The Official Magazine of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism & National Orientation
Issue 3 2014
CULTURE I TOURISM I ENTERTAINMENT
Discover the many sides of The Ooni of Ife Businessman. Political leader. Cultural protector.
Nigeria @ 100
The ultimate cultural celebration of Nigeria in London
The Academic Elite
Meet the Nigerian professors thinking big in the US
Wonder-full!
Experience spectacular Anambra
FA S C INATIN G DES TINATIO NS
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Who We Are I
have often heard it said that there is a strange intangibility to the concept of ‘culture’ – yet we all know it when we see it. Our culture is our way of life. It is the sum of shared experiences, beliefs and understanding that binds us together. It is where we are. And it is who we are. No one’s culture is quite like ours. And that is something worth celebrating. Our Nigerian-ness shows in the way we dress, the languages we speak, the food we eat and the many forms of art we create. Although we may not often think of it – because we are Nigerian and we live as part of our culture every day – the rest of the world is as fascinated by our culture as we are of theirs. That is the bedrock of tourism – of finding joy in the things we share, and endless curiosity in the things that make us different. Culture makes foreigners friends. It builds understanding and fosters good relations between ours and other countries. Culture is a natural resource. It needs to be tended, managed and carefully cultivated. Overexploit it and you are in danger of losing what was so special about it in the first place. Yet fail to realise its potential and you deny a place and its people the opportunity to share something wonderful with the world. Take the Osun-Osogbo Grove, for example. For most of the year it is a cultural sanctuary, sacred to those in south-western Nigeria. Yet when the Osun Festival arrives tens of thousands of visitors, tourists and Osun worshippers get to share it.
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For visitors it is visually, aurally and spiritually uplifting. For Osun State it is a chance to show visitors how well it can stage a high profile event; and a chance to boost local tourism revenues. And for Nigeria it is the way we build international relations. What begins as a visit to Osun Festival – or any of the nation’s attractions - may become a bilateral trade agreement or a warm diplomatic relationship. Culture builds understanding and gradually that understanding filters through to benefit trade and enterprise, our tourism industry and our international relations. Recently I launched Nigeria: Our Heritage Project, an initiative which seeks to creatively engender a positive global perception of Nigeria. Our goal is to ensure that when the world thinks of Nigeria, it thinks first of the many positive contributions we have made and continue to make in the arts, sciences and humanities. It is appropriate that, as the African heads of state gather in Washington for the US-African Leaders’ Summit, we should carry our message of culture and heritage with us. That is why we will be hosting an evening of Nigerian culture at Washington’s Kennedy Centre, with performances by the National Troupe of Nigeria and the Ekemini Theatre Troupe. This is just one high profile example of how our culture can influence the way the world perceives us. And when you look at it like that, ‘culture’ no longer seems quite so intangible after all. CHIEF EDEM DUKE Honourable Minister Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation
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Tourism as a Veritable Tool for Economic Development
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he Fascinating Nigeria Magazine is a concrete platform to showcase the best of Nigeria’s tourism and cultural potentials to the world as an effective tool for soft power diplomacy. Consequently, it is also a vital reference material for students and researchers in the field of arts, culture and tourism. Tourism is an important facet of social life, understood as a leisure activity, a major industry that is set to grow over the years. However its growth in Nigeria can be said to be slow but progressive. The global economic meltdown necessitated the search for alternative economic drivers which made it imperative for the inclusion of tourism and culture sub-sectors in Nigeria’s non-oil economy. Tourism and culture in Nigeria have been identified as veritable tools for economic development. Their contribution to employment is estimated at 6-7% of the overall number of jobs worldwide and offer an alternative to the dominance of oil as a major revenue earner. Nigeria is undisputedly the largest market for goods and services in Africa because of her vibrant population of over 160million, 36 states, 774 LGA, 250 ethnic nationalities and a total landmass of 923, 773 sq.km with two marked seasons (dry and wet seasons). Nigeria is also blessed with abundant fauna
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It is always my utmost pleasure to write an article for the official magazine of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Fascinating Nigeria
His Excellency, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Chief Edem Duke and Nkechi Ejele, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation at the World Travel Market, London
(L-R) Folorunsho Alakija, Chairman, Igho Sanomi, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Edem Duke, Perm. Secretary, Nkechi Ejele during the inauguration of National Heritage Council and Endowment for the Arts at the Ministry of Art and Culture in Abuja
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and flora and long stretch of beaches bordering the Atlantic Ocean measuring about 700km. The country’s diversity could be turned into a gold mine for national growth and stability. I am glad to note therefore, that cultural tourism, world heritage sites, beautiful landscapes, tourist destination sites spiced up with a dozen of our different rich culinary and fascinating menus have provided opportunities for enterprise, investment, wealth creation and employment generation. Promoting tourism towards national growth and stability can be achieved if the government provides the political will and development of infrastructural facilities in the country. The multiplier effect will: • Create jobs, spread income to the rural areas, alleviate poverty and generate foreign exchange earnings as well as reduce rural urban migration. • Help raise living standards in places that may otherwise have little chance of attracting investment. • Create a huge number of direct and indirect jobs in agriculture, telecommunications, sports, transportation, construction, and many others related sectors. • Give value to environmental resources and preservation of our cultural heritage. In our determination to raise more awareness of Nigeria’s fascinating tourism and cultural potentials for economic growth and stability, it is my sincere belief and hope that this edition would thrill our esteemed readers to plan a boisterous itinerary to explore and visit our diverse carnivals, festivals, heritage sites and tourism destinations while wishing our foreign guests a pleasant stay in the cultural capital of Africa: Nigeria. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I wish to use this bumper 3rd edition of this exciting magazine to call on foreign investors and all stakeholders to assist us in establishing key tools and structures for strategic growth and development of the tourism sector. NKECHI EJELE Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation
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Contents FASCINATING PEOPLE
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First Lady Patience Jonathan - The Power of a Woman................................................................................................................... 8 Nigeria @ 100....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10 Star Man - Ben Enwonwu..................................................................................................................................................................................................17 Tchelete - Life is Good for Davido..........................................................................................................................................................................20 Follow the Leader - Igho Charles Sanomi II..............................................................................................................................................22 Mavin Maverick -Don Jazzy...........................................................................................................................................................................................24 It’s His Life - Dr. Alban.........................................................................................................................................................................................................28 Master Carver - The legacy of Lamidi Fakeye..........................................................................................................................................30 A Brilliant Mind - Professor Olatunde Odeku........................................................................................................................................32 Thinking Big - Emmanuel Ohuabunwa...........................................................................................................................................................34 Trailblazer - Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome..................................................................................................................................................36 The Ooni of Ife................................................................................................................................................................................................................................38 Badagry New Home of the Jackson Five - Marlon Jackson....................................................................................................40 In Case of Ability Break Glass - Professor Nelson Mobolanle Oyesiku..................................................................42 Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee...................................................................................................................................................................43 Sibling Symmetry - the Ogwumike Sisters..................................................................................................................................................44 “Modernity Never Promised Anyone Anything” - Professor Tejumola Olaniyan....................................46 A Life in the Nation - Segun Focus Hair Stylist.....................................................................................................................................48 The Ideal of Beauty - Yusuf Grillo..........................................................................................................................................................................50 Break the Rules - Kelechi Amadi-Obi................................................................................................................................................................52 Fashion Warrior............................................................................................................................................................................................................................54 Building the Future of Art - Yinka Shonibare.......................................................................................................................................58 You’re Nigerian - The Nigerians you didn’t know were Nigerian...................................................................................62 Zero Polio- Bill Gates..............................................................................................................................................................................................................65 Nigeria’s Julia Roberts - Genevieve Nnaji.....................................................................................................................................................66 The State of Creativity - The Ake Arts and Book Festival.........................................................................................................68 Support Our Troops................................................................................................................................................................................................................72
FASCINATING DESTINATIONS
Where Business Lives.............................................................................................................................................................................................................76 Amazing Anambra....................................................................................................................................................................................................................78 Akassa Slave Camp....................................................................................................................................................................................................................80 Ibadan - Culture & Calm ..................................................................................................................................................................................................81 Discover Yola’s Natural Wonders............................................................................................................................................................................82 Hot Sokoto...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................84
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Pool Power - Ikogosi-Ekiti’s best kept secrets...........................................................................................................................................86 A Small Piece of Home .......................................................................................................................................................................................................88 Zamfara State - 37,000 Years of History ........................................................................................................................................................90
FASCINATING SITES
Baturiya Bird Sanctuary.....................................................................................................................................................................................................92 5 Objects & Monuments that Define Nigeria.........................................................................................................................................94 Virgin Territory.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................98 The Splendour of Osun Osogbo Festival................................................................................................................................................ 100 A Century of Service - Mungo Park Building.................................................................................................................................... 104
FASCINATING EVENTS
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2014 Festival Calendar................................................................................................................................................................................................... 106 Beyond Profit & Philanthropy............................................................................................................................................................................. 108 Life Through Ndidi’s Window - Ndidi Kanma Emefiele...................................................................................................... 112 Raising The Bar........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 114 Hear Word!.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 116 Jazz Fusion..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 118 Nigeria Shines at the Toronto International Film Festival.............................................................................................. 120 Global Inspiration................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 125 Honouring Mummy Keshi........................................................................................................................................................................................ 128
FASCINATING CULTURE
Nigerian Fashion’s Clarion Call.......................................................................................................................................................................... 130 Mother Tongue......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 134 The Great Ijebu People................................................................................................................................................................................................... 136 Nigeria Back In Time....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 138
TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT
Airports in Nigeria .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 148 Airlines in Nigeria ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 150 Car Hire ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 151 Lagos Restaurants ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 153 Abuja Restaurants ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 156 Emergency services ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 160
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NIGERIA
CULTURE I TOURISM I ENTERTAINMENT
VOL 1 ISSUE 3 2014
Official Magazine of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF – Funmi Oladeinde-Ogbue DEPUTY EDITOR – Jummai Momodu CREATIVE DIRECTOR – Endre Buzogany ASSOCIATE EDITOR – Dr. Paul Adalikwu ASSOCIATE EDITOR – Chika Balogun ASSISTANT EDITOR – Terfa Tilley-Gyado SUB-EDITOR – Mike Brown DESIGN – Steve Bell
CONTRIBUTORS Akintayo Abodunrin Jethro Ibileke Maureen Edem Temitope Jubreel Lucy Mason Salamatu Okorejior
Oluwasegun Oladipupo Samuel Evelyn Osagie Adebola Rayo Patience Saduwa Rhodes Edewor-Thorley Molara Wood
Cover Photo: Ekpe Masquerade, ©Ugo Agada–Uyah Fascinating Nigeria is a publication of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation. Published by Jake Riley Limited 33 Gana St, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria | info@jakeriley.org | www.jakeriley.org
DISCLAIMER PHOTOGRAPHS: Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holder for photographs used in this publication. They have been reproduced in good faith. If you believe you hold the copyright please contact us at info@jakeriley.org If you would like to contribute your own pictures for inclusion in the magazine, please either email us at info@jakeriley.org or visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FascinatingNigeriaMagazine
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Editor’s Letter A New Chapter
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his August, the heads of 54 African countries will be in the US for this year’s US-African leaders’ summit. It will be the greatest gathering of African heads of state ever seen in Washington DC. The timing could hardly be better. We are part of a world of global instability. The risks are high. So what better time for the leaders of a continent to converge, discuss and find solutions to the issues that affect us all? The President of the United States instituted the summit to bring the U.S and Africa closer, economically and politically. It will strengthen ties, and enable discussion and policy creation in areas such as peace, innovation, security, investments and the growth of a shared business landscape. It is, frankly, an unprecedented opportunity for both regions to strategize together; an opportunity to start a new chapter in US-Africa and intra-Africa relations. As they search for sustainable, inclusive, transparent answers, the summit delegates would do well to reflect on the great strides being taken by the people in the pages of this month’s Fascinating Nigeria. They are Nigerian business and thought leaders, medical pioneers, artistic, musical and fashion icons.
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They are taking the Toronto Film Festival by storm and gathering awards almost as quickly as they can release hit singles. They are celebrating 100 years of Nigerian art and culture in London, and breaking down the traditional barriers to high achievement in the US and elsewhere. The skills and talents they develop in Nigeria they take to the world. And overseas success ultimately, inevitably benefits us all. In June 2012, President Obama launched the White House strategy ‘toward’ sub-Saharan Africa, with a 2015 budget that demonstrated his commitment to ramping up support for the region. On 4-6 August 2014, Africa’s leaders have the opportunity to create their own support framework – a framework that will not just stand the test of time but put proffer sustainable and achievable solutions for the greater good of the world. Browse the pages of Fascinating Nigeria, and one can take heart that the talent, commitment and imagination to succeed are already here.
FUNMI OLADEINDE-OGBUE
Editor-in-Chief
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FIRST LADY Dame Patience Jonathan The Power of a Woman Dignity and empowerment. They are what every woman needs to influence the world around her. And one woman in particular has worked tirelessly to ensure that the influence she wields is used for the good of all women – including women in tourism.
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ou could fill a lot of pages with the philanthropic works of First Lady Patience Jonathan. She is the role model for many women in Nigeria: admired by those who see the energy and commitment with which she gives her time; loved by those she helps. She is founder of the A-Aruere Reachout Foundation (AARF), which she established to improve the status and earning capacity of women and youths. Over the last eight years the foundation has helped train over 4,000 woman to enable them to take care of themselves and their families. It has also supported children with heart-related problems. Then there’s the Women for Change and Development Initiative (W4CDI), a socio-cultural organization that “seeks to better the lot of the Nigerian woman economically, socially and politically.” It is, as she describes it, “a haven,” open to all regardless of tribe, religion or political affiliation. It is a place where women gather to further their collective ambitions, making an impact in a variety of ways - from beautifying Abuja with treeplanting, to developing chauffeuring skills. And now she is turning her attention to tourism as a vehicle for helping women – and all Africans – to beat poverty and stimulate entrepreneurialism. As practical and pragmatic as ever, Mrs Jonathan sees tourism as a powerful revenue generation tool for women and youths. First Lady Patience Faka Jonathan was born in Port Harcourt. After gaining a bachelor of education degree in psychology and biology at the city’s university she began a career as a teacher at the Stella Maris College, Port Harcourt and Sports Institute, Isake. She moved into banking in 1997, establishing Akpo, Port Harcourt’s first community bank.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
President Goodluck Jonathan and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan at a state dinner in his honour in Abidjan where the wife of the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, presented a gift to the First Lady, March 2013
Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan displaying her Global Women Leader For Peace Award 2013, presented to her by the African Youth and Women Empowerment Network in Paris,16 March 2013
She returned to education, working within the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education, until her husband became deputy governor of the state. In July 2012 she was appointed as permanent secretary in Bayelsa state by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson. Since assuming the position of First Lady, Patience Jonathan has been recognised locally and internationally for her work. She won the 2008 Beyond Tears International Humanitarian Award New York for her work in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. She received the African Goodwill Ambassador Award in Los Angeles. In 2013, in Paris, she was honoured with the Global Women Leader for Peace Award from the Africa Youths and Women Network (AYWN) in recognition of her “outstanding humanitarian services to women, youths and children in Africa.” Hansei University, Seoul awarded her an honourary doctorate degree in social welfare and administration. And now she has received the Tourism Ambassador for Africa award from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) presented by Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Talik Rifai during the 53rd meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa in Calabar. Yet for all the accolades, Patience Jonathan’s goal remains unwavering: to create opportunities – opportunities such as those presented by tourism for women to make their mark, and to awaken the country to the power of women, through the power of one woman in particular. n
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@
Nigeria
100
Igho Charles Sanomi II and the Heritage Council and Endowment of Nigerian Arts on the ultimate cultural celebration of Nigeria in London.
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years of Nigerian art, literature and design were celebrated in London between 20 and 22 May, as The Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, The Heritage Council and Endowment of Nigerian Arts, Bonhams and the British Council hosted Nigeria @ 100. The celebration featured a series of high profile events at which the Nigerian and British communities came together to explore the past and consider the future of Nigerian culture. Leading the Nigerian delegation was Nigeria Minister for Tourism, Culture & National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke. With him were members of the Nigerian Heritage Council, the body established in 2013 to register, protect and conserve places and objects of heritage significance across Nigeria. Its chairman is the internationally recognized philanthropist and founder/CEO of the Taleveras Group, Igho Charles Sanomi II. Together with members of the UK government, the British Council and the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency, Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, Mr Sanomi and the Nigerian delegates were treated to an event which demonstrated the robust health of Nigerian culture overseas, and the similarly robust bond between Nigeria and the UK.
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FASCINATING P E OP P LE
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
3 days. 100 years
The three day programme began with a tour of the Tate Modern gallery on London’s South Bank, with particular focus on the Meschac Gaba Museum of Contemporary African Art exhibition. London auction house Bonhams, in association with Afren, hosted a dinner in anticipation of the following day’s Africa Now auction. The auction was a celebration of art from across the African continent and dinner guests were treated to private viewings of works including Ben Enwonwu’s 1976 masterpiece Princes of Mali and Yusuf Adebayo Cameron Grillo’s 1972 painting The Flight. The painting was inspired by the artist witnessing a family escaping Nigeria’s Civil War, and observing the similarities with the account of the flight of Jesus’ family into Egypt.
Record-breaking Nigerian artists
The Africa Now auction resulted in sales of the work of Nigerian and Ghanaian artists totalling in excess of £1million and saw new world record prices for ten different African artists. Amongst the record breakers were Grillo’s The Flight, fetching £62,500, and the iconic Woman with Gele which immediately broke The Flight’s record, fetching £80,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £30,000 to £50,000. Both were described by Giles Pepiatt, director of contemporary African Art at Bonhams, as “undoubtedly the finest examples of the artist’s work to appear in the open market in the past decade.”
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Grillo’s iconic Woman with Gele (see page 38)
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Other programme events over the following days included Nigeria Now: Innovation and Imagination, which brought some of Nigeria’s greatest contemporary writers to London’s October Gallery for an exploration of the country’s creative future; and an exclusive visit to view HM The Queen’s collection of Nigerian art at Buckingham Palace.
“The bedrock of who and what we are” Reflections on Nigeria @ 100
When considering the lasting impact of Nigeria @ 100, Igho Sanomi recalled the words of Ben Enwonwu. “He once said, ‘I will not accept an inferior position in the art world. Nor have my art called African because I have not correctly and properly given expression to my reality. I have consistently fought against that kind of philosophy because it is bogus.’ “I believe the events of Nigeria @ 100 have demonstrated the power of Ben Enwonwu’s words as much as the Bonhams auction proved his point. Culture is at the heart of the way people perceive one another. It is this that makes it such a powerful tool for diplomacy and advocacy.” Nigeria @ 100 demonstrated clearly that when the Nigerian art community has the opportunity to ‘express its reality’ it can be a powerful tool in strengthening the alliance between Nigeria and the UK. The Honourable Minister, Chief Edem Duke, considered the power and impact of a nation’s culture on its place in the world: “Nigerian art and culture has proven to be our commonwealth. It defines the endurance of our harmony as a people. It strengthens the resilience of our creativity and provides the bedrock of the definition of who and what we are. It is the greatest collateral upon which we must build the future of our great nation and rekindle the faith of our people.” n
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
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The Oscars of the Travel Industry The Wall Street Journal
World Travel Awards 2014 Join the Very Best in Africa
For the first time, the biggest event in African tourism is coming to Nigeria. Your business can be a part of it. Arrange your sponsorship package for the 2014 World Travel Awards’ African and Indian Ocean Gala Dinner and put your business in Africa’s most prestigious spotlight.
The best in African tourism is here. Join us! To arrange ponsorship, contact: Jummai Momodu (jummai@jakeriley.org) Venue: Transcorp Hilton, Abuja Date: 5 September 2014
Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism & National Orientation
www.worldtravelawards.com
Transcorp Hilton ABUJA
FASCINATING P E OP LE
Star Man On the planet Mercury there exists a crater. It was named after one of the greatest visual artists ever to come out of Nigeria. And whilst the Enwonwu Crater is perhaps the ultimate in timeless reminders of his craft, Ben Enwonwu’s impact was thankfully felt much, much closer to home.
Ben Enwonwu in his art studio in Ikoyi, suburb of Lagos, Nigeria, photograph by Eliot Elisofon, 1959, EEPA EECL 7027, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution: earthmatters2013
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en Enwonwu was born on 14 July 1917 in Onitsha, Nigeria to a technician father (who worked with the Royal Niger Company) and a mother, Ilom, who was a successful cloth merchant. The young Enwonwu attended Government College, Ibadan and Government College, Umuahia before proceeding to Goldsmith College, London in 1944. From Goldsmith, he went to Ruskin College, Oxford, then Ashmolean College and later Slade School of Fine Arts, London where he graduated with first-class honours. His post-graduate work took him to the University of California and Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA. Ben Enwonwu was that rare artist – someone acknowledged for his greatness in his own lifetime. His exhibitions, first in Lagos, then London and Milan established him as the foremost African artist of his generation. In 1954 he was became a member of the most distinguished Order of the British Empire. In 1957 he became the first African to sculpt HM Queen Elizabeth II. And in 1964 he created perhaps his most famous work, the sculpture of Sango, the god of thunder, which graces the NEPA building in Lagos. Yet Onwonwu was never content to remain purely an artist. He was first an art advisor, then later a cultural advisor to the Nigerian government. He became a fellow of the University of
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Agbogbho Mmuo, one of the masquerade paintings of Ben Enwonwu
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Dancing Girls 1947
Lagos, was a visiting artist at the Institute of African Studies at Howard University, Washington DC, and made history as the first professor of fine arts at the University of Ife. He was a proudly outspoken advocate of African art, famously saying: “I will not accept an inferior position in the art world. Nor have my art called African because I have not correctly and properly given expression to my reality. I have consistently fought against that kind of philosophy because it is bogus.” Ben Enwonwu died on February 5 1994. He continues to be celebrated for his contributions to modern African art. His work continues to fetch record sums at auction. And some 48 million miles away, a crater on the planet Mercury bears testament to the fact that sometimes it doesn’t take a meteor to make a big impact. n
“Dancers” 1980
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
Bronze figure
Royal Dance, Benin Girl with Blue Headscarf 1953
Crucified Gods Galore 1967-8
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Tchelete Life is Good for Davido
“Do something you love… and make money at the same time.” Ahead of the release of his new album, Davido lets Fascinating Nigeria into the world of the successful singer/producer.
