Meet the Man Bringing Nigerian Textiles to Your Office Wardrobe

 Excerpts

When Niyi Okuboyejo, founder of the label Post-Imperial, left Nigeria at the age of 14, his mother told him how accepting and kind people were in the United States. "But she never dealt with teenagers," says Niyi, admitting the culture shock he felt arriving stateside as a high school freshman in Houston, Texas. "I learned very fast that being African was not cool."

This lead Niyi to affect a sort of tough-guy act. "I ended up wearing a lot of masks, pretending to be someone I'm not, and becoming friends with some very not-reputable people," he says. "But I would lie to my friends and say that I was cutting class to smoke and sell drugs, but I was really going to honors classes." By the time he hit junior year, all that acting (and high school football) left him physically exhausted, so he gave it up. Though being from Africa may not have made him popular back then, his heritage and Nigeria-inspired collection of ties and pocket squares is one of the coolest new accessories labels on the market today.

What makes Post-Imperial stand out from your average tie purveyor are its beautiful fabrics, which are made using a Yoruban technique called Adire dyeing. It's a process so old that there are only a few "master dyers" left in all of Nigeria. Much like old Japanese fabric dyeing techniques, Adire leans heavily on the use of indigo, but generally uses a wider variety of pattern and color. Its cultural roots come from traditional Nigerian ceremonies, where cloths are exchanged at weddings, each with a motif that has specific reference and meaning.

Niyi respects and is proud of this cultural history. He says that sharing Nigerian culture as well as the larger African diaspora is at the heart of his brand. But he's refreshingly wary of being overly nostalgic. "It's called Post-Imperial because it's about the time after old regimes, and creating for today," he says. "It's cool to look at old photos and fantasize, but we should be creating our own images. Twenty years from now, people should look at our time and fantasize about it." He doesn't fetishize tradition or allow it to hinder the way he wants the end product to look. For instance, the frayed edges featured on all of his products, from ties to pants to shirts, exist for no other reason than Niyi likes the way they look.

This often leads to friction between Niyi and the master dyers. "Each time I'm with them, the process takes about three hours, and most of that is spent convincing them that my ideas work. These guys have been doing this for years, so I have to convince them to try it." He goes to bat for his ideas not out of arrogance, but because he knows the end product has to, above all, be attractive to buyers. "Anyone can make something avant-garde, and people will look at it and think, 'Oh that's interesting,' but they won't wear it. I want to make products that people like because they like the way it looks. Once they pick it up, they can start learning about the story," he says.

The result of this balancing act between past and present, avant-garde and classic is an unfamiliar but exciting mix of cultures. The ties, scarves, pocket squares, and even apparel are certainly conversation-starters, but are approachable enough to be added to even the most conservative of wardrobes. For men sick of standard rep ties, Post-Imperial has a Adire-dyed version with colors that crack and bleed outside the lines, giving the style newfound personality. Those who want to get even riskier and really light up a big meeting can reach for more complicated motifs in a range of bright colors. And there's no man on earth who wouldn't occasionally benefit from a jolt of energy in the form of a Adire-dyed pocket square.

 http://www.gq.com/story/post-imperial-ties-interview

Buhari: From Washington with Dignity By Femi Adesina

It was an official visit that attracted not only national, but also international attention. President Muhammadu Buhari was going to visit the United States of America for four days, on the invitation of President Barack Obama. Was this going to be just another jamboree, or truly an event that would reset the buttons in the relationship between the two countries?

Sure, there had been some cooling of passion between the two erstwhile allies during the dying days of the Jonathan administration, and American experts sent here to train our military had even been asked to leave. She had also refused to sell us Cobra helicopters and other armaments, which could have made a lot of difference in our fight against insurgents in the North-east of the country. America had cited some reasons, including alleged human rights violations. The then President Jonathan was thus forced to look towards South Africa for arms.

No doubt, the kiln of passion needed to be kindled anew between Nigeria and America, and the invitation extended to Buhari during the G7 Summit in Germany, in June, was a much needed elixir. The Nigerian leader accepted the offer, and so was in Washington between Sunday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 22.
 

