April 2013 - Nigerian Watch

Transcription

E
DIAMOND
F
R
E
Return of
the voice
that sold
21m records
Page 20
TRIDENT
CHINUA ACHEBE
Why the
unit’s closure
leaves us all
vulnerable
16 Nov 1930 – 22 Mar 2013
An appreciation
of the founding
father of African
literature Page 24
Page 19
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
Issue No 012
moNthly
to Inspire, Inform and Entertain
INSIDE
TATE LAGOS
EMBASSY
BACKS
ARTIST’S
PLAN FOR
NIGERIA
NATIONAL
MUSEUM
OF MODERN
ART
nigerianwatch.com
News
Yinka Shonibare
MBE to receive
Nigeria’s highest
honour
2 Centenary proposal to
scrap the name Nigeria
4 Community leaders lobby
Met on frontline cuts
6 The Wills Smith and .i.am
on the Brixton beat
Features
10 Premier League is
missing a trick in Africa
17 Elephant sanctions threat
18 Best of Black President
and the ‘pen robbery’ prophet
Life & Style
28 Good food for kids
30 Remedies from the clear
skin council
Business & Property
44 Is Lagos set to rival
London’s property market?
Education
39 How to give your kids an
Oxbridge vocabulary
Sport
48 Ian Wright on the unique
AfCar:The Game showdown
Thinking of returning to Nigeria?
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2
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
It always starts with a dream
t
here is no greater reminder of the power of the artist as an agent
of change than the many eloquent eulogies and obituaries that
have been written in honour of Nigeria’s first man of letters, the
great Chinua Achebe.
his impact on Nigerian and African literature will never be equalled.
But men and women of equally great character will emerge and they
will change Nigeria for the better, as mr Achebe has.
our great contemporary artist yinka Shonibare mBE is one who
might perform such a role.
he has launched a bold plan for the creation of a museum of modern
art (momA) in lagos. At first this might seem self-serving and
aggrandising. But change has many catalysts.
Such a museum, mr Shonibare says, will make lagos an international
city, and the many benefits that would stem from that, culturally,
socially and economically, will make Nigeria a better place.
It is a dream. But when Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart, he
could only dream that it would be published and read. he dared not
dream it would change the world. It did.
And so might mr Shonibare’s plan for a momA in lagos. he – as
Achebe did to such great effect – has used his art to ask the world to
consider how it has treated Africa in the most
satirical of ways.
Now he is daring it to engage with our
great country and continent as equals.
mr Achebe would be pleased.
maryanne Jemide, mD
NIGERIAN WATCH
Publishers
tevin Jemide & Victor omosevwerha
Publisher/Managing Director
maryanne Jemide
PR Director
Ilonka omosevwerha
Managing Editor
Jon hughes
Art Editor
Cathy Constable
Contributors obah Iyamu; harriet ogbeide; AJ James; Ayo
Akinfe; Funmi odegbami; Samuel Kasumu; Nnimmo Bassey;
Fatimah yo-Fanah Kelleher; Ngozi
Chief Cartoonist
harold ogbeide
Office address
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NEWSWATCH
Nigeria no more
says ‘party’ chief
By AJ JAMES
The man chairing the committee responsible for orchestrating Nigeria’s
centenary celebrations has made the
astonishing call for the country to
abandon its name.
Professor Tekena Tamuno,
Chairman of the Centenary Committee, made his call at an annual
lecture of the Nigeria Academy of
Letters, organised to mark the nation’s centenary anniversary.
That anniversary being the first
of many to come over the next 18
months – marking the moment
when discussions about possible independence began between British
and Nigerian leaders in 1913.
Delivering the lecture titled
Nigeria’s First Century: Pluses and
Minuses, Prof. Tamuno recommended that the name Nigeria be
changed to “Commonwealth of
Nigeria” He argued the change is
“an essential requirement for the
sustainable success of a new Nigeria
in the next century”, and argued
that it must take effect from the 1
Jan, 2014, when the country will be
marking its centenary, following the
amalgamation of its northern and
southern protectorates by the
British.
He was respectfully heard at the
lecture but Nigeria media report of
fellow academics disagreeing with
his thesis. Some academics at the
lecture were, however, opposed to
the recommendation, saying that
Nigeria does not need a name
change but a change in its people
and leadership to tackle corruption
which they all agreed is the nation’s
number one enemy.
Prof. Tamuno further noted that
by January 2014, it would no longer
be business as usual for corrupt officials in the country as he proposed
a People’s Tribunal to handle all
charges known to be fraudulent
since 1st October, 1960.
These recommendations drew
several reactions from the audience.
The President of the Nigerian
Academy of Letters, Professor
Munzali Jibril, however said institutionalisation of the nation’s democracy is most important.
In accordance with the new philosophy of clean governance from
2014, many questioned the preparedness of the political and socioeconomic systems for the next
century in the nation’s life.
TATE
SHONIBARE
TO BE NAMED
COMMANDER
OF THE
FEDERAL
REPUBLIC
World renowned modern artist
Yinka Shonibare MBE has
launched plans to create a national
museum of modern art (MOMA) in
Lagos, writes Jon Hughes.
He made his dramatic announcement at a private ceremony at the Nigeria High Commission in London,
staged to inform the London-based
artist that he is to receive the highest
national honour Nigeria can bestow
upon an individual in recognition of
his many great achievements.
Since 1997 Mr Shonibare has been
in the premier league of modern artists
– first coming to public awareness in
the UK as part of the Sensation exhibition at the Royal Academy. His Ship
in a Bottle for Trafalgar Square made
him a household name in the UK. In
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NEWSWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
TEMPLATE FOR LAGOS
2002 he created ‘Gallantry and Criminal
Conversation’ which launched him on an
international stage.
Along the way Mr Shonibare was
nominated for the Turner Prize and
awarded an MBE in 2004.
At the informal gathering toward the
end of March Nigeria's High Commissioner, His Excellency Dr Dalhatu Sarki
Tafida told Mr Shonibare, “We have always cherished and honoured Nigerians
who have made it and you are one of
those to have made it.”
Referring to the artist’s MBE Dr
Tafida continued, “You have been honoured by this country and I believe you
should be getting an honour from our
country, the highest honour we can give.
That you haven’t already is an oversight.
“I will this week be writing to the government asking that this be done, so you
get the colours you deserve as you have
done from this country.” It is expected Mr
Shonibare will be named a Commander
of the Federal Republic.
On a more personal note Dr Tafida
spoke warmly of the three times he had
been a resident of Lagos, the city where
Mr Shonibare was born, and how he had
been warmly accepted and embraced by
the people there. “Therefore as a
Lagosian,” he said, “You are someone I
should love and work with and whatever
you want from us we should grant; whatever you require from us that we can give,
we will give.”
Mr Shonibare was clearly moved by
Dr Tafida's warmth and said he was “honoured” to be so recognised, before
adding, “There is one thing I hope you
can help me with… a museum of contemporary art and design.”
The artists described visiting Lagos
last year and speaking with and listening
to his contemporaries and young artists
had made him realise that much of Nigeria's talent was being allowed to leave the
country – bringing benefits to their
adopted homes rather than Nigeria.
“We give away all our talents and they
don't bring anything home,” he said. “We
do not have international standard museums in Nigeria,” he lamented. “We have a
museum on antiquities but we need to
make an effort to preserve our talents and
our heritage for the future.
“If we can create such a museum to international standards it is something that
will connect Nigeria to the international
community and it will bring employment,
boost tourism and all the ancillary industries associated with that - taxi driving,
restaurants, gift shops. The world has capitalised on this - look at the success of the
Tate Modern [the second most visited
tourist attraction in the UK].
He continued, “Culture brings peace
to people. If I can have support to help
this project that would be most welcome.”
He said what was needed was a plot of
land in Lagos and that the first part of his
plan involved starting to build an international society of friends. Something the
artist had embarked on.
The support, previously assured by Dr
Tafida was repeated by the minister for information at the High Commission, Simon Ogah.
ART BY YINKA SHONIBARE (clockwise): The Last Supper (after Leonardo) 2013;
Nelson: Ship in a Bottle, displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, May
2010-Jan 2012, now at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich; and Gallantry and Criminal Conversation (Parasol) 2002
Have your say
THE FUTURE OF LONDON FIRE BRIGADE
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is
consulting on its Draft Fifth London Safety Plan
and we’d like your views.
‘We must help the disabled’
mr Shonibare mBE used the platform
afforded to him by the high Commission to make an appeal for the better
treatment of disabled people in Nigeria. the artist had been able bodied
when he first came to london’s acclaimed Goldsmith’s College to study,
being rendered disabled in his late
teens by a medical condition.
“We have to think about this very
carefully,” he told the gathering.”I’m
a man with a disability in a country
where they give a lot of opportunities
(and apparatus) to disabled people. In
their buildings they create access
so you can go about your life really freely.”
In Nigeria where there are no
such services routinely given, the
disabled are sidelined and their
many talents wasted.
mr Shonibare continued, “We
have to see how local governments, architects and big corporations in Nigeria can be encouraged
to think about the disabled so
they can provide opportunities for
them to fulfil their potential.”
The plan sets out how the fire and rescue service could be
delivered over the next few years. Amongst other things,
it includes plans to keep within our target attendance times
for getting to incidents and details how savings worth
£28.8m could be made. These proposals also involve the
closure of 12 fire stations, the removal of 18 fire engines,
the redeployment of four fire engines and a reduction
in the number of firefighter posts of 520.
For full details of the plan
proposals and our online
consultation go to:
london-fire.gov.uk/LSP5
If you’d like us to send
you a copy of our plan and
consultation document, ring:
0800 9888 569
The consultation runs from
4 March to 5pm on 28 May
2013 and will include open
meetings in your area.
3
4
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
NEWSWATCH
NIGERIAN COMMUNITY LEADERS CALL ON
POLICE TO RETHINK AUSTERITY SAVINGS
FATE OF PCSO SEEN AS SYMBOLIC OF COMMITMENT TO TACKLING STREET CRIME
Three prominent Nigerian
community leaders are
among a host of organisations and individuals
who have written to the
Commissioner
of
the
Metropolitan Police calling
on him to halt austerity cuts
that have curtailed the work
of a respected police
community support officer
(PCSO), writes AJ James.
The PCSO in question is
Kevin Smith, who has over recent years worked with the
Damilola Taylor Trust, YACnCAY (youth against crime
not crime against you) and the
Kodjo Yenga Foundation –
three charities that were established in the aftermath of
street killings.
The letter to Sir Bernard
Hogan-Howe is signed by Mr
Richard Taylor OBE, Dr
Toyin Idowu and Ms Ladjua
Lesele respectively and states,
“We all think someone like
Kevin, whose heart and soul
remains with youths in different boroughs, should remain
in post because he is an asset
and he truly cares about the
youth.”
But the reality is that “due
to cuts in his borough he now
only works two days a week
amongst youth instead of five”
and asks as a result “how will
he be able to fulfill his full potential in reducing youth
crime in his borough.”
Mr Smith has been a PCSO
in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham for eight
years where as a result of pursuing a policy of engagement
with young people he and his
colleagues have been instrumental in reducing reported
youth crime by over 50%.
Another indication of the
positive impact Mr Smith and
his colleagues have had on the
borough is that Hammersmith
and Fulham was one of the
few to escape wholly unscathed during the recent London riots.
“We need more of this positive policing, not less, policing
that yields positive results is
what the community wants,”
Dr Idowu told Nigerian
Watch.
“Kevin and his colleagues
actively work to steer our children away from crime and
gangs and that is what is
wanted in the community,” she
continued. “We need intervention before they become involved in gangs because once
they have it is often tragically
too late.”
The chief executive of
Queen’s Park Rangers FC in
the Community Trust, Andy
Evans, has written expressing
his support for Kevin also.
It states, “With assistance
from Kevin, QPR and Met Police are working with young
people from deprived areas
who are on the cusp of the
criminal justice system.
“This outreach work is vital
for the community and QPR
are hoping this partnership
can continue in the future.”
The Met Police website is in
full agreement stating, “Police
Community Support Officers
(PCSOs) are helping to reduce
crime and anti-social behaviour across London. They are
making people feel safer in
their homes and within their
communities; closing the gap
between the reality and the
fear of crime.
“PCSOs are not police officers; they are civilian members
of police staff. They work
alongside their police officer
colleagues to provide a highly
visible, accessible and familiar
presence on the capital’s streets.
“PCSOs engage with London’s communities, building
bridges with the public. They
are trained problem solvers, a
reassuring presence and a deterrent against crime. They
also support front line policing
in non-confrontation roles,
maintain order in public
places, address low-level antisocial behaviour and tackle
youth-disorder.”
Yet it has been widely accepted that with £500m worth
of cuts to make to policing in
the capital this year that
PCSOs will bear the brunt of
the cuts.
It is this same budgetary
pressure that has seen the Met
call time on Operation Trident,
which was dedicated to tackling black on black killings
and building trust within the
community, and merge it with
the homicide unit (see Comment, page 19).
NIDOE SOUTH UNVEIL NEW TEAM
lAWyEr henrietta Abraham
has been elected Chairwoman
of NIDoE UK South and is set
to lead an overhaul of the organisation.
In the run up to election ms
Abraham said, “I believe that I
can bring about the change,
which our organisation so desperately needs, to regain its
relevance and impact our community and nation in a positive
way.”
ms Abrahams wants the organisation to become more
visible and relevant to the
community. She also believes it
is vital to connect with government, private organisations
and NGos, “to create the right
synergy and harness the expertise and transferable skills
of members in helping to
transform Nigeria”.
In the belief that “together
we are stronger”, she also
wants to foster close cooperation between NIDoE and the
other community groups, such
as Canuk.
Welcoming the outcome of
the election, NIDoE chairman
Collins Nweke said, “henrietta
and her team bring with them
not just an unmatchable intellectual capital into the Chapter
leadership but also she as an
individual has introduced some
diversity into the Chapter
Chairpersons Forum, being the
only woman (at present) in the
Forum.”
Pictured: Godson Azu, Adeleye Fapohunda, Baba omusa
ohyoma,
Chief
Ejikeme
Uzoalor, mr Edward Coker, Alhaji Ahmed Saliu, and henrietta (centre and inset).
Feel
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eel c
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his E
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NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
Chinwe out to teach robots
how to think for themselves
A robot arm modelled on an elephant’s trunk is
helping Nigerian
graduate Chinwe
Ozoegwu to pursue a global project to help disabled
people to carry out
everyday
tasks,
such as helping to
feed themselves.
Sheffield Hallam
University
PhD student Chinwe will use the £13,000 Robotino XT arm to complete her doctorate in industrial automation and robotics.
The robot arm’s capability for solving tasks
such as helping people with limited mobility to
feed themselves will be one of the first pieces of
work Lucy will undertake.
Lucy, 30 and originally from Enugu State, is
the only student in the UK to work on the global
project devised by German manufacturers Festo.
She told Nigerian Watch, “We plan to investigate
and develop the capability of the Robotino XT
as an autonomous self-adapting machine, where
the robot will learn from its own experience, without being restricted to pre-conceived routines.” In
other words, how to use its experience to think for
@NigerianWatch
NEWSWATCH
itself.
“It should also be
able to adapt the learning to solving engineering problems. The initial
problem we aim to solve
is that of assistive feeding for people with limited movements in their
arms who cannot feed
independently.
“Once this has been
effectively realised, it can
then be easily transferable to other tasks due to the robot’s autonomous
and self-adapting behaviour.”
The project will also see youngsters from the
new University Technical College (UTC) in
Sheffield carrying out roles as research assistants
under Chinwe’s supervision, as part of their Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing courses.
Andrew Cropley, Chair of the UTC Sheffield
Academy Trust, said, “This is a fantastic collaboration bringing together Sheffield Hallam and
the new UTC in a project led by a multinational
business which has global possibilities. Only a
handful of institutions globally have the opportunity to work on this robotic arm and it will be
a fantastic addition to the UTC’s offer for 14 to
19-year-olds.”
ALL ROADS LEAD TO BRIXTON
Will Smith joined shadow
business secretary Chuka
Umunna on a walkabout in
Brixton on march 7, when the
superstar was in town to see
his son Jaden Smith – who
was supporting Justin Bieber
on his shows at the 02.
Smith dropped in to St
martin’s School in tulse hill
during the day. there was no
reason given for mr Smith’s
request to mr Umunna for a
guided tour of Brixton.
meanwhile another American superstar Will.i.am cited
Brixton when declaring he
was to give his salary from
BBC programme the Voice to
the Prince’s trust charity to
help fund technology training
among
disadvantaged
youths. Declaring he doesn’t
need anymore luxury items,
the pop star said he wants to
find the next Bill Gates or
mark Zuckerberg.
“It takes one person from
Brixton to turn into mark
Zuckerberg and it changes a
neighbourhood forever. technology and science is our future,” Will.i.am said.
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April 2013
NEWSWATCH
Adichie’s Americanah is nearly here
At the time of going to press we –
like you, we conclude, from the preorder number of over one million
copies – were eagerly awaiting and
anticipating the release of
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s
latest novel Americanah.
Another measure of the global anticipation for the novel is the publication of an extensive extract in the
prestigious New Yorker Magazine.
And The Times (London) making her
earlier novel Purple Hibiscus it’s bookclub choice, in preparation for the release of Americanah. “Americanah” is
the irreverent term used in Nigeria for
people who have become American-
ised, who go to America and return
with a different accent and a different
taste in food and an exaggerated sense
of superiority.
Ms Adichie has been writing the
follow-up to the ward winning Half
A Yellow Sun as a Radcliffe African
Studies fellow at Harvard University.
Her latest is billed as a powerful story
of love, race and identity across three
continents.
The publisher’s, 4th Estate, blurb
reads somewhat breathlessly, “As
teenagers in Lagos, Ifemelu and
Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is
under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can.
The self-assured Ifemelu departs for
America. There she suffers defeats and
triumphs, finds and loses relationships,
all the while feeling the weight of
something she never thought of back
home: race. Obinze had hoped to join
her, but post-9/11 America will not let
him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.
“Thirteen years later, Obinze is a
wealthy man in a newly democratic
Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved
success as a blogger. But after so long
apart and so many changes, will they
find the courage to meet again, face to
face? Fearless and gripping, a richly
told story of love and expectation set
in today’s globalized world.”
In an exclusive preview of the
book, acclaimed US author and publisher Dave Eggars wrote, “As she did
so masterfully with Half of a Yellow
Sun, Adichie paints on a grand canvas,
boldly and confidently, equally adept
at conveying the complicated political
backdrop of Lagos as she is in bringing us into the day-to-day lives of her
many new Americans. This is a very
funny, very warm and moving intergenerational epic that confirms
Adiche’s virtuosity, boundless empathy and searing social acuity.”
Americanah is published on 11 April.
TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR NIGERIA’S LITERARY GREAT
Chimamanda Adichie was
among a host of literary heavyweights and prominent politicians to pay tribute to Chinua
Achebe as news of his death
emerged on 22 march.
the celebrated novelist, revealed that last year she had
wept when she received a note
from Achebe praising her novel,
half of a yellow Sun.
She admitted she was too
awed to pluck up the nerve to
call him back. meeting him for a
second time, she was too shy to
approach, as writers including
toni morrison and ha Jin
crowded around him backstage
during an awards luncheon.
“Before I went on stage, he told
me, ‘Jisie ike [more grease to
your elbow]’. I wondered if he
fully grasped, if indeed it was
possible to, how much his work
meant to so many.”
Nelson mandela, who read
Achebe’s books while in prison
said of him that “he was the
writer in whose company the
prison walls came down.”
Simon Winder, publishing director at Penguin said, “Chinua
Achebe is the greatest of
African writers and we are all
desolated to hear of his death.”
“he was the first of our
African writers to tell the story
from our own perspective,” said
Denja Abdullahi, vice president
of the Association of Nigerian
Authors which mr Achebe
helped found in 1981. “Even beyond Africa, people who were
colonised and oppressed could
relate to his stories.”
The founding father of African
literature, page 24
7
SNEAK PrEVIEW
Aisha gestured to the pile of DVDs on
the table. “Now Nigeria film is very
good.” Ifemulu thought little of Nollywood films, with their exaggerated
histrionics and their improbable
plots, but she nodded in agreement
because to hear ‘Nigeria’ and ‘good’
in the same sentence was a luxury,
even coming from this strange Senagalese woman, and she chose to see
in this an augary of her return home.
…………………………………………
Everyone she had told she was moving back seemed surprised, expecting
an explanation, and when she said
she was doing because she wanted
to, puzzled lines would appear on
foreheads.
“you are closing your blog and
selling your condo to go back to
lagos and work in a magzine that
doesn’t pay that well,’ Aunt Uju had
said and then repeated herself, as
though to make Ifemelu see the gravity of her own foolishness. only her
old friend in lagos, ranyinudo, had
made her return seem normal. “lagos
is now full of returnees, so you better
come back and join them. Every day
you see them carrying a bottle of
water as if they will die of the heat if
they are not drinking water every
minute,” ranyinudo said.
Thinking of returning to Nigeria?
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Y
If you are an asylum seeker
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havve
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or have no le
legal
egal status in the UK
UK,
K,
we offer free
free,
e, confidential advic
advice
ce
and informat
information
tion to help you dec
decide
ide
whether to rreturn.
eturn.
We are a charity
We
cha
arity and separate
from UKBA.
We know that deciding whether to
We
return can be a difficult decision and
d
pressure
will not pressu
re you to return or to
stay in
i the
h UK.
UK
If you decide n
not
ot to return, we
can refer you to
o other local advice
services.
If you decide to
o return, we will:
UÊÊ help you plan
U
n your return, book
flights and as
ssist you to the
assist
airport
UÊÊ pay for your flight and arrange
U
travel docum
documents
ments
UÊÊ in some cases
U
es give you financial
assistance.
of a family up to
If you are part o
£2,000 is available
ble per family memb
member
er
resettle.
to help you rese
ettle.
Ivie*
vie* had h
her
er asylum claim in the UK
K rejected and could not
work to su
pport herself and her children.
dren. She decided it was
support
ime to return
return to her home town of Lagos in Nigeria.
time
She and he
er children were entitled to a financial support
her
package a
and used it for transport, food
ood and initial
accommodation.
accommo
odation. Ivie then rented premises and set up a small
all
shop selli
ing children’
s toys,
toys clothes,
clothes,
s accessories, toiletries
selling
children’s
and gifts
ed one year’
s schooling
gifts.. Her children also received
year’s
fees.
Ivie is pleased
eased that the business is
s doing well. It has taken
time and
d effort to re-settle but she
e is pleased she has
returned
d to Nigeria.
* names a
and identities have been changed
To
o find outt more about yo
your
ur
options co
contact
ontact Choices
s
Assisted V
Voluntary
oluntary Return
n
Service
0808
08
808 8000 0007
((free
f
free
call)
www
www.choices-avr.org.uk
w.choices-avrr.org.uk
If you are teleph
telephoning
oning us please call with someone who can give y
your
our details and we will
phone you back with an interpreter. If you would like someone to visit your community group
and tell you more about the service email [email protected]
The UK’s Assisted Voluntary Return Service
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NEWSWATCH
Canuk honours NHC staff
A generous thank you and
fond farewell were given to
homeward bound officers
and ministers from the High
Commission by the Central
Association of Nigerians in
the
United
Kingdom
(CANUK) toward the end of
March.