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avido seems almost magnetically attracted to hits. His 2012 debut album Omo Baba Olowo included lead single Back When featuring Naeto C, and the singles Dami Duro (which he co-produced), All of You and Overseas featuring an artist under his record label, Sina Rambo. His success brought him to the attention of other stars, and his production skills are highly prized by Nigerian artistes including Tiwa Savage, Naeto C, SauceKid and Skales. He set up record label HKN Music with his brother, Adewale Adeleke. And now, in anticipation of his upcoming album which is slated to be released in the fourth quarter of 2014, he has released 5 hits in quick succession: Gobe, One of a Kind, Skelewu, Aye, and Tchelete (Goodlife) featuring Mafikizolo. Life may be good for Davido, but as with so many of the highest achieving stars, success has been the product of hard work. He was born David Adedeji Adeleke in November 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia. Davido’s father is Chief Deji Adeleke, a Nigerian business magnate and his late mother, Dr Vero Adeleke, was a university lecturer. He relocated to Nigeria where he gained a degree in business administration from Babcock University in Ogun State. If he is not putting the finishing touches a new solo track, he is in the studio producing a new collaboration with artistes from around the world. Study his drive and enthusiasm and it’s clear where his energy comes from. “I’ve been doing music for like 3 years but I took it seriously in March 2011. I was formerly in a group called KB International in America. It wasn’t working out so I thought I should just do this on my own. That was when I moved back to Nigeria. I was around people that were musically inclined. I love music, and why not do something you love and are happy doing and making money at the same time.”
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His success has brought endorsement deals with telecommunications giant MTN and Guinness Nigeria, while his awards are amassing almost as quickly as the hits. He was the Kora Awards 2012 Best Newcomer; BET 2014 Best International Act (Africa); MTV Africa Music Video Awards 2014 Best Male Artist of the Year; Nigeria Music Video Awards 2012 Best Video by a New Artiste; Ghana Music Awards 2014 African Artist of the Year 2014; The Headies 2013 Best R&B/Pop Album; and Nigeria Entertainment Awards Best R&B/Pop Artist. It’s a safe bet that the hits – and the awards – are unlikely to disappear anytime soon. n
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
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leader
Follow the
In 2013, Forbes released a list of 10 ‘Ones to Watch’ – young African millionaires whose activities generate excitement and admiration and whose reputations are built on far more than money. There was one Nigerian on the list: Igho Charles Sanomi II. And he has been one to watch for years before Forbes found him.
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gho Charles Sanomi II is “one of the new generation of young professionals in Nigeria who are establishing themselves as young leaders of the private sector business community” (Forbes again). He is an entrepreneur extraordinaire. His business interests span power, oil and gas, telecommunications, maritime, aviation and real estate, to name a few. He is controlling shareholder of Taleveras group, a Nigerian energy, power and construction conglomerate which he founded in 2004 and one of Africa’s largest trading companies. An inexhaustible philanthropist, Igho Sanomi contributes to numerous non-governmental organisations including the Centre for Education, Research & Conservation of Primates and Nature (CERCOPAN) and the Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC). In 2013, he was selected by the Nigerian Minister for Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke to chair the Heritage Council and Endowment for Nigerian Arts. The council works to enhance and develop Nigerian art and culture locally and internationally.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
And through the Dickens Sanomi Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organisation which he chairs and which he and his siblings instituted in memory of his late father, he helps those in greatest need, and the causes closest to his heart. The foundation donated food and relief supplies to those displaced by the Niger-Delta floods, organizes annual essay writing completions for Nigerian secondary school pupils, and promotes musical development in children through a music competition. It would be a formidable legacy for anyone, and Igho Charles Sanomi II has still to turn 40. Yet, if Forbes had investigated his history, they would have seen that the foundations of this highest of high achievers were in place from the very beginning.
In the Genes
Igho Charles Sanomi II was born on 17 May 1975 in Agbor, Delta State. He is the fifth child (and first son) of a Catholic family. His mother, Mabel Iyabo Sanomi, was a medical entrepreneur and nurse from Osun State. She also holds the royal title of Yeye Jemo of Isotun Ijesha Kingdom. His father, Dickens Ogheneruemu Patrick Sanomi, was a former assistant inspector general of police (AIG) in the Nigeria Police Force. Put his mother’s and father’s collective titles and achievements together, and what’s striking is that they form an almost perfect summary of their son: entrepreneur, business leader, philanthropist, with a keen sense of duty, a drive for hard work and a desire to serve.
In 2004 he founded Taleveras Group. Today, the group trades nearly a billion barrels of crude oil and several million tons of condensates, jet fuel and LPG every year. As the group expands its portfolio, from offices in London, Geneva, Cape Town, Dubai, Ivory Coast, Abuja and Lagos to extensive stakes in two oil blocks in Nigeria; from three offshore oil blocks in Ivory Coast to a majority stake in the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, Igho Charles Sanomi II somehow manages to balance his business life with the public, charitable and philanthropic roles that demand his time. Married with children, the intriguing question arises as to whether his children will follow in their father’s footsteps. If they do, one need only look at history to know that the results are likely to be impressive. n
Building an Empire
Whilst the ingredients were always there, it takes effort to turn latent abilities into something tangible. Igho Sanomi earned his bachelor’s degree in geology and mining at the University of Jos, Plateau State. He trained as an engineer and joined Cosmos Oil AG, rising quickly to the position of executive director. He single-handedly developed trading operations, negotiating the export and delivery of fuel oils from West Africa to the United States Gulf Coast, and establishing carefully cultivated partnerships with oil trading groups all over the world. A strategic alliance with a major oil trading group based in Zug, Switzerland resulted in the import and export of millions of tons of refined petroleum products to and from the West African coast.
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Mavin Maverick Fascinating Nigeria meets the man who creates the beats, the hits and the music labels that produce them: Don Jazzy.
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ichael Collins Ajereh, popularly known as Don Jazzy, is the CEO, founder and producer of Mavin Records. An irrepressible musical force, he has revolutionized the concept behind music production and record labels in Nigeria. Don Jazzy was born in 1982 in Umuahia, Abia State in eastern Nigeria. He developed a passion for music early - playing the drums and experimenting with other instruments at the age of four, unknowingly developing the talents that would later enable his overwhelming success. Armed with a degree in business administration he moved to the UK and stayed with an uncle who invited him to play the drums at his local church. It was during his stay in the UK that he met his counterparts in the music industry such as Solek, JJC, 419 Squad and his friend and former business partner of Mo’Hits Records, D’banj.
Breaking big
Alongside these artists, he spent hours producing and recording a wide range of music, and achieved his big break in 2004. When Don Jazzy launched Mo’Hits Records with D’banj, his name became synonymous with album after album of exceptional music production. He quickly became a household name and an icon in the music industry. When he produced The Entertainer for D’banj it became the bestselling album of 2008. The album Mushin 2 Mo’Hits was described as one of the best to come out of the Nigerian music scene. Don Jazzy doesn’t describe himself as a recording artiste, yet his presence, distinctive voice and flamboyant beats inevitably make any track on which they appear a chart topper. This explains why he was named the second ‘most bankable artiste’ and the 36th most powerful celebrity in Africa by Forbes magazine.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
Just rewards
His talent has brought him international acclaim and has seen him working with some of the biggest names in the international music industry. He collaborated with Jay-Z and Kanye West on the production of Lift Off which featured Beyonce, and appeared on 2011’s Watch the Throne album. He has also agreed multi-million naira endorsements with multinationals including MTN, Samsung and Loya Milk. Don Jazzy’s awards are numerous and include: Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) 2006 Producer of the Year; Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2007 Music Producer of the Year; The HEADIES (2011) - Producer of the year. He was nominated for the World Music Award for World’s Best Video and World’s Best Song, and was recently recognized and presented with the Legend Award by Flytime Entertainment at Nigeria’s annual Rhythm Unplugged Concert.
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A new powerhouse
Following the split up of Mo’Hits, Don Jazzy pledged to return in a new guise. In 2011 he made good on that promise. Mavin Records became a powerhouse of African music with over 100 tracks to its name to date and artistes vying for a chance to work with members of the Mavin crew. A musical maverick with a flair for making good business decisions, Don Jazzy has remained humble. He is a philanthropist who believes everybody deserves a fair chance. He can often be found organizing giveaways and competitions for upcoming artistes and loves interacting with fans who hang on his every word on social media platforms. Don Jazzy has always had a knack for discovering and nurturing new talents, from former member of Mavin Records, Wande Coal to his new and aspiring kids on the block: Reekado Banks, Aphrodija and Korede Bello. With other members of the Mavin stable including award-winning Tiwa Savage, DR.Sid, and D’Prince, it’s clear that the inimitable influence of Don Jazzy shows no sign of waning. n
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It’s His
life
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
There aren’t many Nigerian/Swedish dentists with a global hit to their name. In fact, we can think of only one, and during the 1990s his name was everywhere. He is Dr Alban.
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igerian club-goers of the 90s didn’t enjoy as wide a selection of music as we do today. Yet we still loved jamming to the hits when the music was good – and one of the most notable hit-makers of all was Dr Alban. Alban Uzoma Nwapa, a Nigerian-born Swedish musician and producer was born in 1957 in Oguta, Imo State and attended Christ the King College, Aba. At 23, he travelled to Sweden to study dentistry and it was while there that he discovered music, working as a DJ to finance his education. Even after graduating and opening his own dental practice, Dr Alban continued to work as a DJ, and in the early 90s he released his first album, Hello Afrika. His style of music is a blend of dancehall, reggae and hip-hop and in the 1990s, he released hit after hit. His 1992 single It’s My Life became wildly popular worldwide. The official video of that one track has been viewed over 22 million times on YouTube. His next album, It’s My Life, made it to the top of the charts in Sweden, Germany, Israel, Austria, the Netherlands, UK and Switzerland. The album went platinum in Germany, selling well over two million copies in Europe. More albums followed, including Look Who’s Talking, Born in Africa, and 1997’s I Believe. Dr Alban took a few years’ break from music, and returned in 2007 with a new album ‘Back to Basics’. He remains a recording and performing artiste, and owns a record label, Dr Records. To date, he has sold an estimated 16 million records worldwide. n
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MASTER CARVER The Legacy of
Lamidi
Fakeye
By Aderinsola Ajao
A conversation with the times, spoken in fluent, intricate wood. Fascinating Nigeria explores the life, work and influence of Lamidi Fakeye.
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orn in 1928 in Ila-Orangun, Osun State, Lamidi Fakeye was a fifth-generation wood carver from an artistic dynasty. A member of the Osi-Ilurin School, Fakeye began his apprenticeship under his father and, at the age of 21, with the ingenious, ambidextrous carver George Bamidele Arowoogun. Fakeye, who is said to have produced his first work at the age of ten, is famous for his intricately-sculpted doors, wood panels, figurines and ornate fittings, amongst other exquisite carvings. Describing himself as traversing both the traditional and modern forms of
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
wood carving, Fakeye’s work is legendary for its mythical and realistic bent - at times a nod to the creation myth and the spiritual, and at other times tackling topical political and cultural issues. Like many Nigerian artists, appreciation for Fakeye’s work has come more from abroad in the main, rather than from within Nigeria. After his first local exhibition in the early 60s, he came in contact with staff of the Western Michigan University in America, and began a relationship that would last till his death in December 2009. The works he left behind maintain a conversation with the times constituting a historical, social, political and cultural commentary that has transcended the artist’s milieu. The pieces reach further than the borders within which he commenced his art practice, finding homes and appreciation in places that are as distinctly unAfrican as Fakeye’s creations are universal. The attention to detail apparent in each of his works is a lesson in patience, tolerance and meditation. In the conversation between the artist and
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his tools, there are interdisciplinary references; repudiation of religious bias (Lamidi was a Muslim) and a connect between history and the contemporary - proof of Fakeye’s prodigious talent and prolific imagination. In 1978, he joined the Department of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Ife, where he carved a wood sculpture of Oduduwa, which stands at the entrance to the institution’s Oduduwa Hall, venue for its most significant events. The carving is no less graceful today as it was almost three decades ago, when it was unveiled in 1987 by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, after whom the University of Ife was renamed. The doors to the Washington-based Kennedy Center’s Africa Room are another testament to Fakeye’s talent. His works have been exhibited locally and internationally at The Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the US; and at the Mydrim Gallery in Lagos, among others. His carvings also feature in international auctions, going under the hammer for millions of naira. They are also held in numerous private collections. Yemisi Shyllon, famous art collector and impresario, owns the largest number of Fakeye’s carvings. His enduring interest in Fakeye resulted in a book, co-written with Ohioma Pogoson and launched in 2013. Titled Conversations with Lamidi Fakeye, the coffee-table book features an interview conducted shortly before the wood carver’s death, and images of some of his wood carvings. The book is an ode to the power of Fakeye’s imagination, his originality and the different phases of his works over time. Over 40 works by Fakeye, owned by Shyllon, are photographed and documented in the 172-page publication. Fakeye left behind an enduring legacy not just in his works but in his sustenance of the family’s wood carving dynasty. Bisi Fakeye, a nephew trained by Lamidi, is also a renowned woodcarver. He credits the older Fakeye for supporting and encouraging his talent. In one interview, the younger Fakeye tells an interesting story about how he came to work with his uncle. Months after Lamidi paid for the treatment of
his nephew’s broken leg, Bisi decided to repay his uncle by joining him at his studio. “Within the first three months, he realised the potential in me as he was giving me jobs to do. Any time he had any job outside, he called me to accompany him, until I decided to leave him in 1968 to be on my own, since arts had to do with individual identity,” he said. Fakeye co-wrote a self-titled autobiography in 1996 with his collaborator at the Western Michigan University, Prof Bruce Haight. In the book, Fakeye unravels his art and writes about different wood-carving traditions, skill acquisition and the wood carver’s social relevance as an artist. A documentary was also produced on Fakeye by Professor Elizabeth Morton and Joe Reese, both of Wabash College, US. Lamidi Olonade Fakeye: The Life of a Master Carver focuses on the artist at work.
Most remarkable amongst Fakeye’s numerous accomplishments was his recognition by UNESCO in 2006 as a Living Human Treasure - a rare honour bestowed on worthy and exemplary recipients working to preserve and promote culture. Like a true legend, Fakeye – in life and in death - is no doubt one of Nigeria’s biggest cultural ambassadors, leaving behind a body of profound works – both aesthetic and utilitarian. His work continues to engage art scholars in constant discourse. Yet he would no doubt be more appreciative of the fact that his work also continues to impress a grateful public. n
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A
Brilliant mind He could have led a happy and productive life as a doctor in the US. Instead, Olatunde Odeku returned home to share his pioneering expertise with Nigeria.
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he late Professor Olatunde Odeku was many things. He was a poet whose many spare-time musings were considered great enough to be translated into French by his friend, accomplished poet and Senegal’s first president, Leopold Sedar Senghor. Yet his legacy, for most Nigerians, is not the written word. Olatunde Odeku was the first Nigerian neurosurgeon, the first black neurosurgeon to be trained in the United States, and the pioneer of neuroscience in West Africa. Born 29 June 1927 in the then Oyo Province in Western Nigeria, he attended St. John’s Primary School in Aroloya, Lagos State in 1932 and Methodist Boys’ High School in 1945 before he left for America as a beneficiary of the New York Phelps-Stokes Fund Scholarship for Medical Education. He topped his class and was granted various scholarships to pursue his dream as a medical practitioner. He earned his medical degree in 1954, an $8,000 scholarship enabling him to qualify from the College of Liberal Arts in Howard University, Washington DC. His internship majored in neuropathology, and at the University of Western Ontario, Canada he developed his understanding of tropical neurosurgery. He won the Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) in 1955.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
His excellence and growing reputation resulted in several job offers which would have kept Professor Odeku wealthy and well-occupied in the US. He turned them all down, choosing instead to return to his motherland, Nigeria. Professor Odeku’s passion and dedication to his profession drew people to him. Within a short time, he was more or less a living legend in the eyes of his patients and the medical community as a whole. As lecturer at the University of Ibadan he led the establishment of the first department of neurosurgery in Nigeria. He published over 100 scientific papers and journals which were distributed not just all over West Africa but in several foreign countries. He treated soldiers who suffered head wounds during the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). In 1973 he was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. He died on 20 August 1974, aged 47, leaving his wife and children. The E. Latunde Odeku Medical Library is today part of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. It is named in honour of a humble, erudite, compassionate man remembered for his excellence and brilliance. n
POETRY He passionately referred to his first wife as MGM and the poem A Monument for You was written for her. It remains one of the finest pieces of romantic poetry:
There is a monument built for you In my heart I made a marble of its walls, And of its door a gold; The steps I laid with pearls… And all your charms and smiles I placed in a case of gems;… And everyday it looks serene I build it more anew; I take the longest deepest gaze Of you To the monument in my heart.
OVERVIEW OF AWARDS, HONOURS & ACHIEVEMENTS - BS/MD. (Howard University, BS in Zoology (1950), MD (1954) - Licenciate of the Medical Council of Canada, University of Western Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons (LMCC) - Diplomate of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, DABNS, Grace New Haven Hospital, Yale University (1961) - Fellow of the International College of Surgeons, FICS, (1966) - Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, FACS (1963) - Fellow of Medical College of Surgeons, FMCS (Nigeria) - Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria (May 1968-July 1970) - Head, Department of Surgery, University of Ibadan, (January 1969-September 1971) - Member, Ford Foundation Team of West African Medical Educators (1969) - Recipient, Howard University Alumni Medal for Distinguished Service, Charter Day Exercises, March 2, 1973 (in recognition of his outstanding postgraduate achievement in medicine and medical education in Nigeria and throughout the world)
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- Recipient, Matriculation Certificate, University of London (June 1945) - Probational Officer, Custom & Excise Department of Nigeria (1946-47) - Member, Kappi Pi Honour Society, Howard Universit - Member, American Association of Neuropathologists - Member, The Harvey Cushing Society - Member, Congress of Neurological Surgeons of the USA - Member, New York Academy of Sciences - Member, Science Association of Nigeria - President, Nigerian Society of Neurological Sciences (1970-1973) - Member, Pan African Association of Neurological Sciences - Fellow, College of Surgeons of West Africa
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Thinking
Big Everyone has goals. It’s just that some are more extreme, more demanding, more improbable than others. Fascinating Nigeria investigates the man who believed he could study at America’s greatest hospital – and then made it happen.
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mmanuel Ohuabunwa is the 22 year old Nigerian protégé who emerged as the top graduating student in neurosciences from the John Hopkins University with an almost superhuman grade point average of 3.98 out of a possible 4.00. By virtue of his achievement, he was granted a scholarship to study medicine at Yale and has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, a prestigious honour group that includes 17 US presidents, 37 US Supreme Court Justices and 136 Nobel Prize winners. He is the first African to achieve this feat, but life hasn’t always been quite so rewarding. Emmanuel was born in Okota, Lagos in the south-west of Nigeria. He attended Lilly Fields Primary School and Air Force Comprehensive School, Ibadan, Oyo State before relocating to the United States with his parents when he was 13. Life as a teenage boy in the US was incredibly difficult. He was an easy target for bullies and was subjected to a constant barrage of peer pressure, racial prejudice and demeaning taunts. Instead of cowering and being suppressed by the culture shock he developed a thick skin, choosing to rise above the humiliation and his adversaries by studying hard. After
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completing his middle school education, he passed the entrance examination to DeBakey High School for Health Professions where he discovered his interest in neurosciences and medicine. “I knew I wanted to go to the best school in the US,” he recalls. “I had heard that Johns Hopkins Hospital had been ranked the number one hospital in the US for the past 21 years and I wanted to be in that environment.’’ Knowing that his dream might take a toll on his parents’ finances, he focused on working extra hard, achieving an outstanding PSAT score that gained him the National Achievement Scholarship. The awards and laurels kept pouring in. He received certificates of recognition from senators and offers of scholarships from the University of Houston, Rice University, Texas A&M Honors College and others, but his focus remained fixed on John Hopkins. He won the award for the Most Outstanding Senior Young Man and the Student Volunteer Award during his graduation from DeBakey. And then his ultimate ambition was finally realized when he won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation full scholarship to any university of his choice. It didn’t take him long to make his decision. n
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Trailblazer Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome would like to ask‌
How have globalization and postcolonialism constrained or enabled African states to participate effectively in the global political economy? What is the relationship between economic and political transformation in developing countries? And how do gender and citizenship interrelate to affect the African and global political economy? 36
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
Below: Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome at the Interfaith Religious Leaders of African Ancestry to Save the Children of Nigeria rally at Nigeria House, NYC.
These are far-reaching questions, forcing us to look at our history in order to determine our future. Thankfully, the person posing them is also best placed to provide answers.
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he brilliant political economist and women’s rights advocate Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome has a BSc in political science from the prestigious University of Ibadan and a PhD in the same discipline from Columbia University, New York. She is currently a Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, City University of New York.
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In February 2000 she led the secondlargest delegation to the National Summit on Africa in Washington DC. She has served as the deputy chair for graduate studies in the Department of Political Science at Brooklyn College and as president of the African Studies & Research Forum. Her articles have been published in numerous journals, and she is the author of A Sapped Democracy: The Political Economy of the Structural Adjustment Program and the Political Transition in Nigeria. She founded and edits an online peer-reviewed journal, Ìrìnkèrindò: a Journal of African Migration, and was one of the editors of Jenda: Journal of African Culture and Women Studies. Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome has been a consultant on gender to UNDP Nigeria. She is as passionate - and vocal - about women’s issues in Nigeria and Africa as she is about economics, and continues to prove herself as a role model for young African women as she blazes a trail in world academia. n
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Ooni of The
Preserver of the Yoruba culture. Traditional and political leader. Successful businessman. Discover the many sides of the Ooni of Ife.