But another whiff of controversy had presaged the meeting. America, through its Supreme Court, had recently legitimized same sex relationship. It was against the laws of God, but heck, what did America care? What matters now are rights, and people with homosexual or lesbian cravings must have their rights protected under the law.
 

It was into the eye of this storm that some Nigerians felt Buhari would be flying, on his trip. True, he had been asked to bring a ‘wish list’ by his host, but is there ever free lunch in America? Yes, your wish would be granted. America would help you decapitate Boko Haram, would help you trace and repatriate billions of dollars salted away in foreign banks by past rulers, would help boost your economy and generate employment, but at what price? At a price of endorsing same sex marriage, which would be contrary to our laws as a country, and to the laws of the God that majority of Nigerians believe in, and serve? Would Buhari capitulate simply because America would help him fulfill promises he made during election campaigns?

To America we flew last Sunday, arriving after a voyage of 12 hours. Our President was accommodated along with some members of the entourage at the historic Blair House, just a peeping distance from the White House. A good number of meetings were to hold at that Blair House in the next four days.

After a briefing of what was to come in the next four days by Professor Ade Adefuye, Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, the President played host to former American Ambassador in Nigeria, Thomas Pickering and Professor Jean Herskovits. The man who has been quite outspoken about Nigeria, and who had doubted if the country would survive the 2015 general elections, Ambassador John Campbell, also came, among other people.

The day was not done until Madeline Albright (remember her? A large number of people across the world were mad about Madeline years back when she was American Secretary of State. She did the work admirably). Well, Madeline came to dinner with our President. She has aged, but rather gracefully.

Day 2 was the day the world had been waiting for. Day of meeting with the world’s most influential president, Barak Obama. But not so fast! First, breakfast with Vice President Joe Biden. What did he tell our President?

Biden gave an overview of the objectives of the entire visit,assuring Nigeria of the goodwill and support of America. He shared perspectives on the terror war, drawing from America’s experiences after the September 2001 assault, in which thousands were killed by Al-Qaeda inspired terrorists. He said Boko Haram, which has now pledged loyalty to ISIS, should not be battled with just military option. There was also the need to combine the war with strong socio-economic programs. He said the U.S would be ready to work with Nigeria in that direction.

On the Nigerian economy, Biden bade the leadership to tackle the issue of corruption, strengthen the institutions, and appoint tested hands to man critical sectors. If all these were done, he assured that investors would flood Nigeria in droves.

Buhari thanked his host, and added that the role played by America prior to general elections, sending Secretary of State John Kerry to convey that America would not tolerate the subversion of the people’s will, went a long way to guarantee fairness and justice.

Having served as Minister for Petroleum Resources for over three years in the 1970s, the President did not forget to mention the oil sector. He said between 10 to 20 billion dollars may have been lost to oil theft in the past one year, and pledged to sanitize the sector. He welcomed American assistance.

The much awaited meeting with Obama came up a while later at the White House. The US President described Buhari as a man of integrity needed for such a time as this in Nigeria.

Every patriotic Nigerian must have stood several feet taller, as Obama eulogized our President. It served to rekindle confidence in our country. With the right leadership, Nigeria can, and will get there. Sure.

The American president charted the same course as his deputy on the issue of Boko Haram. According to him, economic and social programs must run concurrently with military option, to conclusively defeat insurgency.

Obama said the diversity of Nigeria, rather than be a centrifugal force, must be a centripetal one. The disparate parts of the country should be harnessed to become source of strength, adding that no part of the country should be left behind, or alienated.

Buhari, the American president observed, was hugely popular, judging by the enormous goodwill that surrounded his election. He urged him to use the goodwill to serve Nigeria, alongside the governors that accompanied him. The governors are Rochas Okorocha, Imo, Adams Oshiomhole, Edo, Tanko Al-Makura, Nasarawa, Kashim Shettima, Borno, and Abiola Ajimobi, Oyo.