To mark their departure
Canuk had commissioned
special commemorative plaques
which were personally inscribed
to each officer and stated that,
“Canuk (in full) presents this
plaque in recognition of the
dedication and service to the
community.”
Charles Kihran, Canuk’s
newly-elected social secretary,
told the gathering, “Six special
officers are leaving and we are
here to publicly thank you for
your tireless service and to wish
you well in your next
appointment.”
The officers received wave
after wave of praise from over a
dozen community leaders who
spoke of their dedication to
“transforming” the standard of
service the High Commission
offers and creating an enabling
environment,
which
had
allowed the speakers’ respective
community groups to flourish
and grow.
Canuk chairman, Bimbo
Folayan Roberts, said that from
the legacy of their work the
community had grown stronger
and was now more united than
ever in pursuing a positive
agenda for the diaspora and
Nigeria.
9
STAnDing ROOM Only TO HEAR
gEn buHARi PiTCH fOR TOP jOb
Such was the clamour to hear General
Muhammadu Buhari when he spoke at
Westminster’s Portcullis House at the
beginning of March that the meeting had to
be relocated to accommodate the more than
200 present, writes AJ James.
Pictured (l-r): Mrs A.A.Musa, Ambassador OK Lawal, Mr Isa, Mr Aliyu, Mr Akingbesote and Mr Oladimeji
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
And the General didn’t disappoint, clearly
pitching to be named the presidential candidate
for the newly united opposition in 2015 (see page
15) in a damning address.
“By convention,” the General began, “One
usually would like to talk about his country outside its shores in glowing terms, extolling its
virtues and defending its values and interests.
“But the situation in our country is so bad and
no one knows this better than the international
community, that it would be futile to take this line
today.
“Furthermore, it would be counter-productive
to efforts we are all making to understand and accept our shortcomings with a view to taking steps
towards a general improvement. If you continue
to be in denial, as Nigeria’s government and its
apologists are, you will lose all credibility.”
In a wide ranging speech offering a comprehensive blueprint for the future development of
Nigeria – covering education, industries and the
economy among other things – the role of
democracy and free and fair elections was a clear
priority. The General unsuccessfully ran in the
Presidential elections of 2003, 2007, 2011.
He told the audience that “as a result of the
virtual absence of the rule of law, elections since
2003 have not been free and fair.”
He accused the independent national electoral
commission (INEC) – the body charged with
overseeing elections – of being plainly dishonest:
delivering unverified results in 2003; issuing ballot
papers without serial numbers so as to make audits nigh on impossible in 2007; and in 2011 declaring a turnout of 85-95% in southern states as
opposed to 46% where opposition parties could
monitor voting.
Chronic poverty is another brake on democracy. “If on election day a voter wakes up with
nothing to eat for himself and his family and a
representative of a candidate offer him say 500
Naira (£2) he faces a hard choice; whether to
starve for the day or abandon his right to vote
freely.”
Under such conditions democracy is difficult
to accomplish, he said. To have free and fair elections Nigeria will have to eradicate poverty he
said and that would involve rejuvenating agriculture, the railways and resolving the intractable
issue of power generation – all of which would
require investment.
After a decade of PDP rule he said there was
an urgent need for a wholesale review of public
expenses vis a vis the real need of the country, saying the fact that civil service wages command 25%
of the total budget is wrong.
10
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
KASUMUWATCH
@NigerianWatch
The SAMUEL KASUMU Column
I’m leaving Parliament for now
It’s all change for me this April.
After just under a year working in
the Palace of Westminster, I will
be saying goodbye to Parliament.
My business commitments are
increasingly taxing on my time
and although I have a great team,
there is a need to be more
available as we continue to grow.
Ironically, not being in Parliament on a day to day basis will
free me up to be directly involved
in politics at a grassroots level.
I’m very glad to have been asked
to support the new Conservative
Grassroots movement, and was honoured to have spoken at their
launch during Spring Conference.
I’ll also be going back to engaging
with politics on a local level, and will
increasingly be vocal on how Britain
must engage with the emerging
powers within Africa.
As a 25 year old this of course is
not the end of my political carrier,
some would argue I am yet to even
get started. When I told a government Minister of my decision to
move on he said, “What you are
going to do is politics.”
I will of course miss the day to
day activities of parliament, and will
never forget that I was in and
around the House during key events
that took place over the past year.
But being outside of the Westminster bubble offers me so much more
opportunity.
For one I will be able to speak
my mind significantly more than I
currently am able to. Far too often
I’ve experienced parliamentarians
looking at me with disdain having
read one of my articles – on Conser-
vative Home, and in other media
outlets such as this – that they didn’t
agree with. Parliament can often be
a very childish place to be. I can’t say
that I care much about what many
people think, but I guess I’ll be able
to type with a little more ease.
My intention is to one day stand
for election. I’ll be going through the
various hoops of getting onto the
Conservative Party candidates list,
but really my focus will be on being
part of the political movement on
the ground. Age is a big thing when
it comes to British politics, and there
is no rush. Those of us involved in
politics have a responsibility to show
the next generation that it is possible
to have political influence going
right to the top.
There are of course other activities that I certainly look forward to
doing. Unfortunately I cannot tell
all now, but there will be a television show amongst other things.
My goal will be to open up politics to people from similar backgrounds to myself, as well as
making sure that young people
have the opportunity to set up a
business with the support that
they need.
The next chapter in my growth
should take me to 2015, and then
I guess we’ll take things from
there. But I’d like to publicly
thank everyone that has supported me and allowed me to deliver very unique projects. There
are still two projects left to launch
before I move on, a leadership
programme, and of course our report on entrepreneurship in
Lagos.
The Premier League is missing a trick
I recently met with the head of Public Affairs for
the UK Premier league (UKPl), and was so impressed by some of the things he told me.
Nigeria has the largest proportion of citizens
that support a UK football team in the world
after the UK alone; 46.2m adults (16-69 years
old) say they support a UKPl team, 69.2% of
people. this is second only to the UK.
In the 2011/12 season Nigeria had an audience of 125m Premier league viewers, which is
phenomenal. But why is it that only one Premier
league team, Arsenal, have decided to use
some of their pre-season to visit one of their
largest audiences?
Well clearly there are a number of reasons,
including the fact that the UK Premier league
as a whole is yet to fully understand how to engage with this type of growing superpower.
Countries like India, malaysia, and hong
Kong, are markets that the Premiership seems
to understand better
for whatever reason,
and quite frankly as a
result a market that
has the potential to do
so well for them financially is being neglected.
FASHION MUST FOLLOW
NOLLYWOOD LEAD
The Premier League is just one example of brands that are benefitting
from a huge following in Nigeria but
are yet to maximize the affinity of the
citizens within the region.
The Nigerian film industry is
probably the benchmark for how a
mutually beneficial relationship can
be developed in the fashion industry.
Nollywood films are big business
in Africa, the Caribbean, and of
course in countries like the UK, but
this was only possible because of the
use of technology, experts who were
able to build relationships, and a desire to make things happen.
In fashion, we have in Ronke Ademiluyi a lady who is attempting to do
the same thing for the fashion industry. She is the founder of African
Fashion Week London, and is certainly one to watch. This year’s
fashion showcase will be taking
place in the first week of August,
and is something I’m very much
looking forward to attending.
Creative industries is a market
where Britain and Nigeria both
have an edge, and where demand is
great, but of course this relationship
is not currently mutually beneficial.
Both British and Nigerian designers currently struggle for a vehicle that gives both of them access to
each other’s markets. But with the
work that Ronke is doing, this will
certainly change, and then hopefully other industries begin to engage better with the African
market.
on my recent trip to lagos and Abuja, it
was very clear that many people were keen
supporters, and replica shirts could be seen
everywhere.
I look forward to seeing how the Premier
league strengthens its relationship with Africa
as a whole, and from my meeting with the Premier league I am convinced that progress will
be made.
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12
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
GISTWATCH
Madam Amebo
CAUGHT RED HANDED
WITH HIS PANTS DOWN
SHOULD IT BE CALLED
SOLOMONIANITY?
ANyoNE who has seen what recently happened
to Nollywood legend ruki Amara’s wife Gilda
will need no explanation about how dangerous
romance conducted via social media can be.
one thamesmead gentleman was so in love
with his bit on the side in Nigeria that he saw
nothing wrong with sending her photographs
of different parts of his body. As his face was
not showing, he thought this was perfectly safe
and harmless.
however, unknown to him, the girlfriend
was so impressed with his torso and other parts
of his anatomy that she decided to post them
on Facebook.
Unfortunately for him, he and his girlfriend
had several mutual Facebook friends, one of
whom was his wife and this is where – yes, you
guessed it – all hell broke loose.
his wife logged on one day and saw the
body parts and having been married for 15
years, recognised them immediately. In a temper, she immediately called her local locksmith
and had him change the front door lock before
her hubby got back from work that day.
IN 1054 the Eastern orthodox Church split from
the Catholic Church when Pope leo IX and Patriarch michael I excommunicated each other,
and there may be a genuine case for Nigerian
evangelical churches to do the same today.
In contrast to the traditional Christian doctrine about giving to the needy, acting the Good
Samaritan and being thy brother’s keeper,
Nigerian evangelical churches preach about
God’s blessings, abundant riches and becoming
as wealthy as King Solomon. Apart from the
fact that Nigeria has about 20 millionaire pastorprueners, no fewer than four of them have
at least one private jet.
these new age churches have devised all
sorts of means of raising money from their UK
congregations, including the compulsory levying of tithes and asking congregations to dip
their hands into their pockets at services and depositing all the contents into the tray.
however, one Nigerian church has taken
things a step further. It has come up with a miracle cure for cancer and Aids and is making a
fortune out of it.
Parishioners are being charged £14 for a
500ml bottle of olive oil and blackcurrant juice
which they are told would cure both ailments
because it has been blessed. In the local supermarket, the two would cost £6 but hey, business
is booming.
No wonder the church founderreputedly
lives in a £1.8m mansion. If Nigerian churches
do decide to break away and form their own denomination, maybe Solomonianity might be a
good name to give it.
THE MERCEDES THAT
MORPHED INTO A BANGER
Whatever you want your party to be
tWo london sisters are no longer on speaking
terms after one decided to play a fast one on
the other by cashing in on the birthday present
they bought for their dad.
After much deliberation, they decided to buy
their 65 year old dad a four wheel drive car for
his birthday. they thought a one year old mercedes SUV would be a great way of saying
thank to you to Pa for being such a wonderful
and loving dad.
Sister A who lives in tottenham is a high-flying City lawyer on a six figure salary, while sister B lives in Camberwell is going through hard
times at the moment. Accordingly, sister A paid
£10,000 into sister B’s account to buy the car,
and a further £1,000 to cover the cost of shipping. She then sent Pa a further £1,000 to cover
the cost of clearing in lagos.
After a fortnight, she rang her dad to ask
how things were going and he told her the car
had developed a fault. When she asked how
that could be, he told her the make of the car
and how old it was. Apparently, her sister had
made about £8,000 from the venture.
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WEthEr we like to admit it or not, pastors are
pivotal figures in our community these days,
whose status sometimes borders on the mythical. It is no surprise then that they are asked to
act as many things, and seemingly increasingly
as marriage guidance counsellors.
one Camberwell man, so exasperated with his
wife’s lack of interest in bedroom affairs, took the
matter to their local pastor. Almost in tears, he
lamented about how she always had a headache,
was reading a book, was feeling unwell or was
indisposed.
Whenever she did let him have his way, it was
grudgingly, as she just lay there, offering no reciprocity whatsoever. he went on for an hour,
pointing out that were it not for his Christian
faith, he would have strayed.
After praising him for his faithfulness, the pastor did his best to mediate and advised the wife
to perform her matrimonial duties faithfully. As
soon as word got out, other church members inundated the pastor with similar stories. After a
fortnight of being flooded with such complaints,
the pastor decided to suspend hearings for the
time being so he could concentrate on his evangelical duties which were being neglected. he is
now considering setting three days of the week
aside strictly for marriage counselling.
Everyday for the
thief, one day for
the owner – part 10
reminded of all the wrongs she suffered,
mrs G’s lust for revenge is rekindled and her
dearest first love musti is just the man to
help serve up her husband’s just desserts...
o
”oh musti my dearest musti” mrs G
whispered. “how I have prayed and
prayed for divine intervention. little
did I know that God would send you to rescue
me from my bondage.” mrs G couldn’t hold
back the emotions any longer, and she burst
out in tears. mustapha dashed forward and
embraced her and held her tight.
mustapha was not married and had remained single ever since him and mrs G had
broken up all those years ago. he had always
told his family and friends that he only had one
true love and didn’t want to tarnish the memories he had of her. he told his parents who
had tried numerous times to arrange for a wife
for him, that there is, only has been and will
only be one woman for him, and if it is not her,
there will be no one else.
mrs G looked into his eyes and said,
“mustapha, I am ready and will assist you in
any way to put my husband and his gang behind bars... hopefully forever. I have been collecting as much evidence as I can.”
mustapha smiled and said, “I know and I
sensed there was something wrong, that’s why
I decided to approach you. I have been watching you and know pretty much what you have
been going through.
“I even had to take care of Bola, who I believe wanted to inform mr G that you were
now aware that he was the key orchestrator
with making her torment your life.
“We had surveillance on every one associated with the Big Boss and unfortunately your
husband is number two in charge of his operations. We were even watching him through the
help of mI5 in the london and learnt of his involvement with Bola. I was heart broken when
I found out but couldn’t say or do anything especially when you were arrested and went to
prison for him. I tried my best to get you out
but it was out of my hands”.
mrs G pulled away and she could feel her
heart starting to pump blood ferociously as she
thought of her ordeal in prison. She stopped
crying, walked to the window and said in a
very low hash voice, “my husband must suffer
and pay for all he has done to me.”
To be continued
Got a story for madam
Amebo? Send it to
[email protected]
We pay for every story that
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YOURWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
13
Letters to the Editor
We’d love to hear from you. You can make sure Nigerian Watch is your kind of paper by letting us
know what you think, what you want to see in these pages and equally important what you don’t.
So put pen to paper and send your letters to:
the Editor, Nigerian Watch, Chartwell house, 292 hale lane, Edgware,
middlesex hA8 8NP
or click away on your keyboard and email us at: [email protected]
some 6 kilometers from Tinubu, the centre of
Lagos. I do not agree or see what Samuel Kasumu has got to be proud about.
Hopefully when next he visits Nigeria, and
moves around he can then write a full story,
Letters to be included in the next issue must be received by no later than April 17, 2013. The Editor
regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published. Please include your full name, postal address
and contact telephone number. Names and addresses can be withheld, if preferred.
Letters may be edited for publication.
MY TRIP TO LAGOS HAS
OPENED MY EYES
After reading the Samuel Kasumu column on
his trip to Lagos, I really liked the zeal, about
the way he talked about the true picture of
Lagos. At least for once we hear something
good coming out from our great city, (Eko oni
baje). In his brief remark about Mr Tony
Elumelu, he did say he was a former chief executive of UBA bank and he went on to say
Mr Elumelu proudly told the story of the
bank (UBA) which started 20 years ago with
one branch, but now operating in 19 countries
with 25,000 staff.
He could have added that Mr Elumelu was
C.E.O and founder of Standard Trust Bank in
1997, and by 2005 he led the acquisition and
subsequent merger of the smaller STB with
the old UBA.
For clarification, UBA is among the old
generation of banks in Nigeria and did start
20 years ago. It is a thing of joy that we are
reading about this in our own publication, you
guys are doing a great job, please keep it up.
Thank you,
Godson Chinedu Unanka
If a man visits Lagos, stays in an international
hotel, confines himself to Ikoyi, Victoria Island
and Lekki – the enclaves of our rich and super
rich – he is only going to give a grossly lop-sided
account of life in Lagos, and indeed Nigeria.
I was in Lagos from June to November 2012,
and stayed in a run-down slum (Oworonshoki)
WHO SAID WE COULD NOT GET THERE,
TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD?
I salute the Nigerian Watch. Can you allow me
to use it as a medium to say something about
the Passport Staff of the Nigeria High Commission in London.
I came across your monthly newspaper at the
High Commission when I came to collect my epassport on 7 March this year. I was occupied
by the paper while I was waiting for my turn.
However, I did not have to wait for long.
Inside the building of the Mission things were
well organised. The staff were considerate, thorough and polite. The customers or clients –
those who came for visa and passport – were
well behaved. My experience was indeed commendable. Who said we could not get there, to
the highest standard?
For my travel to London that day, the taxi
driver I had booked had mistakenly woken me
up at 1.25am, whereas he was booked for 4am.
So, from 1.25am I was awake and caught my
train for Euston from Piccadilly station, Manchester, at 5.05am. I got to 9 Northumberland
Avenue shortly before 8am and joined the queue
that was already forming.
Unfortunately it was raining. While under the
rain I remembered that one of the things that
Prince Ajibola Ajibola, as the High Commissioner, and myself, as the Chairman of Nigeria
National Union, Manchester, jointly achieved
was the establishment in Manchester of a Consular Office, to serve North of England Region
of the UK. For the time it lasted no one in the region had any reason to travel to London for a
passport or visa.
My feeling was made worse by the fact that
when it was my turn to go into the building a
slim young man, of not up to 30 years old in
a yellow security jacket, to whom I handed
To advertise call
0208 588 9640
the plastic wallet containing my documents –
not checking thoroughly beforehand – kept
on shouting at me to go to some designated
place around Charing Cross Tube Station, to
get some document. I did not understand
what he was saying as he spoke fast and was
shouting.
He sent me and another young man, who was
likewise not happy with the way this young
man was shouting at me, to the same place.
When we got to the place we collected the required document and returned to the queue. It
was the only blot on an otherwise smooth
transaction.
In spite of that journey and losing my place
in the queue at the Embassy the whole procedure concluded efficiently and finished within a
short time. Given the early morning journey,
the rain and the shouting from the young man, I
was slightly disoriented by the time I reached
the desk, but the staff were patient and helpful.
I particularly thank the young lady who
checked my documents in the room where people were called by numbers given to them. I also
thank the staff who undertook the interview.
And also the lady who was in charge of posting the passports. I received my passport in
Manchester on 14th whereas it was due to be
collected in London on 18th. Excellent service.
Well done to everyone!
Finally, I would like to thank all involved in
the production of your newspaper. The paper
will live long, I hope, and I wish success to the
publishers and all involved in the project.
Emmanuel Osuh, Manchester
(Ex-Chairman Nigeria National Union,
Manchester, 1993–2001)
or email
[email protected]
meaning one including, most importantly, the
case for our voiceless, classless majority.
Secondly, I ask, what is the big deal in diaspora voting? Once again we must copy the
USA – butterfly copying the bird! No American
overseas voter would ever want, or wish to send
his vote home to be used to install people who
are only in politics to steal the nation’s money.
A Adebowale, Camden
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
COMMONWEALTH
GAY JUSTICE
CLAUSE WILL BE
‘IGNORED’
The Nigerian Senate has said laws set
by the Commonwealth are not binding on Nigeria.
The house was responding to the
new Commonwealth Charter that
embraces universal human rights, including homosexuality, for all Commonwealth citizens.
The Daily Trust newspaper quoted
Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, as saying the Commonwealth could not make laws for
Nigeria because ‘Nigeria is an independent country’.
He said the Senate has, through a
bill, made homosexuality illegal in
Nigeria, and that no Commonwealth
law or charter can change the Senate's
position on the issue.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Charter, which details
16 core principles, was adopted by all
the member nations in December
2012, although only signed into being
by the Queen as head of the Commonwealth in March.
The Charter states, “We are implacably opposed to all forms of dis-
on tuesday 19 march 2013,
the london borough of
lambeth played host to
leading African women in
the
borough’s
Council
Chambers.
the host and founder of
Women4AFrica Sam onigbanjo, welcomed a dynamic
six women panel to lead discussions on the theme
“Strengthening communities through strong motherhood”. Between them they
delivered a fascinating insight into the experiences of
women in Africa to every
day challenges of dealing
with young people in the
UK.
‘Gender Activist” and
founder of the Girl Child
Network Betty makoni
opened with a profound assessment of the challenges
faced by single parents.
hrh Queen Naa tsotsoo
@NigerianWatch
WORLDWATCH
WOMEN UNITE TO BUILD
‘STRONGER COMMUNITIES’
First Lady Photos
14
Soyoo I spoke about domestic violence, revealing it is
not limited to the ‘common’
crimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief
or other grounds.”
Considering that homosexual acts
are currently a capital offence in several parts of the Commonwealth, this
woman but is also rampant
in royal quarters of Africa.
Samara hammond, CEo
treaty could be a historic step forward
for gay rights.
But Abaribe said, “I am not aware
that the Commonwealth of Nations
is making laws for Nigeria. Nigeria,
as a Federal Republic, is an independ-
of AmrEF UK, spoke of the
challenges women in parts
of rural Africa still face dur-
ing childbirth – as reported
in last month’s Nigerian
Watch – and she appealed
for more support for the
“Stand up for African mothers” campaign.
Women4Africa founder
and author tola onigbanjo
spoke inspirationally about
the vulnerabilities she faced
as a naive youngster growing up in london and her
desire to change awareness
for girls and women growing up in today’s world.
Singer and entrepreneur
may7ven shed light on her
business side, citing her
mother as the unique individual who instilled in her
the confidence and work
ethic that she now displays.
She shed a lot of light on her
multi tasking life style and
strong desire to continue to
impact not only young girls
but also boys too.
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Like us on Facebook
WORLDWATCH
CATHOLIC CHURCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
15
ELECTION 2015
President welcomes Pope Francis
Senator David mark represented
Nigeria at the inauguration of Pope
Francis on march 19, where he delivered a congratulatory letter from
President Jonathan to Pope Francis,
who was elected by the College of
Cardinals on Wednesday, march 13, to
succeed Pope Benedict XVI.
the President said he believed that
the new Pope would put his acclaimed qualities and devoutness to
the best use in resolutely guiding the
Church through the many challenges
it currently faces.
he added that Nigeria and himself
look forward to further enhancing
the already cordial and excellent relationship between Nigeria and the Vatican under the leadership of Pope
Francis, whom he described as “the
beloved champion of the underprivileged and renowned crusader for
global equity and social justice.”
the President also noted that he
was looking forward to collaborating
with Pope Francis in working towards
the realisation of a much more secure,
peaceful and just world. While praying that God should grant the Pope
good health and strength, President
Jonathan also wished him a blessed
and successful tenure.
GEJ CLEARED TO STAND
A high court in Nigeria has ruled that President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to stand again
for president in 2015. Nigeria has a two-term limit for presidents and Mr Jonathan began serving
his first full term in 2011. But he led the country from early 2010 following the illness and eventual death of then President Umaru Yar’Adua for whom he served as deputy.