The current Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijwuade
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Ife
he Ife dynasty dates back many centuries. Ile-Ife is known as the cradle of Yoruba civilization, so the traditional ruler of the town, the Ooni, is a revered Oba in Yoruba Land. Because the Ooni is descended from the founder of the Yoruba race, Oduduwa, the Ooni is known as Arole Oduduwa and is the head of the Yoruba Nation. The current Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijwuade, was born on January 1 1930, and was crowned the Ooni of Ile-Ife on December 6 1980 after the death of Oba Adesoji Aderemi. Upon his ascension to the throne, Oba Sijuwade took the regal name Olubuse II. His coronation was attended by many eminent personalities, including the then Emir of Kano, the Oba of Benin, Amayanabo of Opobo and Olu of Warri, as well as representatives of the Queen of England. Oba Sijuwade was born into the Ogboru ruling house, and is the grandson of the Ooni Sijuwade Adelekan Olubuse I. He attended Abeokuta Grammar School, Ogun State and Oduduwa College in Ile-Ife. Upon leaving secondary school he worked in his father’s business, then moved to the Nigerian Tribune. He left Nigeria for Northampton College, UK, to study business management. Upon his return, he worked as a manager in Leventis, and then as the sales director of National Motor. An astute businessman, he formed a company to distribute Soviet-built vehicles in Nigeria, and thus laid the foundation of his business empire. Oba Sijuwade, a Christian, has many duties that come with his position as the apex traditional ruler in the Yoruba land. Besides ensuring the preservation and propagation of Yoruba culture around the world, he also oversees the selection of chiefs, and acts as a mediator in both traditional and political matters, putting his position as an elder to use by dispensing advice and finding solutions to disputes. It is his combined success as business, political and traditional leader that has made Oba Sijuwade perhaps the most respected Yoruba personality in the world. n
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse II, has charged members of Council of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife to use their individual wealth of experience to collectively take OAU to a much greater height
Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko (4th left), the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade (4th right), and others, during Ooni’s visit to the Governor, at the Government House, in Akure
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BADAGRY New Home of The
Jackson Five Marlon Jackson is a former member of the all-conquering Jackson Five and brother of music legend Michael Jackson. Now, a new project brings Marlon to Nigeria as he announces plans to construct a unique memorial/ museum in Badagry.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
The Jackson Five publicity photo circa 1970
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adagry has earned a significant place in history. It is the cradle of Christianity in Nigeria; the gateway of education and civilization in the country. The first ever multi-storey building in Nigeria was erected in Badagry and it was the first to be urbanized. Yet the name Badagry is synonymous with a much darker history. Today, it is mainly recognized and remembered as a West African slave depot, exporting thousands of black slaves to Europe during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It is this rich, eclectic history that has made Badagry the perfect location for a new historical resort development project. The development will include a slave ship replica, a memorial and a slavery museum featuring artefacts associated with the Badagry slave trade. Additionally, the complex will include casinos, shops, a golf course and condominiums, and an adventurous ride celebrating African music and the global domination of the Jacksons. The Motherland Group (TMG), the investment group in charge of the plan, says the ride will take visitors on a journey using “hologram images, concert footage, a state of the art recording facility and robotic figures to display the rhythmic beats from 300 years ago where music began, leading up to the biggest African group in the world, The Jackson Five.”
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The development group says it hopes that the connection with the band will help attract African-American tourists keen to trace their roots back to Nigeria. It’s certainly a grand gesture by Marlon Jackson, co-founder of TMG – and one to be warmly welcomed in a town which made history yet has rarely enjoyed the light of publicity since. For the benefits to the modern economy of Badagry and for the new historical perspective it could bring to the town, we look forward to seeing the project take shape. n The Badagry Historical Resort development
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In Case of Ability
BREAK GLASS Professor Nelson Mobolanle Oyesiku is one of a growing number of Africans bringing their skills, experience and voices to the world stage. And he believes he has a Nigerian education to thank for his success.
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hey call it the glass ceiling. It is the notional barrier of sex, race, creed or social background that says ‘this far and no further’ to aspirational workers. Africans know all about the glass ceiling. But thanks to people like Professor Nelson Mobolanle Oyesiku, Africans, and especially Nigerians, are smashing through, achieving hitherto unavailable/unattainable heights. Professor Nelson Mobolanle Oyesiku, who had his primary and secondary education at Corona School and St. Gregory’s College respectively, is from Abeokuta in Ogun State. His first degree came via the University of Ibadan School of Medicine and he completed his internship at Lagos’ general hospital. Postgraduate success came courtesy of a master’s degree from the University of London and a PhD in neuroscience from Emory University in Atlanta, US. Oyesiku’s areas of expertise and clinical research include brain tumors, carpal tunnel syndrome, endoscopy, hydrocephalus, pituitary tumors, stereotactic surgery, and trigeminal neuralgia, with an outstanding academic record both in Nigeria and overseas.
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“I am extremely proud of the education I received in Nigeria. It was the top notch and quality education that allowed me to stand toe to toe with my colleagues.” He was selected by his peers at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons as one of the best doctors in America and was selected by the Consumer Research Council of America as one of America’s top surgeons. He chairs the Board of Neurological Surgery in the United States. Professor Oyesiku is committed to advancing every facet of neurological surgery. He wants to improve study and practice. He wants to elevate standards. He wants to advance the science. He is a strong believer in the combined power of education, medicine and ethics. He is a keen advocate of improving educational standards so that science can progress. And from his position at the top of his particular branch of science he is able to see the route that brought him to this position – the route that helped him break through the glass ceiling. It started in Abeokuta. “I am extremely proud of the education I received in Nigeria. It was the top notch and quality education that allowed me to stand toe to toe with my colleagues.” n
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
CONGRESSWOMAN
Sheila Jackson Lee The Friend on the Hill Fascinating Nigeria discovers the advocate for tourism in Nigeria at the heart of Washington.
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very person – and every nation – needs a friend. For 20 years, one of Nigeria’s staunchest international allies has sat in the House of Representatives, as forthright in her support for Nigeria as she is about US domestic policy. She is Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. At home in the US, she is the powerful, influential voice of the Texas 18th Congressional District, and a vocal figure in US issues ranging from gun usage and gang violence to human rights. She has been equally vocal in her support for Nigeria, at the forefront of the fight for a constructive, productive foreign policy between Nigeria and the US. When representatives of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum became the first delegation of governors from Africa to visit Capitol Hill, it was Congresswoman Jackson Lee they visited. She has praised Nigerian participation and leadership in peacekeeping missions in Africa. She was a strong advocate for Nigeria in economic negotiations in the 1990s. And on numerous visits to Nigeria and at home in the US, she has remained a powerful advocate for Nigerian tourism. In 2011 she presented the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio with the Certificate of Congressional Recognition for his leadership in transforming the state into a leading Nigerian travel destination. “In just a year,” she announced, “a web of modern roads was deployed across all the 31 local government areas of the state for greater accessibility, and the state now holds world class events.”
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EJ Agbonayinma, a member of the Board of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) describes her as, “Humble, courageous and dogged... My respect for her is tremendous. She is unrelenting in her support for Nigerians living in America and beyond. She deserves commendation by all and sundry.” We look forward to giving her another warm welcome very soon. n
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Sibling Symmetry Ogwumike sisters Nneka and Chinyere have taken US basketball by storm – and broken records and barriers in equal measure.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
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hey are the first sisters to be number one picks for their respective teams at the 2014 WBNA Draft. They are the first sisters to play in a WNBA All-Star game. And between them they have amassed an almost bewildering array of titles, awards and accolades. Yet for Nneka and Chinyere Ogwumike, basketball may be what they do (and excel at) but it isn’t who they are. The Ogwumikes are from Cypress, Texas, but their heritage is Nigerian (Imo State). They spent a great deal of time in Nigeria as children. Their father works here. And in 2013 Chinyere spent 8 weeks studying in the country. She also found time to help raise $30,000 to help build a basketball court for the community. Philanthropy is part of the Ogwumike makeup. Both girls are working with UNICEF on youth empowerment and education programmes, and they are keenly aware of the unique position they hold. “We are extremely lucky that we get to be paid to do something we love like playing basketball,” Nneka told the Houston Chronicle. “But we know there is a lot more out there. This isn’t forever. It is a good platform for us, and one we can use to bring awareness.” Yet for all their fundraising and awareness work, it is perhaps their exploits on the basketball court and in the academic world of Stamford University that serve as the greatest inspiration to Nigerian and US children.
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Side by Side Nneka Ogwumike
Chinyere Ogwumike
Height: 6’2”
Height: 6’4”
Points average: 14.6
Points average: 26.1
The two-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star was 2012 WNBA Rookie of the Year, 1st overall pick for the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2012 WNBA Draft and a former Pac-10 Player of the Year.
Chinyere was first overall pick for Connecticut Sun in the 2014 WNBA Draft. She is a three-time First Team All-American, two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, three-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, four-time All-Pac 12 First Team, and finalist for multiple national Player of the Year awards each of the last three seasons.
Nneka has played basketball worldwide, in 2012-13 leading Polish team CCC Polkowice to the Polish League championship, the Polish Cup and the final eight of the women’s Euro league. She also played for the Guangdong Dolphins in China. During her time at Stanford University, she helped the team reach four consecutive Final Four appearances. Three-time Wade Trophy winner. John R Wooden Award finalist. Gold medal winner with the USA Basketball World University Games team in 2011.
During her time at Stanford University, she helped the team reach three Final Four appearances. Recipient of the John R Wooden Award. Awarded a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA 3x3 World Championships in August 2012, and with the USA Basketball World University Games team in 2011. Named the 2014 Capital One Academic AllAmerican of the Year and the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
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“Modernity Never Promised Anyone Anything” Fascinating Nigeria explores what a ‘modern Africa’ means to the preeminent authority on African and Caribbean literature, languages and arts, Professor Tejumola Olaniyan.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
“I’ve always been uncomfortable with the idea that modernity is predicated on a huge time difference between Africa and Europe,” Professor Olaniyan told European Attraction Limited recently. “Europe is modern. Africa is traditional. I always had deep problems with this idea as it assumes the two entities are living in different times. It is not true. Africa is very modern.” The Louise Durham Mead Professor of English and African Languages and Literature at the University of WisconsinMadison, USA graduated from the University of Ife, Nigeria (now Obafemi Awolowo University) with a first class degree in dramatic arts in 1982, and gained his master’s degree at Ife (in literature-in-English) in 1985. From there a hugely successful teaching career began in Ife’s Department of Dramatic Arts before he took up further studies at Cornell University in the US, where he obtained his second master’s degree in 1989, and a PhD in 1991.
“When we rethink modernity it becomes the heritage of all of us. It’s an adventure on which humanity is engaged. It’s a global issue. The professor’s passions, African art and culture, postcolonial literacy, cultural and popular culture studies have informed his research (and vice versa). His research is proudly “transdisciplinary” but his goal is clear: “the cultivation of critical self-reflexivity about our expressions and their many contexts.” Professor Olaniyan’s academic texts are benchmarks in African academia and cultural examination. He is the author of Arrest the Music!: Fela and His Rebel Art and Music, and Scars of Conquest/Masks of Resistance: The Invention of Cultural Identities in African, African-American and Caribbean Drama. He also co-authored The African Diaspora and the Disciplines, and African Literature: An Anthology of Criticism and Theory. Olaniyan’s book on the music of Fela, published in 2004, was nominated for Best Research in World Music by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections in 2005. He is an energetic member of the African Literature Association, an academic society that brings scholars of African literature all over the world together. In 2014 he was elected president of the association. Today, when Professor Olaniyan considers the courses taken by Africa and the West, he sees one inescapable fact: when Africa met the West, Africa got poorer. “The kind of poverty Africa has is a modern poverty. There is no way to understand it except in the modern condition when Africa came into contact with the West.” Yet he is keen to point out that this is an observation, not a criticism. “Modernity never promised anyone anything. Some people won, some people lost.” But in reframing the traditional argument, Professor Olaniyan sees an opportunity to progress. “When we rethink modernity it becomes the heritage of all of us. It’s an adventure on which humanity is engaged. It’s a global issue. The struggle should be to even out the inequalities – wherever they are. It’s not just an Africa/Europe issue.” n
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A LIFE IN THE NATION
Segun Focus Hair Stylist M
How one man is helping to change styles, perceptions and an industry.
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y name is Segun Focus. I was born in Lagos in 1977. I am a native of Ilesha, Osun State, and was christened Oluwasegun Oladipupo Samuel, the last of five children. I run the Focus Beauty Clinic, a consulting salon that helps clients to look good in a natural way. I have styled hair for most of my adult life. I left for South Africa in 2000 after studying management and accounting for two years at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. It was while in South Africa pursuing a modelling career that a chance exposure to hair styling came my way. I have never looked back and I have no regrets.
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about hair stylists – we’re not illiterates and we burst with innovative ideas. One of the challenges in our sector is the lack of a committed body or association that can provide support for stylists in the country. How can stylists and beauticians be appreciated in society? How can we protect them from being ripped off in their field of specialization? At the end of their careers, what lies ahead for them? For example, Bobby’s Signature is a classic case of a man who made hair an acceptable career in this country, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he’s been sick for years now and no body or group has taken up his cause. Despite the challenges, I am proud to be a Nigerian. As my father’s land, Nigeria runs through my veins. Economic opportunities abound. I believe so much in the Nigerian project. I am inspired by the diverse cultures, and our constant display of tolerance and self-belief. n
In my desire to learn from the best, I came back to Nigeria in 2006 for apprenticeship in hair styling with the renowned Bobby’s Signature. In 2008, I attended the prestigious PEFTI (Pencil Film and Television Institute) to acquire more knowledge through professional courses including traditional hair, costume and extensive makeup (special effects) for film and video production. I have served as official hair stylist for Arise Fashion Week, Galaxy TV and Ghost Mode – the critically acclaimed music video by Phyno featuring Olamide, amongst others. My main influence is taken from the streets. I find inspiration from movies, art and everyday scenes around me. As they say: “If you can make it in Nigeria, you can make it anywhere” – a saying that really captures my feelings about this great country. I wanted to promote and create a networking platform between professional stylists and clients locally and internationally. So, I initiated Hair Villagers – Africa’s number one stop for information, networking and business opportunities for hair and beauty stylists. We maintain a blog (hairvillagers. blogspot.com) and other social media platforms including facebook, twitter (@hairvillagers) and instagram. These are spaces where stylists far and wide can connect with clients, share ideas, attend seminars, get the latest information about beauty moves around the world and link with ‘Who’s Who’ in the hair sector. I am committed to enlightenment programs for stylists on latest trends and the business side of our work. I hope to change the perception most people have
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Woman with Gele
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The Ideal of
beauty
Combine traditional Yoruba sculpture characteristics with Western art techniques and the results carry the unmistakeable stamp of a living master of Nigerian art: Yusuf Grillo.
Jesus on a Bicycle
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is paintings grace many a gallery and private collection. His stained glass pieces beautify churches and educational institutions. And if you’ve entered Nigeria via Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos you will have seen a fine example of his mosaics. Contemporary artist, teacher and one time president of the Society of Nigerian Arts, Yusuf Adebayo Grillo was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1934. He received a diploma in fine arts and a postgraduate diploma in education from the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, present day Kaduna State (now Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria), after which he left for Cambridge University. From Cambridge, Grillo moved to Germany and then the US where his training was put to good use as he quickly gained local and international recognition for his work in the early 1960s. When Grillo returned to Nigeria, it was to take up a teaching position at the Department of Art and Printing at the Yaba College of Technology. He went on to spend 25 years as head of the department. Yusuf Grillo belongs to the Zaria Art School alongside other prolific Nigerian artists including Bruce Onobrakpeya, Demas Nwoko, Beier and Okeke. His creative process is a painstaking one, with a new Grillo work often taking months or even years to realise. Paul Chike Dike and Patricia Oyelola describe the master artist’s work, “Grillo avoids photographic realism. Instead, he stylizes and elongates the figures in his painting who [sic] are easily identified by their slimness, elegance and grace which, according to him, represent the contemporary ideal of beauty in an urban setting.” His contribution to arts and arts education in Nigeria is as unmistakable as his work. Through his teaching and his artwork, Yusuf Grillo continues to influence the next generation of Nigerian artists. n
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Break the Rules
Kelechi Amadi-Obi 52
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Fashion has always been about defying expectations and confounding the norm. Few have done that better than Kelechi Amadi-Obi, the country’s leading fashion photographer and a treasure of the Nigerian creative industry. Now he’s using his skills behind the camera to break a few more rules - by using photography as a force for social change in Nigeria.
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ashion – and fashion photography – tend to live in a rarified world. But Kelechi Amadi-Obi sees things differently. He believes photography has the power to bridge class divides, because no other art medium has such power to show a different world – and invite you to join it. Photography, he says, makes the elitist accessible. “I believe that culture is learnt. Society evolves, and people learn things,” he says, citing the example of how India adopted and then excelled at the game of cricket. He sees photography as an enabler of that cultural change, helping designers showcase all that is exciting and new in Nigerian fashion design while showing a growing audience that - as designers, creative artists, models or consumers - they too can access it. As he puts it, photography “amplifies the publicity.” Kelechi Amadi-Obi is no stranger to amplifying publicity, yet his career started a long way from the pages of his magazine Style Mania. As a child he was obsessed with drawing and at an early age began reading and researching books on visual art and art history. But as his four older siblings were lawyers and his father a former High Court judge, it wasn’t a career in art that beckoned. Law brought him to Lagos, but by his third year as an undergraduate he decided his future lay as a full time studio artist. On completing his youth service he made himself part of the vibrant Lagos art scene. His first charity exhibition was staged in a benevolent aunt’s sitting room. Whilst an unconventional gallery space, it proved successful, raising around 2 million naira. More commissions arrived and soon Kelechi had far more work than he could handle. It was a situation he found unbearable. The switch to photography was a practical one. Initially the photographs served as reference material for his painting. But as his skills grew, he realised photography could be so much more. “I fell in love with photography immediately I saw that I could manipulate the picture after taking it in the darkroom,” he says. He began to exhibit his photographs outside Nigeria, in Mali and Milan. And increasingly he saw that the commercial
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realities of a career as a photographer appeared far more attractive – and practical - than those of a painter. He found the perfect blend of artistic passion and business fulfilment in fashion photography. “I always loved the fashion photographs I used to see in Vogue, Elle, and all those other magazines, but there was no fashion magazine in Nigeria,” he explains. He started taking photographs of models, and soon he had an impressive fashion magazine portfolio, but no clients. His break came when True Love magazine needed fashion photographs. Kelechi’s unique style proved hugely successful – and led to the launch of his own monthly fashion magazine, Style Mania edited by Dimeji Alara. Today, Kelechi understands that whilst what he is is a photographer, what he does is something more profound. “We are storytellers,” he says, “we tell our stories with images.” So how does his ability to tell a story help fashion break down traditional social barriers? “What we do is to show people that this happens,” he says, noting that people in Nigeria are breaking into and enjoying huge success in the fashion world. As photographers, “we provide evidence that this is happening, and that evidence educates the masses.” The photograph, then, makes it real. And the more publicity it receives, the more the message is amplified, enabling more people to see fashion as a relevant part of their world. “I’ve always believed that art is a very powerful medium for social engineering,” Kelechi says. “The artist determines the trends.” n
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Josh & Nicol
Fashion Warrior by Lucy Mason
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Josh & Nicol is a luxury womenswear brand founded in 2010 by London-based Nigerian designer, Ufuoma Ekpecham. The clothes are beautiful, colourful, inspirational, and already making a splash in the fashion world, featuring in the likes of Vogue UK and Glamour magazine.
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fuoma has certainly put in the hours building up a label from scratch: Josh & Nicol’s Popidia is its fifth collection in four years. The designer’s background in bespoke tailoring led her to study fashion design and technology in the London School of Design, Northumbria University, and her knowledge and experience is reflected in the quality of her work. “There is nothing more beautiful and sophisticated than a woman that dresses to suit her body shape,” says Ufuoma, whose brand ethos is all about adopting couture techniques and weaving them into minimalistic, ready-to-wear designs. The colourful new Popidia Collection is an exciting new line for spring/summer 2015, full of vibrant block colours and a vast array of materials, including net, cotton, satin, chiffon and vinyl – a “fusion of pop art with African tendencies”. Josh & Nicol describe a collection shaped by Nigeria’s Benin Kingdom and Pop Art movement, and heavily inspired by Queen Idia of Benin. “Queen Idia was the only woman who went to war and succeeded in honouring Benin Kingdom with great victories. She was a warrior who changed the future with bravery, knowledge and passion. “We believe that Queen Idia is the only one that can outline the Josh and Nicol heritage… [She] established a new culture and defined the African tradition with bold styles and fashion trends.” How closely do these qualities relate to the woman behind the brand? Fascinating Nigeria talks to Ufuoma about her work, family and inspirations: What connections do you have with Benin? “I grew up and went to school in Benin and some of my closest friends are from Edo State. I am very familiar with the traditions and rich history of the Benin Kingdom. Everything about Benin is fascinating, so when it came to getting
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“ Queen Idia was the only woman who went to war and succeeded in honouring Benin Kingdom with great victories. She was a warrior who changed the future with bravery, knowledge and passion.”
inspiration for my spring/summer 2015 collection, I went back to my favourite place in the world: Benin.” What about your background in Nigeria? “I was born in Ughelli, in Delta State, and I grew up and went to school in Benin. I went on to study fashion design and technology at the London School of Design (Northumbria University) and I have a master’s degree in fashion management and entrepreneurship from the same university.” Where does the name Josh & Nicol come from? “My brand is named after my kids: my daughter Nicol is 13 years old and my son Josh is 11. It is not easy at all to combine work with having a family, but I am grateful that I have a good and strong support team around me, in the office and at home. I have family
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I know for sure that what we need in Nigeria is prayer and any way that can be achieved is welcome.”
and friends that are always willing to step in and help. Sometimes my husband even has to fly in to babysit in order for me to work. I’m very grateful for that.” Who inspires you, and who would you like to inspire? “A lot of people inspire me, but my parents are my most positive inspiration. They were very strong, hardworking and very kind people. They taught me the importance of working hard and to never give up. Above everything they
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taught me that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light, and to only put my trust in God. I hope that in turn I can inspire my kids in such a way.” How do you think women and fashion can bring Nigerian people together? “I really don’t know how woman and fashion can help bring people together in Nigeria, but if having fashion shows and praying together can help, then why not? I know for sure that what we need in Nigeria is prayer and any way that can be achieved is welcome.” n
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Building the Future of Art “A Museum of Contemporary Art in Lagos is much needed for everyone.� Yinka Shonibare MBE explains his plans to give modern art a worthy home in Nigeria.
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or a man at the forefront of contemporary Nigerian art, you’d be hard pressed to find Yinka Shonibare’s work in the galleries of Lagos. Partly this could be a reflection that, although raised in Nigeria from the age of 3, Shonibare has lived in the UK since he was 17. And partly it could be that, to truly appreciate an artist, you need to experience their work in a place fit for purpose. “I visited Nigeria last year and I gave a talk at Terra Kulture,” explains Shonibare. “I was initially invited to show my work in Lagos, but unfortunately I didn’t find a space that I thought was of a good enough international standard because I would like to present my work in the same way as I present it in London or New York.” Rather than bemoaning the lack of appropriate facilities and abandoning Lagos for good, Shonibare has other plans. He wants to give Nigerian artists a space in which their art can be seen at its best. “I am trying to speak to a number of people in Nigeria to create a Museum of Contemporary Art & Design. I have the support of the architect David Adjaye, and I currently have someone doing research on the ground in Lagos.”
Grand scale
It seems ambitious, yet ambition is writ (very) large in everything Yinka Shonibare creates. It was hugely evident in his lauded Fourth Plinth project in Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Ship In a Bottle. It was evident in his most recognised work, Gallantry and Criminal Conversation which launched
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him on an international stage. And it is evident in the places in which he has exhibited, and the success he has enjoyed. From the Tate Gallery to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art in Washington via Trafalgar Square; made an MBE in 2004 and nominated for the Turner Prize the same year.