Speaking on behalf of the governors, Okorocha assured Obama that the states’ helmsmen would back up Buhari to bring enduring change to Nigeria.

Obama made pledges. America would help Nigeria in diverse ways: checkmate insurgency, train and equip her military, recover monies siphoned out of federal coffers, and many others. And with no strings attached.

The bilateral meetings/ audiences with the Nigerian president at Blair House, and other venues, were worth their weight in gold. The American Secretary of Commerce met with the Nigerian team, so did Loretta Lynch, U.S Attorney General, Jack Lew, Secretary of the Treasury, the Barker Group, potential investors in the agriculture and power sectors. There was an interactive dinner hosted by U.S Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council for Africa, and captains of industry from Nigeria and America were there, among others.

What of the meeting with Dr Pate of the World Health Organization (WHO), representatives of the World Bank, and of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? Refreshing. WHO unfolded plans to spend 300 million dollars to fight malaria in Nigeria, while the World Bank, subject to ratification by its board of directors, will make available the princely sum of 2.1 billion dollars for the rebuilding of infrastructure in the North-east, a region beleaguered by insurgency in the past six years. The fund, under the auspices of International Development Agency (IDA) will be made available as loans for Nigeria, at very low interest rates. The first 10 years would be interest free, while an additional 30 years would be granted at rates lower than that of the capital market.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also disclosed plans to work with the Dangote Foundation to ensure that Nigeria gets a clean bill of health on polio. Already, no case of polio has been recorded in the country for a full year, and if the position subsists for another full year, Nigeria would be declared polio free.

Cheery news also from the session between the Nigerian team and the American Attorney General. The host country would track illicit money from Nigeria in all their jurisdictions, including the U.S, while training would also be provided for our judicial officers, prosecutors, police, and other security agencies, to track and recover stolen funds.

Same sex issue enters the scene. On Tuesday afternoon, Buhari was in his right elements, as he attended a joint session by the Senate and House Committees on Foreign Affairs at the Capitol Hill. Many issues came up for discussion, ranging from foreign relations, to growing democracy, human rights, and many others. Then a senator brought in the clincher. What does Nigeria think of the rights of homosexuals and lesbians.

Sodomy or anything of such kind is against the laws of Nigeria, and, indeed, the Nigerian society abhors such practices, the President declared. Pastor Tunde Bakare of The Latter Rain Assembly was in the audience, and from the delight on his face, he could have carried Buhari shoulder high, if protocol had permitted such.

To cap that delightful day, the president headed to the Chancery, Nigeria Embassy. He had two assignments there. A Meet and Greet session had been packaged by Mo Abudu of Ebony Life TV, in which Nigerian youths, who are professionals, had been invited from across America to greet President Buhari, and share their dreams of a greater country with him. The young people were really happy to have their president and father figure in their midst.

Next was the meeting with Nigerians in Diaspora, who also came from across America. Biodun Ogunjobi had driven 12 hours to attend the event. He also had waited for four hours outside the Embassy gates, till the program commenced. Such

is the fervor Nigerians in America have for their country, and for a president they see as symbol of change. For about two hours, the President interacted with them, answering all the questions.

On the final day of the visit, it was an interactive event at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). It was jointly organized by the National Democratic Institute, International Republican Institute, Centre for Strategic Studies and Atlantic Council. Ambassador Johnny Carson, who coordinated the session, described the guest as a man of honour and integrity.

Buhari went to America, he saw, and he conquered.



Femi Adesina is the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, to President Buhari.

BRITISH POLICE TO RECRUIT YORUBA-SPEAKING OFFICERS

 British Metropolitan Police Service has launched a recruitment programme to employ new officers who can speak Yoruba and other languages.

A total of 14 languages which have a high prevalence in London’s communities have been chosen for what the Met called a month-long pilot recruitment which started on Monday.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the MPS, the move was designed to bring officers into the Met with skills necessary to help the police and engage with London’s diverse communities as effectively as possible.