A presidential aspirant from within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had argued
that this disqualified him. The Abuja High Court dismissed the argument made by Cyriacus
Njoku’s lawyer that under the constitution the same person could not take the oath of office
three times. The PDP and its presidential candidate have won every election since military rule
ended in 1999.
Opposition parties merge
Nigeria's four main opposition parties have merged to become the All Progressive Congress
(APC) party, in order to mount a robust challenge to the ruling PDP in two years’ time.
Supporters said the new All Progressive Congress (APC) – made up of four regional parties –
was the most significant effort to date to form a national opposition group in a country riven
by geographic rivalries and an Islamist insurgency.
Past, less permanent, attempts at opposition alliances have fallen apart amid infighting and
Nigerian watchers and commentators predicted – judging by past form – the new party might
struggle to agree on a single presidential candidate for the vote. Although on a recent visit to
london General Buhari made a clear pitch for the job (see page 9).
What marks this merger out from previous efforts is just that – the parties are merging and not
forming an opportunist alliance or coalition. As such each has agreed to abandoned its own identity.
“At no time in our national life has radical change become more urgent,” said a statement
signed on Wednesday by representatives of the four parties; the Action Congress Nigeria, All
Nigeria People’s Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance and Congress for Progressive Change.
“(We are) determined to bring corruption and insecurity to an end, to grow our economy and
create jobs in their millions ... and stop the increasing mood of despair and hopelessness among
our people,” they added.
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+support
Thursday 9 May KOKO
1a Camden High St, NW1
Doors 7pm, Femi Kuti on stage 8.30pm
New album No Place For My Dream on Wrasse
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NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
NEWSWATCH
17
TUSK TUSK
l PRINCE CALLS FOR ACTION ON ‘WILDLIFE
CRIME’ l NIGERIA ESCAPES TRADE SANCTIONS
Prince William, the Duke Of Cambridge,
made a dramatic entrance onto the world
stage in the middle of March when he urged
world leaders to do more to tackle the illegal
killing of the African
elephant and rhino.
In a pre-recorded video
message played to delegates
attending the CITES (Convention on International
Trade
and
Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora) Conference in Thailand, the Prince said that entire species could disappear
from the wild if nothing was
done.
“As we enter 2013, the
world’s natural resources are
under threat as never before,”
he said. “We know from the data and analysis
presented to this meeting that the illegal killing
of the African elephant and rhino, and the related illegal trade in their ivory and horn, has
reached shocking levels in the past few years.”
He continued, “We must do more to combat
this serious crime if we are to reverse the current
alarming trends. If not, we could soon see some
populations of these creatures, or even an entire
species, disappear from the
wild.
“We simply must not let this
catastrophe unfold. Our children should have the same opportunity that we have to
experience wildlife in its many
beautiful and varied forms.”
His message was broadcast
at the CITES Conference (Convention on International Trade
and Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora) being
staged in Bangkok and held
every three years.
Around 2,000 delegates representing 177 governments, indigenous peoples,
non-governmental organisations and businesses
attended the conference in Bangkok to decide
measures to combat overfishing, illegal logging
and wildlife crime.
Rare forest elephant caught on camera
this picture of a rare forest elephant is the first ever taken in
the omo Forest in southwest
Nigeria. Paignton Zoo Deputy
head of Education Sue lowe
explained, “People have seen
signs such as dung and footprints, but until now no-one
has managed to photograph
an elephant in the omo Forest.”
Not for 20 years.
Paignton Zoo has supported
the conservation project in the
omo Forest since 1993. It is
now part of the omo-Shashaoluwa Initiative, which aims to
protect the wildlife of the three
adjoining forests from logging
and poaching.
“Elephants play an important role in the ecosystem of
the forest,” Sue explained.
“they spread seeds from the
fruit and nuts that they eat.
Some of these seeds can only
germinate after they have
been through the digestive
system of an elephant. the ele-
While the conference agreed to establish a
taskforce to work with organisations such as
Europol to end the killing and illegal trade in
rhino horn, the African elephant did not fare so
well. Governments decided against immediate
trade sanctions against nine African countries
that have repeatedly failed to tackle the illegal
trade in ivory: alphabetically listed as
Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon,
Mozambique, Nigeria and Uganda.
This was despite hearing Achim Steiner,
head of the UN Environment Programme, warn
that “when populations of elephants decline by
over six percent annually, that population is vulnerable to collapse. In many parts of Africa the
killing of elephants for ivory is running at 11 or
12 percent of those populations.”
And the illegal slaughter is increasingly involving organised criminal groups and sometimes well-armed militias.
However, those countries were told to identify actions and deadlines to ensure progress in
controlling illegal ivory trade before summer
2014, under threat of trade sanctions then if
there is no improvement in the situation.
It was also agreed to create an Ivory Enforcement Task Force, which will allow for better law
enforcement collaboration between countries.
And they will implement better DNA-based
forensic techniques to identify the origin of confiscated ivory.
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forest needs the elephants.”
to get the pictures, special
digital cameras triggered by
heat and movement were carefully positioned in the forest.
While other mammals were
also caught on camera so were
images of people illegally entering the area. “We still have
a lot of work to do to protect
the forest and its animals from
logging and poaching. But at
last we have photographic evidence of elephants in the omo
Forest – which could really help
us secure much-needed funding from grant-giving bodies.”
the forest elephant has recently been identified as a separate species from the savannah
elephant. Very few populations
remain, though they have been
photographed in other places,
such as the Congo, and elsewhere in Nigeria.
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18
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
COMMENTWATCH
The ‘pen robbery’ prophet
to mark the digitially re-mastered release of Fela Kuti’s back catalogue
lifelong friend and music journalist Chris May looks at his life and legacy
When Nigerian Watch asked
me to write about the sociopolitical importance of
Fela’s work – during his
lifetime and today, sixteen
years after his passing – it
seemed appropriate to begin
with the start of my
friendship with him. It was a
friendship forged by politics
as much as it was by music.
In early 1977, I was writing
for the British magazine Black
Music when Nigerian friends
brought news that Fela’s
live/work commune, Kalakuta
Republic, had been sacked by
a thousand soldiers. The attack, on Friday 18 February,
had razed Kalakuta to the
ground and left many of its residents, including Fela, severely
injured. Incredibly, Britain’s
newspapers and music magazines all but ignored the story.
I had been in love with
Fela’s music since hearing his
album Gentleman a few years
earlier. Fela had sent me a couple of appreciative letters following reviews I had written
about his albums, and so I already felt a bond with him.
I resolved to fly to Lagos to
report on the Kalakuta outrage at first hand. Through a
friend of a friend, and masquerading as a tourist, I was
able to get a visa at short notice. When we met, in March,
Fela told me I was the first
overseas journalist to speak to
him about the attack.
What Fela did not tell me
until years later was that, until
we met face to face, he had always assumed I was a black
man, not a blue-eyed, blondhaired Englishman. I found
this hugely gratifying at the
time (and I still do!).
The enduring potency of
Fela’s message derives above
all, I think, from its universality and inclusiveness. Fela
speaks to oppressed people all
over the world, wherever they
are and whatever their colour.
British colonialism and its
pernicious heritage were constants in his songwriting. He
did not hesitate to vilify white
politicians when they deserved
it, as he did so memorably with
South Africa’s P.W. Botha,
America’s Ronald Reagan and
Britain’s Margaret Thatcher on
the 1989 album, Beasts Of No
Nation.
But Fela did not possess an
ounce of racism or feel any animosity to individual whites,
providing they were not exploiting Africa in some way.
Indeed, Fela was sufficiently
secure in his own identity even
to find some humour in cultural tensions.
In 1978, the British film
maker Jeremy Marre visited
Nigeria, hoping to meet Fela
and film an interview. Already
made jumpy by what he’d seen
on arrival in Lagos (soldiers
and police beating people in
the streets, corpses left rotting
on the beach), he was made
doubly so during the journey
to Fela’s house. Driving late at
night through unlit back
streets, to avoid army patrols,
who not infrequently shot up
civilian vehicles for the hell of
it, Marre’s party found the
building in total darkness, outside and in.
Gingerly making his way inside, Marre tripped and fell
headlong into the room where
Fela was relaxing with friends.
Somebody turned on a light,
revealing Fela lying on a sofa,
naked except for pink Speedos
and smoking a massive joint,
and Marre lying face-down on
top of several young women.
“Hey, white man,” Fela
shouted, “what are you doing
with my wives?” (Marre got his
interview).
It is not for me, an infrequent visitor to Nigeria, to
comment in detail on modern
Nigerian society. But many of
the issues Fela sang about –
corruption, the divisive effects
of the invader-imposed religions Christianity and Islam,
the exploitation of the poor,
the damaging impact of multi-
tion and corruption, the survival of the fittest. These messages we send to the
government, they never listen
to them. The people wait for an
effect, but there is no effect.”
Earlier this month, at the
Lagos press launch of Uwa Erhabor’s newly published memoir, Kalakuta Diaries, Fela’s
longtime lawyer, Femi Falana,
spoke in similar terms.
“Fela’s classic Authority
Stealing was recorded in 1988,”
Falana said, “but it captures the essence of the
current state of corruption in the political life of
the country. What Fela
was saying then was that
you should not talk of
armed robbery but of
pen robbery, which is
very sad. Now, pen robbery is not in millions as
in Fela’s days, but in billions. Fela was indeed a
prophet. Africa is the
richest continent but our
riches have been cornered by a few people.
“These were the things that
Fela tried to tell us but he was
branded a madman.”
Happily, Fela is no longer
branded a madman, and the
contribution he made to Nigeria is at last being officially
recognised. The U-turn actually began immediately following Fela’s death. Several senior
military and political figures,
from the very class that Fela
identified as thugs and brigands, spoke publicly of their
respect for his courage, if not
for his political beliefs.
Such unofficial endorsements paved the way for a
more recent, official embrace
of Fela’s legacy. In October
2012, Fela’s Lagos home,
Kalakuta, was transformed
‘Everything
Fela sang
about is still
happening
today’
national companies, the environmental damage caused by
the oil business – are still
clearly at play and undermining the country’s development.
A few years back, I interviewed Tony Allen, Fela’s
drummer from 1964–1978, for
the liner notes for Tony’s
album Secret Agent. I asked
him about something he was
reported to have said following
his split from Afrika 70 – that
Fela had “lost it” by focusing
on politics instead of music.
“Really, it was no big
thing,” said Tony. “I left because I was tired, I’d just had
enough. But Fela was right
about everything. Everything
he sang about is still happening
today. It’s all maladministra-
into the Kalakuta Museum,
aided by a $250,000 grant from
Lagos State Government.
Overseas, the hit Broadway
musical FELA! continues to
delight audiences in the US
and Europe. In Moscow, this
June, it will be presented as
part of the prestigious
Chekhov International Theatre
Festival. Plans are being made
to bring it back to Nigeria.
Fela’s global cultural and
political significance is at last
being recognised, at home and
abroad.
FElA KUtI - THE bEST Of THE blACk PRESiDEnT 2
the release of Best of Black
President 2 represents the
first step of an intensive rerelease programme of Fela’s
back catalogue throughout
2013, something for which
we have to be most thankful to Knitting Factory
records and Kalakuta Sunrise.
Fela’s tracks have often been compared to mini jazz symphonies, so these digitially remastered and remixed takes on
some all-time classices delivers them afresh; somewhat sharper
and funkier, the drum beats cracking, the solos soaring and
more urgent.
listening to it, you get the feeling the tracks must have
been hepped up but really only an accent has been added –
which goes to show how advanced Fela’s Afrobeat was, as the
tunes sound fresh, like they were released only yesterday.
the Best of Black President 2 features Fela classics, primarily
from Africa 70s 1972-76 period, bar 1992’s Underground System. It’s a great introduction for what’s to come with the subsequent re-releases. It could well be a Fela summer come festival
time – especially as Fela’s songs rail against a system where the
rich get richer while the poor get poorer.
For those who fork out to get hold of the deluxe edition of
Best of... 2 there is the added bonus of a DVD of Fela performing at the Glastonbury festival, which he did both in 1984 and
1992. his first visit was filmed as part of a television documentary, entitled Teacher Don’t Teach Me No Nonsense, and that’s
included here; tracks from the festival are interspersed with
Fela talking in his inimitably quiet and intense way about what
inspired them. It is fascinating on many levels – not least as it
highlights what a corporate pop fest Glastonbury has become.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
COMMENTWATCH
19
The founder of Operation Trident Claudia Webbe says the loss
of its dedication, specialism and focus has left us all vulnerable
We trusted Trident…
Police confirmation that they had moved the
central core of Operation Trident – its
dedicated murder investigation unit – to the
homicide and serious crime command,
effectively signals the end of Trident, the
London-based organisation I founded with
other community activists in the mid-1990s.
Back then, while the culture of gun crime affected whole communities and neighbourhoods,
90% of homicide victims were black, mainly
black men. The police response was woeful,
using criminal “informants” who were themselves allowed to get away with so-called lesser
crimes. Delroy Denton, for example, was left
free to brutally rape a 15-year-old schoolgirl
and murder Marcia Lawes, slashing her throat
18 times; and Eaton Green was allowed to continue dealing crack cocaine and committing
armed robbery.
As a result of community pressure an inquiry was undertaken by the late Sir John Hoddinott, who was chief constable of Hampshire,
which confirmed our worst fears: that the police
had a better relationship with “criminal informants” than it did with law-abiding black people.
The police tactics were flawed from the start;
there were very few detections of and/or prosecutions for gun-related murders. Many in the
black community believed the police were complicit in the way men of violence were taking
hold of our neighbourhoods and estates, using
guns to protect their crack cocaine trade.
We campaigned for change, arguing that
tackling gun murders and enabling justice for
victims and their families relied on the police
building trust and confidence with the black
community and working in partnership. A new
low was reached in 1998 following the brutal
murders of Avril Johnson in Brixton and
Michelle Carby in Stratford.
However, despite the ongoing community
pressure, it was not until the aftermath of the
Lawrence inquiry that the then Met commissioner and home secretary finally agreed in 2000
“Trident cases require dedication, cultural
awareness and sensitivity and when this
is absent it has had a damaging impact
on community relations”
to the establishment of a dedicated Trident operational command unit (OCU), established
with over 200 staff to investigate gun murders
disproportionately affecting black communities.
The unit was to work closely with the already
established Operation Trident independent advisory group.
Encouraging witnesses and members of the
community to come forward required sensitivity, dedicated police time and specialist resources.
As an independent advisory group we
worked hard to challenge the generally held
negative perception that victims of gun crime
were somehow complicit in their fate or, worse
still, criminals themselves.
The sensitive Trident murder investigations
of innocent bystanders such as 17-year-old Annaka Pinto, murdered in Tottenham in 2007,
and seven-year-old Toni-Ann Byfield – who was
shot dead to prevent her from identifying her
father’s murderer – highlight the importance of
our work. Over time, gun murder victims and
their families no longer felt ashamed to speak
about their experiences.
Trident cases require a particular dedication,
cultural awareness and sensitivity, and when this
is absent it has had a particular damaging impact on community relations.
Perpetrators of gun and violent crime had
historically relied on a “culture of silence” and
a “climate of fear” to avoid detection. Trident’s
success in driving down gun murders has been
invaluable not only to the black community but
also to London’s population as a whole.
It is hugely detrimental and a retrograde step
to learn that the dedicated murder investigation
unit, the very heart and engine of Trident, is to
be realigned or merged, watering down Trident’s
effect. Even more detrimental is the fact that
this decision came without consultation or engagement, and this is a huge slap in the face to
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those of us who campaigned hard to establish
Operation Trident.
In February 2012, and with no community
consultation, London’s mayor, Boris Johnson,
relaunched Trident as a gang command unit:
moving from tackling black, gun-related crime
to tackling all violent crime relating to young
people. Over the past year there has been a
gradual whittling away of independent scrutiny
of the operational effectiveness of Trident.
In disadvantaged areas with diverse populations and myriad economic and social problems, the slippery use of the language of
“gangs” and its loose association with young
people mitigates against effective policing, providing a dangerous shortcut to understanding
youth conflict.
The “gang”, it seems, is sufficient explanation: there is no attempt to understand the
broader and more complex social, cultural, economic and political context of youth violence.
As a result there is a false and often racialised
understanding of the preventative and proactive
role of the police.
The strength of Trident – which sent a clear
message to gun-wielding murderers and the
criminal fraternity – within the black community is now weakened and its successes will become a thing of the past. It is hard now to see
how its message that criminals will be hunted
down and brought to justice will be enforced in
the future.
Nobody has any wish to go back to the days
when gun murders went largely undetected,
with a community too frightened or lacking
confidence in the police. Operation Trident was
a model of good practice. But now political interference and the loss of its dedication, specialism and focus has left us all vulnerable.
Claudia is one of the founders and former chairperson of Operation Trident. She is a Councillor
in the London Borough of Islington and a Trustee
of the Children's Society.
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20
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
PROFILEWATCH
Shines bright like a
DIAMOND
After a decade away from
the limelight one of the
most distinctive voices of a
generation is back, gracing
the airwaves with an
album of heartfelt soulful
songs. Aj james reports
You might not immediately recognise the
name. The face might ring a few bells for a
certain generation. But if you heard the voice,
you would immediately know who Tunde
Baiyewu is.
He is the vocalist who elevated the Lighthouse
Family out of the ordinary into the extraordinary; his soulful voice creating classic tracks that
outsold all-comers, including back in the day the
Spice Girls.
Because of the timeless appeal of tracks like
Ocean Drive the Family’s longevity and success is
often overlooked. The numbers speak for themselves; in eight years at the top, the band shifted a
staggering 21 million albums. Between 1995 and
2003 they were a phenomenon, with the album
Ocean Drive spending 154 weeks on the charts, as
did the follow-up Postcards From The Edge.
And while the whole packge was a delightful
pop souffle of soulful songs of love and loss, it
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was Tunde’s voice that made the world sit up and
take notice and have made tracks such as Ocean
Drive soul classics.
On this one single alone the band could tour
in perpetuity. Something that was on offer as recently as 2012, when he and LHF co-founder
Paul Tucker reformed and toured the UK and
Ireland to packed houses. But it was not something that appealed to Tunde.
“I felt we had to do something new, I couldn’t
spend the rest of my life just turning up and
singing Ocean Drive,” he says, somehwat ruefully.
So it is that Tunde and Paul went their separate
ways and Tunde is back not as part of the Lighthouse Family but with a solo album, Diamond In
The Rock, an album of which he is justly proud.
And so is his father – the identity of whom
must be one of the best kept secrets in pop. For
Ondo state. “Not like you might imagine, not like
Eton and Harrow. It was good academically
but…” The emphasis was on hard study and discipline rather than home comforts.
It succeeded in as much as it allowed Tunde in
1988 to enter Newcastle University to study accountancy. “It was cold and when I was in the
Mall it dawned on me that I was probably the
only black man in the whole place,” he recalls
fondly.
But he loved it, finished his studies and stayed.
To support himself he was working in a bar when
he met the other half of the family Paul Tucker.
Together they became the Lighthouse Family –
Paul writing the songs, Tunde interpreting and
delivering them to worldwide acclaim.
Tunde's solo album was made in Portland Oregon; currently the destination of choice for creatives – dubbed the new
Nashville for indie and soul
kids. The album is more unplugged than trademark
LHF ones.
“LHF were a little bit
nice, quite refined in a
way,” explains Tunde.
“Nice and polished. This
record is much more soulful, has got a bit of grit to
it. It’s the record I’ve always wanted to make.”
There seem to be a lot
of redemption songs on it, songs suggesting
every cloud has a silver lining, I suggest. “That’s
true,” says Tunde, who over the past 13 years has
lived through many trials and tribulations, including the death of his mother.
“Coming face to face with the hardships, the
difficulties of life, that’s what Diamond in the
Rock is all about.”
It’s a universal tale he says, overcoming hardship in life. “I think most of us would acknowledge that our greatest growth as a human being
or greatest learning usually comes through the
most difficult periods of our life and that in
essence is what the album is about is about.”
Since releasing the album the first single from
it, Move, was put on the Radio 2 playlist and
made record of the week on Ken Bruce’s morning show. Tunde is now remixing the second single Diamond In The Rock – a soulful summer
breeze of a song – for imminent release, after
which plans are being made to go on the road.
Watch this space, as they say.
“This record has
got a bit of grit;
it’s the one I’ve
always wanted
to make”
while Tunde was ruling the the charts with LHF
his father was ruling Nigeria. For Tunde is the son
of the former President Olasegun Obasanjo.
Born in the UK, 4-year-old Tunde was taken
to Nigeria after his mother was widowed. It was
there that she met and married the military leader
who was to become Nigeria’s President. Not that
Tunde realised who his father was.
“The first inkling I had that he was someone
special was when his motorcade and entourage
pulled up outside,” he recalls. “But by the time I
realised who he was I was in secondary school
when bragging about who your dad was didn’t
seem cool, so I didn’t.”
The same outlook prevailed during the LHF
years. “I didn’t talk about it, because I’d rather
people liked me and the music rather than took
interest because I was the son of the President.
People loved LHF regardless of who I am and
that is more important to me.”
When he was expelled (yes, the president's son)
Tunde was swiftly removed to boarding school in
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PHOTOWATCH
Daniele Tamagni
Fresh eyes on
Africa
Samuel James
Fausto Podavini
the Sony World Photography Awards widely
recognised as the leading global
photographic awards showcases some of the
world’s best photographs, here we take a
look at some of the images of Africa featured
on the shortlists...
NUBA REFUGEES AT THE
BORDER OF SUDAN AND
SOUTH SUDAN
Refugees charge their cell
phones in the Yida refugee
camp. With no phone network in
this extreme remote area, the
phones are used only to keep
time and play music.
Sony World
Photography Awards
Exhibition
April 23rd - may 12th
Somerset house, london
tickets from £7.50
http://www.worldphoto.
org
Pete Muller
Peter Delaney
BULL JUMPING CEREMONY
Young women prepare for bull jumping ceremony in
Southern Ethiopia. The women are whipped by
Mazha, men who have recently bull-jumped; the
whipping causes intense pain but the women look
upon it as a sign of strength, loyalty and obligation
toward the bull-jumper and the future family.
THE GODFATHER
The Godfather (and his two
shadow bulls, not in picture)
arrive early afternoon and
commandeer the waterhole.
This is the only water for 20 sq
kms and the animals have
travelled all day to drink this
life saving water. A multitude
of animals, springbok,
gemsbok, zebra, ostrich,
giraffe, even lion, waited
hours for the elephants’
departure so that they may
quench their thirst.
Now and again this giant will
swish his tail or fill his trunk
to spray his massive frame
with the cool grey liquid. He is
big; 4 meters tall and over 4
ton in weight, he is the
‘Godfather’ as I affectionately
call this giant elephant. It’s
two in the afternoon and the
heat is relentless; over 30°C
and no shade.