Gallows humour with a goal
Shonibare’s work challenges authority and conventional notions of civilisation, yet it does so with a wry lightness of touch that means even the gravest subjects are subtly exposed, explored and gently subverted. His use of Ankara fabrics reflects playfully on his subjects. Though widely seen as African, these fabrics in fact originated from Indonesian batik work and were exported from Britain and Holland to West Africa. Already ambiguous, he adapts these complex fabrics into European aristocratic dress, showing the familiar in new contexts in order to question assumptions or conventions. His Alien Man on a Flying Machine references prejudice, while Revolution Kid (Fox Boy) conflates London riots, the Arab Spring and the British aristocracy’s predilection for fox hunting – and issues a warning that every revolutionary has the potential to be the next dictator. Serious matters, dealt with in an offhand way that invites an initial smile and deeper thought. “The history of colonialism is a dark one, but there is no point crying about what is lost after the event,” he says. “Art is a way to deal with it.”
Left: London mayor Boris Johnson with Yinka Shonibare mbe in Trafalgar Square, London Below: Fourth Plinth project in Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Ship In a Bottle.
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Yet Shonibare is more interested in shining a light on issues rather than judging them. “I don’t fall on to one moral side, I just show what has happened, but it is provocative and I hope it will engage and entertain people while making them think.”
Shaped by Nigeria
Shonibare left Nigeria when he was 17. His skills, his success and his life have flourished in London, but Shonibare embraces his dual heritage and revels in the duality. “Culturally I am Nigerian just because of my upbringing. I have lived in the UK for a very long time so I think I can safely claim dual identity. I think that there is a falsehood in trying to force people to choose one or the other, because if you have an
experience that is actually about both, then you will be denying a part of your identity if you were forced to choose one or the other. That would be dishonest, not to acknowledge your life experience has been between those two cultures.” Shonibare’s childhood was influenced by the vibrant atmosphere of Lagos and shaped by an eclectic range of music, from Fela Kuti to European and American artists. “I actually find the music in Nigeria right now very interesting,” he says. “It is a mixture of trad Nigerian with rap, very cosmopolitan.” Can the same duality be seen in his art? “I am a modern African, but I was educated as a contemporary artist in Western art history,” he says, referring to his studies at Byam Shaw College of Art (now Central St Martins College of Art & Design) and Goldsmiths College in London. “So my point of
Shonibare’s work challenges authority and conventional notions of civilisation, yet it does so with a wry lightness of touch that means even the gravest subjects are subtly exposed, explored and gently subverted.
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reference is usually history, popular culture, art history and fiction. I tend to work with the iconic imagery associated with these themes, like The Picture of Dorian Gray or paintings such Gainsborough’s Mr and Mrs Andrews Without Their Heads. But then I will also make references to abstract expressionism in painting or popular culture, so my source material is not unfamiliar to people.”
A home for art
Although still a London resident, Shonibare is spending more time in Lagos (he’s just bought an apartment in the city) as he works to bring his gallery to life. Whilst the project is inspired by his desire to give art a space to flourish, he recognises the need for a parallel pragmatism if the gallery is to become a long lasting reality. “I would be looking for funding initially for a good strong business plan because I want it to be a commercially viable project. There should be a shop that would support the work of the designers and possibly a restaurant. I don’t think it should be a
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museum in the long term that is dependent on public money. The research I am gathering will show the size of the art economy, the number of artists and museums, the tourist industry, how this type of project might boost the career of designers and artists and also the tourist industry so it is comprehensive.” What isn’t in doubt is the need for an internationalstandard creative space – or the appetite for it. “Nigerians love art and love to engage with artists,” he says. “When I went to Lagos recently to give a talk at Terra Kulture, I was really surprised at the enthusiasm. Just from the conversations I have had with artists there it seems there is something lacking, yet there is a lot of talent there. I feel a sense of duty really. The growing middle class would love to have a place they could go to at the weekends, and it would also be a benefit from the educational aspect too.” In London, Shonibare has been supported by Guaranty Bank, who also sponsor an African curator at Tate Modern. He is keen to find a similar benefactor for his Lagos project. “Looking at Nigeria today, if people can invest so much in hotels they can also invest in culture.” n
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?
you’re Nigerian
Our writers, artists, actors and sportspeople come from every corner of the country. And, as it turns out, they come from far beyond our borders too. Bet you didn’t know these stars had Nigerian heritage.
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Sade Helen Folasade Adu was born in Ibadan, Nigeria to a Nigerian father and an English mother who met in London while her father was studying at the LSE.
Hugo Weaving He’s elf-king Elrond, the Red Skull and the menacing Agent Smith. But did you know the star of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogies, Captain America and The Matrix Trilogy is Nigerian?
When they moved to Nigeria shortly after their marriage her mother fell pregnant with Helen. Since no one locally wanted to call her by her first name, they shortened her second and called her that instead. The multi-award winning singer became one of the faces of the 1980s with her album Diamond Life and the singles Smooth Operator and Your Love is King.
The 54 year old Australian/British actor was born at University College Hospital in Ibadan, a year before his parents moved back to England. Not so much V for Vendetta (another of his starring roles) as N for Nigerian.
Taio Cruz He’s won BRITs, Billboard Music Awards, ASCAPs and American Music Awards but his global fame could never have happened without a Brazilian mother and Nigerian father. The talent behind albums Departure, TY.O and Rokstarr (which featured the hit song Dynamite) was born and raised in Britain, but the Nigerian heritage runs deep.
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Dizzee Rascal
She may growl the Goldfinger theme in her trademark Welsh brogue, but the girl from Tiger Bay near Cardiff is the daughter of an English mother and a Nigerian father.
With a string of hit singles and albums to his name (his latest, Still Sittin Here is out soon), Dizzee has come a long way since he earned his childhood troublemaker tag of ‘Rascal’. He was raised by his Ghanaian mum, but his father, who died when Dizzee was young, was Nigerian. Dizzee wins bonus Nigerian points for having Nigerian footballer Danny Shittu as a childhood friend.
Dame
Shirley Bassey
Donald Adeosun Faison
Dylan Kwabena Mills (Dizzee to his friends) is one of the UK’s foremost rappers, performing at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics in London and winner of the Best International Act at the BET Awards in 2010.
She remains the only person to have sung three James Bond themes (Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker).
An ever-present during the 10 year run of global US hit Scrubs. Not only is he of Nigerian descent; his middle name is Yoruba. Now there’s commitment.
Richard Ayoade
The actor, writer and director has a Nigerian father, a Norwegian mother and lives in the UK. He’s director of the acclaimed Submarine, star of British sitcom The IT Crowd and made his Hollywood debut in 2012 opposite Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughan in The Watch. Most notably (from our perspective), Ayoade is the first person of Nigerian descent to be president of the Cambridge Footlights, the legendary university club with alumni including Monty Python’s Eric Idle, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie (of House fame) and Emma Thompson.
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Zero Polio! Nigeria may record no new instances of polio next year, and could be declared polio free by 2018. So says Bill Gates as the campaign to rid Nigeria of polio has success in its sights.
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ot for nothing is it Milestone 1 of Goal 1 of the NPHCDA’s plan to make Nigerians healthy. Polio is public enemy number one; eradicating it the key health goal of the Nigerian government and its international partners. After making significant progress over a prolonged period, it seems the end could be in sight. Bill Gates, founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, believes that, despite the difficulties in northern Nigeria and the upcoming elections, there is real cause for optimism.
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“We’ve got by far the lowest numbers of cases ever,” he told Reuters. “We hope by the end of next year we’d be at zero.” And if numbers remain at zero for three years, Nigeria will be certified polio free. The former Microsoft boss-turned-global philanthropist made the announcement ahead of a speech in Addis Ababa University, where he was also keen to talk of developments in anti-malaria drugs. “We’ve got a pretty optimistic view of what can happen in Africa in those two areas,” he said. And everyone in Nigeria will share that optimism. n
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Nigeria’s
Julia Roberts The Nigerian movie industry, Nollywood, is one of the world’s three largest film industries. Sometimes its actors distinguish themselves so effectively that they achieve world fame. Over the last decade, Genevieve Nnaji has proved she has the ability to become a global star.
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orn in 1979 in Mbaise, Imo State, her work has earned her recognition from across the world, with TV mogul Oprah Winfrey describing her as Nigeria’s Julia Roberts. Genevieve started her career as a child actress, appearing in the TV series Ripples when she was just 8. She attended Methodist Girls’ College, Lagos, and then the University of Lagos where she began to audition for acting roles in Nollywood. Her first adult role was in the movie Most Wanted in 1998. Although she has starred in about 80 Nollywood movies, she is perhaps best known for her work in the award winning 2010 film Ijé: The Journey.
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Genevieve is no stranger to award wins and nominations. She won the 2001 City People Award for Best Actress and the 2005 Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She briefly ventured into music in 2004, signing a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released the album One Logologo Line. In addition to acting and singing, Genevieve has served as an ambassador for a number of superbrands in Nigeria, including Lux and cosmetic brand, MUD. She owns a clothing line, St. Genevieve, which donates a percentage of its proceeds to charity. And she is passionate about national issues, occasionally speaking out about matters close to her heart. International media has recognised her achievements, with Forbes Magazine ranking her number 19 on its 2011 list of 40 Most Powerful Celebrities In Africa. In 2013 she was featured on Elle Magazine’s list of ‘International Superstars: The Next Big Crossover Acts’. Should she choose to cross over, we’ll be watching. n
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The State of
Creativity By Akintayo Abodunrin
The Ake Arts and Book Festival Lola Shoneyin wants us to meet writers and get inspired.
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ome November, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital will be the place to be for any serious-minded literati. The historic city, renowned for the Olumo Rock, beautiful tie-and-dye and various gastronomic delights, will be agog for the maiden Ake Arts and Book Festival (AABF) courtesy of writer Lola Shoneyin’s Book Buzz Foundation.
A rich, eclectic mix
Lola Shoneyin
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Every lover of the written word has cause to be excited about this festival, which is quite distinct from pre-existing ones. For starters, how many Nigerian art and book festivals have ever featured 100 international and local writers all at once? How many Nigerian book events have offered tokens of up to N20,000 for undergraduates to buy books? And that’s not all. A grand concert will feature musicians of every generation. Readings, discussions and master classes will be facilitated by some of the world’s best. 13 panel discussions featuring Nigerian and international authors, philosophers and academics will examine topics including ‘Jewel or Jezebel: The Representation of Women in African Literature’ and ‘Re-stitching the Patchwork: Realities of Post-conflict African Societies.’ Also in the mix are book chats and a book fair. Two major art exhibitions, ‘Nigeria Now’ showcasing works by contemporary Nigerian artists, and another for secondary school students aged 14 to 16, are also on the bill. Film screenings, stage plays and dance will all feature. And on the soap box, writers, poets, designers and manufacturers will showcase their works for 30 minutes.
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A place where Africa talks How did Shoneyin conceive this rich intellectual and cultural feast? She explains: “I have for the last few years been attending lots of festivals in Africa and Europe and one of the things that struck me is that Nigeria, because of the position it holds in Africa, should be hosting and organising a massive festival to which African authors, Africa interest authors, authors writing about Africa and friends of Africa would attend. Bring them all to a place where they can converge and talk to each other. That’s why I decided that it was important to establish the Ake Arts and Book Festival to build on what already exists in the country.” Abeokuta, adds the author of the acclaimed novel The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, was chosen as venue of the festival because, “I don’t like the idea of a book festival being in a big city. So, I thought it would be interesting to take the festival to a place that has a lot of historical significance. That’s why I decided to do it in Abeokuta. Of course, I looked at the name Abeokuta and I just thought Ake. You have the Alake of Egbaland and there is an area called Ake; why don’t we just call it Ake? That’s nice and short. It’s a name everybody will pronounce with ease and there is no way that you will hear Ake and not think back to Wole Soyinka’s memoirs.” The festival is themed ‘The Shadow of Memory’ and Shoneyin explains it thus: “I have been worried
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for a while about the fact that children don’t have a real sense of African history so I was interested in organising an event to which children will come and learn something new about African history as opposed to European history, the history of the Israelites or the history of people from other parts of the world. In a situation where the history of people from other parts of the world is taking pre-eminence over African history, we have a big problem. So, I wanted to redress the imbalance a little bit; but apart from that also, I just want to speak to how our history as Africans - and I am not now talking about ancient history, I am talking about recent history - how is it evolving and how is that reflected in the arts, especially the literature that is being produced?”
A year in the making…
It’s a packed programme with tons of activities that have required a lot of planning and organisation. The festival’s founder assures me preparations are going well, with all loose ends tied up. “We have gone very far with regards to all our international guests; we’ve actually bought all their tickets. The next phase for us is to buy the tickets for African [participants] but we have delayed that a bit because of the tendency for people to change their mind, but the money is there and everything is set. We are good to go too in terms of accommodation. These are all things we have been working on for over a year; it’s not an idea we started working on two months ago. We have been much focussed on ensuring that we tick all the boxes and do all the right things. Now, because of what happened in Kenya, there is an extra burden on us to ensure that we are very particular about security. It’s tragic that such a thing could happen.”
Fighting for funds Organising a festival of the magnitude of the AABF will surely cost lots of money. How has Shoneyin been able to fund the project? She pauses, takes a deep breath and begins: “We have been very lucky with sponsorship. Our main partner is the World Bank but apart from them, we have had support from Shell and Chevron. What is really interesting for us at the Book Buzz Foundation is the support that we have received from outside Nigeria. Organisations like Myles Morlan Foundation, the Arcadia Group, they heard about us and contacted us to say they want to support us because it was Africans organising Africans. They said what they didn’t want was for somebody to come from the West and establish something like this in Africa. But our own people, our home-grown companies, they are still hostile to the idea of supporting the arts; they would like to support football. They would support singing competitions rather than support events that make a difference in people’s lives. We approached a lot of banks, a lot of telecoms companies and the result was a little disappointing.”
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
AABF has also benefitted from the support of the Ekiti State government which is sponsoring 100 students to attend the event. “Governor Kayode Fayemi is unique in a lot of ways. He bought into this [festival] the minute I told him because he loves the arts. He appreciates the value of the arts to people’s lives and the support he has given us has been phenomenal,” Shoneyin discloses.
A creative state Lola Shoneyin hasn’t yet decided on the frequency of the event. She is waiting to see how this maiden edition pans out. So what vision does the author of Song of a River Bird, a collection of poems, hold for the future of AABF? “My vision is to help establish a creative state where people come for leisure and recreation but also to quench a thirst for something different. I would like people who have never engaged in the arts to visit and buy a book and from then on become a reader. I would like the children to come see a film and from then say ‘you know what? I think I can be a filmmaker. I think this is an option for me’. I want people to come see the writers, meet the writers and get inspired.” The Ake Arts and Book Festival runs 18-22 November 2014. You can find out more at the festival website: www.akefestival.org
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Support Our Troops
by Funmi Ogbue
How much do we appreciate the efforts of the men and women who are making it possible for us to travel and explore our fascinating country?
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ecently I was invited by His Excellency the Honourable Alhaji Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar, Executive Governor of Zamfara State, on a press trip to mark his 3rd year in office. I didn’t think too deeply about the safety (or lack of it) in northern Nigeria, despite the many informal security warnings I received from friends and family. Off I went with my team for what would end up being an enlightening and hugely rewarding trip. We took off from Abuja, flying Arik Air to Sokoto. We were met by representatives of the commissioner of information and driven 2 hours by road on a very smooth, picturesque and fascinating journey.
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FASCINATING P E OP LE
As we drove, my friend and partner Femi Adefila, and my sister Bose Oladeinde-Abiodun who had flown in from Chicago where she resides, were amazed at how so many people from our world would never be able to embark on trips such as this. Travel and tourism is an experience and adventure that can be so sweet, yet it becomes bitter if marred by security challenges. It made me stop and think of the men and women of the armed forces who are working to remove such challenges – the people who have committed their lives that we might be safe. Following the harrowing kidnap of 246 girls in Chibog and a number of bombings, our armed forces have come under tremendous scrutiny and attack. Are they doing enough? Can they do more? We have been (understandably) very demanding - bring the girls back! Keep us safe! Do your jobs! But sometimes it must feel as though our demands go on and on. What impresses me is that as the demands of training have become more intensive - and as our forces are required to be more specialised than ever in order to tackle the changing threats of a modern world - recruitment to the Nigerian Army has been increasing. I think that says a lot about the brave men and women who join our military. Perhaps we also need to reflect that every member of our armed forces is also someone’s child, husband, wife. They are people like us, but they have selflessly committed themselves and their lives to protect us. Who is looking after their needs? Do we thank them, honour them or even recognise their sacrifice and their bravery? A few days ago two young pilots lost their lives in a helicopter crash. What will become of their wives and children? Who will look after them? These are tough question to answer, particularly in Nigeria where the social security is based on the patronage and mercy of God in heaven or a well-placed family member. To address these issues, Honourable Minister of State for Defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro has asked us to champion the cause of calling for support for our troops. As I am from a military family - my father served as a military police officer for the Nigerian Army and my brother as a bomb squad team leader in Afghanistan for the US army - this is a challenge I have grabbed with both hands.
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The Support Our Troops campaign will be launched in August. It will serve as a platform to raise awareness of the bravery and professionalism of our armed forces. It will raise funding to support the welfare of our troops and provide scholarships, transport and rental subsidies for the families of those who lose their lives in active service. And at an annual ball, we will recognise examples of outstanding bravery and present awards to those whose heroism demands our particular recognition.
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All these will, of course, be complementary to what the government is already doing through the Ministry of Defence and welfare departments of the various forces. Support Our Troops will be the private sector’s way of saying thank you, a way for us to show our deepest gratitude to the men and women of the armed forces who keep us safe; the men and women who are making it possible for us to travel and explore our fascinating country. You can show your support for our troops on Twitter @ SupporttroopsNG and on Facebook at Support Our Troops NG. For more information about Support Our Troops please write to Funmi Ogbue at funmi@jakeriley.org. n TRAINING FOR TOMORROW’S ARMED FORCES The Nigerian Military School in Zaria is a centre of military and disciplinary excellence. After 6 years of academic and military training at the former BoysCompany of Nigeria, graduates join the Nigerian Army. Many Military School alumni have reached the highest ranks of the military and private sectors. The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is the country’s military university. It was established in 1964 and continues to provide officer cadets with the military training and undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities that create rounded, disciplined and hard working military officers. Non-combat members of the Nigerian military drawn from other professions are still required to undergo 9 months of intensive military training. The Direct Short Service Course takes around 300 cadets per year, split equally between Army, Navy and Air Force. The Nigerian Army has commenced a nationwide special training programme on combatting insurgency with the aid of US Special Forces.
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WHERE BUSINESS LIVES
Broad Street on Lagos Island is home to the headquarters of several banks and multi-million naira conglomerates. Yet this central business district hides business of a different kind up its historical sleeve.
I Modern five storey office, Campos Street Broad off Broad Street Lagos
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t is the epitome of a commercial nerve centre, rife with business opportunities, companies and go-getters. It pulses with the hustle of everyday life in much the same way as a hundred other Broad Streets in other parts of the world. And on first look, one might dismiss it as just another busy street in the ever-buzzing Lagos. Yet the tall, modern buildings and bustle belie a street rich in history. Broad Street appears to exist on two separate roads. In reality, the offices of the various multinationals that line it sit in the centre of the street, so Broad Street runs in front and behind them, with intertwining lanes linking the two halves of the street.
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
Broad Street, Lagos
Tinubu Square lies at the heart of Lagos Central Business District
On this road sits the oldest hospital in Nigeria, The Lagos Island General Hospital. The Methodist Church has one of its oldest buildings here - a stately structure complete with a Big Ben-style clock. Broad Street is home to the Freedom Park, built out of the ruins of what was once HM Prison, Lagos. It was reconstructed in a way that preserves and reflects a healthy dose of the richness of Nigerian culture and history. Some of the relics of the erstwhile prison can still be found in the premises; others are being put to good use. The place where the gallows once stood, for example, has been converted into a stage for performances while the site of the prison kitchen has been transformed (appropriately enough) into a food court. Tinubu Square was formerly known as Independence Square, but was reconditioned and renamed in honour of the late Madam Efunroye Tinubu. Tinubu was a slave trader who fought for the abolition of slavery when her eyes were opened to the cruelty to which slaves were subjected in Europe and the Americas. She was banished from Lagos by her British adversaries and was sent to her hometown, Abeokuta, but is still considered a heroine in Western Nigeria. The businessmen and street hawkers who today bring Broad Street to life may have little awareness of the street’s history. Yet although the nature of business on Broad Street has changed, it is always business, of one sort or another, that brings people back. And as dusk falls and the street becomes more or less a ghost town, one thing is certain: Broad Street will bustle again tomorrow. n
The Government Printing Press was built in 1894 and lies on the corner of Broad Street
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Amazing
Anambra
Caves. Copper. Crocodiles. Nature, geography and human history collide in Anambra State.
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eople have lived in the Anambra area for over 1,000 years. Archaeological excavations at Igbo-Ukwu and Ezira have revealed exquisite works of art in iron, bronze, copper and pottery, which belonged to the ancient Kingdom of Nri. The archaeological evidence also points to the existence a refined administrative system. In 1991, the old Anambra State was divided into two: Anambra and Enugu. The present day south eastern state of Anambra is home to two of the biggest cities in the region, Onitsha and Nnewi, and borders Delta State to the west, Imo and Rivers States to the south, Enugu State to the east and Kogi State to the north. Anambra is rich in minerals and is one of Nigeria’s oil producing states. It is the birth-state of internationally noted Nigerians including authors Chinua Achebe, Cyprain Ekwensi and Chimamanda Adichie. And for visitors, it is a place of rich natural and historical interest. n
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
SITES TO SEE The Niger Bridge and the River Niger: Imposing and impressive, the bridge, completed in 1965, is an Anambra landmark. Agulu Crocodile Lake: Around 300 crocs and turtles live in the lake’s waters. The beliefs of the local people make the crocodiles in Agulu Lake a protected species, so there’s no fishing allowed – not that you’d dare risk it. Niger Bridge - Gateway into Anambra
Ogbunike Caves: The magnificent chambers, tunnels and waterfalls that form these sandstone caves are full of historical and spiritual significance. The site is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Igbo Ukwu: The seven villages that comprise the ancient town of Igbo Ukwu are a must-see for visitors. This was where West Africa’s first coppersmiths worked, creating exquisite bronzes, and where they developed a reputation for metalworking unrivalled for centuries.