The statement said in part, “It follows the introduction last year of a London Residency criteria to ensure candidates have a strong link to the capital and an understanding of its diversity and cultures. Candidates who apply to be police constables will be tested in the second language as part of our rigorous selection process.

“The chosen languages are Yoruba (Nigeria), Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Italian, German, Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Sinhala (Sri Lanka) and Bengali.”

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Bernard Howe, noted that more than 300 languages were spoken in London, the capital of Britain.

“I am committed to providing a police service which looks and feels more like London. We need to recruit and deploy officers with second languages in areas where those languages are spoken. I believe it will help boost confidence, help to solve crime more effectively and support victims and witnesses,” Howe said.

The MPS stated further that it employed around 31,000 officers together with about 13,000 police staff and 2,600 Police Community Support Officers.

“The MPS is also being supported by more than 5,100 volunteer police officers in the Metropolitan Special Constabulary and its Employer Supported Policing programme. The Metropolitan Police Services covers an area of 620 square miles and a population of 7.2 million.

“For this reason, we are introducing additional language eligibility criteria as a key skill to become a police constable. While our police officers are able to effectively carry out their duties without the ability to speak a second language, a police constable with this skill is an asset in helping both themselves and their colleagues to more effectively engage with the community and deal with everyday policing situations.

To apply, you must be able to speak one of the 14 languages below: Yoruba (Nigeria), Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Italian, German, Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Sinhali (Sri Lanka), Bengali,” it said

 http://www.punchng.com/news/british-police-to-recruit-yoruba-speaking-officers-2/
Photo choice: Tun Images

Queen of England Honours Nkechikwu Azinge and Three Other Nigerians

Nkechikwu Azinge (alongside Isaiah Owolabi, Kelvin Ogholi and Oladipupo Ajiroba ) was recently honored as a Queen's Young Leader in the inaugural awards which held in Buckingham Palace.

The awards were presented by the Queen of England to 60 exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth, who are taking the lead in their communities and using their skills to transform lives.

The awardees, aged between 18-29 years, were recognized for taking the initiative to support others, raise awareness and inspire change in different areas such as gender equality, education, disability equality, health and mental health, etc.

Nkechikwu Azinge is the founder of the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF) in Nigeria. This foundation was established in 2010 with the aim of helping people with the hereditary blood disorder- Sickle Cell Anaemia.

The foundation encourages people to get tested to know their haemoglobin genotype, carries out free genotype tests and has set up Sickle Cell Clubs in schools to inform and educate young people.

So far this effort has reached over 17, 000 people across six area councils in Abuja.

Nkechikwu participated in a Question and Answer session with the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and undertook leadership and mentorship sessions at the University of Cambridge.

Nigeria Committed To Good Governance And Fighting Terror

By Muhammadu Buhari
President of Nigeria
(Published in the Washington Post)

This month, the world moved a step closer to the defeat of Boko Haram, the jihadist group that has terrorized hundreds of thousands in the northern states of Nigeria. In one of my first acts since taking office as president six weeks ago, I have replaced the heads of Nigeria’s army, navy and air force. Our new military leadership has not been chosen because of their familiarity with those in government, as was too often the case in the past, but on their track records and qualifications alone.

These new military leaders will be based in Borno State in northern Nigeria, where the headquarters of the armed services has been relocated. This shift of resources and command directly to the front line, in addition to the replacement of the head of the State Security Service, Nigeria’s intelligence organization, and a new emphasis on working in partnership with our neighbors, has equipped us to take the fight directly to Boko Haram.

Already we are beginning to see a degrading of Boko Haram’s capabilities as a fighting force. In recent weeks, it appears to have shifted away from confronting the military directly to an increase in attacks on civilian areas, as we saw only last week when an elderly woman and 10-year-old girl blew themselves up at a Muslim prayer gathering in northeastern Nigeria. We should not be confused by this change, hateful as it is: It does not mean that Boko Haram is succeeding in its aims — it shows that it is losing.