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
NIGER DELTA: THE WATER
OF MY LAND
An elderly woman journeys
at dawn into a creek in the
Niger Delta. She has made
this trip nearly every day of
her life, setting traps and
catching fish to feed her
family. Though certain
tracts remain unspoiled, the
oil and gas industry, both
legal and illicit, has
severely polluted much of
the Delta’s fragile
ecosystem, disrupting
traditional livelihoods such
as farming and fishing.
21
METAL MUSIC
FANS, KANYE
VILLAGE,
BOTSWANA (left
and below)
The most famous
African rock band is
Skinflint. Fans wear
jackets and black
leather pants,
studded belts, boots
and cowboy hats.
They have created
their own style,
inspired by the
classic symbolism of
metal, borrowing
heavily from Western
film, supplemented
with the traditional
rural world of
Botswana, with
horns of animals
concealed beneath
their leather jackets!
22
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
BUSINESSWATCH
Is listing on the London Stock Exchange good for us?
In a special report from the opening gallery, our
columnist Samuel Kasumu considers the pros and
cons of an lSE listing
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is increasingly becoming the place where African corporations choose to list and the LSE already has over
90 firms listed that have their main business operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
There are many reasons why African companies are increasingly looking to London, the main
one being the value that is added to a firm because of the prestige of being on a London exchange. But what does this mean for Nigerian
investment opportunities, and how should the
Nigerian Exchange respond to companies from
their country looking abroad for financing?
From an investment perspective, many potential investors will feel more comfortable, putting
their money in companies within emerging markets if they have managed to pass the rigorous
checks that must be passed to list in London. For
Nigerian firms it is probably more expensive to
list in London, and so for now only the likes of
Dangote can afford the luxury of dual listing.
Nevertheless Nigeria’s Stock Exchange still
has a vital role to play in developing the African
economy, as the continent presses forward, but it
must foster an attitude of partnership with London in order to fulfil its potential.
I had the privilege of attending the official listing of Zenith Bank on the LSE. It was the first
time that I had been invited to attend the opening
bell, and I was genuinely inspired by the fact that
another Nigerian business had been listed.
Speaking to the
UK Chief Executive
of Zenith Bank, it was
clear that Nigerian
businesses are increasingly looking abroad
for finance, which is
something that some
people may not necessarily be happy with.
There is a new term
being used in the various corridors of power
called ‘Africapitalism’.
It basically means
Africa being self reliant for economic
growth and anything
connected to it. My
own personal view is
that Africa must engage with structures like the London Stock Exchange, at least in the short to medium term, if it
will get to the place where it can be a trusted place
to do business. There is still a perception of great
risk when investing in countries like Nigeria, and
trust will need to be built over time.
Being listed on the LSE will certainly help to
quicken the process for many firms. And I look
forward to seeing more Nigerian businesses list
on world class exchanges. Well done Zenith.
AFROBEAT VIDEOS RESULT
IN NAIJA YOUTUBE BOOM
There is little doubt that the
Internet is having a profound
effect on the way Nigerians
do things. From business, to
searching for information, to
enjoying
and
sharing
entertainment, the contemporary Nigerian’s approach
now tends towards using
online tools. Since its launch
in 2011, YouTube has
warmed its way into the
Nigerian hearts.
In 2012, the number of
YouTube views in Nigeria grew
by 125%, making Nigeria the
country with the second highest
growth in viewer numbers in
Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the new figures
which place Ghana top, with
140% growth, Nigeria is far
ahead of the other Sub-Saharan countries with local
YouTube domains in Kenya
showing growth of 95%, South
Africa 80%, Uganda 75% and
Senegal 75%.
Assessing the recently released figures, Taiwo KolaOgunlade,
Google’s
Communications and Public
Affairs Manager in West
Africa said, “Nigerians have
embraced YouTube, creating
TOP 10 MOST viEWED yOuTubE viDEOS in nigERiA:
1 P-Square – Chop my money Ft. Akon, may D [official video]
2 D’Banj – oliver twist
3 P-Square – Beautiful onyinye Ft. rick ross [official Video]
4 Bracket – Girl Ft. Wizkid
5 Iyanya – Kukere [official Video]
6 Sexy Criminal
7 Flavour – oyi Ft. tiwa Savage (remix) [official Video]
8 VConnect Fever – you Go Connect
9 Davido – Dami Duro [official Video]
q marvin Sapp – my testimony
and watching locally created
and relevant content in the different local languages.
“They are part of a highly
connected global community
that uploads 72 hours of video
every minute and watches four
billion hours of video a
month”.
YouTube has also made it
possible for people with great
ideas, creative streaks, and nextto-no budget to turn their ideas
into compelling videos that can
both attract a global following
and even millions of views.
In addition to being a platform for Nigerians at home to
enjoy entertaining content,
YouTube has been a good avenue for exporting Nigerian
content to the rest of the
world. Top amongst these is
content relating to music and
Nollywood. In 2012, seven of
the the top 10 most viewed
YouTube videos in Nigeria
were by Nigerian musicians
(see above).
"Increasingly, we’re talking
about everyone on YouTube as
‘creators’, said Kola-Ogunlade. ‘Creators’ can make
money from their YouTube
videos if they opt-in to monetisation in their YouTube accounts. People are given this
option if their accounts are in
good standing and they are
making original content.
More and more Nigerians
are doing this.
Beauty
Skincare
treatments to
blitz those zits
Page 30
The indispensible guide to beauty, fashion, music,
theatre, and much more
WATCH
Global Kids
Fashion Week
Page 27
&
Life, Style
Entertainments
SUNDANCE CINEMA
PAgE 34
FASHION
24
TRIBUTE
Chinua Achebe –
Africa’s first man
of letters
28
Food
Healthy Eating for
Children including
Ngozi’s fish sandwich
31
The best listings
From D’Prince at
Destination Africa
to Summer on The
Southbank
24
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
ACHEBEWATCH
Our Chinua was more than
Earlier this month, literary giant Albert Chinualumogu
Achebe passed away, age 82. To many people he was just
one more great author but to those who knew him, says Ayo
Akinfe, he was the
embodiment of the
battle for African
dignity
O
VER the last week, the
Anambra State Elders Council has insisted, quite rightly,
that Chinua Achebe be given a state
funeral, as he was a national and
global iconic figure. Yes, he was internationally renowned for his literature,
but how many people actually know
that apart from that, the literary giant
from Ogidi was also a passionate panAfricanist and civil rights campaigner?
For those of us for whom Achebe
was more than just a mere mortal, his
books said it all, as we digested the
meaning of every word in every one of
his novels and poems. His original trilogy of Things Fall Apart, No Longer
At Ease and Arrow of God, outlined
the trials and tribulations Africa faced
as she struggled to shake off the yoke
of colonialism.
Pointing out how the aftermath of
colonialism left us with a ticking time
bomb, the true master that he is,
Achebe goes on to reveal how the afterbirth of European rule in Africa
was a corrupt local elite. In his fourth
book A Man Of The People, Achebe
reveals how colonialism acted as the
midwife of a cabal of parasitic, cor-
FROM ABOVE (CLOCKWISE): Chinua Achebe; with his friend and great admirer Nelson
Mandela; and his death as reported in one of Nigeria’s popular tabloids
rupt and self-centered leaders, whose
domination inevitably led to Africa’s
current plethora of socio-economic
and political woes.
Dr Dozie Ikedife, the chairman of
the Anambra State Elders Council,
said, “In an earlier stage we felt intimidated and frightful to write and talk
about African culture and the way we
do things, as if we were sorry about
them. Those were the ways of our
forefathers, ancestors and forebears
but through his writings, Achebe was
able to showcase the beauty of African
culture.
“These writings are historical, anthropological and educative and are
read in schools, churches, village
squares and in many gatherings because they touch so many areas of endeavour. For those of us who knew
him one-on-one, we had shared conversations, arguments and things like
that with him.”
Leaving Achebe’s writing to one
side, how many people are aware of
the fact that he took on the European
literary establishment by confronting
Joseph Conrad over his depiction of
Africa as a piece of empty real estate
occupied by flora, fauna and wildlife.
Many commentators believe that it
was because of this that Achebe was
never awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, despite being over-qualified
for it.
A MAN OF THE PEOPLE
A tree fell recently, writes Ufuoma Anoho, a
great tree that had dominated the world with
its subtle shadow. It did so just as quietly as it
had waved in the face of popular winds while
standing. But it somehow made a noise that
reverberated the world over. this tree was the
Iroko that was Chinua Achebe. the archetypal
man for all seasons, literary giant, solemn family man, yet one of our greatest statesmen.
No matter what side of the political seesaw
you sat on, you had to have admiration for a
man of this calibre. A lot is said about the extraordinary excellence of his literary works,
which go without saying and will be explored
further in this article. But more must be said
about the character of the man, for it is this
character that forms the basis of the moral
compass of his works.
A staunch traditionalist who embraced
modern views, Achebe showed that a man of
intelligence and compassion could hold and
believe in what would appear to be diametri-
cally opposite views, that there was a way to
reconcile past and future in the present.
this has been the subtext of his works, not
the splitting of our great nation although he
put his tribe’s position at the forefront of his
thinking and that was, from what can be told,
the only thing that would urge him to support
the break-up of Nigeria, as shown by his being
amongst those at the Biafran helm during the
Nigerian Civil War.
But a recent speech given in Nigeria
showed that he supported a united Federation. Afterwards, a British interviewer asked
what an Igbo listener in the audience thought
of Achebe’s speech. the listener said, “If we
know our Igbo language and culture we will
be strong – and then we can rule Nigeria.”
showing a clear misinterpretation of the
speech’s meaning.
When the same interviewer asked Achebe if
that is what he meant by his speech the great
man was appalled and said, “that is not what I
meant at all”. he clearly did not agree with
that sentiment. Despite independent Nigeria’s
checkered history, and from the Igbo standpoint questionable treatment to those east of
the river Niger, it seemed Achebe was in support of a united Nigeria, but the point which
so many are yet to understand is that it has to
be a fair Nigeria.
Chinua Achebe conveyed his philosophy
and politics so poignantly in his literature,
which has and will continue to stand the test
of time with an enduring relevance to each
and every generation. For those of you new to
Chinua Achebe’s works the following is a synopsis of some of the key titles.
thINGS FAll APArt
this follows the story of okonkwo, a man
caught in the maelstrom of change as his entire society is enveloped by the arrival of the
“White man”. the story takes the reader on a
journey full of self-fulfilling prophecies and
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ACHEBEWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
25
just another good writer
In 1975, Achebe’s lecture An Image of
Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
featured a famous criticism of Joseph Conrad
as that of a racist. It was later published
amid some controversy as the European
establishment could not believe Achebe’s
effrontery.
Achebe expanded this criticism when
he presented a Chancellor’s lecture at
Amherst in the US on February 18,
1975. He asserted that Conrad’s famous
novel dehumanises Africans, rendering
Africa as a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognisable humanity, into
which the wandering European enters at
his peril.
Achebe said, “People go to Africa
and confirm what they already have in
their heads and so they fail to see what
is there in front of them. This is what
people have come to expect.
“It is not viewed as a serious continent. It’s a place of strange, bizarre and
illogical things, where people don’t do
what common sense demands.”
Also, Achebe discussed a quotation
from Albert Schweitzer, a 1952 Nobel
Peace Prize laureate, in which he said
many Europeans sacrificed brilliant careers in music and theology for a life of
service to Africans. This lecture caused
a storm of controversy as many English
professors in attendance were upset by
his remarks, with one elderly professor
reportedly approached him screaming:
“How dare you?”
In a comment that has often been
quoted, Achebe takes on Schweitzer who
regards the African as a junior brother
and as such sees it right to build a hospital appropriate to the needs of junior brothers
with standards of hygiene reminiscent of medical practice in the days before the germ theory
of disease came into being. Europe’s literary
establishment were surprised that Achebe
gered many of his colleagues, Achebe was
nevertheless presented with an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling and the
Lotus Prize for Afro-Asian Writers in
1975.
In 1960, Achebe travelled to east and
Ogidi is the place to be
southern Africa and on getting to
Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, he
Ogidi is the place to be
found himself sitting in a whites-only
It’s home to the iroko tree
section of a bus to Victoria Falls. InterFrom Ogidi the mighty came
rogated by the ticket taker as to why he
And across the world spread it’s fame
was sitting in the front, he replied, “If
you must know I come from Nigeria and
From the small village it began
there we sit where we like in the bus.”
The eagle opened it’s wing span
Upon reaching the waterfall, Achebe
Teaching all about our culture
was cheered from the bus by the black
And the colonial vulture
travellers but he was saddened by their
being unable to resist the policy of segAt his feet many of us learnt
regation at the time. Achebe then proJust as the tender night oil burnt
ceeded to Uganda, where among other
He showed us when things fell apart
things, he helped produce one of Africa’s
How corruption became an art
greatest authors.
While at Makerere University in
He turned down offers of awards
Uganda, Achebe was asked to read a
With the elite he would cross swords
novel written by student James Ngugi,
Despite his incapacity
later known as Ngugi wa Thiong’o
He never lacked tenacity
called Weep Not Child. Impressed,
Achebe sent the manuscript to Alan Hill
Many took a good cue from him
at Heinemann, which published it two
And learnt how to write without sin
years later.
Our literature is now richer
Today, Ngugi has gone on to become
Thanks to his use of the wicker
one of the world’s greatest literary figures, with bestselling novels such as Devil
Can we replant the iroko
on the Cross and Petals of Blood. This
A moving tree like a loco
was typical of Achebe who was always
How do we continue his work
happy to mentor, nurture and assist
Exposing where the vampires lurk
young and budding Nigerian authors.
To those of us within African literary
Ayo Akinfe
circles, Achebe was our spiritual leader,
the embodiment of what we stood for
Ironically, several days later Achebe was and the iconic symbol of our trade.
He will be sorely missed and the shoes of
approached by a third professor, who told
him, “I now realise that I had never really this larger-than-life legend will be very diffiread Heart of Darkness although I have cult to fill.
Adieu Chinua.
taught it for years.” Although the lecture an-
warnings about the inability to embrace
new ideas whilst holding onto tradition.
tional religions is the bedrock of this story, as
well as the British use of “Indirect rule” as a
means of subjugating local populations.
would challenge a man so honoured in the
West for his reverence for life and recognised
as a paragon of Western liberalism.
ArroW oF GoD
the third book in what is sometimes referred
to as the African trilogy, Arrow of God tells
the tale of Ezeulu, a high priest of the deity
worshipped by six Igbo villages called Ulu.
the encroachment of Christianity over tradi-
A mAN oF thE PEoPlE
An unnamed African country in the postcolonial age, reeking of all the sins of its governing people, is the theme behind this
story. It is Achebe’s first novel set outside of
an Igbo village and no ethnic groups are referred to. Political machinations, corruption
at ministerial levels, infidelity and coup d’etats are the mainstay of this tome. Again, it
is a warning, not just to Nigeria but to Africa
of the way things were to go. Part of
Achebe’s skill as a storyteller was to, sadly
for Africa, determine the general direction in
which his fellow Pan-Africans were taking
their people.
thErE WAS A CoUNtry
Nigerian Watch had the honour of reviewing
“A child’s fingers are not scalded by a
piece of hot yam which its mother puts
into its palm.”
“We have heard stories about white men
who make the powerful guns and the
strong drinks and took slaves away
across the seas, but no one thought the
stories were true.”
“The world has no end, and what is good
among one people is an abomination
with others. We have albinos among us.
Do you not think that they came to our
clan by mistake, that they have strayed
from their way to a land where everybody is like them?”
“The white man is very clever. He came
quietly with his religion. We were
amused at his foolishness and allowed
him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like
one. He has put a knife on the things that
held us together and we have fallen
apart.”
“As a man danced so the drums were
beaten for him.”
Eneke the bird was asked why he was always on the wing and he replied: “Men
have learned to shoot without missing
their mark and I have learned to fly without perching on a twig.”
“Whenever you see a toad jumping in
broad daylight, then know that something is after its life.”
No loNGEr At EASE
the sequel to things Fall Apart is about obi,
grandson of okonkwo, and his tribulations
in the now fast-changing modern world,
where Africa and Europe collide. It casts a
light on the caste system practiced by some
tribes in days gone, and shows the perils of
prejudice and weakness of character. It is a
warning of what Nigeria would become and
sadly it’s warnings have come to pass in the
Nigeria we see today, riddled with corruption and lack of integrity in high places.
“No matter how prosperous a man was, if
he was unable to rule his women and his
children (and especially his women) he
was not really a man.”
“A man who lived on the banks of the
Niger should not wash his hands with
spittle.”
this title in its November 2012 edition. An
autobiographical account of Achebe’s
experiences of the Biafran War, the book
shows the still deep-rooted divide amongst
the major Nigerian tribes and the need for
some form of truth and reconciliation.
tribalism, war and the ability of men to be
at their worst when they should be at their
best form the core of the story.
“You cannot plant greatness as you plant
yams or maize. Who ever planted an
iroko tree — the greatest tree in the forest? You may collect all the iroko seeds in
the world, open the soil and put them
there. It will be in vain. The great tree
chooses where to grow and we find it
there, so it is with the greatness in men.”
26
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
PERSONALWATCH
ANNOUNCEMENTS Dear Eki
To place your announcements call 0208 5889640
Or post to: Nigerian Watch, Announcements, Chartwell House,
292 Hale Lane, Edgware, HA8 8NP
BIRTHDAYS
jEMiDE, MARyAnnE (April 8th)
With a heavy heart filled with love
for you, I would like to wish my
one and only true love, my wife,
happy Birthday. thank you for
being the solid foundation of
which I have built my life on.
Without you, there is no me. thank
you for being the perfect mother
to our three kids, Isabel, Nicole and
Kimberly. From Tevin, isabel,
nicole and kimberly (Tink)
happy Birthday.
HugHES, jOn (April 6th)
happy Birthday Daddy – King of the
hill. footy trickster extraordinaire,
card shark, groovy, sick (in a very,
very good way) “you are incredible”!
from Bo, Betty, BB and mummy. xxxx
AkinlOlA, ADETORO (April 10th)
happy birthday to a lovely wife, a
good friend, lovely sister and a
wonderful mother. We wish you
long life in good health and
prosperity. love from the
Akinolas.
DEATHS
COMPLAINING HUSBAND
Dear Eki,
My husband and I moved to the UK in 2012 and recently he has started to complain
that since then I’ve changed, and that I am not being a proper Nigerian wife. He says I
no longer cook fresh meals for him; that I don’t prepare a bath for him in the
evenings after work; and that I don’t talk about his day. Essentially complaining that
my world does not revolve around him. It is true. It no longer does.
He forgets that I didn’t have to work in Nigeria. But we were struggling to live on
his salary alone, so I had to take a job here to help support our lifestyle. I am now so
tired at the end of the day that I don’t have time for chit chat. As I have no time to
cook fresh meals during the week, but I do cook in bulk at weekends and make it
easy for him to heat up these meals for himself on nights where he gets in before me.
Yet, whatever I do, the complaints keep coming. How can I make him stop, as it is
starting to make me very miserable?
r, london
Most African men of old believed that their wives only existed to serve them, but this should not be the case
in our current society, especially as you are not a housewife. You need to sit down and have a conversation
with him, in the most polite way possible. Make him see the difference between your life back in Nigeria and
your new one here. Make him understand that he can’t expect the same level of dedication to your housewife
role, as being a housewife or a career woman are both full time jobs.
He can’t have both. Something’s got to give, and in this case the freshly cooked daily meals and hot baths
have got to go. Point out the effect it would have on your finances if you decided to quit your current job and
become a full time house wife. I’m sure he is aware but I believe that pointing it out would be a subtle way of
getting your point across. Also let him know how miserable his constant complaints have made you become;
it could be that he can’t see the effect his complaining is having on you.
Finally, I know you are tired at the end of the day, but I believe you should try to talk to him about his
and your day. No matter how overworked you are, communicating with your spouse is very important in
every marriage.
GOING AGAINST DAD
AHWiEH (1926-2013)
It is with deep sadness we
announce the passing away of our
beloved father Chief P.J. Ahwieh,
on 14th march, 2013.
he is survived by wives, 14
children, 31 grandchildren and
2 great grandchildren.
ANNOUNCEMENT
I commend Pastor E.A Adeboye
General overseer of the redeemed
Christian Church of God World Wide,
Father of the Nation, for what God
has been using him tremendously for.
April 19 2013 is another festival of
life (f.O.l) at Excel Docklands
london, 8pm-5am. I urge everyone
that needs salvation, miracle or
anything from God to make it that
day. Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it
shall be opened unto you (matthew
7:7). And elders says you can only
collect rain when rain is falling. I pray
that God will grant you new and more grace, power, knowledge, wisdom
and joy. God will strengthen you, you won’t fail and fall, and you will end
well in heaven at last in Jesus’ name. Also this prayer goes to all genuine
servants of God and all believers worldwide. yours in Christ,
A.A.A Emmanuel (jP) Nigeria’s future President
Dear Eki,
My parents let me come to the UK to
study for a degree on the condition that I
return home to run the family business
after graduating. As the eldest son, it is
my inheritance. Every time I speak to my
father, he goes on about the plans and
preparations that are being made for my
return later this year, from the department I will start in, to what corner of the
building my office will be situated. Every
single detail has been determined.
What my father doesn’t know is that I
have fallen in love with England. You see,
I was born here but my parents moved
back to Nigeria when I was five years old.
While toying with the idea of staying behind after university, I started applying
for jobs and I got an offer from a prestigious asset management firm in the heart
of London. This has affirmed my decision
to stay. My major dilemma is how to
break the news to my father, how to tell
him that I do not want to follow this supposedly perfect path he’s laid out for me,
that I would like to stay back here and get
to know more about this country of my
birth. I am not saying I intend to stay here
forever but this is what I want for now.
I also worry that my decision to stay
might affect my other siblings as my father would be reluctant to send them
here to study fearing they might choose
the same path I did. I don’t want my
younger siblings to miss out on opportunities because of the choices I made. What
do I do?
Anonymous, 24 Coventry
There is only one thing to do here, “tell him how you
feel”. You cannot avoid that. It is common for parents to plan your life for you, because they always
believe they know what’s best. What’s important here
is that it’s your life and you should be allowed to live
your life how you want to. Like you said, you haven’t
decided to stay here forever, it’s just what you want
for now. Let him know this, as it might give him
some hope that you would return. I know your dad
might find it hard to let you stay, but let him know
you will be unhappy if you move back. No one likes
to be strong-armed into any situation. Besides, one
of your younger siblings might be more eager to
learn the ropes of the business from your father.
You are not your younger siblings and your
younger siblings are not you. The fact that you fell
in love with this country and decided to stay behind
doesn’t mean that they would like it here like you
did. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone likes it
here. There are some people who come here to study
and can’t wait to go back home to Nigeria after
their study. From what you said, your family is quite
comfortable back in Nigeria; most people who
choose to stay only do so to make a better life for
themselves. It would be very unfair of your dad to
take away the opportunities for your siblings if you
decide to stay here. Most parents want the best for
their kids and Nigerian parents see education obtained overseas as one of those things. My advice is
tell him everything and what you intend to do. If
possible, get your mum on board, as she might be
able to help you convince him.