Ogbunike Caves
Agulu Crocodile Lake
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9th century bronze, Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra State
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AKASSA Slave Camp E
ven though the trans-Atlantic slave trade was abolished from Nigeria centuries ago, the vestiges of those dark days still remain like a battle scar. The Akassa Slave Camp is one such place. Situated in Ogbokiri, Bayelsa State in the SouthSouth region of Nigeria, The camp was a gateway port where slaves were kept chained, awaiting shipment to Europe and the Americas far across the Atlantic Ocean. Slavery was the dominant ‘industry’ in gateway ports such as this and considered a viable trade not just by foreigners but by some of the indigenes themselves who helped acquire the slaves. Today the brick and iron buildings that once held imprisoned slaves remain, a solemn symbol of dark days – and proof of triumph and emancipation. n
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IBADAN
&Calm Culture
Ibadan, running splash of rust and gold - flung and scattered among seven hills like broken china in the sun.
- JP Clark
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t is a poem that captures the soul of one of Nigeria’s historic cities. Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria. It is the country’s largest metropolitan geographical area. In fact, at the time of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Ibadan was the largest city in the country and the third in Africa after Cairo and Johannesburg. According to history, Ibadan came into existence in 1829. Legend has it that it once dominated all of Yorubaland economically and politically, successfully defending itself against the Fulani Caliphate in 1840. Ibadan became a major trading centre when, under colonial rule, the British developed it to facilitate their commercial activities in western Nigeria. Ibadan has, for decades, been a major trade point for palm oil, rubber, cassava, cocoa, timber and cotton. Not many know that Ibadan was at the forefront of development in Africa in the 20th century, and is home to Cocoa House, Africa’s first skyscraper. The city is also home to the first university in Nigeria, the University of Ibadan, which began life as the College of the University of London in 1948 but became the University of Ibadan in 1962. The university has produced many erudite scholars, including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka. The city is split into 11 local government areas, and the traditional ruler of the region is known as the Olubadan of Ibadan. n
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ESSENTIAL IBADAN Mapo Hall: Ibadan’s city hall was built in 1929 and has recently been restored to its colonial glory. Transwonderland: Ibadan’s amusement park Golf: 2 fine golfing challenges await: Ibadan Golf Club and the IITA Golf Club. Ibadan Cultural Centre, Mokola
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DISCOVER
Yola’s Natural Wonders
National parks, forest reserves, spectacular rock formations and the first cultural landscape in Africa to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit Yola, and don’t forget your camera.
Shebshi Mountains
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ola is the capital of Adamawa State, Nigeria and sits on the famous Benue River. To the city’s north are the Mandara Mountains and to its south the Shebshi Mountains, home to the towering Dimlang (Vogel) Peak, the second highest point (2,042 m) in Nigeria. Yola was founded in 1841 by Modibbo Adama, a local Fulani chief. Nigeria’s first airport was here – as was
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the country’s first foray into mains electricity. Today, Yola boasts a number of educational institutions, including the world standard American University of Nigeria, The Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola (MAUTECH) and Adamawa State Polytechnic. Yet it is discovery and exploration of a very different kind that brings visitors to the Yola area. n
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
Yola: 7 essential sights GASHAKA GUMPTI NATURE RESERVE The largest national park in Nigeria is a place of stunning contrasts. Mountainous slopes and plunging valleys characterise the south of the park, savannah plains the north. Within it lies a landscape of wildlife, challenge and adventure.
NGEL NYAKI FOREST RESERVE A rare and magnificent montane forest. Natural habitat of the equally rare Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee.
THE MAMBILLA PLATEAU A high grassland plateau (the highest in Nigeria) and the ideal place for anyone wishing to escape the heat in favour of wonderfully chilled, fresh air.
THE THREE SISTER HILLS Three peaks, sat shoulder to shoulder, and a striking sight.
THE NJUWA FISHING FESTIVAL Attracts visitors from across the state and beyond from March – May each year.
SUKUR CULTURAL LANDSCAPE The first cultural landscape in Africa to be marked a UNESCO World heritage site. With its terraced fields and their sacred symbols, and the extensive remains of a former flourishing iron industry, UNESCO describes this magnificent place as “a remarkably intact physical expression of a society and its spiritual and material culture.”
THE ANNUAL YOLA DURBAR Enjoy spectacular displays of traditional horsemanship, late August.
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Meixner Hill, Sokoto Photo by Hans de Bruijn
Hot
Sokoto!
Warm welcomes. Sizzling celebrations. Baking temperatures.
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undreds of years ago, teacher and warrior Shehu Usmanu Dan Fodiyo raised an army that waged a jihad across some parts of Africa. History has it that Sokoto was founded as a military camp in 1809 by this man. The original traditional name of the city, pronounced ‘Sakkwwato’, was derived from the Arabik word ‘suk’ which means market. The Sokoto population is mostly made up of the Hausa and Fulani people, with Zabarmawa and Tuareg minorities in some parts of the city.
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
The north-western city of Sokoto borders the confluence of the Sokoto and Rima Rivers in Nigeria. Besides being the capital city of Sokoto State, it is known for being the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate, which is headed by the Sultan who is the de facto spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria. The land around the city is fertile and rich in minerals, making it a major source of tomatoes, millet, beans, rice and cassava, and gypsum, kaolin, limestone, clay, sand and phosphate. It is one of the hottest cities in the world, and once recorded a temperature of 117.0 째F/47.2 째C. Yet, despite the reading on the thermometer, you can still enjoy Sokoto throughout the year as, although the temperature may be high, the humidity never is. n
Gidan Sarkin Musulmai Sokoto
ESSENTIAL SIGHTS OF SOKOTO The people of Sokoto take the preservation of their culture seriously. For visitors, that means the local sports, festivals and activities are a real treat. Kokawa and Dambe: Traditional Sokoto wrestling and boxing. Eid-el-Fitri and Eid-el-Kabir: The annual festivals celebrating the end of Ramadan and the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son are major milestones in the Muslim year. Durbars: Time your visit to coincide with that of a VIP and you (and they) may be treated to the grand or mini durbar, a parade of decorated horses ridden by men in full traditional attire. Making Mud Blocks with clay used for making houses in Sokoto State
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Pool
POWER Take a plunge into the myth and legend surrounding one of Ikogosi-Ekiti’s best kept secrets.
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ucked away in the tranquil and pastoral town of Ikogosi-Ekiti in Ekiti State, south-western Nigeria, Ikogosi Warm Springs is one of nature’s special treasures. The point where the warm and cold springs meet is one part of the mystery that surrounds this prime tourist site; the side by side flow of the warm and cold springs, a natural phenomenon, makes up another part of Ikogosi’s appeal. The warm and cold springs of Ikogosi pour from a close source, meet and then flow onward together, with each spring retaining its own temperature. The warm spring is up to 70°C at its source and 37°C after meeting the cold spring. The water is also believed/rumoured to have therapeutic powers, and visitors can be seen scooping and bottling up as much as they can to put those powers to the test. As every phenomenon should, Ikogosi Warm Springs is surrounded by its own myths and housewives’ tales. One centuries old origin tale says that the warm and cold springs
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were the two wives of a great hunter. One wife was temperamental while the other was a quiet woman. One day, the two wives had a fight and after being rebuked by their husband the temperamental wife became quieter and the quieter became more temperamental – a symbol of the parallel springs gradually gaining some of the attributes of the other. Another legend has it that a powerful hunter first found the warm spring. After he returned with news of its alleged curative powers the townspeople started worshipping the spring.
Visiting Ikogosi Warm Springs
Not so long ago it was the decrepit access roads to the resort and tourist site that were in need of magical curative powers. Thanks to some major renovations, such things are now in the past.
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
Drive up to the gate and you are greeted by the pleasing aesthetics of the entrance and a landscape of over 116-hectares complete with beautifully manicured hedges and well-tended lawns. Newly built cozy chalets pepper hill-like steeps and the resort offers a newly constructed 1000 capacity amphitheatre, a conference hall, as well as an arts and crafts centre. A walking trail envelops visitors in the sights and sound of nature and, at trail’s end, the source of the springs awaits. Dip into another crystal clear pool tucked away in the woods, where the surrounding trees and vegetation droop low enough to touch. Then take a dip of a different kind into the nearby bar and eatery where you can unwind after your walk or visit to the spring. With cascading spring water over weathered rocks, a gorgeous rustic setting and a distinctively mellow ambience, you’ll find Ikogosi Warm Springs make for an engaging tourist attraction and a great vacation spot. n
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A Small Piece of Home There is one small part of America that is forever Nigerian. Fascinating Nigeria investigates.
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n the sand and marshes of Dunbar Creek, St Simons Island, Glynn County, Georgia, sits a point which is neither officially marked nor particularly well known. Yet, in Nigeria and the US, perhaps it should be. It is Ebo Landing, also called Igbo Landing, Ibo Landing, or Ebos Landing, and it is the site of a small but significant slave revolution. In 1803 slave ships were a common sight off the Georgia coast ferrying their captives to a new life as labourers on plantations in St Simons Island. But on one ship, the Igbo slaves rose up against their captors, drowned them, and took control of the ship. They sailed as far as they could, until the ship became grounded in the swamps of Dunbar Creek.
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
Having no alternative but to leave the ship, the Igbos took to the marsh and drowned themselves. Historians have described their action as a deliberate, collective suicide - a fate they chose over slavery. Many myths surround the landing/suicide. One has it that as the Igbos left the ship, they chose to ‘walk’ back to Africa, with the water spirits guiding their path back to the motherland. According to another, the Africans stood together, stuck a hoe in the ground, rose into the sky, turned themselves into buzzards and flew back home. To this day, there remain claims that the site is haunted by the souls of the drowned Igbos, and a steady trail of tourists and historians visit the site all year round. They do so to commemorate an act of bravery and defiance that has since taken on a symbolic importance. n
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Zamfara State
37,000 Years of History Archaeological evidence suggests that the area surrounding Gusau, capital of present day Zamfara State, has been inhabited by humans for some 37,000 years. With so much nature and history to unearth, best get started‌
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here are over 3,800,000 people living in Zamfara, the north-western Nigerian state governed by His Excellency the Honourable Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari. Gusau is close to the Sokoto River providing a plentiful supply of water even in the dry season, which is just one reason the city is one of the major industrial powerhouses of northern Nigeria. Zamfara is well known for its processing industries and textile manufacturing. It is a major collecting point for cotton and groundnuts, which are grown in the surrounding area. It is also a miners’ town, the surrounding countryside containing deposits of gold and diamonds. The population is largely of Hausa and Fulani descent. Islam is the main religion, and the state is blessed with a rich cultural heritage and well-preserved natural sites.
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
N ATURAL ZAMFARA Kuyambana Game Reserve, Dajin Rugu A vast area stretching from the Dajin Rugu to the Kontagora Forest and home to elephants, lions and hyenas. Serakkaera See Zamfara’s magnificent crocodiles in their natural habitat.
Ganuwa city wall at Kiyawa Walk the 250 year old walls of a once mighty city. Bakalori Dam Completed in 1981, visit this testament to modern day Nigerian engineering.
Dowan Jiya Forest Reserve and Bagega and Wuya Animal Reserves Elephants, lions, hyenas, tigers, gorillas and hippopotami are just some of the main attractions of these impressive wildernesses.
Kotarkoshi Rock The imposing home of local belief and tradition.
Shamushalle Elephants’ Reserve Explore Zamafara’s centre of elephant conservation.
Festivals Discover the colour and energy of Baura and Kyauka festivals.
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Kanoma Hill A test for adventurous climbers.
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Baturiya Bird
Sanctuary
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FASCINATI N G SI T E S
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ocated in the Kiri Kassma area of Jigawa State, northern Nigeria, Baturiya Bird Sanctuary is a bird watcher’s dream. This wetland area attracts birds from across the globe – and now, as the United Nations recognizes the sanctuary as a tourist location of international significance, it’s not only the birds that are flocking to Baturiya. The sanctuary covers an area of 320 square km and is surrounded by a buffer zone of a half kilometer. The natural wetland habitat is home to around 378 migratory bird species from as far away as Europe and Australia. Baturiya has been visited by members of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation including Prince Philip and Prince Charles of the British Royal Family. Baturiya Forest Reserve and Bird Sanctuary is one of the most important wildlife conservation sites not just in the local area, but in Nigeria as a whole. It is a place where wildlife blossoms and can come and go as it pleases without fear of capture. And it is a place to which increasing numbers of visitors are also returning again and again. n
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Objects & Monuments that Define Nigeria Craftsmanship, legend, art, history and technology combine in these 5 objects. N O K T ER R AC OT TA H EA D
Nok sculpture is believed to be the earliest terracotta tradition in SubSaharan Africa, dating from as early as 900BC and continuing until 200AD. The sculptures vary in size and include human heads, figures, insects and plants. Nok terracotta styles also vary, ranging from the highly stylized to the seminaturalistic. Yet the Nok archetype is to depict men and women in bold, abstract ways, with triangular eyes and perforated pupils, noses, mouths and ears.
IFE TE RRACOT TA SCUL PTURE S
The striking terracotta (and occasionally bronze) heads sculpted between the 10th and 15th centuries are most notable for their naturalistic, lifelike depictions of people and animals at a time when most sculptures typically took a more abstract form. Beautifully detailed, the Ife terracotta heads are most frequently associated with shrines, usually of royalty or members of royal households.
IGB O UK WU B R ON ZE Igbo Ukwu is a small village near Awka in Anambra State. Its people, the Igbo, are the descendants of the earliest copper and metal smiths in West Africa. When the bronze crowns, anklets, wristlets, pendants and plates they created were discovered in 1938 it became clear just how gifted these 9th century artisans truly were. Without knowledge of techniques including soldering and riveting, the Igbo created beautiful, intricately detailed items the rest of the world would take centuries to match.
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FASCINATI N G SI T E S
BE NIN BRO NZE H E AD The striking Benin artworks date from between the 15th and 17th centuries and were chiefly produced for the Oba of Benin to be used in ceremonial and ritualistic activities. They include a range of animal heads, figures, busts and plaques, each cast using the lost wax method. Some bronzes are in abstract form, some are naturalistic while others combine both features.
TADA BRO NZE The mysterious Tada bronze figures were discovered in the villages of Tada and Jebba along the banks of the Niger. They date from the 12th-13th centuries and are believed to have been connected with fertility rituals. The figures are also referred to as Tsoede bronzes, originating from the oral tradition which says that King Tsoede, who escaped his captors in Idah by using a bronze canoe, gave the bronzes on his journey to founding the Nupe Kingdom.
Belief, protection, power and beauty – discover 5 of Nigeria’s most historic monuments. O L D R E SIDEN C Y BUIL D IN G, CA LA BAR , C R O SS R IV ER S TATE The Old Residency Building (so called because it was home to the colonial governor) is a prefabricated wooden structure made in Glasgow, Scotland using a lattice of stout wooden beams, which were shipped to Calabar in sections and pieced together on Consular Hill in 1884. The large main building features sizeable halls and four spacious rooms on the ground floor and an expansive sitting room upstairs. The Old Residency Building, today the site of the Calabar Museum, was declared a national monument in 1959.
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T H E STO N E CAU S EWAY AT BAT U R A , B OK KOS, P L AT EAU S TATE This 12m (39ft) long, 1.5m (5ft) wide and 1.8m (6ft) high stone causeway takes an “S� shaped, serpentine route across the stream it spans. Declared a national monument in 1956.
GIDAN MAKA MA, KANO STATE
One of the oldest buildings in Kano, Gidan Makama was the temporary palace of Kano before the current palace, Gidan Rumfa was constructed in the 15th century. Today, the building houses the Gidan Makama Museum (Kano Museum) with its extensive collections of historic artefacts. The building itself proudly displays its venerable heritage and was declared a national monument in 1959.
T H E R IVER -S IDE S HR IN E AND SAC R ED G R OV E OF OS UN AT O SOG BO, OS UN S TATE Declared a national monument in 1965, the shrine, grove and surrounding land form what UNESCO terms a Cultural Landscape (the site received UNESCO World Heritage status in 2005). The shrine itself sits in a beautiful grove with majestic trees and is the focal point for the Osun Festival, held every August.
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KANO CITY WAL LS, KANO STATE For nearly ten centuries, the city of Kano grew in size and significance because of its strategic position between the twin iron-bearing hills of Dala and Goron Dutse. The walls were built to provide security to the growing numbers of people within the city. Construction began in 1095 AD, with foundations laid by Sakri Gijimasu. Building was completed in the 14th century, and the walls extended in the 16th century to cover an area about 15 sq km, with 15 gates. Declared a national monument in 1959.
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Virgin Territory Oil has been the backbone of Nigeria’s economy for years, but not many know the history of the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in Nigeria.
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loibiri is an unassuming community in Ogbia, Bayelsa State, in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It has a unique place in Nigerian history as the town in which Shell Darcy first discovered oil in commercial quantities in January 1956. The Oloibiri Oilfield is a 13.75 square kilometre onshore oilfield. It lies in a swamp that is itself part of a larger oilfield designated OML 29. The discovery of commercial quantities of oil in Oloibiri (in addition to some gas) signified the end of 50 years of unsuccessful exploration in Nigeria. Over the next 2 years, 15 wells were drilled around the discovery well, securing Oloibiri’s place in history as Nigeria’s first commercial oil field. The field’s discovery led Shell to lay Nigeria’s first crude oil pipeline from the Oloibiri field to Port Harcourt on Bonny River. It was from there that,
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in February 1958, the country exported its first crude oil. The Oloibiri Oilfield produced over 20 million barrels of oil in 20 years of production, and was abandoned in 1978 when production stopped. Today, the larger field is operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC, formerly Shell Darcy and Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited).
“the town in which Shell Darcy first discovered oil in commercial quantities in January 1956” Nigeria’s oil industry continues to flourish, yet the jobs and economic prosperity the oil has brought with it owe their existence to that first field. Nigeria’s oil industry was born in Oloibiri. n
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The Splendour of
Osun Osogbo
festival
By Evelyn Osagie
Nigeria is blessed with many tourist destinations. One of them, Osogbo in Osun State, is a land of beauty, culture and art that houses the famed UNESCO World Heritage Site, Osun Grove. The town has become a place of pilgrimage to many; it is chock full of historical and cultural activities that draw visitors from Nigeria and beyond. The most famous of these is the Osun Osogbo Festival, held every August.
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ounded on an ancient covenant entered into circa 1370 AD between the first Osogbo settlers and the Osun river goddess, the festival has become an annual ritual marked by plenty of fanfare. The two-week cultural fiesta begins with Iwopopo, the traditional cleansing of the town. This is followed three days later by the lighting of the 641 year old Atupa Olojumerindinlogun (the 16 point lamp). Iboriade is held four days later. This is the assemblage of the crowns of all past rulers of Osogbo (Ataojas), for blessings. The ceremonies culminate in the cultural procession of people to the Osun Grove, a spectacle that commands the interest of thousands of tourists every year. The procession begins in the Ataoja’s palace and its star attraction is the votary maid, Arugba. She is the maiden who carries the sacred calabash of prayers and offerings to the grove. Arugba is escorted on the walk by Osun priests and priestesses who begin by leading her round the palace premises and back to a sacred hut.
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By this time, the grove and streets leading to the palace are teeming with people awaiting the appearance of the Arugba. Guarded by devotees, she comes out of the hut and stands by its entrance, and the calabash is placed on her head from behind. Immediately the atmosphere is electrified. The tempo increases as people press against one another; cameramen jostle for shots as she exits the palace and heads towards the grove. The crowd increases at every junction and Arugba’s advance is accompanied by chants of “Oore yeye o!” - a lyrical exhortation of blessings to the Osun goddess. She leads the procession into the grove where the crowd awaiting her is almost the size of her ‘entourage’. The arrival sparks fervent prayers accompanied by the snapping of fingers to cast off curses and ill-luck. The excitement regularly creates a stampede that is kept in check by the large retinue of security officers specially drafted for the occasion. Arugba finally goes to the river with the calabash as the cultural festivities continue. For the people and their king, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun (Larooye
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Worshippers observing the centuries-old ethnic Yoruba celebration
II), the festival is a period of reunion and rededication. Beyond that, Osun Osogbo brings to the spotlight the town’s hospitality, which has become a money-spinning tourism venture for the state. As Osun faithful, culture lovers and tourists enjoy the revelries, dance and chant, the town’s purse swells. Osun Osogbo enjoys the support of many local and international brands. They bid to outshine one another with entertaining events that complement the core festival, including concerts, competitions and beauty pageants. Local artisans display their crafts. And tourists pour in in ever increasing numbers. According to Oladipo Soyode, special adviser to the Osun governor on tourism and culture, the 2013 festival doubled the previous year’s visitor numbers. Next year, foreign tourists will have the choice of flying directly into the ancient town for the celebrations instead of making the road journey from Ibadan or Lagos. The ongoing resuscitation of the old airstrip at Ido-Osun into a runway of 2.4 kilometres with associated airport is expected to be complete by then. When it is, the Osun Grove will be more accessible than ever – and that should make for an even bigger, even more captivating festival. n
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Worshippers of Osun goddess arrived to pray for the goddess and other spirits
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A
Century
of Service
Mungo Park Building, Asaba Discover the unassuming building with a long, venerable history.
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n a little winding road along Nnebisi in Asaba, Delta State sits a building that once stood sentinel over a colonial world filled with conflict. Though all that remains are vestiges of a once stately monument, the cracks in the woodwork hold a history no one can take away from it. This was the Nigerian administrative secretariat during the colonial period. It was the operational base for the United Africa Company (formerly the Royal Niger Company), owned and managed by the British for trade forays into Nigeria. This is Mungo Park House. Although the building was named after Scottish explorer Mungo Park he never lived here, contrary to speculation. The building was named after him in recognition of his numerous attempts to open up the Niger River for trade investments. It was on this building that the Union Flag was first mounted. When Asaba was the colonial headquarters for the British, this building operated as the first consulate of Queen Victoria. Since then it has housed various organisations and public bodies, including the Oshimili Council, the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), a school for those with disabilities and the Water Regulatory Board. For over a century this building has been put to productive, controversial and momentous use. It is a building of significance for Nigeria - a part of our history. n
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Mungo Park (explorer) 1771 - 1806
Park was one of the first explorers of Central Africa, and was one of the first explorers mentioned in Reisen in Central-Afrika – von Mungo Park bis auf Dr. Barth u. Dr. Vogel (1859) (Travels in Central-Africa – from Mungo Park to Dr. Barth and Dr. Vogel)
This stone tablet is set into the front wall of the cottage where Mungo Park, the Scottish surgeon and explorer, was born in 1771. Only the outside walls of the cottage remain at Foulshiels Farm near Selkirk.
