walking Toba’s girlfriend out of his (Toba’s) home, saying she had no business being there. He (Faizal), according to evidence, does not live there.”

“Thereafter, Toba and two of his friends (a Nigerian and a South African) went to the club and they met the same boy, who was seen making gestures at them. Later that night, they came back and met the same boy and the white girl on the 17th floor in front of Toba’s apartment with the girl crying.”

“According to the witnesses, they started arguing the moment Toba went into his apartment, only for the Arab boy and the white girl to come back into the room some minutes later saying Toba fell. Thy said there was blood on Faizal’s shirt and an injury on his knuckle. The boy gave a confessional statement, telling the boys that they should not worry, that he would only spend 25 years in jail and come out. Police took all of them, separated them and charged the others to court with drinking, except Faizal, who was asked to go home.”

Keyamo expressed surprise that the police report cleared the Arab boy.
He said they had petitioned the Office of the Public Prosecutor, asking them to remove the case from that police station, adding:

“There is no room for private prosecution in Dubai.”
Dr. Odumakin told the committee that her organisation suspected fraud by the UAE police, saying:

“That is why we sent a letter to the committee, as well as the President, who minuted on it and sent it to the Foreign Affairs Minister. We can, by that approach, get justice from all angles.
“We want to send a message that our green passport is respected and we demand to know why private prosecution is not allowed. It is up to our government to take it up.”

The Nigerian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Ambassador Awwalu, as a follow up, informed the House Committee on Diaspora that Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally written to the UAE, through that country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry to re-open Toba Falode’s case.

The petition by Aisha Falode’s Lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has also been forwarded to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the response is expected to be received soon, as Nigeria awaits their response.

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