For ADVICE oN lIFE ISSUES, write to
Dear Eki, Nigerian Watch, Chartwell
house, 292 hale lane,
Edgware hA8 8NP,
or email:
[email protected]
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FASHIONWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
HELLO SPRING!
It’s time to drop the heavy coverings and hijack some layering
pieces for your warmth. No big surprise, then, that the fash pack
are all spotted with these spectacular spring ideas.
By Obah Iyamu
blazers these are replacing those
to keep the shoes
substantial. I will be making
dreadful quilted coats that add
a big statement with this
pounds to every part of our bodies.
combo before the sun comes
Wear over warm jumpers or several
out.
undergarments to maintain warmth,
The relaxed tote bag
an unstructured blazer with some
the soft tote bag is
form of embellishment should be the
still going strong this
hardest- working cover-up in your
season with major
new season wardrobe.
Maxis I know!
alterations to the
materials they come in. last season
It’s still chilly but a chic way to wear
was more of a colour blocking
your flowing maxis is to team up
theme, now, this arm candy is fun in
with a cool knit or if you want a
luxe cotton, graphic patterns,
more conservative look team with a
animal prints and even ombre
semi-cropped fitted
jacket to balance
patterns. I just love the simplicity as
proportions, wear with
well as practicability of these totes.
high heels to avoid
flamenco dive. A
I J E V E
patterned maxi in
muted tones is the
way to go.
Chunky
Sandals: believe
it or not the chunky
sandal teamed with
hosiery/tights
preferably opaque
is no longer a fashion faux pas, actually
there is something awfully sexy about this
pairing but the trick to nailing this trend is
ISoSSy KIDS GLOBAL FASHION WEEK
Isossy Children on the
Global Kids Fashion
geometric Print.
The Isossy Children
Week catwalk paraded
brand stands by its
some of its Global Spirit
‘Made in England’ man-
Collection for
ufacturing ethos, com-
spring/summer 2013, be-
bining African and
fore a sell out crowd, in-
Western cultures. The
cluding Jemma Kidd and
range includes play
Jodie Kidd and other
clothes, occasion out-
celebrities with their
fits, in a fantastic array
children.
of styles using wonder-
You can catch the
fully vibrant and ethnic
runway show on the
colours, in easy ma-
Isossy website, with all
chine-washable fabrics
the lights, cameras and
in soft jerseys and cot-
action. Isossy showcased
tons.
co-ordinated black and
The collection now
white looks featuring
includes tailoring for
the Kokoro dress in
boys, which means
100% silk and chiffon
they’re really offering
and the Omo Boys Suit
something for everyone.
in a traditional African
www.isossychildren.com
124-126 Church Elm Lane Dagenham RM10 9RL
Telephone 020 8595 6114
Email [email protected]
Opening Time Monday - Saturday 09:30 - 19:00
What we do
Fabric sales. Bespoke Tailoring. Wedding & Evening Dresses.
Prom & Cocktail Dresses. Alterations. Haberdashery
27
28
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
FOODWATCH
Ngozi’s KITCHEN
Help your children eat healthily
E
Bringing good food closer to you
thnic foods are impact keys to
cultural identity. The way
parents
feed
their
children/family reflect their ideology, their cultural heritage and their
economic means. Most Africans in
the diaspora have sadly become disconnected from their food, and
young people have the habit of eating unhealthily during their teenage
years – maybe maintained into
adulthood – creating a number of
cardiovascular and other health related problems later in life.
Figures show that one in five
young people in London are
obese – more than in any other English region –
and childhood obesity is costing the capital £7.1
million a year to treat, and could reach £111
million if they remain obese into adulthood.
Sadly, a good proportion of these are Africans.
I call it a ‘Wake-up call’ for Africans. The reality
is that nearly all of these conditions are either
preventable or amenable to early prevention,
simply through diet.
Cafe and African Restaurant
Famous Tuwo / Amala Abula Spot
6 Beckton Road
Canning Town London
E16 1EW
TEL: 0207 476 5591
TEL: 0207 476 8808
Opening Hours
Monday – Thursday
11:00am – 11.30pm
Friday – Saturday
11:00am – 12.30am
Sunday 11:00 – 10pm
272 Barking Road
East Ham, London E6 3BA
Tel: 0208 5522865
Mobile: 07814472757
Opening Hours
Sunday – Saturday
12noon – 10pm
285 – 287 Heathway
Dagenham RM9 5AQ
TELPHONE: 0208 984 8141
Opening hours
Sunday – Saturday
11:00am – 9pm
Tasty Authentic West African Flavours
at Affordable Prices
www.squiresrestaurant.co.uk
they help their children to eat better and exercise. Time spent in watching TV or on the computer playing video games increases the risk too.
Ngozi’s Kitchen believes that the key to
tackle obesity and unhealthy lifestyle lies in the
kitchen. We encourage younger children in the
diaspora to be proud of their ethnic food. We
teach younger mums and families how to cook
healthy African Cuisine and watch their lifestyle
change for good. We also encourage mix marriages learning how to cook healthy African
meals in order to keep their relationship tight.
There is a saying, “The habits that a child
forms at home, follow them to their marriage.”
These time-pressured days it is hard to find
time to say hello, let alone to get the whole family to sit round the table and eat a meal together.
Many people will say it’s convenient to buy
ready made meals, such as chicken nuggets,
sausage rolls, burgers and chips, biscuits, crisps
and cakes, rather than finding time to prepare a
decent cooked meal for the whole family. As a
result many children are no longer fed our
African meals, instead they are fed special stuff
called ‘Kids Food’ or ‘Fun Food’.
Our children are the future scientists and
economists who will usher Africa to prosperity.
They become better students when their bodies
are well nourished and healthy. Providing a
child with a balanced diet and quality treats
like berries, oat biscuits and dark chocolate,
which should help the blood glucose levels stabilise, is a simple way to give the children the
chance to learn and thrive.
You will definitely notice a dramatic improvement in the concentration levels of children when you adopt this approach. Children
need the calories for their body and brain and
learning about good nutrition and understanding why food is important will help a great
deal. Childhood obesity has quadrupled in the
last few years, which means today’s African
children will be the first generation to have a
shorter lifespan than their parents. Today
schools recognise that children’s health directly
affects their capability to learn. However, parents can help stave off this impending crisis if
HEAlTHy
TiPS!
What to do when you
don't have control of
the catering at social
gatherings:
l Go easy on the pastries,
especially puff-puff, meat
pie, Chin Chin and
sausage roll. If you can
avoid indulging do just
that. the reason being
that pastry contains a lot
of ‘bad’ fat.
l For the main dish opt
for a smaller portion and
NGoZI’S tUNA ChUNK StEW &
StEAmED PlANtAIN
Cooking Time 25 minutes
ingredients
450g tuna chunk
1 medium sized plantain
1 mixed bell pepper ( red & yellow)
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp Jumbo Crayfish powder
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp thyme
1/2 Scotch Bonnet chilli (optional)
Cooking instructions:
Wash the plantain, slice and place in a skillet.
Add a little water and steam for 5 mins until
soft. remove
from heat and remove skin. Add a
dash of olive oil
to a saucepan
and all the other
ingredients. Stir
continuously for
5 mins. Serve with the steamed plantain. A
great packed lunch.
hEAlthy FISh SANDWICh
Cooking Time 10 mins
ingredients
450g mackerel fillets
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup of sweetcorn
2 tsp of mixed seeds
focus on the conversation.
l limit how many calories you drink. remember
that fizzy drinks and alcoholic drinks can be high in
calories.
l Steer clear of red meat,
especially processed
meat. But if you cannot
resist the temptation of
that Suya then make sure
it is not 'horse meat'.
however, if you are a red
meat lover I recommend
the real authentic Goat
meat.
l Fried plantain, Jollof
rice and Ugba (African oil
bean salad) can be high in
fat, so request a smaller
portion size or split with a
friend.
l Go for a good portion
of salad or vegetables if
available. But watch the
dressing.
l have fruits after meal
as dessert.
l Get up and dance. A
good excuse to have fun
and get some exercise in
at the same time.
Either balsamic vinegar or salad cream (optional)
Cooking instructions (for two persons):
this is the secret to a great fish sandwich. make
a spread for your
fish sandwich by
mixing together
the carrot, sweet
corn and seeds
into a bowl;
flake the fish and
add to the mix
with a dash of vinegar or cream (to taste). mix
thoroughly and sandwich in wholegrain bread.
NGoZI’S yAm StUFFING
Cooking Time 15 mins
ingredients
medium size yam
A blend of three cloves of fresh garlic, Scotch
bonnet chilli (optional), 1 onion, handful of fresh
parsley, 1tsp ginger and 1tsp Jumbo All Purpose
Seasoning
6 beef sausages
7 eggs
1 grated carrot
2 tbsp fine bread crumbs
Cooking instructions (for 2-3 persons)
Peel and wash the yam, lightly steam and season
with the blended spices. Cook until soft. mash
the yam with 6 eggs and grated carrot. mix to
form a smooth paste and set aside to cool. Fry
the sausages in a skillet, and also set aside. Divide
the yam paste into 6 equal portions, pat out each
to about 25cm (1/8 inch thick). Wrap portions
around each of the sausages, pressing edges together to seal. Dip in beaten egg, then roll in
breadcrumbs. Place in a skillet or baking tray and
bake in pre-heated 190°C/Gas mark 5 oven until
lightly browned (about 25 mins). Serves 2 -3 persons. Garnish with vegetable salad. Perfect for
children!
AFrICAN mEAl PlAN For loSING WEIGht
( Week 1) 1 Day Sample-monday
breakfast
oat porridge with a
handful of Almonds,
with low fat milk
1 hard boiled egg
Pineapple (100g)
1 glass of green tea.
lunch
yam pottage (Asaro)
cooked with lots of
African spinach and
fish (3 level cooking
spoons) Paw Paw
(100g)
1 glass of water
Dinner
Egusi soup with lean
goat meat and lots
of bitter leaf (3 level
cooking spoons)
cooked without
palm oil.
oat meal fufu, millet
or Elubo (1 tennis
ball size)
1 glass of water
Snacks
1 handful of cooked
groundnut or
roasted, eat with
skin on
2 garden eggs
1 glass of water
guidelines: We advise to only bake, grill or steam and NEVEr fry.
reduce salt and sugar intake.
Watch your portion sizes by using a smaller plate. Divide your plate
into 4 and fill it as follows: two quarters vegetable, a quarter meat,
fish or alternative protein and a quarter starchy foods. Exercise is
vital, a couple of minutes daily. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.
l For your exclusive African meal Plan on the following health-related illnesses; Weight loss, high Cholesterol, Diabetes, high Blood
Pressure, obesity, hepatitis, and thyroid disease, contact the Food
Clinic at 27 Wimpole St, off harley Street, W1G 8GN or email
[email protected] Website: ngoziskitchen.com
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HEALTHWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
29
Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges
in the UK. there are currently 3.8 million people
with diabetes in the UK, with a further 7 million
at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (see
box, right). As well as being personally devastating, the condition is expensive to treat; it
costs the NhS over £10 billion a year, which represents about 10 per cent of the entire NhS
budget.
But this sum is dwarfed by the devastating
personal cost in terms of ill-health. Diabetes
can lead to complications such as amputation,
blindness, kidney failure and stroke, as well as
premature death.
the number of people with type 2 diabetes
in the UK is rising rapidly and the total number
of people with diabetes is set to reach five million by 2025.
While diabetes is a problem for people of all
backgrounds, people of African and African
Caribbean heritage are up to three times more
likely to develop type 2 diabetes. People with
diabetes in the African or African Caribbean
community are also three times more likely to
develop heart disease, more than twice as likely
to have a stroke, while kidney complications are
four times more likely when compared to the
white European population.
And the condition can affect this population
at a much earlier age –from the age of 25 compared to 40 in the white European population.
With the number of people with the condition increasing at an alarming rate, the impact
on the African and African Caribbean community will be immense – death from diabetes is
three times higher in African and African
Caribbean populations. this is why health and
community leaders play an important role in educating and supporting people with diabetes as
well as preventing type 2 diabetes in their community.
BUt WhAt EXACtly IS DIABEtES?
there are two types of diabetes:
Type 1 occurs when the body doesn’t produce
insulin. It accounts for 10 per cent of all diabetes and usually occurs under the age of 40.
Type 2 diabetes, which is the type that African
and African Caribbean are at increased risk of,
occurs when the body doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin doesn’t work properly. type
2 diabetes accounts for 90 per cent of diabetes.
the risk factors of type 2 diabetes include
having a larger waist (31.5 inches for a woman;
37 inches for a man); getting older; having
someone in the family with type 2 diabetes and
being South Asian, African or African
Caribbean.
lACK oF AWArENESS
People can go undiagnosed for up to 10 years,
by which time they may have already developed signs of serious complications.
If you are feeling thirsty, going to the toilet
more often (especially at night), feeling more
tired than usual or experiencing unexplained
weight loss then you could be showing signs of
type 2 diabetes. But even if you aren’t showing
any of these symptoms, the African and African
Caribbean community is already at an increased
risk of type 2 diabetes, which is why it is so important to be aware of the risk factors.
language and cultural barriers also mean
that health messages are often missed or mis-
Diabetes UK
Diabetes: take the early warning test
People of African descent should
be risk-assessed for diabetes from
the age of 25
understood, which means people are failing to
get the support they need to manage the condition. this, together with a general lack of
awareness about signs and symptoms and managing the condition well, creates a combination
that results in rising levels of diabetes, poor
health and early death.
WHAT iS TyPE 2 DiAbETES?
Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too
high because your body can’t use it properly.
Glucose comes from digesting carbohydrates from various kinds of food
and drink, including starchy foods such
as breads, potatoes and rice, fruit, some
dairy products, sugar and other sweet
foods. your liver also produces glucose.
your pancreas produces insulin, which
helps get the glucose into your body’s
cells, where it is used for energy.
But in type 2 diabetes, the amount
of insulin produced is not enough or
does not work properly and so glucose
levels build up in your blood. too much
glucose in your blood can damage
blood vessels, nerves and lead to blindness.
the main symptoms of diabetes include:
l Passing urine frequently
l Increased thirst
l Extreme tiredness
l (Sometimes) unexplained weight loss
l Genital itching or recurrent episodes of thrush
l Slow healing of wounds
l Blurred vision
If you have any of these symptoms you should immediately see a doctor.
NIGERIAN WATCH
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EArlIEr tEStING oN oFFEr
But it doesn’t have to be like this. Identifying
people at high risk of type 2 diabetes is crucial
to preventing the condition and people who already have it can reduce their risk of developing serious complications by getting diagnosed
earlier. this is why it is really good news that
the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence recently recommended that people of
African, African Caribbean or South Asian descent should be risk assessed for diabetes from
the age of 25.
At Diabetes UK, we are also working to help
prevent type 2 diabetes with our healthy
lifestyle roadshows, online risk Score and Community Champions programme, which has
trained more than 150 health workers and community leaders from a variety of backgrounds
to spread the word about diabetes in their local
communities.
through greater awareness we can reduce
the rise of diabetes in African and African
Caribbean communities and also ensure that
those with the condition have the best possible
chance of living a long and healthy life.
the Diabetes UK risk Score is online
at www.diabetes.org.uk/riskscore www.diabetes.org.uk/riskscore
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30
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
BEAUTYWATCH
THE CLEAR SKIN COUNCIL
Spots can be the bane of our lives. Our beauty writer convened a
council of experts to find out how you can
win the battle against the evil zits
Spot fighting remedies
PHOTOGRAPHER: Trey Mujak
MAKEUP: Teresa Reynolds
HAIR: Kristy Prince
MODEL: Siobhan Ridguard
STUDIO: MiNK London
W
e’ve all been there. you’re getting ready for a job interview, a date or other big lifechanging moment and you look in the mirror to find that you’ve grown a huge white
spot overnight. Some people have it constantly in the form of acne, which is more serious and widespread. Either way spots are always a cause of embarrassment.
As a makeup artist and beauty writer the number one question that I am constantly asked is
how to get a more even complexion. this is quickly followed by, “What foundation is best for my
skin?” I think the former question is more important because beauty starts with smooth, healthy
glowing skin. So what exactly are spots and what are the best ways to get rid of them?
A pimple, zit or spot is a kind of acne, and one of the many results of excess oil getting
trapped in the pores. Spots can be caused by hormonal changes such as those at puberty, around
your period or during pregnancy. there is also a strong link between increased breakouts and
stress, as stress can trigger fluctuations in hormone levels. this is why we always seem to suffer a
breakout just before that big event.
thank God I have never had a problem with spots. however, this limits my personal experience with spot fighting products. to offset my lack of personal experience, I asked all 250 of my
Blackberry messenger contacts for their best spot-fighting remedies and here (right) is a list of
their favourite products.
Tea tree oil tea tree oil is an effective treatment for acne spots on the face.
one problem with facial acne is not
just the oily skin, but also the secondary infections that can come
with clogged pores. tea tree oil
dries up the facial oil, but also effectively kills the secondary infection. you can add tea tree oil to a
mixture of vodka and
water as well, making an
effective toner and astringent for your face.
Witch Hazel Witch hazel has
similar astringent properties
to tea tree. Use on emerging
spots to fight bacteria and
prevent spots spreading.
Manuka honey this comes from the nectar of
flowers that grow on a manuka bush in New
Zealand. It has a high potency of unique natural
anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties.
African black Soap Black soap removes excess
oils from the skin and helps
with skin irritations such as
razor burn, eczema and other
skin rashes. Some people
even use black soap as a
shampoo, but it is most
commonly used to treat acne by clearing oils
from the skin. It can also decrease the
effects of a breakout by soothing skin
irritations. Another bonus of black
soap is that it offers partial UV protection due to its Shea tree ingredients. Dermalogica Anti-bac Skin Wash
A gentle, naturally foaming cleanser with salicylic
acid, antibacterial triclosan
and soothing balm mint.
Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions
Clearing Moisturiser A medicated
lotion with benzoyl peroxide. Good
for stubborn or recurring spots.
NICKI FOR M.A.C AIDS FUND
Nicki Minaj continues to reign as the
hip-hop queen of M.A.C Viva
Glam. The Lipstick-loving diva is
back to serve up a delectable duo of
lipstick and lipglass in an all-new
shade of pastel lavender pink. The
full RRP (less VAT) from the sale is
paid to MAC Aids Fund and goes
towards helping women, men and
kids everywhere affected by HIV and
AIDS.
A great cause but is the range
worth the price tag – just because a
product is for a good cause doesn’t
mean it should not be up to standard. My colleague Adebisi tried out
the whole range and this is what she
found.
viva glam nicki lipstick (satin fin-
ish) has a hint of a shine. I would describe the colour as a “Watermelon
pink”. This colour would suit most
skin tones, and is build-able when
applied with a soft hand or lip brush.
(3/5)
viva glam nicki2 lipstick (amplified finish) leaves a matte finish. I
would describe the colour as a “Pastel Lavender”. I would not recommend this shade to a dark skinned
woman because the colour looks almost white when applied and is quite
daring and theatrical (2/5).
viva glam lipglass, nicki & nicki
By Funmi Odegbami
freederm gel A clear gel containing nicotinamide. Good for spots just starting to appear. It
works differently from other spot
treatments because
it actually targets
the inflammatory
process that causes inflamed acne
spots.
freederm facial Cleanser An
advanced, antibacterial facial
cleanser with special pore cleansing action to help prevent and manage
spots and pimples. Use
as a soap substitute.
bioré ultra Deep Cleansing
Pore Strips Formulated with teatree oil and witch hazel to help
shrink pores and stop blackheads
forming.
Treatments
Chemical Peel A chemical peel removes multiple layers of dead cells from the surface of the
skin, revealing the healthy new cells underneath, resulting in a smoother, more youthfullooking complexion. A professional peel
produces far more dramatic results than regular at home exfoliation and can be used to effectively treat acne, acne scarring and
pigmentation.
laser treatment for acne the technique involves using a laser to deliver a yellow light to
destroy the bacteria that causes acne. the yellow light interacts with a substance inside the
bacteria called porphorine to create oxygen,
which destroys the bugs. It also promotes the
growth of collagen to prevent scarring. If you
are considering laser treatment then please explore the options fully.
All of these products can work wonders on
your spots. however, the most effective and
consistent remedy of all is a rigorous daily skincare regime. Cleanse, tone and moisturise morning and evening, using gentle products that
won't strip or irritate the skin.
2 (lipgloss) I LOVE these two lip
glasses because they are highly pigmented. One could wear the lipglasses on their own or over a similar
lip liner colour for richer colour. The
lipgloss is thick in consistency which
I believe makes it long lasting. (4/5)
The longevity of the lipsticks was
not very good. After just a couple
of hours the colour began to
wear off and sink in to lip
crease, taking away the
smoothness. I plan to use
lip liner under the lipstick
next time. Both the Lipsticks and Lipglasses are
highly pigmented and very
true to colour, although
the shades won’t suit all
skin tones.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
TOWNWATCH
31
ON THE TOWN
With Toni
oNE A-MAvIN NIGht
oF AFroBEAtS loomS
When the Afrobeats’ big bang happened last
year, creating the two galaxies of D’Banj and Don
Jazzy, it was feared that the genre would be the
weaker for it. Would it be like separating strawberries and cream? John and Paul? Bob and Peter?
Now we can happily say, Wahala? What wahala? Since the split D’Banj ruled the world in
2012 with the track Oliver Twist, sang at the closing ceremony of the Africa Cup of Nations – what
a Naija night that must have been!? – and is imminently set to release his new documentary and
a remix of Scape Goat featuring Kanye West.
But it’s not like anything the great DB has done
has eclipsed Don Jazzy’s mavin – pronounced
marvin – records. this place is becoming the
Nigerian equivalent of the hit factory for
Afrobeats, delivering monster tune after monster
tune. With Dr Sid, tiwa Savage, Wande Cole and
D’Prince, ace producer Don Jazzy is setting the
road map for Afrobeats.
As was predicted of mavin records last year in
our Afrohits round-up, “this is where Afrobeats
THEATRE
Three Birds
Siblings Tiana, Tionne and Tanika
have found themselves home
alone. Tiana’s keeping it all together by taking charge of housework and homework.
But Tionne’s experiments are
getting stranger and stranger and
Tanika’s starting to act up. As the
outside world begins to press in,
the three will do anything to keep
their secret safe from the adults
who come to call. Writer Janice
Okoh (Egusi Soup) won the 2011
Bruntwood Prize for for the Three
Birds script.
Bush theatre, 7 Uxbridge
is going people – fasten your seatbelts”.
And now the main men are heading to
town. Wande Cole, the mushin boy who
rocketed onto the scene with Ololufe – described as the greatest love song written by
a Nigerian – and has since cemented his superstar status with the album Mushin 2
MoHits, collaborations with among others
Wizkid, Snoop and rihanna, and recently
See Me Ri and Pretty Girls.