The Mungo Park House
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2014
Festival Calendar August - Dec 2014 AUGUST Lagos Jazz Series with Ola Onabule and the Eclectic Abyssinian Jazz Vespers and others Date: 1-2 August 2014 Time: 7pm Venue: The La Scala, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos Osun Osogbo Festival The Osun Osogbo Festival is a cultural festival that brings together tens of thousands of people from different parts of the world annually as the traditional worshipers of Osun, God of Fertility, gather to celebrate and worship. Date: August Venue: Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove SEPTEMBER Kano Durbar The Durbar is held at the end of Ramadan every year in Kano. It features horse parades, drumming, singing and dancing, and a colourful procession that winds its way to the Emir’s Palace. NOVEMBER Ake Arts and Books Festival The inaugural edition of this festival took place in 2013 to great success. It features writers, musicians and artists from around the world. The festival programme includes writing and dance workshops, stage plays, panel discussions and more. Date: 18-22 November 2014 Eko International Film Festival The Eko International Film Festival is a 6-day event held in Lagos annually with the aim of boosting the Nigerian film industry. Filmmakers from all over the world attend the event. This year’s theme is ‘Nigerian Film Industry and the Media’ Date: 18-23 November 2014 DECEMBER Igue (Ewere) Festival The traditional Igue Festival takes place during the first half of December in the ancient city of Benin, Edo State. It attracts tourists from across the country and the world. The festival features dancing, battle recreations and a parade leading to the Oba of Benin’s Palace.
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Beyond Profit Philanthropy
&
Access Bank and Fifth Chukker by Lucy Mason
The Access Bank and Fifth Chukker Day at Ham Polo Club, 14 June 2014 again shows the power of Nigeria’s leading organisations to be the catalyst for social change. 108
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olo is often regarded as the sport of kings, a pastime that is both played and watched by society’s moneyed elite. However at the Access Bank and Fifth Chukker Day at Ham Polo Club in London, the focus was firmly on raising funds and awareness of vulnerable children in northern Nigeria. The Access Bank is something of a flag bearer for responsible business in Nigeria, having worked closely with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF for seven years, supporting UNICEF’s anti-HIV/AIDS and anti-poverty campaigns in northern Nigeria as part of its corporate social responsibility programme. The partnership has so far raised around 100 million naira and helped give 7,000 Nigerian children a place in schools. Herbert Wigwe, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, said “The initiatives we have had with UNICEF and Fifth Chukker have raised a lot of money over the past seven years… but what is important is how we’ve touched various communities, helping to provide clean water and education.” He admits the bank “can’t do it alone. We are trying to be a catalyst for change, and through these actions we can get other corporate institutions in the country to contribute in their own little way. The more we do, we will be creating a much greater country and much greater world for our children.” The polo community in Nigeria has been supporting vulnerable children for some time now. The Fifth Chukker Polo and Country Club is situated
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in Kaduna, a state in northern Nigeria acknowledged by UNICEF as having a high percentage of children orphaned from HIV/AIDS. Already the club has an impressive reputation for charity work within its surrounding area, including funding the Adamu Atta Primary School in Maraba village. Fifth Chukker’s recent artist-in-residence, Polly Alakija, has been visiting the local villages to draw and sketch people going about their daily lives, and holding art workshops at the school. She has used her experience at the polo club in the context of its setting to create a series of 12 paintings, which were auctioned off at the polo event, and a percentage of the proceeds donated to UNICEF. The Access Bank and Fifth Chukker Polo Day was attended by world-class polo players, including David Pelong Sterling, Babangida Hassan and the world number one, Adolfo Cambiaso, who played in the Fifth Chukker Access Bank team. After his match Cambiaso told Fascinating Nigeria about his appreciation of Nigerian polo, saying, “I know some Nigerian players and have already had the opportunity to play with some of them. In my opinion they are very good polo players. When I received the invitation to play today I gladly accepted it.” Several players from the Lagos Polo Club turned up to watch the two matches and enjoy the friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Captain Folarin Kuku plays at Lagos Polo club and also captains the Grenadier Guards Polo Team in the UK. He is a huge fan of Nigerian polo, saying, “Horse power is off the charts. Nigeria used to get ponies from Darfur and now their polo ponies are from Argentina – the best polo ponies in the world. This improves their riding, and in the last five to ten years Nigerian polo has improved in quantum leaps. It is systemic of the country which is going up, just like the polo.” Other distinguished guests included senior members of African and Nigerian governments, UK and African business leaders and customers of Access Bank Nigeria and UK. Ham
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Polo Club Chairman, Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers, and his wife Annie were also enjoying the afternoon. Nicholas revealed the Access Bank and Fifth Chukker Polo Day is “a one-day event that I really look forward to. It’s one of the best events of the year.” So, great polo, good company, warm weather and delicious food contributed to a highly successful day that raised money for and awareness of a very valuable cause. When asked to relate the significance of events such as these to vulnerable communities in Nigeria and the country as a whole, Chairman and Non-Executive Director, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said, “We are bringing awareness to the corporate sector beyond profit and philanthropy, looking for sustainable ways to interact. Look at the schools around Kaduna – the schools had no facilities and in two years they have been transformed. “There are several branches to the tree that this partnership [with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF] is blossoming into: sport, entertainment, networking and working to put something back. There is something there for everyone.” n
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Life Through Ndidi’s Window N Fascinating Nigeria explores the work of one of the most exciting talents to recently emerge on the Nigerian art scene: Ndidi Kanma Emefiele.
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igerian art is in a good place. Visit any of a myriad exhibitions and you’ll find a heady cocktail of artistic expressions and projections on canvas, wood, metal, plastic, cotton or even the artists’ own bodies. Of particular interest is a young female artist, Ndidi Kanma Emefiele, whose work is enthralling art buffs and enthusiasts at the Nike Art Gallery. Born in 1987 and graduating with a degree in painting from Delta State University in 2007, Ndidi Emefiele is a mixed–media painter with a reputation that’s growing fast. From her studio in the Federal Capital Territory of the country she creates pieces that capture the happenings in everyday life, her interactions with people, and the mischief that some of them get up to. Her exhibition at the Nike Art Gallery was entitled Life Through My Window. A Creative Exploration of Thoughts and Experiences. The paintings on display made bold statements on (amongst other things) materialism, delicate beauty and sensuality. Her brush strokes are bold and daring. The depiction of her subjects - and the large, carefully highlighted features - is caricature-like. Her materials include old compact discs, scraps of cloth and shards of metal, yet she applies an attention to detail that ably highlights the art and beauty in even the most basic things and shows how they can be put to inventive aesthetic use.
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FASCINATING E V E N T S
A distinctive aspect of her work is the large pair of makeshift glasses perched atop the noses of her subjects. According to the artist, this recurrent feature stems from her love for spectacles. It is her signature look and, like her subjects, she’ll frequently be seen sporting a pair. Ndidi’s paintings wield an unmistakeable introspective power. The longer you look the more each reveals itself. Stories are intricately woven in each hue and stroke. In the painting titled Horny Ayo, images of the female physique float around her subject’s (Ayo’s) head while he wears a mischievous but contemplative smirk on his expressive face. It’s a look that is open to as many interpretations as the mind of the imaginative onlooker is able to conceive – and it is typical of Emefiele’s work. Style and poise radiates from her work. The lithe figures of the subjects, their stance, hair, outfits, the colours and nuances jump out at you from the canvas and imprint themselves on your mind. Her work is unique, her style uncanny. An Ndidi Emefiele painting is easily recognised from afar. It’s what makes her an internationally renowned artist of the future. n
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Raising the Bar A
rt is enjoying a lively renaissance in Nigeria, with festivals building on previous successes and bringing in larger audiences. The 2014 edition of the Taruwa Festival was no exception. This was only the second edition of the festival, and in launching with The Engagement, a stage play written by prize-winning author Sefi Atta, festival organisers made a statement of intent that this year would prove a broader, richer experience. The Engagement centred on a family at odds on the day of their daughter’s engagement ceremony. A large turnout roared with laughter, the actors providing the perfect foils for the writer’s incisive wit. The next day’s focus was dance, as the Ijodee International Dance Exchange took the stage to dazzle the audience with its moves.
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The festival was about more than entertainment; it was also a place for involvement. An arts workshop was conducted by some of the best in the Nigerian industry including musician Bez, movie director Charles Novia and music mogul Audu Maikori. Day 3 of the festival concluded with a special evening of poetry, jokes, and music, all eagerly appreciated by a crowd who were clearly loving every minute. The festival ended with the Ankara Ball - an epic way to bring events to a close which left attendees with just one question: how will organisers Gbagyichild Entertainment top this? We’ll find out when the Taruwa Festival returns in in 2015. n
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FASCINATING E V E N T S
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Hear Word! Theatre director Ifeoma Fafunwa is at it again. The director of the stage adaptation of Sefi Atta’s Not my Affair and the delightfully controversial Vagina Monologues stormed the art scene with a new, provocative yet exhilarating stage production titled HEAR WORD! Naija Woman Talk True.
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he production, which ran through May 2014 in Lagos and Abuja, unapologetically showcased the real life perils and triumphs of girl-children and women in Nigeria. In each scene, different women told the tales of their religious, cultural and social ordeals. Showcasing true stories from 20 Nigerian women with the use of artistic devices such as social commentary, flashbacks, soliloquys, biting wit and comic relief conveyed by a stellar cast, the end result was a piece of work the audience found easy to relate to – and they responded with cathartic enthrallment. The stage performance was delivered by the usual suspects: Taiwo Ajayi-Lycett, Joke Silva, Kate Henshaw, Bimbo Akintola, Iretiola Doyle and Kemi Lala Akindoju amongst others, and was staged in theatres and market places across town. According to Ifeoma Fafunwa, “The ultimate aim of showcasing the play across different venues is to bring these issues to the forefront of conversation in Nigeria by creating awareness and proffering solutions to the issues bearing in mind that many are getting more enlightened on the plight of women through the play platform. The intention is to highlight these relevant issues and unite Nigerian women across all strata.” While the theme of gender inequality, a scourge being constantly battled the world over, was prevalent in the production, the play also highlighted issues peculiar to Nigerian women.
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HEAR WORD! Naija Woman Talk True translates as a call for Nigerian women to speak out, speak up and speak the truth about what they are going through. It is an apt title, illustrating cases in Nigeria where women are suppressed, denied the power to exercise their fundamental human rights or exert their strengths. The most interesting aspects of the play showed women who were able to rise above the limitations imposed on them. Some overcame being snubbed and scorned by other women who had been conditioned to live within those limitations and had chosen to remain there. Some scenes featured mothers who forbade their daughters from interacting with the male folk when they were younger. They locked them up and set the highest standards for their daughters, yet those same mothers were later forced to concede and settle for less as time passed and their unmarried daughters got older. It was an incredibly moving production, placing front and centre the everyday issues experienced by Nigerian women. Yet it was also a celebration – an uplifting testament to the potential of Nigerian women, irrespective of socio-economic status, age, or religious inclinations and upbringing. n
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Victor Ademofe
Segun Atoyebi
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Gangbe Brass Band
Jazzfusion
T
he Lagos International Jazz Festival showed the world a different side of Nigeria. 1 venue, 2 nights, 4 stages and over 30 Nigerian and international musicians combined to make the Lagos International Jazz Festival an amazing experience. The festival, held in 30-31 May 2014 at Freedom Park, Lagos, provided a great opportunity for music enthusiasts to mingle and listen to some of the best jazz and alternative artists. Ayoola Shadare, CEO of festival organisers Inspiro Productions, told Fascinating Nigeria her goal for the event: “We see it as our social responsibility to project the image of our dear nation to the world, for them to see us in another and better light. Through jazz music and other music genres, Nigeria can send its own message to the outside world.” It’s safe to say the festival did that and more. Artists performing at the festival included Victor Masondo from South Africa, Tee Mac Itseli, Bright Gain, Daniel and Dotun Bankole, Ara, Fadabasi, Bemyoda, Ese Peters, Tonie and Aduke. Another highlight was the Steve Rhodes Exhibition, featuring images and memorabilia from the life of the late music impresario. Great music. The warmest, most welcoming of environments. And the discovery of a side of Nigeria too few see. All I’d ask for the next event is more time to savour everything on offer – because this is one jazz fusion worth taking your time over. n
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Nigeria Shines at the Toronto International Film Festival
By Shaibu Husseini
The world premiere of Half of a Yellow Sun may have been the Nigerian highlight at TIFF, but a large contingent of directors, industry experts and business leaders ensured Nigeria’s contribution wasn’t only on screen.
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(L-R) Actors John Boyega, Onyeka Onwenu, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Genevieve Nnaji, director Biyi Bandele, producer Andrea Calderwood, novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, actor Wale Ojo, Helen Ogunbiyi, Labi Ogunbiyi, guest and executive producer Yewande Sadiku
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igeria had a rewarding outing at the 38th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), held in September 2013. It used the opportunity to introduce international moviegoers to an important aspect of its history and cultural heritage - the Biafran war - with the much anticipated premiere of the big budget Half of a Yellow Sun. The sold out premiere, held at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto on 8 September, culminated in a standing ovation for the film, its cast and crew. Moviegoers were delighted to see the film, based on the award-winning novel of same title by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, take its bow on the world stage.
Scene from the movie - Half of a Yellow Sun
About Nigeria. By Nigeria.
What was momentous, as the Nigerian Ambassador to Canada Chief Ojo Madueke noted, is that the movie is the first majorly funded Nigerian film (about 80 percent of the funding was sourced locally) as well as the first Nigerian themed story to be screened at such a prestigious film festival. (The TIFF is one of the four biggest film festivals in the world, a Canadian response to the Cannes, Berlin and Venice International Film Festivals.) Indeed the movie, easily Nigeria’s most ambitious and expensive feature
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to date at a cost of eight million dollars, is the first film on and about Nigeria to show at the TIFF or other festivals of its kind in recent history. Shot on location in Calabar and London, the epic love story brings together the lives of four people during the war that raged after the secession of Biafra in the 1960s. It was directed by Nigerian-born UK-based playwright Biyi Bandele and produced by Andrea Calderwood, whose credits include HBO’s Generation Kill and The Last King of Scotland. Chief Ojo Madueke, his deputy ambassador Charles Onianwa, director general of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Mrs Patricia Bala, officials of the Bank of Industry who part-financed the film (as part of the Special Presidential Entertainment Intervention Fund scheme) - and Nollywood filmmakers including Mahmood Ali Balogun and Gab Onyi Okoye (aka Igwe Gabosky) - were among the dignitaries that witnessed the premiere. British-born Nigerian actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor who played the lead role of Odenigbo and actress Thandie Newton led the cast of Nigerian and international actors at the premiere. Nollywood stars Genevieve Nnaji and Onyeka Onwenu earned loud applause when they were introduced to the large audience. Onwenu turned out to be the star of the night, as the audience hailed her impressive turn as a protective Nigerian mother.
Nollywood on the world stage
Chief Madueke described the premiere of the movie as momentous, considering that TIFF is widely regarded as the unofficial starting point for the Oscars and an excellent platform for the coming award season. He commended the cast and crew and congratulated Nigeria and the practitioners of the Nollywood industry on the feat. The ambassador remarked that the production quality of the film points to the growing professionalism in Nollywood. “We need to tell our stories and take people on this kind of beautiful journey
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Panel discussion with investment banker Yewande Sadiku, filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Biyi Bandele and Andrea Calderwood.
back in time so they can appreciate where we are coming from as a nation, and that way they can appreciate where we are headed... I think it is an important narrative that should be told. It was brilliantly told,” Madueke said. Director General of the NFVCB, Mrs Patricia Bala said the movie premiere provided Nollywood with the unprecedented opportunity to guarantee a global audience for the offerings of the industry. She said the board was at the TIFF to support the film and to hold a master class on distribution. She also remarked that the premiere has opened a new and refreshing view of Nigeria. “This is one of the objectives of the Nigerian in the Movies (NIM) project of the board which has the blessing and full support of President Goodluck Jonathan. NIM also aims to promote private and public sector collaboration in growing the entertainment industry, and to drive international visibility and strategic relevance of the Nigerian film industry,” Bala said.
Movies and money
In a special panel discussion, investment banker Yewande Sadiku, filmmaker Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Biyi Bandele and Andrea Calderwood examined the new production and funding modes in the Nigerian movie industry. The panel explored and discussed how other genres in film production co-exist with Nollywood in Nigeria. Another issue that engaged panelists was distribution - the lack of which they observed has
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Onyeka Onwenu. Photo: Terry Rice (WireImageGetty for TIFF)
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FASCINATING E V E N T S
made it impossible for filmmakers on the African continent to recoup their investments. Two other sessions also addressed the issue: the first, a master class by the NFVCB and the other a well attended African cinema business roundtable (ACBR) organized by the African Film Academy. At both sessions, issues bedeviling distribution and its prospects in the Nollywood industry and at the continental level were discussed.
Building communities, building screens Kene Mkparu, who led the master class, declared that cinema is the only platform that could guarantee the needed income for filmmakers to stay in business. Mkparu, who runs the Film House cinema chain in Nigeria, is one of the few to have accessed the Special Presidential Entertainment Intervention Fund of the federal government (he secured loans from the BOI and NEXIM to roll out 25 cinemas in Nigeria over six years). Mkparu canvassed the need for the construction of more cinemas, particularly community cinemas, which he said will provide access to quality entertainment to the Nigerian populace. “There is a future in community cinema in Nigeria,” Mkparu said - even as he affirmed that the country is an important destination for cinema investment. “If a film can gross 69 million naira ($423,571) from just seven digital screens that we had in Lagos as at 2009, in three weeks, how much money do you think the movie would have made if we had, say, 50 screens or more? So, the potential is there and Nigeria… is an important territory to invest.”
Half of a Yellow Sun cast, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton and Anika Noni Rose. Photo: Terry Rice (WireImageGetty for TIFF)
TIFF Bell Lightbox exterior. Photo: Charles Leonio (WireImageGetty for TIFF)
Photo : George Pimentel (WireImage Getty for TIFF)
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“ This is one of the objectives of the Nigerian in the Movies (NIM) project of the board which has the blessing and full support of President Goodluck Jonathan. NIM also aims to promote private and public sector collaboration in growing the entertainment industry, and to drive international visibility and strategic relevance of the Nigerian film industry,” Scene from the movie - 12 Years a Slave.
Movie matters
The ACBR session was insightful. Practitioners at the interactive session explored issues including policy, funding, distribution and sustainability. Earlier in a keynote address, Dayo Ogunyemi said his 234 Media, one of Africa’s leading cinema distributors and exhibitors, was interested in partnering with ACBR to work out a system within the continent so that producers can be guaranteed a return on their investment. The role of government in creating an enabling environment - and the need for filmmakers to form a formidable lobby group across the continent dominated discussions at the roundtable. Peace Anyiam Osigwe used the forum to announce the call for entries for the tenth edition of the Africa Movie Academy awards (AMAA). Entries closed on 31 December 2013.
The People’s Choice
The TIFF closed with its influential award ceremony. Ten honours were presented on the night, including the coveted People’s Choice Award, which goes to the most popular film as decided by the audience. This year, the audience chose Steve McQueen’s epic drama 12 Years a Slave. The historical drama, based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup, was awarded the BlackBerry® People’s Choice Award. The movie also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor in the lead role; and tells the incredible true story of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841 and finally freed in 1853.
The Nigerian influence
If there was one edition of TIFF that witnessed a large turnout of Nigerians, it was this one. Aside the ten-strong NFVCB delegation, there was an eight-
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Michael Fassbender and Steve McQueen at the Toronto premiere of '12 Years a Slave.' (Photo: Nathan Denette, AP)
person delegation from the Africa Film Academy; two delegates from the BOI; one from NEXIM; four from the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) led by festival director Chioma Ude; and four representatives from the Nigerian Entertainment Business Group (NEBG). Movie director Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen also came to the TIFF to announce the birth of a television channel, FEVAtv, dedicated to airing black content in North America. President of the Association of Core Nollywood Producers (ANCOP) Alex Enyegho, who was on the NEBG delegation, explained that the group was at the TIFF with the strong support of the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria to discuss business with their counterparts in Canada, with a view to adding value to Nollywood specifically, and the Nigerian entertainment industry in general. n
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FASCINATING E V E N T S
Global Inspiration Federal Ministry of Tourism and Culture Minister, Chief Edem Duke and His Excellency the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson help take African fashion to the world at the African Fashion Reception.
T
he 2014 edition of the African Fashion Reception has come and gone but the excitement it left behind is still palpable. Last year saw the official launch in Paris and this year the three-day event was held in a location fast emerging as the entertainment capital of the Nigeria: Yenegoa in Bayelsa State. The event, organized by the Federal Ministry of Tourism and Culture in collaboration with the World Fashion Organization, and hosted on behalf of the governor by the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, took place on 3-5 July this year. It brought together fashion designers, style connoisseurs, garment manufacturers, fashion enthusiasts and other stakeholders from across Africa and beyond.
R-L: Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson, Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke and the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Joseph Habineza, during the opening ceremony of the 2014 African Fashion Reception at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.
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FA S C INATIN G EV EN TS
OTHER NATIONS AND DESIGNERS REPRESENTED INCLUDED Lily Alfonso, Malawi Akou, Cote D’Ivoire Amakeya Design, Namibia Diarra Bousso, Senegal Chrystalix, Cameroon Darkaoui Hanna, Morocco Ecriture, Congo Hall of Peters, Ghana Nesma Helmy, Egypt Faith Mulenga Kabende, Zambia
Keepeekee, Sierra Leone Diana Magese, Tanzania Cindy Monteiro, Cape Verde Alpha Oumar Ly Alpha Bah, Guinea Rumbie ny Rumbie, Zimbabwe Urban Roots, Ethiopia Papy Valeria, Mali Grace Wallace, Togo
The theme was ‘Africa is the New Inspiration of Global Capacity’, and 40 African countries participated in the event to celebrate Africa’s cultural diversity. Designers from 26 African countries showcased their creativity on the runway. They included Nigeria’s Zizi Cardow, Deborah Moses Emeto, and Botocy from Botswana. Rwanda was represented by Inco, Angola had Lisete, and Burkina Faso, Bazemm’se. Gabon was represented by a designer who was voted Best Young Designer of Gabon in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. The Director General of the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, Mrs Ebizi Ndiomu Brown, disclosed that the African Fashion Reception is one of five events lined up by the World Fashion Organisation as a prelude to World Fashion Week which will take place in Paris in October 2014. The long-term aim of The African Fashion Reception is to build bridges and cement relationships and affiliations in the global fashion industry, as well as attracting global attention to the diverse cultural heritage and fashion sense of the nation. African fashion can be more than a statement of style. A thriving fashion industry can act as a tool for wealth generation in the form of garment creation and manufacture. And as the African fashion market grows, so the fashion world opens up in a way African fashion practitioners have never known. n
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FASCINATING E V E N T S
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FA S C INATIN G EV EN TS
HONOURING
Mummy Keshi by Mike Brown
Mrs Dayo Keshi celebrated her 60th birthday and her retirement from the civil service on the same day in July. Fascinating Nigeria was invited to the party‌ 128
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FASCINATING E V E N T S
A
60th birthday and 31 years at the heart of the civil service deserve celebration. For Mrs Dayo Keshi, Director at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, and wife of Ambassador Joe Keshi, the occasion was marked by a grand party held at the Transco Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The event was attended by family, friends and dignitaries including Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke; Minister of State for Defence Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; former Minister of Power Barth Nnaji, and former Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro. Mrs Keshi, known as ‘Mummy Keshi’ at the AfriGrowth Foundation she founded, will now be devoting even more of her time to humanitarian work. Almost overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit towards her, Mrs Keshi paid tribute to her husband, family and friends, and said, “The big and the mighty came to honour me today. I say thank you.” n
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FA S C INATIN G C ULTUR E
Nigerian Fashion’s
Clarion Call Actress Chika Ike shows how to dress in our many different Nigerian styles.