While we work to defeat the terrorists, I ask the people of Nigeria and the world for resolve and fortitude. The campaign we will wage will not be easy; it may not be swift. We should expect stages of success and also moments when it may appear that our advances have been checked. But no one should have any doubt as to the strength of our collective will or my commitment to rid this nation of terror and bring back peace and normalcy to all affected areas.

Similarly, my determination should not be underestimated in other matters. This includes instilling good governance and tackling the scourge of corruption that has held Nigeria back for too long.

As I meet with President Obama today — the first time a president of the United States will encounter a Nigerian counterpart following the peaceful transfer of power in a contested election in our history — I will be discussing my plans for critical reforms. So, too, will I discuss why the formation of my administration is taking time and, crucially, why it must. Already there are voices saying these changes are taking too long — even though only six weeks have passed since my inauguration. I hear such calls, but this task cannot and should not be rushed.

When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full Cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim. In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.

I cannot stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried out correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct leadership of the military and security services before we fully take the fight to Boko Haram.

There are too few examples in the history of Nigeria since independence where it can be said that good management and governance were instituted at a national level. This lack of a governance framework has allowed many of those in charge, devoid of any real checks and balances, to plunder. The fact that I now seek Obama’s assistance in locating and returning $150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of former, corrupt officials is testament to how badly Nigeria has been run. This way of conducting our affairs cannot continue.

Indeed, the failure of governance, it can be argued, has been as much a factor in Nigeria’s inability thus far to defeat Boko Haram as have been issues with the military campaign itself.

So the path we must take is simple, even if it is not easy: First, instill rules and good governance; second, install officials who are experienced and capable of managing state agencies and ministries; and third, seek to recover funds stolen under previous regimes so that this money can be invested in Nigeria for the benefit of all of our citizens.

We seek the support and partnership of the United States in these tasks. The importance of the fight against terrorism and corruption in Nigeria, Africa’s most powerful economy and largest populace, cannot be underestimated. Our allies can provide much-needed military training and intelligence as our soldiers take the war effort to Boko Haram. Similarly, we look to U.S. businesses as well as the Obama administration to help develop governance initiatives that can ensure that Nigeria’s wealth benefits all its people, not just a few. By taking these steps, we will be positioned to benefit from increased investment — particularly in energy and electricity — from the United States.

I was elected on a platform of change. I know this is what the people of Nigeria desire more than anything else. I know they are impatient for action. I realize the world waits to see evidence that my administration will be different from all those that came before. Yet reforming my country after so many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight. In our campaigns against both Boko Haram and corruption, we should remain steadfast and remember, as it is said: “Have patience. All things become difficult before they become easy.”

Sharing economy driving Nigeria

By Andrew Fassnidge - ( Founder Appsafrica.com)
 
Disruptive technology is alive and well in Nigeria with transport a key area of focus. Appsafrica.com has previously reported how the taxi industry in Lagos has been revolutionized with services including Tranzit, Easytaxi and most recently Uber. Now the sharing economy has hit Lagos with carpooling.

On any given day moving around Lagos, can be frustrating, from traffic to unreliable commercial transport. With recent fuel issues, navigating the city was difficult for many but two new start-ups are hoping to change the way people commute in Lagos and the rest of Africa.

The first is Jekalo, an online platform where you can share a ride with someone going along the same route as you. Whether you are a ride owner or a passenger, “Jekalo is a convenient and affordable way to get home”, users can earn rewards by offering rides and for the days they do not want to drive, users can always join someone else’s ride.

Also recently lauched is GoMyWay a ride-sharing marketplace connecting passengers with ride owners going along the same route and have empty seats to spare. GoMyWay is funded by Angel investors Sim Shagaya (CEO/Founder, Konga),Co-creation Hub and Bill Paladino (Ex-amazon and Naspers executive).

Damilola Teidi from GoMyWay tells Appsafrica.com, there are no functioning rail network systems in many countries in the region, so our “aim is to provide a solution to the transportation problem in various parts in Africa via a people-powered transportation network”. Unlike Jekalo which focuses on short intra city trips, GoMyWay is focused on city to city transport.