Accompanying him to headline will be the
walking, talking frenzy himself, D’Prince, set
to rock the house with his raw energy that
has delivered the smash Take Banana.
hosted by DJ Abrantee, supporting artists
include london’s own lola rae, the 419
Crew, the CEo Dancers, Dammy Krane,
Ajebutter and DrB-lasGidi.
Destination AFrica, April 28 is at Sync,
361- 373 high Street, Stratford SE15 4QZ
tickets from £25; available from
www.smoothents.com
road, london, W12 8lJ
Until 20 Apr
From £10
www.bushtheatre.co.uk
Mies Julie
This explosive new adaptation of
Strindberg's classic Miss Julie,
from the internationally acclaimed
director Yael Farber, is both intimate and epic. Featuring an exhilarating live soundscape and
thrilling performances.
In the smouldering kitchen of
a remote South African farmhouse eighteen years after the end
of apartheid, a single night of brutality and tenderness unfolds be-
tween a black farm labourer and
his white master's daughter. As the
couple's deadly attraction spirals
out of control, they grapple with
the possibilities of freedom and
restitution, and face the reality of
what cannot ever be recovered.
riverside Studios
Crisp rd, hammersmith, london, W6 9rl
11 mar -may 19
From £26
www.riversidestudios.co.uk
The Hospital at the Time of
the Revolution
The world premiere of Caryl
Churchill's remarkable play in-
L-r: Wande Cole,
Lola-Rae and
D’Prince
spired by the life and work of
Frantz Fanon. Set in Algeria, 1956
– whilst desperately fighting for independence from French colonial
rule. Frantz Fanon is head of the
psychiatric department of the
Blida-Joinville hospital in Algiers,
treating both oppressed and oppressor. But who are the real victims?
Finborough theatre
Above the Finborough Pub,
118 Finborough rd london,
SW10 9ED
31 mar - 16 Apr
From £14
www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Princess Mononoke
Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again
We at OTT love it when a plan comes together - and for the producer and director of this play, Jo Melville
and Lookman Sanusi respectively, that’s exatcly what has happened. This pair felt Our Husband… deserved a production so threw caution to the wind and put it on themselves – to, thankfully, growing acclaim. The show started life as at Goldsmith’s George Wood Theatre where it proved such a smash hit it
returned by popular demand to the Flash Musical Theatre in Edgware and now arrives at the Broadway in
Barking. When a show wins an audience by word of mouth you know it
must be good, good, good and colleagues report it is rib-ticklingly,
stomach-hurtingly hilarious.
Penned by the award-winning playwright, Ola Rotimi, Our Husband…
is a comic masterpiece, starring Moji
Bamtefa (Meet the Adebanjos) and
Tayo Elesin (Casualty, Law and
Order, Doctors) among others. It
places centre stage the ideological
misfits and opportunists who strut the
ever-accommodating political landscape of contemporary Africa. A
great political farce ensues when a
former military major takes to politics. His motives have far more to do with vanity than patriotism and
his attempt to adapt to a situation he hardly comprehends produces highly comic results. His predicament
is complicated by the unexpected arrival of his American wife who discovers two more marriages contracted without her knowledge and her husband beset by political problems. Book now. Enjoy.
the Broadway theatre, Broadway, Barking, IG11 7lS
19-21 Apr, 3pm & 7.30pm. £12
www.thebroadwaybarking.com
Young warrior Ashitaka is a
marked man. Cursed by a demon
god whilst defending his village, he
must leave his home forever to
seek a cure.
In the forbidding forests to the
west, he is forced to reconcile the
warring human forces and the animal deities of times past. In the
midst of this bitter and bloody
conflict, he meets the wolf god
Moro and her human child San:
Princess Mononoke.
Using giant puppets made
from recycled materials, visceral,
physical storytelling and original
live music, Studio Ghibli’s epic
ecological fable is re-told for the
stage.
New Diorama theatre,
15 - 16 triton Street,
regent's Place,
london, NW1 3BF
April 2-6 returning June 18-29
From £8
www.newdiorama.com
FOR CHILDREN
mister holgado
Conrad tells his parents there is a
tiger living in his wardrobe, a tiger
Circus Bites
Dark, funny, surreal and
surprising. If you’ve only
ever seen circus in big venues, be prepared for a far
more intimate and captivating experience. Much
more than a night of
showmanship, spectacle
and tricks for laughs, Circus Bites presents snippets
of work from the UK and
Europe’s leading circus
artists
the Albany, Douglas
Way, Deptford, london,
SE8 4AG
Wed 17 Apr, 7.30pm
£12
www.thealbany.org.uk
with a penchant for champagne
truffles. But they think it is all in
his imagination. When his parents
suddenly welcome the mysterious
stranger, Mister Holgado, into
their home, Conrad worries he is
more of threat than any tiger
could be. But parents always know
best, don’t they?
Unicorn theatre, 147 tooley
Street, london SE1 2hZ
24 mar - 28 Apr
£10-£16
http://unicorntheatre.com/
The Three Little Pigs
Embark on an adventure with the
three little pigs as they battle the
big bad wolf with their charming
and witty ways! Filled with humour, this endearing musical will
leave you squealing with glee and
howling with laughter... A real
coup for Greenwich, this is the European premiere of an exciting
new family musical, written by
George Stiles and Anthony Drewe,
the Olivier Award winning writing
team behind Honk!, Just So and
the new songs written for the 2004
West End production of Mary
Poppins.
Greenwich theatre, Crooms
hill, london, SE10 8ES
4-6 Apr,
£32 Family
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
National Children’s
Orchestras of Great Britain
The nation’s most talented young
musicians are set to deliver a stunning classical programme – combining the freshness and energy of
youth with the skill and finesse
usually only expected from players
twice their age.
The NCO’s eldest orchestra
will perform material from their
latest repertoire, explored at their
recent spring course. Fast becoming the stars of tomorrow, the
youngsters are sure to impress
with their fantastic sound and infectious enthusiasm for the music
they love best.
32
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
It’S SUmmEr ShoWtImE
oN thE SoUthBANK
Every summer the Southbank, from london Bridge to hungerford Bridge, plays host
to myriad festivals. things start to kick off this month. here’s a quick round-up of the
first flush of festival fun
Udderbelly
Another summer of comedy takes place within the
giant upside down cow from mid-April. The colourful, comic, curvaceous cow marks the spot of the now
regular summer fun that is known randomly as the
'Udderbelly Festival' – a two month spectacular of
comedy, cabaret and theatre from around the globe.
There's a huge variety of entertainment taking place
both in and outside the bulbous bovine – which also
appears at the Edinburgh Festival – with something
going on almost every night.
Confirmed acts for 2013 include
the hilarious mime of the Boy
With Tape On His Face; the selfdeprecating humour of Father
Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon; and onetime London Nigerian and now
vegetarian LA dweller Gina
Yashere, among many others. You
need to check out the wesbite to
find out the full programme. Go
to www.southbankcentre.co.uk and
Othello
Adrian Lester, known for starring in the BBC’s Hustle, takes on
one of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles – taking the lead in
the tragedy of Othello. Lester is rapidly becoming one of the
great actors of the age and this promises to mark his arrival in
the premier league. In January The Hustle star was named best
actor at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for his role as pioneering African-American actor Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet at
the Tricycle Theatre. Lester's wife Lolita Chakrabarti, who
wrote Red Velvet, won the prize for most promising playwright.
Lester will be starring opposite Rory Kinnear, who plays the
jealous and conniving Iago, winner of best actor in the Evening
Standard’s drama awards for his 2010 portrayal of Hamlet. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, this production is part of the National Theatre’s 50th anniversary season.
From 1-30 April From £12
National theatre: olivier theatre, South Bank, South
Bank, london, SE1 8XZ
Chimamanda
Adichie: Americanah
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks
about her new novel 'Americanah', a
story of love and race spanning
three continents and numerous lives.
It is centred on a young man and
woman from Nigeria who face difficult choices and challenges in the
countries they come to call home.
Purcell room, Southbank Centre, Belvedere road, london,
SE1 8XX
tue 9 Apr, 7.45pm
From £10
search for Udderbelly.
From 11th April to 14th July
Southbank Centre, Belvedere
road, South Bank, london, SE1 8XX
De montford hall, Granville
road, leicester, lE1 6rU
Sat 6 Apr, 7pm
From £5
www.demontforthall.co.uk
Pop Factor
An afternoon of interactive family
fun featuring live performances of
the biggest and best chart hits. Perfect as an Easter holiday treat.
Broadway theatre, Catford
Broadway, london SE6 4rU
Wed 10 Apr, 2.30pm
From £10
www.broadwaytheatre.org.uk
CINEMA
See Sundance Festival page 34.
@NigerianWatch
TOWNWATCH
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
ART
Liminal
Liminal invites families into a
physical, material and social experience of sculpture through touch,
interaction and collaboration.
Supported by a changing artist devised programme.
tate Britain, millbank, london, SW1P 4rG.
Every Sat & Sun, 11am-3pm.
FrEE
All ages.
MUSEUMS
African Textiles Today: Social
Fabric of the East and South
This exhibition takes a new look at
the history and continuing signifi-
Alchemy Festival
A ten-day celebration of
music, dance, literature, film
and more.
Returning for a fourth year,
the 'Alchemy' festival brings a
mix of dance, music, talks and
debates exploring the rich
cultural connections between
India, South Asia and the UK
to the Southbank Centre. A
celebration of music, dance,
debate, literature, film, craft
and fashion, Alchemy also
explores the cultures of India,
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan
and Sri Lanka and takes a
close look at their
relationships with and
influence on the UK and vice
versa. Festival-goers can
expect cutting -edge music, a huge range of free workshops,
classes and even a Bollywood film.
cance of textile traditions in eastern and southern Africa, the patterns of global trade they reveal
and the ways in which they have
influenced some of the region’s
foremost contemporary artists and
photographers.
Creating and trading numerous
types of cloth have been vital elements in African life and culture
for at least two millennia, linking
different parts of the continent
with each other and the rest of the
world. African Textiles Today
shows how ideas, techniques, materials and markets have adapted
and flourished, and how the dynamic traditions in African textiles
have provided inspiration for the
continent’s artists.
British museum, Great russell
Street, london, WC1B 3DG
14 Feb-21 Apr
FrEE
www.britishmuseum.org
Murder in the Library
Classic locked-room mysteries,
tales of murder and mayhem in
quaint villages or gritty adventures
on mean city streets. Crime fiction,which currently accounts for
over a third of all fiction published
in English, holds millions of people enthralled. Murder in the Library will take you on a
fascinating journey through the
development of crime and detective fiction, from its origins in the
early 19th century through to contemporary Nordic Noir.
the British library, 96 Euston
road, london, NW1 2DB
18th January – 12th may 2013
Southbank Centre, Belvedere road, South Bank, london, SE1 8XX
12th to 21st April 2013
http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/murder/index.html
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Michael X, Africa and the
Middle East
This show offers a broad perspective of events and individuals –
from Britain, Africa and the Middle East – in the 1960s and 1970s.
The central portrait shows
Michael X, a reformed gangster
and British civil rights activist
born in Trinidad who was controversially executed for murder there
in 1975. The large central section
represents Topolski’s travels
through Africa in the early 1960s
and later in the 1970s, decades
when colonial rule was coming to
an end.
memoir of the Century, Nr.
royal Festival hall, Southbank.
From £2
Yinka Shonibare MBE: Fabrication
Taking place in three of YSP’s indoor galleries and the open air,
FABRIC–ATION features over 30
vibrant works from the period
2002 – 2013 including sculpture,
film, photography, painting and
collage, with many works never
before seen in the UK.
FABRIC–ATION is a unique opportunity for audiences to trace
Shonibare’s creative development over the past decade at a
time when he is increasingly active in creating work for public
space.
yorkshire Sculpture Park, West
Bretton, Wakefield, WF4 4lG
2 mar - 1 Sep
FrEE
www.felikstopolski.com
EyeOpener Gallery Tours:
Africa at The British Museum
The diverse cultural life of Africa
has been expressed through everyday objects and unique works of
art since ancient times. The Museum’s collection of over 200,000
African items encompasses archaeological and contemporary
material from across the continent.
Highlights on display in Room 25
include a magnificent brass head
of a Yoruba ruler from Ife in Nigeria, the Tree of Life (a sculpture
made out of guns) and some objects from the Torday collection of
Central African sculpture, textiles
and weaponry.
British museum, Great russell
Street, london, WC1B 3DG
FrEE
www.britishmuseum.org
www.ysp.co.uk
together a rich mixture of sculpture and decorative arts explained
through the voices of elders,
maskers, drummers, diviners,
artists, exiles, curators and anthropologists. Objects from across
Africa are displayed from Egypt to
Zimbabwe, and from African related cultures including Brazil and
Trinidad. Highlights include masterpieces of the bronze casters art
from Benin, which depict the arrival of the first Europeans to
Africa.
horniman museum & Gardens, 100 london road, london, SE23 3PQ
Daily
FrEE
African Worlds
www.horniman.ac.uk
The first permanent exhibition in
Britain dedicated to African art
and culture, African Worlds celebrates the continent’s diversity, history and creativity. It brings
COMEDY
Wahala 1 Year
Anniversary Special:
African Allstars vs. Team
Jamaica
After two sold out events and two
crushing defeats of team Nigeria
& Ghana at the hands of team Jamaica, Africa unites. For one night
only the superstars of African
comedy come together to wipe the
smile off the face of those cocky
Jamaicans. Each comedian will do
a normal stand up routine followed by the ever-popular head to
head battles and crowd participation games. African Allstars: Kojo,
A Dot Comedian, Eddie Kadi and
Victor Daniels plus music from DJ
Harm Kid & Naija Boy. Team Jamaica: Slim, Felicity Ethnic, Dizzle and Aurie Styla plus music
from Love Conexxion.
Followed by after party with DJs
Firing Squad, Choice FM Rampage, Bang FM ACE, 1xtra DJ
Quincy, Choice FM Love Connexion – Stamina & Mr Suey – and
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NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
TOWNWATCH
33
ArtS, GrAPhICS, PrINtS, PhotoS AND AFroNAUtS
April is rapidly becoming london’s
season for the visual arts with a host
of exhibitions being staged across
town. this is where you find the future stars lurking and can make a
canny investment if that’s what you
seek. From the suprises on offer at
the other Art Fair to Afronauts at
the Deutsche Borse exhibition
there’s something for everyone.
The Other Art Fair
Snap up some original art from some of
London’s most promising emerging
artists, before they get signed and the
prices soar. All the artists showing at
'The Other Art Fair' have been carefully
selected by an eagle-eyed committee of
art experts, so even if you’re not buying, this show is a great day out for art
-lovers looking to discover new talent.
15th to 28th April
Ambika P3, 35 marylebone road,
marylebone, london, NW1 5lS
www.theotherartfair.com/
Pick me Up Contemporary Graphic
Art Fair
After a successful launch in April
2010 the Pick Me Up fair has become
an annual event, featuring the most
innovative graphic artists, collectives
and galleries in the country and from
DJ Milktray
Indig02, Pensinsula Square,
Greenwich, london, SE10 0DX
13 Apr, 6pm From £25
www.theo2.co.uk
OTHER
Steve Bloom’s Africa
This exciting live theatre presentation journeys through Africa from
the apartheid years to Africa
today. From his early documentary early work in 1970s apartheid
South Africa which led to his exile,
to his recent monographs Living
Africa and Trading Places, the
Merchants of Nairobi, Steve
shares with the audience this extraordinary continent; through
landscapes from desert to jungle,
dynamic wildlife, and human life
from remote villages to teeming
metropolis. Kings Place, 90 york Way, london, N1 9AG
mon 29 Apr, 7pm
£6.50-£9.50
www.kingsplace.co.uk
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
African Composers Series:
Juwon ogungbe
Nigerian-British pianist and singer
Juwon Ogungbe is one of the stars
of UK-African music. He blazes
his own path in a wide range of
settings – from the afro-soul funk
of his band, to his choral work
with The Vocal Ensemble of
Africa. He will play new material
as well as songs from his current
CV ‘Life Force Music’ which
showcases a writer of songs of
great depth driven by the infectious rhythms of his YorubaNigerian roots.
the Vortex Jazz Club, 11
Gillett Square, london, N16
8AZ
BANKSIDE BEAUTY: Clare Johnson at The Other Art Fair
across the world, offering an exuberant mix of artworks for sale to the
public. A lively series of events and
activities accompanies the 11 day
fair, including a Portfolio Surgery
and workshops. Discover the latest
talents in the graphic art scene and
purchase prints from as little as £10.
18th to 28th April 2013
Somerset house, Strand, Covent Garden, london, WC2r 1lA
www.somersethouse.org.uk
Sat 15 Apr, 8.30pm
From £10
www.vortexjazz.co.uk
yoruba Women Choir
Gospel is the biggest music in
Africa. The choir - featuring ten
female singers and six-piece band
- present a show that is bursting
with intense passion. Marrying the
intricate rhythms and harmonies
of their native Nigerian musical
traditions to the sounds and sentiments of Christian gospel music,
let people know
where you’re at so
they know where
it’s at with listings
in
nigerian Watch
Call 020 8588 9640
or email
[email protected]
this is the music that inspires the
mind and uplifts the soul.
the Jazz Café, 5 Parkway,
Camden town, london, NW1
7PG
27 Apr, 7pm
From £20
Deutsche Borse Photography Prize
2013
A generous prize is given to the most
significant photographer of the past
year. The renowned annual £30,000
prize rewards the living photographer, of any nationality, judged to
have made the most significant contribution to the world of photography during the past year. The four
shortlisted artists for the 2013 prize
are South African duo Adam
Gallery alongside Yinka Shonibare’s FABRIC–ATION exhibition, combining soulful female
vocals with live dubs, electronics,
turntablism and heavy horns.
yorkshire Sculpture Park,
West Bretton, Wakefield, WF4
4lG
Sat 27 Apr, 7pm
£5
www.ysp.co.uk
Hackney Voices
Cleo and Jo teach songs from the
rich and varied local traditions of
Africa, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece
and Spain as well as British, Celtic
folk songs. They also teach their
own arrangements of classic soul
and pop songs.
St John at hackney Church,
lower Clapton road, london,
E5 0PD. Every Wed, 7-9pm
From £22
www.stjohnathackney.org.uk
Live Jazz Music
A concert featuring smooth Afro
jazz, Latin jazz, bossa nova or
funk with keyboards, vocals and
percussion.
the Blue Posts, 28 rupert
Street, london Chinatown,
london, W1D 6DJ
Every Sun, 4pm
FrEE
www.taylor-walker.co.uk/
pub/blue-posts-st-james/c6707/
venues.meanfiddler.com/jazzcafe
CLUBS
Afrobeat in the Underground: Nubiyan Twist
Critically-acclaimed Boston-based
rapper-producer-DJ-historian
Edan plays a 2-hour DJ set and
PA alongside new partner in
Rhyme, Oxygen.
East Village, 89 Great Eastern
Street, london, EC2A 3hX
Nubiyan Twist are a 10-piece band
that performs an exciting fusion of
Afrobeat, reggae, hip-hop and
jazz. They bring their upbeat blend
of music to the Underground
EDAN: DJ set + PA feat. Oxygen
Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, whose
'War Primer 2' book pays homage to
the great Bertolt Brecht through a
contemporary prism of internet and
mobile phone images; Mishka Henner for his exhibition 'No Man's
Land', which re-appropriates urban
and rural images used by Google
Street View; Chris Killip for his black
and white study of industrial Britain's
decline in 'What Happened Great
Britain 1970-90'; and Christina De
Middel for her publication on Zambia's short-lived space programme,
The Afronauts.
From 19 April to 30th June
Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 ramillies Street, london W1F
7lW
www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
favourite with dealers and print fans
alike. Prices start from £100 and rise
to £1m, covering old Masters (including Rembrandt and Durer), 18th and
19th century painters (Hogarth,
Goya, Sickert) and top names from
the contemporary scene (Hockney
and Hirst). Whether you're looking
for an investment or something
pretty to put on your walls, limited
edition prints offer a more affordable alternative to one off, original
art works - and it's great fun to
browse.
25th - 28th April
royal Academy of Arts, Burlington
house, mayfair, london, W1J 0BD
The London Original Print
Fair
London's premier print fair,
offers the chance to see
specialist dealers displaying
their etchings, engravings,
linocuts and lithographs in
the grand setting of the
Royal Academy of Arts.
Over the past 20 years it
has become a firm
THE AFRONAUTS Cristina De Middel Deutsche Borse
Photography Prize 2013
34
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
TOWNWATCH
hARRIET OgBEIDE’S
ENTERTAINMENT gIST
Twitter: @Harriet_NW
MBgN PAgEANT REDUCES AgE LIMIT
most of us can recall the huge scandal and arguments that followed when viewers claimed that
most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (mBGN) 2012 miss Isabelle Ayuk (pictured) looked years older than
her declared age of 25. these allegations were further strengthened when it was announced
that Ayuk would not be representing Nigeria at the miss World contest where the age limit is
25, and that runner up Damiete Charles-Granville would take her place in the competition. this
year, the age limit for mBGN contestants has been reduced to 23. In other words, to take part in
the pageant, you must be between the ages of 18 – 23. All eyes will be on the competition this
year to see who gets chosen as the mBGN, to represent Nigeria in the miss World competition
taking place later this year in Indonesia.
SUNDANCE loNDoN
The spin-off of Robert Redford’s increasingly
important film festival returns to London for its
second year. Last year it was the showcase that
secured funding for Nigerian-born British actor
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s
first screenplay.
Entitled Farming the film
explores the historical practice
of immigrant parents fostering
their children to local families
while they pursued financial
security.
What’s caught our eye this year are Jonah
and God Loves Uganda. Jonah is a 23 minute
short (Tanzania/UK) telling the story of what
happens when two young men photograph a
gigantic fish leaping from the sea. An exciting
and vibrant story about the old and the new as
their small town becomes a tourist attraction.
In God loves Uganda a battle rages in east
Africa, where crosses replace
guns and shouts of prayer roar
louder than missiles. American
evangelical Christians have
chosen Uganda, with Africa’s
youngest and most vulnerable
population, as their ground
zero in a battle for the soul of
a continent. A shocking, terrifying and
provocative film. 25th- 28th Apr, the o2 Arena,
Peninsula Square, london, SE10 0BB
Live jazz jam with local legend Bukky Leo and his
quartet. Growing up in
Lagos, Nigeria, Bukky has
developed a distinctive
style of jazz and Afrobeat.
Players of all levels and
styles are welcome to join
in, or simply lay back and
soak up the scintillating
afro beats, acid jazz and
swing vibes.
Silver Bullet, 5 Station
Place, london, N4 2Dh
Every tue, 8.30pm
FrEE
www.thesilverbullet.co.uk
DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Nextmen,
Rich Medina
The Doctor’s Orders pulls out all
the stops with their biggest line up
to date to celebrate their 250th
event. With Philadelphia’s finest,
the magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff, this
event should not be missed.