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N
igerian dress fabrics are beautiful, versatile and uplifting, so it is not surprising that the Minister of Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, is championing their cause. The Dress Nigeria campaign encourages everyone to wear local fabrics each Wednesday to create employment and boost business for small and medium scale manufacturers. Supporting the campaign are celebrities including actress and United Nations Youth Ambassador Chika Ike, owner of the Abuja boutique Fancy Nancy Collections. Nigerian designers such as Jewel by Lisa and Ituen Basi regularly use Ankara for their catwalk collections, but the Minister of Tourism is keen to encourage all Nigerians to fill their wardrobes with local fabrics. “If we look inwards, our fabrics are well designed and crafted to suit any weather condition anywhere in the world. They can also stand competition. Surprisingly, we are not patronising our textile industries enough,” says Chief Edem Duke, who is urging everyone to buy – and wear - Nigerian. “This is a clarion call on Nigerians to start looking inwards and not just adopt Nigerian designs and fabrics for work, but adopt it for general purpose,” he adds. “Dress Nigeria will help to give vivid expression to our patriotism and promotional efforts on our indigenous fabrics and styles.”
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
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“ Dress Nigeria will help to give vivid expression to our patriotism and promotional efforts on our indigenous fabrics and styles.” His intervention comes at a time when there is a sense that Nigeria’s dress culture is gradually being eroded. Greater disposable income allows Nigerians to invest in designer pieces created abroad, and these investment pieces create cachet for their wearers. The result is that traditional forms of dress are not worn as frequently. Dress Nigeria Day was conceived in 2010 as a way of promoting culture and national identity among civil servants. Since then it has had a slow uptake, but Chief Duke is determined to champion the cause and emphasise its economic benefits. Nigeria’s textile industry used to be the second largest in Africa after that of Egypt, with more than 250 factories. These dwindled in the 1980s to 175, but now have decreased sharply to just 25. “Fashion and its allied components being showcased have the potential to employ millions of people and so we urge more Nigerians to invest in the fashion business as well as collaborate in expansions towards breaking all limitations and international barriers,” says Chief Edem Duke. As Chika Ike and many other well-dressed Nigerians so elegantly demonstrate, our fabrics and design are stunningly original and no doubt will be hitting the international catwalks with greater regularity as more and more people Dress Nigeria – on Wednesdays and every other day of the week. n
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
Innovative and Professional Marine and Logistic Services Siena Marine Limited is the trusted source of professional marine logistics to the oil and gas companies of the Niger Delta. We supply the vessels, skills and crew that keep production flowing. Siena Marine specialises in: Vessel management Offshore facility construction, installation, repair and maintenance support Subsea remote vehicle deployment Vessel leasing (PSVs, DSVs, barges, boats and survey ships) Certified, experienced crew supply Reduce downtime. Maximise efficiency. Protect production, people and reputations.
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www.seinamarine.com Head Office Plot 8 King Perekule Street GRA Phase II, Port Harcourt Branch Office Plot 9, Oguda Close, off Lake Chad Crescent Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria Tel: +234 802 742 2392 UK: +44 779 096 0828
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Mother
tongue Fascinating Nigeria takes a tour of the spoken word in Nigeria.
NIGERIA PEOPLE CULTURAL GROUPS n Hause 21% n Yoruba 21% n Igbo 18% n Fulani 11% n Ibibio 7% n Kanuri 4% n Edo 3% n Tiv 2% n Ijaw 2% n Bura 2% n Nupe 1% n Other 8%
N
igeria is a land of diverse cultures, so it is no surprise that there are hundreds of languages and dialects spoken in the country. Plateau State, for example, is home to 46 languages amongst its 3 million people. English was picked as the official language of the country so as to foster unity and allow for ease of communication amongst people of different tribes and tongues. While English is widely spoken in urban areas, traditional languages and dialects are more common in the rural communities. The three most widely spoken indigenous languages are Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, spoken amongst northerners, easterners and southwesterners respectively. Other major languages spoken include Ibibio, Fulfulde, Edo, and Kanuri. Nigerian languages reflect the linguistic diversity of Africa, and they are spread across the three major African language families: Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan, and Niger–Congo. In the Niger-Delta region of Nigeria, the languages spoken include Kalabari, Defaka and Ijaw. Close to them geographically are the Efiks, with their dialects including Ibibio, Annang and Efik. In Igbo land dialects include Igbo, Ukwuani, Ikwerre, Ekpeye and Enuani. In the North, languages include Baat�nun, Hausa, Bade, Barikanchi, Arewa and Arawa. There are several small language groupings in the Niger
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LANGUAGES n Hause 21% n Yoruba 20% n Igbo 17% n Fulani 9% n Ibibio-Efik5% n Kanuri 4% n Edo 2% n Tiv 3% n Ijaw 2% n Nupe 1% n Igala 1% n Idoma 1% n Other 14%
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
NIGERIAN PHRASES ENGLISH
HAUSA
YORUBA
IGBO
Good morning
Ina kwana
Kaaro
Otutu . . oma .
Good evening
Barka da yamma
Kurole
Mgbede oma .
Good afternoon Goodbye
Barka da rana Sai gobe
Good night
Sai da safe
Thank you
Na gode
Please
Dan Allah
Welcome
Barka da zuwa
Mother
Uwar
Father
Uba
Boy
Yaro
Girl
Yarinya
Child
Yaro/Yarinya
Rice
Shinkafa
Bread
Gurasa
Yam
How are you?
Ya ya kake
How old are you?
Shekaranka nawa?
What’s your name? Can I help you?
Menene sunnan ku? Zan iya yin taimako?
I’m hungry
Ba na jin yunwa
Please, give me some water
Don Allah, bani wasu ruwa
Help me
What is the time?
Taimake ni
Mene ne lokaci?
Kaasan Odabo
Ko mesia
Odaaro
Ka chi fo
O se
Daalu .
Jo wo
Biko
Kaabo
Nnabata
Iya
Nne
Baba
Nna
Okunrin
Nwa na-enweghi.
Obinrin
Nwata nwaanyi
Omo
Nwa
Iresi
Osikapa
Buredi
Nri
Isu
Ji
Bawo ni?
Kedu ka .i mere?
Ki ni oruko e?
Omo odun melo ni e?
Se mo le se iranlowo fun e? Ebi n pa mi
Ran mi lowo
Jo, fun mi l’omi Ki ni ago wi?
Confluence area such as Ukaan, Akpes, Ayere-Ahan and Ọko. And in the south-west, Yoruba, Egun and Ijebu are just some of the languages spoken. Some Nigerian languages and dialects are also spoken in other parts of the world. Igbo words such as ‘unu’, ‘sooso’ and ‘obia’ are used in the patois of Jamaica and many Central American countries, while Yoruba is spoken as a ritual language for the Santeria and Lukumi practitioners in the Caribbean and South-Central America. English may be our common tongue, but true Nigeria is seen best in the rich diversity of its traditional tongues. n
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Ehihie oma .
Kedu aha gi? .
Afọ ole ka .idi? .
Enwere m ike .inyere gi. aka? Aguu . . na-agu . m Nyere m aka
Biko, nye m mmiri Gini . . bu . oge?
Kedu ka i mere ? 135
FA S C INATIN G C ULTUR E
The Great
Ijebu People A 500+ year history. A passion to remain united. Discover the Ijebu of Yorubaland.
The King of Ijebu
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T
he Ijebu people have been an integral part of Yorubaland since pre-colonial times. History has it that the Ijebu Kingdom was formed on the orders of the Oba of Benin in the 15th century after the Ijebu people had migrated to their current territory from Sudan. An excerpt from the essay Ethiopian History by Hailemariam claims that ancient Ethiopian immigrants met the Ijebus on the east coast of southern Sudan. These claims are supported by the fact that Ijebus, Tigrians and ancient Axumites share common tribal identifiers – three vertical marks on the cheeks. The Ijebus’ funeral rights and the Agemo cult are also similar to those of the Egyptians and the Nubians. In pre-colonial times, the kingdom was headed by the Awujale and had its capital and seat of power in Ijebu Ode. The Ijebu region of Yorubaland was highly organised and had its own political system overseen by the Awujale and the Osugbo. The region was rich, having made its wealth from leveraging its importance as a trade route between Ibadan and Lagos. Today, the Ijebu people live in the south-central part of Yorubaland. They are bordered to the east by Ondo, north by Ibadan, and the west by Egbaland. Despite modernization and urbanization, the Ijebu people still work hard to stay united. Agemo signifies the unity of Ijebus. Every July, the Agemo Festival brings Ijebu people from the 16 Agemos together in Ijebu-Ode before moving to Imodi Mosan, where the Agemo Festival takes place. At the Ojude Oba festival of Ijebu-Ode, held two days after the Ileya festival, Ijebus come together to pay homage to their king. n
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
Ojude Oba festival of Ijebu-Ode
FAMOUS IJEBUS: Bola Kuforiji-Olubi Kola Onadipe Olusegun Demuren Subomi Balogun
Carving of European figure (Yoruba, Ijebu, Nigeria)
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FA S C INATIN G C ULTUR E
Dancers at house warming party, Ijebu Igbo Nigeria (1979) Source Artsland
NIGERIA
back in time Š The Nigerian Nostalgia 1960 -1980 Project
Isheri Town 1968
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
LEFT: Bobby Benson and his Combo - Caban Bamboo (1961)
World heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, wearing the Nigerian brown and white striped Agbada, shouts to the crowd of youngsters who met him on his arrival in Lagos, Nigeria. (June 1, 1964). Source- Sacbee.
Britain’s Princess Alexandra of Kent poses with Nigeria’s Federal Prime Minister Alahaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, during a press reception at Government House, Lagos on Sept. 27, 1960.
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Cassius Clay (aka Mohammed Ali) pictured with the Nigerian Ambassador to UN, S.O. Adebo, at the Nigerian mission office to UN March 1964 — with Gbolahan Agboluaje and Pa (Amb) Simeon Adebo.
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FA S C INATIN G C ULTUR E
RIGHT: African Art- History of 10th Century Sculpture. Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 160, 26 September 1941, Page 2
Artist Professor Ben Enwonwu adds the finishing touches to the life-size statue of the Late Alake of Abeokuta HRH Oba Ademola Gbadebo II in 1960s. Source- Ben Enwonwu foundation
Government House, Kaduna in the late 60s. It is now known as Kashim Ibrahim House. It has been modified but is still the seat of government of Kaduna State.
Yoruba tribal marks. Source- History of the Yorubas by Samuel Johnson. First published 1921.
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
Boxing legend Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey (1932-1998) signing autographs in Burton Latimer, England in the 50s. Born Asuquo Okon Bassey in Calabar, he attended Ahmadiyya School, Lagos. Bassey was arguably Nigeria’s first international superstar.
Zik, KO Mbadiwe and US first lady Eleanor Roosevelt in New York 1943.
ABOVE: Primary Mathematics by HJ Larcombe, published by Evans Brothers (Nigeria Publishers) Limited, bought in 1976 for = N1.14k. This was more or less the bible of mathematics at that time.
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FA S C INATIN G C ULTUR E
A British engineer, Afikpo Village, Nigeria (1960). Source- Ottenberg, Simon — with Austin Mini sedan registered in Enugu Eastern Region Nigeria (EE) and Ford Consul sedan with Enugu Eastern Region Nigeria plates (E).
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (16 Aug 1951- 5 May 2010) with his wife Turai and daughter in the late 70s when he was a university lecturer.... it is exactly two years ago that he passed away. Source- The News archive.
The new Obou of Duke Town thanksgiving service, Calabar, Southern Nigeria 1910. Publisher unknown.
RIGHT: Taken from West African Pilot, Friday 25 March 1966 - cinema listings. [PERSONAL COPY]
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Gelede with metaphoric animal images. Egbado-Yoruba, Nigeria, 1978. Photo by HJ Drewal
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
Woman plaiting a child’s hair Lagos 1970s Publisher unknown
Power Mike - birth name Michael Okpala- was a household name in the world of Nigerian and African wrestling, a retired undefeated world heavy-weight wrestling champion in the early 1970s. Photo source- private collection.
ABOVE: Nuclear sale to South Africa would make Nigeria angry (1976). Source- JET/ Jun10 — with Jeff Easum.
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FA S C INATIN G C ULTUR E
Three employees of the Paterson & Zochonis trading company sitting in wicker chairs in Lagos 1910. SourceFlickr Kings College, Lagos is 104!
Chief Dennis Osadebey and wife arriving at Christ Church Cathedral, Marina, Lagos for Maj. Gen. Gowon’s wedding to Victoria Zakari on 19 April 1969.
ABOVE: A 1969 Nigerian postage stamp depicting the 19th April ‘69 ‘State Wedding’ of General Gowon and his wife Victoria. (Source - private collection)
From right, Major Mobolaji Johnson (Gov. of Lagos State), Col. Shittu Alao (Chief of Air Staff) and their wives arriving Christ Church Cathedral, Marina, Lagos on 19 April 1969 for Maj. Gen. Gowon’s Wedding.
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FASCINATING C U LT U R E
BELOW: Britain in Africa- Purchase of Nigeria. Source- New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11107, 5 July 1899, Page 5
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip meet the Emir of Kano Sir Muhammadu Sanusi during the Royal visit to Nigeria, 16 February 1956. Source- Mirrorpix
ABOVE: Miss Grace Oyelude, the first Miss Nigeria. A Kogi State indigene, she won the coveted crown in the maiden edition, 1957.
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Hailed by followers, Ethiopia Peter drives through town in his American Chevrolet car. Source- Ebony, Jan 1960.
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FASCINATING NIGE RIA TRAVE L SUPP LE ME N T
FASCINATING
NIGERIA
CULTURE I TOURISM I ENTERTAINMENT
Travel Supplement www.fascinatingnigeriamagazine.com
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FA S C INATIN G N IG ER IA TR AVE L SUPPL E ME NT
AIRPORTS IN NIGERIA There are 22 airports in Nigeria operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), four of which operate as international airports. In addition there are airstrips or airfields in various parts of the country, built mainly by the Nigerian Air Force or multinational oil companies. CITY SERVED
STATE
ICAO
IATA
AIRPORT NAME
International airports Abuja
FCT
DNAA
ABV
Nnamdi
Kano
Kano
DNKN
KAN
Mallam
Lagos
Lagos
DNMM
LOS
Murtala Muhammed International
Port Harcourt
Rivers
DNPO
PHC
Port Harcourt International
Cross River
DNCA
CBQ
Margaret
Major domestic airports Calabar Enugu
Enugu
DNEN
ENU
Akanu
Jos
Plateau
DNJO
JOS
Yakubu
Kaduna
Kaduna
DNKA
KAD
Kaduna
Borno
DNMA
MIU
Maiduguri International
Sokoto
DNSO
SKO
Sadiq
Adamawa
DNYO
YOL
Yola
Maiduguri Sokoto Yola Other domestic airports Asaba
Delta
DNAS
ABB
Asaba
Akure
Ondo
DNAK
AKR
Akure
Bauchi
Bauchi
DNBA
BCU
Bauchi
Benin
Edo
DNBE
BNI
Gombe
Gombe
DNGO
GMO
Gombe
Ibadan
Oyo
DNIB
IBA
Ibadan
Ilorin
Kwara
DNIL
ILR
Ilorin
Katsina
Katsina
DNKT
DKA
Katsina
Makurdi
Benue
DNMK
MDI
Makurdi
Minna
Niger
DNMN
MXJ
Minna
Owerri
Benin
Imo
DNIM
QOW
Sam
Warri
Delta
DNSU
QRW
Warri
Zaria
Kaduna
DNZA
ZAR
Zaria
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FASCINATING NIGE RIA TRAVE L SUPP LE ME N T
Private Jets at Abuja Airport CITY SERVED
STATE
ICAO
IATA
AIRPORT NAME
DNAI
QUO
Akwa Ibom Airport
Other airports not owned/managed by FAAN Uyo
Akwa Ibom
Airstrips Ajaokuta
Kogi
Ajaokuta
Ashaka
Gombe
Ashaka
Azare
Bauchi
Azare
Kwara
Bacita
Bacita Bebi
Cross River
Bida
Niger
Birnin
Kebbi
Kebbi
Bonny
Rivers
Bonny
Eket
Akwa
Escravos
Delta
Gusau
Zamfara
Kaltungo
Gombe
Lokoja
Bebi DNBI
Bida
DNEK
Eket Escravos
DNGU
QUS
Gusau Kaltungo
Kogi
Lokoja
Magbon
Lagos
Magbon
Mambilla
Taraba
Mambilla
Miango
Plateau
Miango
Mubi
Adamawa
Mubi
Nguru
Yobe
Nguru
Obudu
Cross River
Obudu
Odegi
Odegi
Osogbo
Osun
Potiskum
Yobe
Potiskum
Shiroro
Niger
Shiroro
Tuga
Kebbi
Tuga
DNOS
Osogbo
Military airports Makurdi
Benue
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DNMK
MDI
Makurdi
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FA S C INATIN G N IG ER IA TR AVE L SUPPL E ME NT
AIRLINES IN NIGERIA
with Air Operator Certificates issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria
Murtala Muhammed International Airport AIRLINE
ICAO
IATA
CALLSIGN
HUB AIRPORT(S)
Aero Contractors
NIG
AJ
AEROLINE
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Allied Air
AJK
BAMBI
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Arik
ARA
ARIK AIR
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Associated Aviation
SCD
ASSOCIATED
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Chanchangi
NCH
3U
CHANCHANGI
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Dana Air
DAN
9J
DANACO
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
First Nation Airways
FRN
FIRST
IRS Airlines
LVB
SILVERBIRD
Nnamdi
Med-View Airline
MEV
MED-VIEW
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Overland Airways
OLA
OVERLAND
Nnamdi
Wings Aviation
TWD
150
W3
OJ
TRADEWINGS
(operations suspended October 2012)
Murtala Muhammed International Airport
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FASCINATING NIGE RIA TRAVE L SUPP LE ME N T
CAR HIRE SERVICES IN NIGERIA LAGOS Murtala Muhammed Airport Several worldwide car rental companies have a presence in the terminal buildings. Bathojam (Nig) Enterprises 10, Siwoku Street, Off Meiran Road, Ojokoro, Lagos Tel: +234 1 452 7092 Baotsexpress Lagos Provides bus/car hire, events shuttle services, airline crews and passengers, fleet management, tours and retreats. 110, Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: +234 1 730 1250, 734 9159; +234 802 300 6412, 803 973 3506 Call a Cab Nigeria Bargain car rental services in Lagos with brand new cars and certified drivers. Suite 62, Prime Plaza, Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos Tel: +234 1 897 8340; +234 802 077 5566 CFAO Motors (Car Rental) 49, Ijora Causeway, Apapa, Lagos Tel: +234 1 587 8219 Corporate Cabs Corporate cabs fitted with navigational systems, meters and e-payment systems. 41, Owukori Street, Alaka Estate, Surulere, Lagos Tel: +234 1 726 1823-4
Cross Country (Car Rental) Car hire and bus rental services. 345, Murtala Muhammed Way, Yaba, Lagos Tel: +234 1 776 4000, 582 1581; +234 805 555 5595 Email: Â info@crosscountry.com.ng Website: www.crosscountry.com.ng Efex Executive Bus Rentals Provision of self-drive and chauffeurdriven services from 8 rental locations
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including Lagos airport, Lagos city, Abuja, Nike Lake (Enugu), Calabar, Port Harcourt and Enugu. 77/79, Murtala Muhammed Way, Beside OANDO filling station, Yaba, Lagos Tel: +234 807 779 0250, 802 313 4121 Email: info@efex-executive.com.ng Website: http://efex-executive.com.ng/ Executive Coach Company Luxury transportation, airport terminal pick up and drop off, red carpet service, luggage handling. Savoy Suites, 43, Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: +234 1 791 5608, 791 4673; +234 803 918 0691 Fax: +234 1 819 8231
The Executive Transport Company Provision of luxury vehicles including the current model Mercedes E-class and Lexus LX470 4x4 with daily rentals. 23B Ribadu Road, Off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos Tel: +234 803 787 1911, 703 067 2372, 807 283 4626 Email: chibuzo@executivetransportnigeria.com Website: http://executivetransportnigeria. sasahivi.com Fleet Derivatives Limited Vehicle Leasing & Logistics Service. Suite 61, Dolphin Plaza, Corporation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos Tel: +234 1 462 4082, 819 4709, 761 1025, 462 4082, 819 4709; +234 803 330 4117, 805 605 9591 Website: www.fleetderivatives.com Globon Services Limited Car leasing, hiring, fleet maintenance of cars for corporate organisations & provision of drivers. Spring Bank Building, P C I Engineering Close, Victoria Island, Lagos Tel: +234 1 899 3041, 722 6414;
+234 803 205 8641, 802 376 4111 Fax: +234 1 262 2260 Email: globonservices201@yahoo.com
Hertz Car Rental Daily, weekend, monthly, rental and drop off/ pick up services. C&I Leasing Plc is Hertz’s franchisee in Nigeria. Leasing House, 2 C & I Leasing Drive, Central Business District, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos Tel: +234 817 200 7110, 817 200 7220 Email: info@c-ileasing.com Website: http://www.c-ileasing.com
King David Security Dial-A-Car Executive car hire service to individuals, corporate bodies and government agencies. Plot 6, FAAN Complex, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Link Road, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: +234 1 470 3720; +234 803 306 6166, 803 302 3539 Email: info@kingdavidecurity.com Website: http://www.kingdavidsecurity.com
MakeItNigeria.com Car hire services to Nigerians and expatriates, as well as apartment rental, vacation homes and resorts. Block P, House 4A, Abraham Adesanya Housing Estate, Ajah, Lagos Tel: +234 1 817 470 2562; +234 806 065 5809 Email: reservations@makeitnigeria.com Website: http://www.makeitnigeria.com Olakunle Ashaye & Co. Ltd (Car Rental) 18/20, Adeola Raji Avenue, Atunwase Estate, Gbagada, Lagos Tel: +234 1 263 4331 Fax: +234 1 823 081
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Prime Logistics Limo service, car rental and sales, haulage services, fleet management. 121/123, Cooperation Drive, Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos Tel: +234 1 269 3194; +234 805 666 6665, 802 360 2508 Fax: +234 1 269 3501 Quick Cabs Services Cab services for single trips, hourly bookings, intercity trips and airport shuttle. 6, Goriola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos Tel: +234 1 817 9879; +234 802 313 8829
SIXT Car Rental Sixt has always been an innovative leader in the car rental industry. Old Secretariat Ikeja GRA, Lagos Tel: +234-70-8860649 Fax: +234-1-2952832 Email: reservations-usa(at)sixt.com Website: www.sixt.com/car-rental/nigeria Smartbudgets Jeep-SUV rental service, automotive procurement, sales, repair and diagnostics. B2, Sura-Simpson Shopping Complex, Lagos Island, Lagos Tel: +234 1 893 4034; +234 802 201 8406 Email: smartbudgets@aol.com
Swift Rental Cars Limited Providing quality cars, buses and 4x4s, chauffeurs, protocol and fleet management services. 6, Okunola Martins Close, Off Okotie Eboh Street, Off Awolowo Road, S/W Ikoyi, Lagos Tel: +234 817 223 6918, 817 223 6919, 817 223 6921 Fax: +234 1 270 1086 Email: reservations@swiftrentalcars.org Website: http://swiftrentalcars.org
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Tuance Nigeria Ltd Bus/car hire, events shuttle services, airlines crews and passengers, fleet management, maintenance management, tours and retreats, general logistics. 2A, Isaac John Street, 2nd Floor, Ikeja, Lagos Tel: +234 1 891 8458, 853 6136; +234 803 310 1035, 802 291 1035 Vitcof Ventures Hiring of coaster buses. 10, Alhaja Toyibat Street, Medina Estate, Gbagada, Lagos Tel: +234 805 672 0502, 802 335 6205
Website: http://www.onimglobal.com
Royal Fleets (Royal Transport & Logistics Ltd) Car rental and lease. HF 66, Kaura Modern Market, Opposite Prince and Princess Estate, Duboyi Abuja Tel: +234 9 291 4279; +234 806 395 7764 Email: info@royalfleetsng.com, royalfleetsng@gmail.com Website: http://royalfleetsng.com
ABUJA
Europcar Vehicle leasing in eight locations in Nigeria including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu and Kano. 2nd Floor, Radmad House, 1E Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos Tel: +234 1 850 2624 Fax: +234 1 444 7175 Website: http://www.europcar-nigeria.com Finabod Enterprises Car hire and haulage. 676, Uromi Close, Area 2, Garki, Abuja Tel: +234 803 376 5113
Ground Air Travel (GAT) Executive bus shuttle. 26/27 Sabondale Shopping Complex (next to Mr Biggs) Jabi, Abuja Tel: +234 805 586 6200 Email: info@gatlimited.com Website: http://www.gatlimited.com
Onim Global Services Ltd Car rental and sales. Suite f8, 1st floor, Metro Plaza, Central business District, Abuja or Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Floor 01, Maitama, Abuja Tel: +234 806 313 1007 Email: info@onimglobal.com
RTC Prestige Cabs Executive cab services using the latest technology. 8 Dar es Salaam Crescent, off Amino Kano Street, Wuse 2, Abuja Tel: +234 7000 782 222 (Reservations hotline) Email: reservations@rtccabs.com Website: http://www.rtccabs.com Swift Rental Cars Limited This Abuja automotive service company offers car rentals. Suite 33, Hilltop Plaza, 13, Gwani Street, Zone 4, Wuse, Abuja Tel: +234 702 815 4681 DELTA STATE Globarry Limited Charter bus, airport shuttle, sightseeing, group tours and taxi service. 67, Effurun Sapele Road, Tomab Yard, Opp. ZenithBank/Lords, Warri Tel: +234 5 332 0604
Remlords Tours & Car Hire Services Destination management company providing specialised tourism and business services to individuals and businesses. Bishop Abioye House, 9, Edibe Edibe Road, Calabar Tel: +234 807 514 4241, 805 553 3370 Email: info@remlordstours.com Website: http://www.remlordstours.com The companies in this list are shown for information only, and the publishers accept no responsibility for the services provided.