“We recently launched in Nigeria and will be launching in a few other African countries too” explains Teidi. We are helping protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions as well as reducing traffic congestion in big cities.

Safety critical
As with all new transport services, safety is top of the list as a concern for many users. GoMyWay has four verification levels in place for all members: Facebook, Phone number, Email and Valid ID. There is also member ratings/reviews as well as a dedicated support team to monitor activities on the platform. Co-travelers are free to contact car owners of their choice, and in turn, car owners can accept or decline requests.

At Jekalo all members are verified and ride offers are screened before being published. Jekalo use a social and professional layering that allows users to deploy the product only after signing up and connecting with their Facebook and Linkedin profiles. A user, having registered on the network can choose either to offer a ride or join any of the rides already listed on the sidebar.

Good to share
Compared to public transport, GoMyWay claims to offer the cheapest, fun and most convenient way to travel across the country or within a city. Based on a formula that takes into account travel costs (e.g fuel costs), the platform suggests a fee that car owners can charge their co-travelers. Passengers pay the stated amount to the car owner. Jekalo claims its service is about the same price as using a commercial bus and cheaper than a taxi. With recent surges in taxi fares caused by high fuel costs there is possibly no better time for the sharing economy to launch in Nigeria.

Writivism 2015 Winner Interview : All About Pemi

By Kelechi Njoku

Pemi Aguda is a fearless storyteller. In June, she was announced winner of the Writivism Short Story Prize in Kampala Uganda, for her story “Caterer, Caterer”. The 400-dollar Prize, which is in its third year, has birthed a stunning array of short fiction from Africa whose thrusts are difficult to box in. Pemi and I got talking days after the awards ceremony about the quiet fierceness in her stories, her photography projects, and the impact her day job as an architect has had on her writing.

Your stories defy restriction—and I’m speaking in the moral sense, for what that’s worth—like you are steadily testing to see how far you can push the reader’s mental boundaries before they crumble. I saw this in The Thing with Mr. Lawal, for instance, where a young woman is asked out by her father’s rival for her late mother’s hand; and there was this other story Naming where you take on marital infidelity with some sympathy. Is this deliberate? 

 It’s always interesting to the see these connections and patterns drawn from the stories I’ve written, by others. But during the writing, I’m hardly conscious of any bigger themes. I always say that my subconscious does more work than I do; I’m the lazy one in this partnership. So, no – it isn’t deliberate, this defiance. But it’s a pattern I’m glad you’ve made me aware of because I do believe that your reaction to a situation could change drastically if the eye-view, your perspective, was tilted ever so slightly.

Do you worry then that readers might mistake some of your characters for you?
No, it isn’t something I worry about. If anything, I sometimes wish my life was one to inspire stories, but alas…

I loved the narrator of Caterer, Caterer. She was flippant yet very methodical, the way her mind worked. She seemed able to gather events to herself, analyse them and come to her own answers, and could recognize some good out of her husband’s crippling accident. I couldn’t help wondering if she has sociopathic tendencies.

Haha! Well, perhaps. As the caterer said, it’s nice to be loved back; even if there’s a broken leg between here and there.
I’m glad you liked the narrator, I did too. I also held on tightly during the editing process to keep most of the Nigerian English as it was.
Maybe there’s a little of me in this character; in the way I will avoid confrontation – and have stilted conversations – but will process everything afterward till most things are tied up neatly in my mind, or not. Where there is no luxury of eloquence, there’s a lot of analytic soliloquy (in the head).

I can relate to that very writerly problem! So, does being an architect touch on your work as a writer, or are there two very separate Pemi Agudas at work in these professions?  

There’s similarity in the processes. There’s an idea. There’s honing the idea. Then there are the structural technicalities to make sure the built work doesn’t fall on its own head; or yours.

You are involved in some photography and fashion work under Nik-Nak. What made you go into that? 