Scala, 275 Pentonville road,
Kings Cross, london, N1 9Nl
Sat 13 Apr, 10pm-5am
From £12.50
http://thedoctorsorders.com
Africa Unite plus guests
Reggae covers band.
the Garage, 20-22 highbury
Corner, london, N5 1rD
thu 18 Apr, 7.30pm till late
£10
2 Dam Funky
Funky vibes, funky grooves and
funky dancers reconnect you to
the original energy of the Africa
Nollywood A-listers turned out for a state banquet hosted by
President Goodluck Jonathan to celebrate 20 years of Nollywood, and announce plans to provide funding to help boost the
Nollywood industry. the guest list included top Nollywood personalities like Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie linus, Ibanabo Fiberesima, rita Dominic, Dakore Akande, Chiwetalu Agu, Chico Ejiro,
Chidi mokeme, Uche rodriguez, Joke and olu Jacobs, and
Desmond Elliot. Performances by tuface, timaya, timi Dakolo
and others gave the event that fabulous VIP ambience. Apart
from A-listers who could not make the event due to prior engagements, noticeably absent on the night were a host of Z list
actors and actresses whom shall not be named. one can only assume their invites where somehow lost in the mail.
ThE ChARLY BOY ShOW?
the recent wave of reality tV shows following the life of
celebrities to hit the screens in Nigeria has hardly come as
a shock to anyone due to the recent boom in celebrity culture. We’ve seen and heard of reality shows, from celebrities like omotola Jalade Ekheinde, Jim Iyke and Iyanya.
most recent is a new reality show titled In Your Face which
takes viewers into the lives of controversial entertainer
Charly Boy and the oputa family. the show is being
tagged as a Nigerian version of The Osbournes.
www.sundance-london.com
Jazz Jam
Fri 5 Apr, 9pm-3.30am
From £7
A-LIST SOIREE
Centre. With DJs 2 Dam Funky
and The Last Poets
the Silver Bullet, 4-5 Station
Place, Finsbury Park, london,
N4 2Dh
Every mon, 7pm
From £7
www.thesilverbullet.co.uk
45 x 45
Four powerhouse DJs – DJ Format, Mr Thing, Spin Doctor, Mo
Fingaz – come together to play all
vinyl sets of their favourite 45s
each.
the Book Club, 100-106
leonard Street, london, EC2
Fri 22 mar, 8pm-2am
FrEE before 9pm | £5
Scala, 275 Pentonville road,
Kings Cross, london, N1 9Nl
Sat 13 Apr, 10pm-5am
From £12.50
What Sundays Were Made
For
A friendly night of music, dance
with music mixed by DJB Veneno
Negro, resident DJ and guest spinning naija beats.
El Penol, 382 Brixton road,
Stockwell, london, SW9 7AW
Every Sun, 8.30pm-3am
From £5
The Nextmen
Expect to be swept up in a frenzy
of sounds from Reggae & HipHop to Jungle & House as Brad
Baloo & Dom Search get stuck in.
East Village, 89 Great Eastern
Street, london, EC2A 3hX
Fri 8 Feb, 9pm-3.30am
From £7
Voodoo
Funk, soul, disco, Afro, jazz, barrio, hip-hop and reggae with DJ
Ramon Santana.
Vibe Bar, 91-95 Brick lane,
Whitechapel, london, E1 6Ql
Every 2nd Sat, 8pm-1am
From £4
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Hosted by Kodjovi Kush and The
Afrospot All-stars.
As above
Every last Sat
Fridays at Shaka Zulu
mix of funky house with an afro
beat, this is the perfect way to start
the weekend.
Shaka Zulu, Stables market,
Camden, london, NW1 8AB
Every Fri, 10pm-4am
From £7
DJs playing a cool and flirtatious
www.shaka-zulu.com
www.passingclouds.org
A Curva Da Cintura - Toumani Diabaté, Arnaldo Antunes &
Edgard Scandurra with support by Family Atlantica
A night of funk, jazz, hip-hop,
house, electro, Afro and Latin
music with Marathon Men, aka
Freddy McQuinn and Simbad.
As above
Every 3rd Sat, 8pm-1am
From £4
www.vibe-bar.co.uk
JUJU!
Juju! with DJ Volta45 and Chief
Commander Yaaba, showcasing
the finest hand-picked selection of
true roots music from the heart
and soul of Africa.
Upstairs at the ritzy, Brixton
oval, Coldharbour lane, london, SW2 1JG
Every 1st Sat
From £5
'Oh-Noooooo'
DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Nextmen,
Rich Medina
A night of diverse nu jazz, broken
beat, old skool hip hop, Afro beat
and breakbeats.
Juno Bar, 134-135 Shoreditch
high Street, Shadwell, london, E1 6JE
Every last thu, 8pm
FrEE
The Doctor’s Orders pulls out all
the stops with their biggest line up
to date to celebrate their 250th
event. With Philadelphia’s finest,
the magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff, this
event should not be missed.
www.junoshoreditch.co.uk
Legendary Jam Session
DJs play a mix of afro and latin
grooves, funk, hip hop, reggae and
soul.
Passing Clouds, 1 richmond
road, london, E8 4AA
Every Sun, 9pm
From £3
Williams Cumberbache
A dirty Afro-Latin funk jam session with master Latin American
percussionist Williams Cumberbache.
As above
Every last thu, 6.30pm
FrEE
Afrospot
Afrospot is a night playing the best
in Afro, reggae, dub and folkloric.
After playing together at the Brazilian Back2Black festival, Rio de
Janeiro in 2010, Curva Da Cintura come to London.
Uniting Mali and Brazil, from Mali Grammy awarding-winning
Kora player Toumani Diabaté and from Brazil songwriter, poet
and performing artist Arnaldo Antunes and guitar-hero Edgard
Scandurra
Supported by Family Atlantica, a diverse host of heavyweight
musicians from both sides of the Atlantic, led by London-born
multi-instrumentalist Jack Yglesias and his wife Luzmira Zerpa a
traditional Venezuelan singer.
Union Chapel, Compton terrace, london N1 2XD
12 April doors 7pm
£22.50 in advance
www.unionchapel.org.uk
AFROHITS
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MUSICWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
35
IN ASSOCIATION WITh
ww
o
c
.
s
t
i
h
w. a f r o
TOP
WIzkID – AzONTO
20 AFROBEATS
i’ve been waiting for this video for a
long time. The pulsating synth combined with THAT immense baseline combined with Wizzy’s extremely catchy
lyrics equate to a monster of a hit. And
to top it off they got Moe Musa to direct the accompanying flick. They are
simply, as they say in the uk, taking the
Mickey. This just had to get a rewind
while this short item was being written.
Moves galore, hot African women
doing the Azonto, all kinds of carnivallike paraphernalia, this video is just too
hot. Sporting a new street-meets-rockstar styling Wizkid means business this
year and it might just be the year that
sees the young Afrobeats stalwart take
not just Africa but the world by storm.
No. title
AFROBREAkERS
SINgLES
her fans mesmerised, always
wanting more. The
nigerian music industry has lost a
star and the genuine outpouring
of grief from her
peers, colleagues and
fans around
the world
has been
testament to
the influence
she
had and
the joy
she
brought to
so many.
http://iroking.c
om/artist/114/g
oldie
FLAVOUR – ChINNY BABY
AFROBREAkERS
Dance Floor
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Skibo
Solid Star
Chinny Baby
Flavour
Good Good love Banky W
First of All
olamide
your Body
Justina
Somebody
Iyanya
Emi Ni Baller ft. Chidinma
Wizkid (remix)
Ghost mode
Phyno
hypnotize me ft. olu maintain
olivia
Paya Paya
mr Bistop
malonogede
timaya
Always Guiding Konga
Eziokwu ft.
lynxxx
Illbliss, Phyno,
Ikechukwu
Watch my ting
lola rae
Go
love Affair
terry G
Beautiful
Kefee
Superman (remix) 2Shotz
Asa Nwa
mr raw
Koleyewon
tee Songz
The crooner returns with another tune
that is his stock-in-trade. This mid-tempo
Afrobeats-tinged tune combines the best
elements of music; great melody, excellent lyrics and an inspiring and cleverly
shot video. Watching the video and listening to the track makes it clear that
the genre has a whole heap of diversity
beyond just dance tempos. Well done to
flavour for extolling the virtues of a
great song. Massive.
w
e
r
t
EVA
Popular rapper Eva has welcomed in
2013 with a fierce new single, Mercy.
Produced by Sossick, it’s a bass-heavy
tune that showcases both her
rapping credentials and her
stunning
singing voice.
It’s raw, angry,
intense and compelling, quite a
departure from
her previous single, Super mario Brothers-influenced,
ever-so-playful, Big Biggie. Eva’s doing
her own thing and is a stand-out performer who’s going from strength to
strength, pioneering the way for other
female rappers to carve a niche for
themselves in Nigeria’s rap scene.
http://iroking.com/track/12199/mercy
MAY D
Following on from the super smash hit,
Ile Ijo, and then Gat Me High, mister
may D is back, back, back in a big way,
this time with his new tune, So Many
Tinz. this is has the classic Afrobeats
vibe stamped all over it – no doubt
thanks to the fact that it was produced
by the incredible Fliptyce. may D has had
a rocky few months,
what with the split
from his previous
management, but he
has kept his focus
on his first love;
music. 2013 is
going to be an exciting year for
mister may D!
http://iroking.com
/track/11985/somany-tinz
Artist
1
9
q
gOLDIE RIP
nigeria’s music
industry was
devastated at
the loss of one
of its most exciting and talented
female artists in
february. goldie,
aka, Susan Adebimpe filani,
was one of
iROking’s artists who very tragically
passed away on valentine's Day, after attending the grammy Awards in los Angeles. She was only 31 years old.
goldie was an energetic stage performer renowned for her use of flamboyant costumes on and off camera. She was
an international icon with a fan base
worldwide. Her hits included Skibobo
feat. Ay, Give It To Me feat j Martens and
Miliki feat navio. Who knows what else
this star in the making had in her?
Creatively, goldie pushed the boundaries with each and every video she gave
us, delivering beautifully crafted, extravagant and exciting music videos that kept
m
y
u
i
o
p
a
2Face
This chart has been compiled by combined
YouTube views and iROKING views & downloads
TOP
20 AFROBREAkERS
No. title
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
q
w
e
r
t
y
u
i
o
Gobe
Azonto
Chinny Baby
“yes/No”
Fine lady
Gat me high
Ur Waist
Itz ova Ft Snypa
All of you
Ife Wa Gbona Ft
leo Wonder
ligali
tony montana
(Bad Pass) remix
Good morning
Eziokwu Feat
Ikechukwu, Ill Bliss
& Phyno
Watch my ting Go
Go low
First of All
Ice Prince Aboki
remix
p
“Sun mo mi”
a
“my Baby”
Artist
Davido
WizKid
Flavour
Banky W
lynxxx Ft Wizkid
may D
Iyanya
tonto
Davido
tiwa Savage
Dammy Krane ft
Pasuma
Naeto C Ft D'banj
Brymo
lynxxx
lola rae
Wande Coal
olamide
Ft Sarkodie,
mercy Johnson,
Wizkid, m.I And
Khuli Chana
E.m.E. Feat.
Shaydee, Skales
& Banky W
E.m.E Ft. Skales
This chart is compiled by information from
YouTube.
36
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
@NigerianWatch
LEISUREWATCH
TAlES by MOOnligHT
How a Hunter obtained Money from his Friends the Leopard, Goat, Bush
Cat, and Cock, and how he got out of repaying them
m
any years ago there
was a Calabar hunter
called Effiong, who
lived in the bush, killed plenty
of animals, and made much
money. Everyone in the country
knew him, and one of his best
friends was a man called Okun,
who lived nearby.
Effiong was very extravagant, and spent much money in
eating and drinking with every
one, until at last he became
quite poor, so he had to go out
hunting again; but now his
good luck seemed to have deserted him, for although he
worked hard, and hunted day
and night, he could not succeed
in killing anything.
One day, as he was very hungry, he went to his friend Okun
and borrowed 200 rods from
him, and told him to come to
his house on a certain day to get
his money, and he told him to
bring his gun, loaded, with him.
Now, some time before this,
Effiong the hunter had made
friends with a leopard and a
bush cat, whom he had met in
the forest while on one of his
hunting expeditions; and he
had also made friends with a
goat and a cock at a farm where
he had stayed for the night.
So, although Effiong had
borrowed the money from
Okun, he could not think how
he was to repay it on the day he
had promised. At last, however,
he thought of a plan, and on
the next day he went to his
friend the leopard.
Effiong asked the leopard to
lend him 200 rods, promising to
return the amount on the same
day as he had promised to pay
Okun; and he also told the
leopard, that if he were absent
when he came for his money, he
could kill anything he saw in the
house and eat it. The leopard
was then to wait until Effiong
arrived, when he would pay him
the money; and to this the leopard agreed.
Effiong then went to his
friend the goat, and borrowed
200 rods from him in the same
way. He also went to his friends
the bush cat and the cock, and
borrowed 200 rods from each
of them on the same conditions,
and told each one of them that
if he were absent or late, they
could kill and eat anything they
found about the place.
When the appointed day arrived Effiong spread some corn
on the ground, and then went
away and left the house deserted. Very early in the morning, soon after he had begun to
crow, the cock remembered
what the hunter had told him,
and walked over to the hunter’s
house, but found no one there.
On looking round, however, he
saw some corn on the ground,
and, being hungry, he commenced to eat.
About this time the bush cat
also arrived, and not finding the
hunter at home, he, too, looked
about, and very soon he espied
the cock, who was busy picking
up the grains of corn. So the
bush cat went up very softly behind and pounced on the cock
and killed him at once, and
began to eat him.
By this time the goat had
come for his money; but not
finding his friend, he walked
about until he came upon the
bush cat, who was so intent
upon his meal of the cock, that
he did not notice the goat approaching; and the goat, being
in rather a bad temper at not
getting his money, at once
charged at the bush cat and
knocked him over, butting him
with his horns.
This the bush cat did not like
at all, so, as he was not big
enough to fight the goat, he
picked up the remains of the
cock and ran off with it to the
bush, and so lost his money, as
he did not await the arrival of
the hunter. The goat was thus
left master of the situation and
started bleating, and this noise
attracted the attention of the
leopard, who was on his way to
receive payment from Effiong.
As he got nearer the smell of
goat became very strong, and
being hungry, for he had not
eaten anything for some time,
he approached the goat very
carefully. Not seeing any one
about he stalked the goat and
got nearer and nearer, until he
was within springing distance.
The goat, in the meantime,
was grazing quietly, quite unaware of any danger, as he was
in his friend the hunter’s compound. Now and then he would
say, “Baaah.” But most of the
time he was busy eating the
young grass, and picking up the
leaves that had fallen from a
tree of which he was very fond.
Suddenly the leopard sprang at
the goat, and with one crunch
at the neck brought him down,
and commenced eating.
It was now about 8 o’clock
in the morning, and Okun, the
hunter’s friend, having had his
early morning meal, went out
with his gun to receive payment
of the 200 rods he had lent Effiong. When he got close to the
house he heard a crunching
sound, and, being a hunter himself, he approached very cautiously, and looking over the
PUZZLES
CROSSWORD
fence saw the leopard only a few
yards off, eating the goat.
He took careful aim at the
leopard and fired. The death of
the leopard meant that four of
the hunter’s creditors were now
disposed of, as the bush cat had
killed the cock, the goat had
driven the bush cat away (who
thus forfeited his claim), and in
his turn the goat had been killed
by the leopard, who had just
been slain by Okun.
This meant a saving of 800
rods to Effiong; but he was not
content with this, and directly
he heard the report of the gun
he ran out from where he had
been hiding all the time, and
found the leopard lying dead
with Okun standing over it.
Then in very strong language Effiong began to upbraid
his friend, and asked him why
he had killed his old friend the
leopard, that nothing would
satisfy him but that he should
report the whole matter to the
king, who would no doubt deal
with him as he thought fit.
When Effiong said this
Okun was frightened, and
begged him not to say anything
more about the matter, as the
king would be angry; but the
hunter was obdurate, and refused to listen to him; and at
last Okun said, “If you allow
the whole thing to drop and will
say no more about it, I will
make you a present of the 200
rods you borrowed from me.”
This was just what Effiong
wanted, but still he did not give
in at once; eventually, however,
he agreed, and told Okun he
might go, and that he would
bury the body of his friend the
leopard.
Directly Okun had gone, instead of burying the body Effiong dragged it inside the
house and skinned it very carefully. The skin he put out to dry
in the sun, and covered it with
wood ash, and the body he ate.
When the skin was well cured
the hunter took it to a distant
market, where he sold it for
much money.
And now, whenever a bush
cat sees a cock he always kills it,
and does so by right, as he takes
the cock in part payment of the
200 rods which the hunter never
paid him.
Do you recall a favourite Tale by Moonlight? We’d love to print
it. Please forward to [email protected]
Answers and solution on Page 46
Across
1 - Happenings (6)
4 - Has confidence in (6)
9 - Mythical firebird (7)
10 - People who express
disapproval of things (7)
11 - Period of darkness (5)
12 - Trembling poplar (5)
14 - Leers (5)
15 - Last Greek letter (5)
17 - Ring shaped roll (5)
18 - Look after an
infant (7)
20 - Reveals (anag) (7)
21 - Loose skirt (6)
22 - Rents out (6)
WORkingS
Down
1 - Increase in size (6)
2 - Lengthen (8)
3 - Religious doctrine (5)
5 - Eyeball layers (7)
6 - Penultimate round of
a tournament (abbr) (4)
7 - Eg summer (6)
8 - Outstandingly (11)
13 - Move forward or
onward (8)
14 - Rowers (7)
15 - Circles a planet (6)
16 - Advantages (6)
17 - Courageous (5)
19 - Endure; large
mammal (4)
nAijAku
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A
dversity. We’ve all had to face it in our
lives. It’s a time of hardship, affliction and
otherwise misfortunate circumstances. If
you are like me, you probably thought adversity
would never come nigh your dwelling after you
sold out to Jesus.
Was I ever wrong! In the beginning, it seemed
the more I obeyed God the more adversity came
my way. I quickly discovered that I didn’t like adversity. I still don’t. I like peace. Like a severe
storm, you can almost sense adversity coming…
the calm before the storm. When the storm of adversity comes, it demands your total attention.
Adversity visits us all from time to time – and
in many different ways. It can come disguised as
marriage trouble, sickness, financial calamity,
hardship from personal attacks, or even difficulty
in the workplace. Adversity is no respecter of persons. All of us will face it. The question is how we
will respond to it.
The word of God says, “If thou faint in the
day of adversity thy strength is small” (Proverbs
24:10). In this context, fainting doesn’t mean to
literally lose consciousness; rather it means to
withdraw, let go, or to show yourself slack.
When adversity hits, most people have a tendency to look for a way of escape. The Lord is
very specific in this Verse, though. He makes it
clear that withdrawing from adversity is not the
way to go. He also makes it clear that if we back
off from times of trouble we lack spiritual
strength.
I remember the first time I heard this Scripture
preached. It was during a season when the winds
of calamity were blowing full gale against me. All
I wanted to do was find shelter and escape the
raging tempests. When I discovered my response
RELIGIONWATCH
How to handle Adversity
By
PASTOR DAVID-DAVID MAKOYAWO, PRESIDING MINISTER
World Repairers Global Network Ministries
In Pursuit of God, Repairing Lives, Restoring Destinies and Living A meaningful Life
was because my spiritual strength was weak I had
two reactions.
My first reaction was to exclaim, “But you
don’t understand how terrible my situation is!”
Since adversity is so personal, many feel their situation is worse than anybody else’s. My second
thought was, “If I feel like withdrawing from the
adversity, then I must be weak in faith.” This
made me search the Scriptures for
solutions on how to gain some
much-needed spiritual strength
and fortitude.
Throughout my life I have
found that we haven’t been properly trained to face adversity. Most
just go to church to get blessed,
not to get prepared for trouble.
Just because you love Jesus doesn’t
mean that you are equipped to
handle the battles of life. The
good news is adversity can work
for you.
Since I don’t know exactly what your adversity
is or what you might face in the future, let me
offer some practical steps for victory in every circumstance: run to Jesus, cast all your cares on
Him, and embrace the fellowship of like-minded
Christians.
When adversity attacks, the first thing you
should do is run to Jesus. Remember that Jesus is
the Author and Finisher of your faith. He said,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews
13:5). Jesus will not let you down. You can trust
Him to get you through this turbulence.
The next weapon in our arsenal against adversity is casting all our cares on Jesus. This is not an
escapist’s act. Casting all our
cares on Jesus is a spiritual step
toward freedom. Scripture says,
“Cast all your care on Him for He
cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Casting our cares on Jesus requires us
to give our adversity to Him.
There are some things that you
just have to put in Jesus’ hands.
Sometimes, however, one
prayer session isn’t enough. Some
adversity has several dates
booked on your calendar. In my
case one prayer didn’t take all the problems away.
The fear and the temptation to run from my
problems returned several times, but I would cast
the cares back on the Lord again and again until
finally my adversity hoisted up the white flag of
surrender and withdrew from the battle.
God’s Word is very specific: “Don’t forsake the
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
37
assembling of yourself together with other believers (Hebrews 4:9).” Listen, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Isolation is
not healthy, the fellowship of like-minded Christians is. Find a good Bible-believing Church
where the power of changed lives is visible. Plug
in and help that church fulfill its vision.
Adversity attacks everybody, but with your
love for Jesus and these simple truths you can
overcome it every time. Remember this, God
causes all things to work together for good to
those that love him and are called according to
His purpose (Romans 8:28). That’s you! With
Christ in your life you can make it through every
sorrow, oppression, trouble and adversity.
I therefore encourage you to Stay strong, Stay
focused,Get inspired, so you don’t Expire, Take
your place in destiny.
Today, Jesus is knocking at the door of your
heart, open your heart to receive and accept him
as your Lord and personal savior… Revelation:
3:19-22,Acts: 2:37-40.
Think, Pray and Take Action to experience
undeniable results.
For further help, Prayers and Counselling
ADDRESS 7th Floor, Berkeley House, 18-24 High
Street Edgware, Edgware, London HA8 7RP.
WEBSITE www.worldrepairersministries.org.uk
EMAIL [email protected]
TELEPHONE 020 8205 3334; M 07915 308 834
DAYS AND TIME OF SERVICES Tuesdays and Fridays, 7-9pm. Sundays,10-12:30pm. Third Friday
of every month; Holy Ghost Night, 10pm-1am.
TRAVEL Tube: Edgware, Northern Line.
Buses: 204,340,292,251,303,142,32,79,240,221,
305,288.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
EDUCATIONWATCH
39
English for the
11+ to Oxbridge!
O
ver the centuries, Oxford and Cambridge
Universities have attracted the best and the brightest the world has to offer but
they have come under attack
for overlooking the talent and
intellect of the black and minority ethnic group.
This February, figures released by Oxford – in response
to requests made by the
Guardian newspaper under
the Freedom of Information
Act – reveal that white students were more than twice as
likely to receive an offer to
study medicine than those
from ethnic minorities.
The disparity persisted even
for the most able students: 43
per cent of white students with
three A* grades at A-level got
offers, compared with 22.1%
of minority students with the
same triple A* grades. There
may be different explanations
other than institutional racism
for the race gap. Oxford says
A-level grades are not the only
consideration for admission:
performance at interviews and
admission tests also play a significant part.
These statistics are disappointing. Nevertheless, BME
families must persist in preparing and encouraging their
brightest children to apply to
Oxbridge. Oxbridge is the
birthing place of some of the
most influential and powerful
people in the UK and BME
families must be counted
amongst such an elite.
Oxbridge cannot give out
places to those who do not
apply.
Oxbridge universities’ admission data has shown that
71% of offers are made to students from selective independ-
ent schools and grammar
schools, whilst comprehensive
schools, educating the vast majority of UK children, gain
only 29% of the offers.
In previous articles, we have
discussed the maths required
to pass the 7+ and 11+. In this
month’s article, the last in our
Oxbridge series, we discuss the
reading comprehension skills
essential for your child to pass
the 7+ or 11+ English exam
paper to gain a place in a
grammar school or independent school.
Reading comprehension is
an automatic, non-reflective
process. Those who understand
what they are reading could not
usually tell you why they understand, because this is simply
something a person does naturally. Needless to say, poor
comprehension basically makes
learning through reading im-
possible, so reading comprehension is a skill that all children must be taught. So, what
does it take to comprehend?
fluEnT READing
Accuracy Studies have found
that children who are fluent
readers have greater accuracy,
can read faster, and comprehend better than those who
have low fluency. In general,
fluent readers can read more,
finish homework more
quickly, learn more with less
effort, and achieve more aca-
demically. So what does it
mean to be a fluent reader?
Self-correct mistakes Fluent
readers are accurate readers.
this means that they can read
quickly and easily while making few to no mistakes. the
Study
S
tudy
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the
he UK
att the U
a
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y of
of C
Ch
Chester
hestter
MBA
MB
A
£8,95
£8,950
50
GLOBE
GLOBE
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EDUCATION
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EDUC
ATION
Master of
Master
of B
Business
usinesss Administration
Administration
IInternational
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Prro
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gramme
B
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BA
(Hons)
ons) £16,9
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950
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40
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
fewer the mistakes made
while reading, the greater the
comprehension of the material. there is also a difference
between students who correct their mistakes and those
who do not. Self-correctors
comprehend reading better
than children who simply
move past their reading mistakes. those who correct mistakes, furthermore, tend to
learn from them and make
fewer in the future. If your
child is frequently unable to
self-correct when prompted
to, then your child needs
more knowledge on the mechanics of reading.
PRiOR knOWlEDgE
Phonics is essential the mechanics of reading includes
Extensive general knowledge Children with extensive
prior knowledge are better
breaking words down into
smaller units, which are called
phonemes, and blending together the sounds that those
phonemes make to form
words. this method of developing phonemic awareness –
the ability to hear, identify,
and manipulate phonemes – is
called phonics. research has
shown that understanding
phonemes and phonics is essential to being able to read.
your child needs instruction
on these two elements to be
able to read correctly and accurately.
Consider a good
newspaper – they provide
information and articles on
a variety of subjects
able to understand the meaning in a variety of texts. When
your child reads a story and
the setting or situation for the
story is unfamiliar, they may
become lost. the more knowledge you can give your child,
the less likely they will encounter unfamiliar situations
when reading. Personal expe-
OPEN EVENTS
LSBU is holding two events in April 2013.
These are excellent opportunities for you to
talk to our academics and support services
staff.
UKEAS Nigeria UK
Education Exhibition
Monday 29 April (Abuja),
Wednesday 1 May (Lagos)
Friday 3 May (Enugu)
Admissions-on-the spot: our International
Office staff will be able to assess your
qualifications and give you advice about the
best course to apply for.
LSBU Postgraduate Evening
for 2013 Entry
Wednesday 17 April
5pm - 7.30pm
For any enquiries please contact the
International Office at [email protected]
or +44(0) 20 7815 6189
Visit lsbu.ac.uk/opendays
to book your place
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@NigerianWatch
EDUCATIONWATCH
riences as well as direct instruction play a role in gaining knowledge about the
world. your child should be
learning facts in school, but
you can also provide them
with a depth of knowledge by
taking them to new places
such as museums, galleries
and historic sites.
Read non-fiction Get your
child to read from different
types of non-fiction books.
Also consider a good weekly
newspaper and magazines for
children. they provide information in lively articles on a
variety of subjects. An awardwinning newspaper is First
News (www.firstnews.co.uk)
for age 7-14 years.
Challenging reading list
Passages in 11+ exams are
often extracted from novels
written for reading ages 12 to
adult. A child preparing for
the 11+ should regularly be
reading such challenging
books from about the age of
9, which is a year before sitting the exam.
5+ & 4+
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the reading list for Colet
Court, the preparatory school
for St Paul’s School, one of
the five oxbridge ‘big hitters’,
can be found by following the
links at
www.coletcourt.org.uk/ admissions/joining-at-11.
Specific knowledge Frame
or set the stage for your child
before they start on a challenging book. this could involve providing descriptions
of story lines (without revealing the ending) and plot
points, background information about the time and place
in which the story is set, and
discussions of the way the author uses language.
you should be able to obtain the information by doing
an Internet search. Such prior
preparation is similar to what
an adult would do before
going to an opera. By increasing your child’s prior knowledge, their ability to
comprehend what they will
be reading is enhanced.
THinking WHilE
READing
The power of questions It
helps children if they know
what they are supposed to
look for before they start
reading a particular text.
Good educators guide children in this way by giving
them questions to answer
based on the things they will
be reading in a novel. Armed
with this set of queries, children will be searching for specific themes or story points as
they go along, which will help
them to develop their understanding of the text in a focused manner.
When tackling comprehension exercises, encourage
your child to read through the
comprehension questions
first, before starting to read
the comprehension passage.
Summarise and predict
When reading with your
younger child, stop every few
pages and ask them to summarise what has happened so
far and to predict what will
happen next. this may be difficult for your child to do initially, but with time it will
become easier. If they can
summarize and predict, they
are thinking about meaning
and comprehending what
they are reading.
notes or underlining Ask
your child to make some
notes or underline with a pencil words or phrases they do
not understand. they should
read the whole passage to
gain an overall impression
rather than try to understand
every segment of the passage. If reading a novel, they
should read to the end of the
chapter. your child should
then go back to the places
where they encountered the
unfamiliar words or concepts.
Instead of having you explain
meanings or using a dictionary, however, they should try
and figure out what these
words or phrases mean by
using the context in which the
unfamiliar language is being
used.
vOCAbulARy
A word a day teach your
child new words every day.
the more words they know,
the easier reading will become. Play vocabulary games
or create a word of the day
activity to make it more fun.
have your child create a vocabulary book and decorate it;
younger children could create
pictures to represent each
new word, whilst older ones
should write a sentence using
the new word.
Download a free, mock 7+
or 11+ English exam paper,
both available from the
nigerian Watch website,
www.nigerianwatch.com/education/11plusEnglishpaper.
As long as graduation from
oxbridge seems a prerequisite
in the UK to a stellar career, a
rite of passage paving the
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TRAVELWATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
43
TOURISM SET TO RISE THIS YEAR
Marriot, Sheraton and Le Meridien to add scores of
rooms to hotel stock l Nigeria to be promoted a centre
of cultural festivals l Conference to assess future
the Nigerian tourism industry
recorded significant growth in
the year 2012, with the sector
contributing to the growth of
the country’s Gross Domestic
Product.
the hospitality industry attracted high level of Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) with
the arrival of renowned international hotel brands.
In 2012, American hotelier
marriott announced plans to
invest $1.5 billion to open
about 5,000 hotel rooms in
Nigeria and other African
countries by 2015.
marriott hotels, which is
chaired by the former managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc,
Jim ovia, moved in to boost
the hospitality business in
lagos and Nigeria.
meanwhile, the hotel group
Starwood revealed plans to expand its portfolio in Nigeria,
which is the company’s largest
growth market on the African
continent.
the company announced
that it will increase its African
portfolio by nearly 30 per cent
with 10 new hotels set to open
over the next three years,
adding more than 4,200 rooms
to the continent and creating
thousands of local employment opportunities.
Starwood is the leading international hotel operator in
Africa with an existing portfolio of 38 hotels, representing
more than 10,000 rooms, the
majority of which are operated
under Starwood’s worldrenowned Sheraton and le
meridien brands.
SUStAINABlE GrEEN
GroWth
Nigeria has become a council
member of the International
Coalition of tourism Partners
(ICtP).
ICtP President Professor Geoffrey lipman said, “Nigeria
has a huge potential as both
an inbound and outbound
tourism market, and ICtP will
help them develop this with
sustainable green growth as a
leading strategy. We will particularly engage to help promote Nigeria as an important
centre of cultural festivals, celebrating the vibrant national
multicultural heritage.”
CoNFErENCE to
ASSESS FUtUrE
the Federation of tourism Associations of Nigeria (FtAN) is
set to host a tourism investment forum.
According to Chief Samuel
Alabi, National President of
FtAN, the tourism sector is
faced with a series of challenges, one of which is the
issue of funding for the sec-
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tor – either by financial institutions or established government sources that has not
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Issues set to top the agenda
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others are, taxation as a
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tourism is expected to surpass its 2012 records especially
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44
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
PROP-
CAn lAgOS MEgACiTy
RivAl PRiME lOnDOn?
With better infrastructure
and traffic management
the outlook is positive,
says olumide onitiri-Coker
L
agos is no longer a city experiencing the
hangover effect of independence, but
rather one bustling with a new vibrant
generation, who bring vision and experience
from all over the world. Therefore it is likely the
city can soon demand the price per square
metre that global cities like London experience.
Real Estate demand in Lagos will continue
to remain the highest relative to neighbouring
states as this ex-capital city still boasts the commercial centre of not just Nigeria but West
Africa. The size of Lagos, which at 999.6 km2
is smaller than London’s 1570 km2, has a population estimated to be 2.5 times bigger, standing at 20.5 million, according to the latest
figures from the Lagos State bureau of statistics.
As basic economics explains, where demand
is greater than supply prices will increase. A
clear example of this is the $6bn Eko Atlantic
City project where the lowest price of land is
currently selling at $850 per sq.m. Compare this
to One Hyde Park in London where a one bedroom flat can fetch as much as $8,396 per sq.m.
Yet one of the many issues Lagos faces, one
that London encountered over 100 years ago, is
sanitation. Property prices are greatly affected
when areas are un-hygienic, discouraging quality tenants and investors.
The United Nations recently ranked Nigeria
one of the top 5 countries with the largest number of people defecating in open spaces. The report went on to say that 33 million Nigerians
defecate in the open because there are no sanitation facilities in public places.
Still, Lagos sits in a great position for world
class infrastructure as investors and developers
are able to look around the world to realise what
works and what doesn’t, especially when it
comes to architecture.
Nevertheless investors still remain sceptical,
standing at a distance watching the Lagos State
Emergency Management Agency, which is set
with the task to demolish buildings that are
deemed structurally un-fit. Developers would
want to see the agency move more rapidly than
the city’s construction rate of growth, to ensure
positive capital value on new buildings.
The government’s role in the way Lagos is
shaped is vital as, unlike London, the Lagos State
Government is the real landlord when it comes to
the availability of land – with parcels being released through the Land Usage Charge, which
only allocates a renewable 99 year lease.
This type of policy, if used wisely, can help
control market supply, something prime London
practices with prominent estates like Grosvenor,
Caddogan and De-Walden, who own huge portions of land in London, do.
However, no matter what policies are put in
place, if Lagos cannot reduce its infamous ‘Go
Slow’ traffic the city experiences every day, the
future looks bleak. Lagos State Governor
Fashola has experienced resistance in resolving
this issue of needing to find alternative modes
of transport and to improve roads that haven’t
been upgraded since the 1970s.
So if Lagos is to rival the likes of London, it
is worth modelling ideas on cities like Miami
and Dubai, which are relatively successful beach
cities that harness both property growth and social charm.
Olumide Onitiri-Coker a property consultant at
Avinell.com. For comments and advice please
contact [email protected]
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46
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
Racing Eagles set to compete at
Brands Hatch and Silverstone
The
Avon
Tyres
British GT Championship has announced
the inclusion of the
first ever racing team
from
Africa
to
compete in the sries –
the Nigerian Racing
Eagles (pictured right),
writes AJ James.
Fielding an Audi R8
LMS in the GT3 category the project is the
mastermind of Ribi
Adeshokan, who wants
to develop motorsport
into an industry for
Africa.
Based on a number of factors, particularly the popularity of super cars with
Africa’s more affluent community, the
team has entered GT racing to start
building a fan base. The Racing Eagles
will not compete in the full series of GB
races, but a selection, probably including
Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
“The arrival of Ribi and the Nigeria
Racing Eagle team to British GT has
been in discussion for some time now,”
said Benjamin Franassovici, Championship Manager. “They’re a serious team
with an interesting proposition and a lot
of energy and desire to succeed.
He predicted, “The Audi will allow the
team to establish themselves and under-
PUZZlE SolUtIoNS
@NigerianWatch
SPORTWATCH
stand how the series works, and they
have a promising driver line-up. Having
teams from overseas, such as AF Corse,
Vita4one Team Italy and Rhinos Leipert
is a compliment to what we are trying to
achieve here in the UK with British GT
and Nigeria Racing Eagles brings interest from one of the most diverse continents in the world, something which can
only benefit us as we strive to expand
awareness of the series.”
Racing Eagles’ drivers for the season
include 26 year-old South African,
Adrian Zaugg, and 29 year-old
Cameroonian, Christian Ebong.
Zaugg is the more experienced of the
pair and comes to British GT following
a successful singleseater career that has
seen him race in Formula BMW, Formula
Renault Cup, Renault
World Series 3.5, GP2
and A1GP where he
clinched three wins for
Team RSA.
The South African
former Red Bull Junior
Team driver is familiar
with sports cars having
contested five races of
the 2012 Lamborghini
Super Trofeo Championship
with
team
Bonaldi Motorsport,
taking three pole positions and a win at
the last round at the Navarra circuit in
Spain.
Ebong has had a number of outings in
a Peugeot Spider 207 supporting the Le
Mans Series, and regular outings in a
Seat Leon in the DTM supporting German Seat Supercopa Championship.
Prior to this, Ebong was successful in
the French Rallycross Championship,
becoming Vice Champion in his first season in 2001, and lifting the Championship title the following year. After a
short break from racing to secure finances, Ebong returns to motorsport as
a key part of the Nigeria Racing Eagles
team.
TRIUMPH FOR KING ON A
DISAPPOINTING NIGHT
three time world champion King
Davidson returned to the ring for the
first time in eight months at the beginning of march, to secure a comfortable win over Andrejs loginovs – and
immediately dedicated the win to his
sick father.
Davidson had stayed in the UK to
finally get back in the ring despite his
father suffering a stroke in Nigeria.
It was expected that Davidson
would make the first defence of the
WBo International light middleweight
title he won in his adopted city of
Southampton, and then fly straight
back home to be with his dad.
however, further disappointment
struck as the Philip Kotey fight fell
through at late notice, and loginvos
was the 11th-hour replacement.
Davidson looked a class above his
opponent and toyed with him before
forcing a fifth round stoppage. there
is little doubt that Davidson needs to
get active again and face a better class
of opponent to fulfil his obvious potential.
Nevertheless, he told the
Southampton Daily Echo, “I am very,
very pleased with that.
“It’s crazy I haven’t boxed for so
long. I have trained so much for so
many months without fighting. I’m really grateful to all my team and I want
to dedicate this to my sick father back
home and the people of Nigeria for all
their thoughts and prayers during this
tough time.
“my father is very sick. he suffered
from a stroke. my team and everyone
has been so great to help me and I
give them all the thanks.”
AFCAR –
Continued from page 48 is the
brainchild of the Nigerian
Sodje Brothers’ and Caribbean
Jason Roberts’ Sports Foundations (see box right).
“We’re making history here
tonight,” said Steven Sodje at
the launch of the event at the
Kensington Hilton Hotel –
which was attended by footballing royalty. “This is the first
time Afro Caribbeans have
come together in this way.”
Otis Roberts picked up the
theme. “We’re bringing two
cultures together,” he said.
“We spoke of a need to have
an event where you can bring
families and have fun and this
is what we came up with.”
Ex Arsenal and England
striker Ian Wright spoke eloquently of the need for such an
event. “For these two dynasties – they’re like something
out of Star Wars – to come together to do something like
this; to get the two cultures together when, let’s be honest,
there’s a lot of stuff going on
in the community between
African and Caribbean youths,
is incredible.
“I’m just hoping that we can
come together and that we do
this across the country, and
that we can unite to do some-
thing together.
“And without being too ‘pro
bro’, it’s great to see that black
people have come together and
done something like this.”
Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballer’s Association placed this
latest development in the context of black players establishing themselves in the British
footballing firmament.
He recalled how in the mid80s the game had terrible
problems, saying, “At times we
didn’t think it had a future
when you recall some of the
tragedies and racism.”
As a result clubs became
more responsible and responsive to their fans and communities, recognising the big
difference they can make.
“Football can make a big
difference in social issues and
AFRICAN NATIONS CUP UK
Putting the ‘unity’
into community
Group matches to
be played Sat 1st
and Sun 2nd June.
Quarter Finals and
Semi Finals Sat 8th
& Sun 9th June at
West ham memorial
Grounds, E15.
Final and 3rd place
play off, Sat 15th
June at the Boleyn
Ground, West ham
United FC Stadium,
Upton Park.
GroUP A:
Nigeria
South Africa
Zanzibar
Somalia
tanzania
Like us on Facebook
NIGERIAN WATCH
April 2013
SPORTWATCH
47
‘MAKING A DIFFERENCE’
MATCH OF THE DECADE
WhErE brentford football Club, griffin Park, brentford, Middlesex, TW8 0nT.
WhEN bank Holiday Monday, 27 May, from noon.
INFo www.AfCarThegame.com
thE tEAmS
AfRiCA Patrick Vieira, Dane Bowers, Fabrice muamba,
Chris Samba, tresor lua lua, orishe (JlS), olivier Bernard,
Jay tabb, mc harvey, Clive Betts mP,
Vincent Pericard, Dickson Etuhu,
Danny Shittu, Ade Akinbiyi, Ashley
Banjo (Diversity), tijani Babaginda,
Chucky Venn (Eastenders), Peter
odemwingie, Junior Agogo, Derek
Chisora (Boxing Champion), Eddie
Kadi, James maza (actor) max rushden (Soccer Am) Dennis hobson (Boxing promoter), DJ Abrantee with more AFRICA: Chukky Venn
FOOTBALL STARS (l-r): Ian Wright, the Steins – Brian, Mark, Ed and Isiah – Stephen Sodje and Otis Roberts. Above (left) PFA Chairman Gordon Taylor
the players quickly saw that
and the contribution they
make to social initiatives now
has been and is tremendous.
“And the input in particular
of players from abroad,” he
continued, “Players like we’re
talking about tonight, who
have developed their own particular foundations. It is most
impressive, the way players
have come in from Africa and
the Caribbean and the first
thing they sorted out was how
to get the money back to the
families and communities in
those countries.
“Two prime examples of
that are the Sodjes, and their
foundation,
and
Jason
Roberts – and Otis and Dave
and Cyril Regis. We’ve also got
with us the Steins. and I’m reminded of the contribution
their father played in fighting
against apartheid.
“It’s good to see the willingness of people to come together to enjoy themselves and
use football to do that is great.
“Above all, I want to pay
tribute to the two foundations.
Both families have been excellent examples of what’s achievable, not just in this country
but in their homeland and
shows that football when it’s at
its best can bring together people from all over the world and
really make a difference.”
high-profile names to be announced soon.
CARibbEAn Andy Cole, michael turner, Aston (JlS), Paul
merson, michael thomas, Frank Sinclair, ricardo Gardner,
luther Blissett, Paul Davis, Jason Euell, Paul Canoville,
Kevin lisbie, DJ Campbell,
michael Johnson, Johnny
Nelson (Ex Boxing Champion), ricardo Fuller, michael
Johnson, richard langley,
Jamie lawrence, tubes (Soccer Am), Paul Smith, DJ
Spoony, Sol Campbell, Darren Byfield, leon macKenzie,
CARIBBEAN: Aston Merrygold
Noel Clarke (actor)
SPECIAl GUESt PErFormErS
THE BIG DRAW MADE ON THE BOLEYN GROUND PITCH
representatives of African teams from across the UK
attended the big draw for this year’s African Nations
Cup – which we won’t tire of saying has been won
by Nigeria three out of the four times it has been
played since 2009. this year’s competition brings together 20 teams to contest the trophy.
there is always a group of death and this year
Group C seems to have won that title, with heavyweight teams Uganda, morocco, Ghana, mauritius
and Gambia vying to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles UK remain the 2013 African
Nations Cup UK favourites, primarily because of the
pool of teams in the UK from which they can draw
players. Not forgetting the quality of their football.
GroUP B:
Alexandra burke, May7ven, fuse, Dlux, Omar and the
boadicea Dance Troupe. All proceeds to be shared
with the Afro-Caribbean leukaemia Trust and
Damilola Taylor foundation.
thE PrEDICtIoNS
“We’ll win by three, it would be four if i
were playing”
Jason roberts, the injured captain of the Caribbean
“jj’s on his way. We won’t even bother
warming up”
Efe Sodje, Africa captain
“i’m hoping for a five goal draw!”
Gordon taylor, PFA CEo
GroUP C:
GroUP D:
Algeria
Uganda
Guinea Bissau
Sierra leone
morocco
Ivory Coast
Zambia
Ghana
rwanda
Zimbabwe
mauritius
Cameroon
Burkina Faso
Gambia
Kenya
IS SoNIA thE
CArIBBEAN tEAm’S
SECrEt WEAPoN?
Women’s football coach to
the Dulwich Vixens asked
what role women
footballers had in the day’s
showdown, to which Jason
Roberts responded, “Do
you play? Then bring your
boots.” “Ah,” responded
Efe, “So you do have a
secret weapon.”
Sonia Meggie confirmed to
Nigerian Watch that she
will indeed be turning up
at Griffin Park with her
boots.
Like us on NIGERIAN
Facebook WATCH
48
April 2013
SPORT WATCH
April 2013
nigerianwatch.com
INSIDE
AFRICAN
NATIONS
WHO’S THE BEST?
CUP UK
GROUPS
KING
HISTORIC
AFRICAN
CARIBBEAN
SHOWDOWN
ANNOUNCED
DAVIDSON
WORLD
CHAMPION
For barbershops the
length and breadth of
Britain there is now only
one big match left in the
football season – the unprecedented showdown
between teams representing the the Friends of
Africa and the Friends of
the Caribbean.
RACING
EAGLES
ENTER
UK GT
SERIES
FRIENDLY RIVALRY: Ian Wright and Efe Sodje
The May 27 clash Turn to page 46
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April 2013 - Nigerian Watch

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