  I particularly loved the one you did about Lagos with Tunde Mason.
Oh, that was fun. Tunde is an emotive photographer and I’m sure everyone’s been inspired by Lagos somehow. Nik-Nak is a lot more than fashion and photography, though. There’s art, architecture, music, everything! It’s just Kovie and I sharing the random rad things the internet and friends send our way. Exalting the beauty in the mundane, letting more people find those obscure but golden ideas that we think deserve a bigger audience.

Let’s talk about the entire Writivism experience. How was it? 

Tahirah, my buddy, had mentioned the Short Story Prize, so I sent ‘Caterer, Caterer’ in. It was my favourite at the time. I always think “What are the odds?” with prizes but the stars smiled at me this time. I kept saying I only wanted the shortlist; because who doesn’t love free travel? And honestly, that was the winning for me – being able to attend the festival. The week made such an impression on me – as a writer, as a person, as an observer of the world. It was sometimes overwhelming to be in the same space with such… thinkers. The writers I listened to, learned from, have been such an (pardon-the-cliché) inspiration to me. Winning was a bonus. An unexpected one. I saw a video that captured those moments and it was one eternal cringe of awkwardness.

What does winning the Prize mean for you now?
Well, it’s validation. Say what you will about validation from others, but it feels excellent. Especially because I’m such a big fan of the judges this year, I’m ecstatic.

Should we look forward to a novel, a collection of stories maybe?
Oh, the pressure! I’ll keep writing my short stories for now, and if they end up sharing the pages of a book – awesome.

Kelechi Njoku lives in Abuja where he works as an editor and ghostwriter. His fiction appears in several publications, online and print; and he was shortlisted for the Writivism Prize in 2014.

 

 http://writivism.com/?p=2804

Africa's Promising Future!

Over the weekend (10th-12th July) , Covenant University Nigeria played host to 1,000 Entrepreneurs from 51 African countries chosen through a rigorous selection process for a two-day boot camp, and from a range of industries, to participate in the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme 2015.

These Entrepreneurs went through live-action learning to hone the hard and soft skills specific to doing business in Africa, formed relationships with mentors and peers, and planted the seeds essential for pan-African collaboration and trade.

The participants had earlier pursued an intensive 12 weeks online course, guided by expert mentors from around the world and they would soon be receiving two separate rounds of long-term seed capital from the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

According to the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation; Mr Tony Elumelu; by the year 2020, 122 million Africans are projected to enter the labor force and this current entrepreneurial drive would have created enough jobs for the continent’s ever growing population.

Also, it is expected that there would be a broader revenue base for most African government as it relates to the tax to be derived.

Consequently, extreme poverty would be strategically tackled thereby sufficiently reducing its rate and impact and eventually eradicating such.

Undoubtedly, this would strengthen the continent’s economy thereby paving the way for Africa to emerge as the powerhouse it was ordained to be amidst other social & cultural benefits.

Tony Elumelu, a Nigerian, and an economist by training , in 2010, created the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and in 2015 the foundation launched the $100 million Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme to seed and support 10,000 African entrepreneurs over the next decade.

This programme represents Tony Elumelu's personal commitment to the economic philosophy of “Africapitalism”, a development model he propagated, that sees the African private sector as the catalyst in ensuring Africa’s sustainable social and economic development.‎

Mr. Elumelu sits on numerous public and social sector boards, including the global advisory board of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4All), USAID’s ‎Private Capital Group For Africa Partners’ Forum (PCGA), and the Aspen Institute's Global Food Security Working Group. He also serves on the International Advisory Board of the Washington DC based think tank The Wilson Center, and as vice chair of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria. In addition, Mr. Elumelu serves as an adviser to president Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).‎ 

He was recognized as one of “Africa’s 20 Most Powerful People in 2012” by Forbes Magazine and the New African Magazine featured him in their list of the “100 Most Influential Africans in Business.”

Acknowledgement: The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneuship Programme : African needs to search within for solution ; Tony O Elumelu CON

                                    

                         

FUTA Student Wins International Competition Slot - Beats 2,000 African Applicants

Come August 2015, in far away Nicaragua, a country located between the Pacific ocean and the Caribbean sea in Central America, Nigeria's Saviour Okusenogu would be representing Africa at the Microsoft Youth Spark Challenge For Change.

Okusenogu, a student of Electrical/Electronic Engineering at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) , beat over 2,000 contestants from Africa to emerge first choice on the continent.

Through his BISET Initiative (Become Inspired in Science and Engineering Technology), Savior wants to help increase the interest of young people in engineering and science. He intends to penetrate young minds in developing countries by bringing various projects and interactive science experiments in a fun-like manner to secondary schools. He believes this an opportunity and it would go a long way in getting more young-stars to develop genuine interest for sciences especially engineering.

“It’s a very great opportunity for students like me, and for people who want to change their communities with science and technology,” he says.

Microsoft YouthSpark Challenge for Change asks those aged 18-25 to submit an idea for a social good project designed to spark change in their communities or around the world for the chance to win amazing prizes including a travel experience to the Amazon and the latest Microsoft products 

This contest is Microsoft's way of expressing it's company-wide commitment to creating education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for 300 million young people by 2015.

I’ve moved back’ Harvard-trained ICU Pediatrician returns to Nigeria – Bunmi

 By Ndidi Chukwu

“I’ve moved back; my things, my clothes, my books, my kitchen things, my shoes – everything is in Nigeria now” is what lively and intelligent, young Bunmi Ode, had to say after committing her service to save some 11 children who had successful open-heart surgeries at Abuja’s Garki General Hospital weeks ago.

Dr. Bunmi is a paediatric intensivist, a rare profession in the Nigerian health space, she trained at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and has worked in the United States for a few years prior to her return to Nigeria recently. She said her return is to help build the kind of health system that Nigeria doesn’t have but deserves.

“If you don’t develop a system, then you won’t have it, and if we spend all the time talking about what we don’t have rather than building what we need using what we have, we are never going to have what we need” said Bunmi.

Is the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) pediatric experience in US the same as Nigeria’s? She was asked, her reply was “No, it’s not, but if you don’t build an ICU experience in Nigeria you won’t have one. So, this whole experience of having people volunteering and traveling, setting up a system, doing work, teaching people and establishing a supply chain for the medications and supplies; it’s part of building an ICU system and I’m totally committed to being a part of the people building such. It is not American standard yet, but we are going to build something worthwhile.”

Nigeria suffers brain-drain, and thus the shortage of health personnel working for health, but Bunmi Ode thinks “brain-drain is a very complex situation” she opined that “Nigerian doctors work hard, we do our best given the equipments and facilities. Before I got back, I thought that Nigerian doctors don’t move back to Nigeria but since I’ve been back, I’ve met a lot of Nigerians healthcare workers who trained and worked abroad and have moved back to work here. I truly believe that there is a reverse brain-drain process going on right now where professionals with international training and experience are moving back to settle and work in Nigeria.”

She said “Working in Nigeria has been very fulfilling. It is something very inspiring working in a place like Nigeria and working with some of the people here, like Dr. Ikenna Omeje, who works as a pediatric cardiac surgeon in one of the top children’s hospitals the UK but returns to Nigeria to give care that is not usually available to the Nigerian child. I trained in the Harvard healthcare network, and worked in the US and I’ve come back to Nigeria to render a service that’s not usually available here; it is profound for me and there is no way to describe how fulfilling and rewarding I find it.”

She was among the group of volunteer Nigerian consultants who returned to help in “Hospital for Humanity” project series happening in Garki hospitals which hopes to save the lives of over 200 children with heart diseases. She worked in the Intensive Care Unit, where she took care of the children till they got through, with respiratory machines, and now have healthy hearts again, “it was an awesome experience for me, that all the 11 children we took to surgery survived; this doesn’t happen often, but I’m glad it happened in Nigeria” she said. ‎

 http://healthreporters.info/2015/07/04/ive-moved-back-harvard-trained-icu-pediatrician-returns-to-nigeria-bunmi/