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LAGOS RESTAURANTS
E
ating in Nigeria is an exciting experience, with Nigerian food offering many styles – it is as rich and varied as the culture and history of the country’s people. There are numerous places to try traditional Nigerian cuisine, but the major cities are cosmopolitan and multicultural, and have numerous international restaurants. These offer tastes from Asia and India, Europe and America, and often the décor takes on the theme of the cuisine in which they specialise. Why not try some of these international favourites in Lagos, from a snack to a multi-course meal!
Bangkok Restaurant This offers excellent Thai and other Asian dishes flavoured with traditional lemon grass, coconut, basil and ginger, including authentic green and red curries and tom yum goong (hot and sour soup). The little pineapple treat at the end of the meal is a refreshing dessert. The décor is nothing fancy, but it has an informal setting with efficient service and friendly owners, and diners can be guaranteed a well-priced traditional meal. 244a Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 461 9124 Bar Campione This very popular restaurant and sports bar offers a good combination of Italian cuisine, American burgers and imported steaks plus a tempting choice of cocktails – some of which are named after famous sporting legends. With a décor of sports memorabilia and 15 large-screen TVs, this is the place to come and see the ‘big match’, and it also has a sports betting facility, so a fun atmosphere is guaranteed. 13 Kasumu Ekemode Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 819 051 9516 Website: www.barcampione.com
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Bistro 7 With a modern, bright interior, a lounge area of comfortable couches and a pleasant garden, this is just as good for a cappuccino and a cupcake as it is for a full-on Mediterranean-inspired meal such as Italian pasta and pizza. The hearty sandwiches are also good as the bistro bakes its own bread, and it’s popular for Sunday brunch of eggs Florentine or Benedict. The Rose Garden flower shop adjoins the restaurant. 273b Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 877 6622 Bottles Named after the green gin bottles strewn around the restaurant that were thrown overboard into the Niger Delta by drunken sailors and traders in the 19th century and retrieved many years later, this lively restaurant has a pub atmosphere and is famous for its frozen margaritas. The menu features Tex-Mex, burgers, chicken wings and imported steaks. Live bands play on Wednesday and Saturday nights. 8 Imam Agusta Close, Victoria Island Tel: +234 80 8880 4116 or 0700 BOTTLES (2688537) Website: www.bottlesrestaurant.com Bungalow Always popular with a lively, mixed crowd of Nigerians and expats, this serves pub grub such as burgers, potato wedges with dips, chilli con carne, chicken wings and club sandwiches, and is especially known for its sweet and savoury filled crepes. The décor is modern and bright, with African art adorning the walls, and there’s a fully-stocked bar. 1296 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 803 304 9104 Website: www.bungalowrestaurant.com Cactus With a cheerful, informal ambience and tables on the bank overlooking the Five Cowrie Creek and the passing boats and jet skis, this café-restaurant is open from
breakfast to dinner and has an extensive menu that should suit all tastes and budgets. Snacks include Indian and Lebanese finger food, while main meals feature pasta, steaks and Tex-Mex. There is also a great bakery – definitely try the cheesecake. 20-24 Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island Tel: +234 802 777 7666 Chocolat Royal A glitzy French-style patisserie serving sandwiches, burgers, huge salads with all the trimmings, ice cream, muffins, divine handmade chocolates, pastries, fresh cream cakes and good cappuccino. The waiting staff glide around in crisp white uniforms, and there’s Wi-Fi and a breezy outside terrace. Given that it’s always packed, there’s a buzzy atmosphere. 267a Etim Inyang Crescent, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 271 4165 Churrasco The first Brazilian restaurant in Lagos serving all-you-can-eat barbecued meat dishes that waiters carve off skewers onto your plate, accompanied by garlic bread and a selection from the salad bar. Churrasco is Portuguese for a cut of steak or grilled meat and it’s cooked in an open pit of coals referred to as a churrasqueira. There are views over Five Cowrie Creek from the picture windows. 1c Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 790 8282 Cowrie Restaurant and Bar in B-Jay’s Hotel This is an L-shaped room with one arm as the bar and the other as the restaurant, with earthy décor and enormous leather sofas. The cuisine is continental and Nigerian, there’s a full buffet on Wednesday and Sunday accompanied by live music, and low-calorie dishes are a speciality. The hotel is popular with international businesspeople. 24 Samuel Manuwa Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 270 4861 Website: www.bjayshotel.com
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De Marquee Restaurant & Lounge Bar Located on the 4th floor of the popular Mega Plaza Mall in the shopping district of Victoria Island, this upscale restaurant and bar has incredible views of the Lagos skyline, and is spread over two floors with the restaurant downstairs and the glass-covered bar on the top. The menu features international dishes like New Zealand rack of lamb and Argentinastyle grilled chicken, and there’s a long list of imported drinks. A live band performs on Sunday afternoon. Mega Plaza Mall, 14 Idowu Martins Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 803 088 9696 Website: www.demarquee.com Foods of the Sun at the Eko Hotel With a small but sophisticated menu, this is one of the best French and European restaurants in Lagos, with daily chef ’s specials and the finest of French wines. Try a starter of goose liver pâté with caramelised apples, followed by a main course of veal, lamb or crocodile. The atmosphere is relaxed and the beautiful décor echoes a Parisian gourmet restaurant. Eko Hotel, Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 262 4600–19 Website: www.ekohotels.com Izanagi Upstairs from Piccolo Mondo, this is considered Lagos’s best and most refined Japanese restaurant, with traditional décor including a Japanese-style low seating room. The contemporary menu is unique and super-creative, and as well as perfectlycrafted sushi and a teppanyaki grill, signature dishes include panko salmon, goma-ae spinach salad and chicken yaki udon. The informative waiting staff are on hand to take you through the menu. 19b Idejo Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 706 222 2222 Johnny Rockets Johnny Rockets is an international restaurant chain, providing the food, fun and friendliness reminiscent of a feel-good American diner. Menu favourites include juicy hamburgers and hot dogs, classic sandwiches and creamy shakes and malts. Jollof rice and a couple of other Nigerian staples have been added to the menu to appeal to the local market. Diners can enjoy an all-American look and feel with table-top
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De Marquee Restaurant & Lounge Bar
jukeboxes and authentic décor. 1411 Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 708 795 8787 Website: www.johnnyrocketsnigeria.com Marco-Polo Decorated with red painted walls, bamboo furniture and lots of oriental ornaments to create a distinct Chinese look, this is one of the most popular Chinese restaurants on Victoria Island, with a very long menu of all the favourites. There’s a strong emphasis on seafood, and lobster, calamari, prawns and several kinds of fish are cooked in a bewildering number of ways. Traditional desserts include lychees and almond bean curd. 9a Karimu Kotun Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 270 0248 Website: www.marcopolo.com.ng Mr Chang Strategically located on the busy Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, this is a popular and well-
established Chinese restaurant, with typical Chinese décor and authentic food cooked by experienced Chinese chefs at reasonable prices. They specialise in Hunan and Szechuan dishes, which are colourful and spicy – try the fish slice hot soup or shredded pork and green pepper. There’s a VIP section upstairs for private parties or events. 126 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Tel: +234 1 461 5800 La Pizza at Manuela Residence Part of the quiet and secluded Manuela Residence guesthouse on Victoria Island, this serves some of the best pizzas in Lagos, which are always crisp with delicious quality toppings. It’s best to eat outside on the terrace, surrounded by greenery next to the swimming pool. There is also a small deli selling typical Italian products to take home, from wines and cheeses to coffee and homemade gelato. Manuela Residence, 13 Taslim Elias Close, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 262 2647 Website: www.manuelaresidence.net
Eko Hotel
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Oriental Garden This Chinese restaurant at the Oriental Hotel is very elegantly decorated with tables set under pagodas, and has fine views over Five Cowrie Creek. The long menu features the likes of dim sum, spicy prawns and chicken in black bean sauce and there’s a good choice for vegetarians. The Sunday lunch buffet is good value. Also in the hotel is Mayumi, a Japanese restaurant with a sushi bar and a 15-person teppanyaki table. Lagos Oriental Hotel, 3 Lekki Road, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 280 6600 Website: www.lagosoriental.com Piccolo Mondo This is an elegant restaurant with stylish pink and grey modern décor that offers international cuisine. Italian dishes include pesto fettuccine, and the Lebanese mixed grill comes with a side of hummus and pitta bread, while the decadent chocolate fondant – which takes 20 minutes to make from scratch – is worth waiting for. The upstairs lounge doubles as a nightclub as the evening wears on; some nights are Latin dancing or karaoke, and at weekends DJs perform. 19B Idejo Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 792 7922 Website: www.piccolomondorestaurant.com Rodizzio Restaurant & Bar For a fun night out, Rodizzio in Ikeja is a lively grill and Brazilian gaucho BBQ restaurant with a one-price, all-you-can-eat meat and salad bar. The buffet includes beef fillet, chicken wings, sausages and ribs, with the option to add seafood. There are house rules, one of which is that forks and knives are optional, and dining is sociable at large round tables. Cocktails range from the flaming to the frozen. 29 Isaac John Street, G.R.A., Ikeja Tel: +234 701 000 8000 Website: www.rodizzio.com The Ice Cream Factory
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Sheraton Lagos Hotel
Saipan Taking up two whole floors, with the bar on the 3rd storey of the Dream Plaza and the restaurant above, this renowned Chinese restaurant offers views across the city, and contemporary décor. The very long menu features an excellent selection of soups, seafood, tofu, dim sum and stir-fry dishes, and the good value set menus offer several dishes that are ideal for sharing. Dream Plaza, 7 Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 461 2056–7 or 790 4388 Website: www.saipannigeria.com Sheraton Lagos Hotel The best choices for dining in Ikeja are the restaurants at the Sheraton. The Crockpot has extensive buffets with speciality themes on some evenings – for example, American BBQ on Wednesday and seafood on Friday. The Pool Terrace Bar serves steaks, burgers and Nigerian meals. La Giara is an Italian restaurant for pizza, pasta, carne and pesce using authentic ingredients; while the informal British-style pub Goodies has live music on most nights and serves snacks until 3 am. 30 Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja Tel: +234 1 280 0100 Website: www.sheratonlagos.com
Talindo Steak House Tucked away, with no sign outside, so a bit of a local secret, this is the place to come for juicy, flavoursome steaks (imported from South Africa), but the menu also includes Italianinspired seafood, fish and chicken dishes and delicious desserts like chocolate brownies and warm apple pie. Upstairs is a nice setting to dine out next to the open-air grill, and there’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights. 7b Karimu Ikotun Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 1 461 3329 The Ice Cream Factory For informal eating this popular café serves – as the name suggests – over 30 varieties of creamy homemade ice cream, and decadent flavours include butter pecan, pistachio and almond, and cookies and cream. Other desserts include tiramisu and Belgian waffles, while grilled and filled panini (Italian bread rolls) are on the savoury menu and there’s always freshly-brewed coffee. Open until 10 pm. 1613b Omega Bank Avenue, Victoria Island Tel: +234 702 826 4000 Website: www.icf-lagos.com Viceroy With a smart but cosy interior of giant copper pots and subtle lighting, this offers an extensive and authentic Indian menu accompanied by imported wines. Try the hara bhara kabab (spinach kebab), prawn kalimirch (prawns marinated with black peppercorn), motiyan paneer (cottage cheese in a rich gravy) or macher jhol (spicy fish stew). Popular with an international crowd in the evenings. The banqueting room can be booked by groups to share a selection of dishes. 33 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island Tel: +234 708 861 9536
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ABUJA RESTAURANTS Al Basha Palace Abuja’s best Lebanese restaurant is family-run with a homely ambience and serves beautifully presented food. The selection of mezze dishes such as hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel and tabbouleh, served with a basket of pitta bread, are ideal to share as a starter. Main courses include leg of lamb, kebabs or moussaka, and traditional Lebanese puddings are topped with pistachios and honey. The service is friendly and speedy. 11 Cassandra Street, off Usuma Street, Maitama Tel: +234 807 690 9993 BluCabana Restaurant and Café A stylish building where the dining rooms and bar surround a swimming pool with tables scattered on the wooden deck, this international restaurant is popular for birthdays and events. The menu features light meals like sandwiches, pizzas and burgers, plus more extravagant main courses such as grilled steak and seafood, while rich and gooey desserts include chocolate fondant and crème brûlée. It also has indoor and outdoor kids’ play areas. Mabushi District, by the Setraco Building Tel: +234 705 151 1511 www.blucabana.com Bunna Cafe Next to the 12-screen cinema at the Silverbird Entertainment Centre, this pleasant café has fine views of Abuja’s skyline and serves excellent coffees from mochas to lattes, real iced tea, and banana, mango, pineapple and coconut smoothies. Light meals include freshly-prepared sandwiches and panini, and BluCabana Restaurant and Café
Dunes Center
chocolate and cherry Danish pastries. There’s also a bar for alcoholic drinks and Wi-Fi is available for a small fee. 3rd Floor, Silverbird Entertainment Centre, 1161 Memorial Drive, Central Business District Tel: +234 9 2912 125 www.silverbirdcinemas.com
Cantonese-style cuisine, cooked from scratch in big woks. Typical dishes include chicken with green peppers and cashew nuts, beef in oyster sauce and prawns in hot sauce. 66 Mississippi Street, Off Alvan Ikoku Way, Maitama Tel: +234 9 413 1451
Café at Dunes Diners can enjoy a pizza or pasta at this light and airy café in the atrium of the Dunes Center while shopping for international brands at the upscale mall. Most of the delicious desserts and pastries come from Délifrance, a French-style bakery that also has a takeaway outlet in the centre. They import flour from Paris and the croissants, gâteaux, pains au chocolat, brioches, crisp pralines and baguettes are the best in Abuja. Ground Floor, Dunes Center, 44 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Tel: +234 805 545 4545 www.dunescenter.com
Ciao Italian Restaurant & Lounge This is perhaps the best Italian restaurant in Abuja, run by a friendly Italian woman – so you can be guaranteed the generous and tasty dishes are authentic. The menu offers a full range of pasta, pizza and decadent desserts, as well as imported Italian wine and coffee. The décor is trattoria style, with colourful tablecloths and walls strung with onions and garlic. Jitau Plaza, 1173 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse II Tel: +234 9 780 1435
Chopsticks Located on Minister’s Hill in Abuja’s embassy district, this restaurant in a converted mansion with a leafy garden serves authentic Chinese food with a combination of Schezuan and
Da Maria Here is a little corner of Italy in Wuse II – a cosy restaurant with fine china, large wine glasses and bread baskets. The menu changes daily but features favourites like antipasti, caprese salad, pizza and lasagne. Most ingredients are flown in from Italy, and the adjoining delicatessen sells artichoke hearts, Parma ham, salami, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, olives and wine (including Chianti). 98 Amino Kano Crescent, Wuse II Tel: +234 705 255 5589 Dunes Continental Located on the 5th floor of the Dunes Center (an upmarket shopping mall in Maitama), this has smart, contemporary décor in earthy tones
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FASCINATING NIGE RIA TRAVE L SUPP LE ME N T
and inventive lighting. It serves excellent Middle Eastern and continental dishes including appetizers, platters and desserts. Try the generous shrimp, Greek or tabbouleh salads followed by chicken wings or lamb kebabs. 5th Floor, Dunes Center, 44 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Tel: +234 805 545 4545 www.dunescenter.com Grills In & Out As the name suggests, this restaurant features open grills, and the décor is bright and informal with diners crowded around the steaming hotplates. The Naija Grill serves grilled meat and seafood accompanied by roasted plantain or yam, while the Mongolian Grill is a concept of dining where you build your own plate of raw ingredients – mutton, duck, beef or chicken, plus numerous vegetables – and then watch it being stir-fried in front of you. Also try the frozen margaritas and daiquiris. 1 Kindia Close, off Bangui Street, Wuse II Tel: +234 807 316 8682 Nkoyo On the top floor of the K-City Plaza, this inviting restaurant is decorated with polished wooden floors, bamboo walls and potted plants and has a casual atmosphere. It serves Nigerian food such as pounded yam and egusi, jollof rice or fish pepper soup, as well as western dishes such as a generous club sandwich with bacon and avocado or a buffalo mozzarella and rocket salad. A nice touch is the cassava chips to snack on while deciding. K-City Plaza, 1 Bathurst Street, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II Tel: +234 709 820 9204 www.nkoyoinc.com
other on Jabi Lake, about 10 kilometres west of the city centre, with fine views from the rooftop terrace. Both offer authentic and spicy dishes, with an excellent choice for vegetarians, and you can watch the chefs in the open kitchens. Serendib is the old Arabic name for the island of Sri Lanka, and means “precious stone”. Ville Regent Hotel, 1247 Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II; Lake Crescent Hotel, 29 Umaru Dikko Street, Jabi Tel: +234 703 777 3636 www.serendibrestaurants.com Sheraton Abuja Hotel The Sheraton has a number of quality restaurants including Papillon, which has extensive buffets with speciality themes on some evenings – for example, seafood on Tuesday and Asian on Thursday; Luigi’s has authentic Italian food and décor with a menu of antipasti, pizza, steaks, veal and salmon dishes; the Obudu Grill is a steakhouse offering a variety of cuts of meat; while the Boat House has outside tables next to the swimming pool and an à la carte menu. Ladi Kwali Way, Maitama Tel: +234 9 461 2000 www.sheratonabuja.com Sinoni This well-established Chinese restaurant has an extensive menu with the usual favourites such as stir-fry beef with oyster sauce and Schezuan-style chicken, as well as seafood specialities including lobster and scallops. The décor is typically Chinese with red lanterns,
Sinoni
and diners can watch the Chinese chefs work over their flaming woks. Zeto Court, Oshogbo Close, off Emeka Anyaoku Street, Garki Tel: +234 806 095 8818 www.sinonirestaurant.com Spice Foods With the original in Kano, this popular Indian restaurant now has a branch in Abuja and offers a well-priced buffet of 12 to 16 vegetarian, fish and meat dishes on weekday lunchtimes and Friday evenings, and an adventurous à la carte menu at other times. Specialities include rogan josh, mattar paneer or channa saag, and, unusually for Nigeria, there are a number of lamb dishes on the menu. The unassuming décor of the restaurant gives it a cosy, family-run feel. Gwandu Street, Area 11, Garki Tel: +234 803 450 0653 Sheraton Abuja Hotel
Salamander Café This aims for the ambience of an upmarket European café, albeit with African-influenced décor, and has free magazines to read and a small bookshop. The menu features mains of meat dishes served with rice or fries, but it’s a better place to go to grab a generous sandwich or salad and an extravagant coffee or fresh juice and sit out in the sunny garden. 5 Bujumbura Street, off Libreville Street, Wuse II Tel: +234 702 785 0932 Serendib This quality Sri Lankan and Indian restaurant has two locations – one in Wuse II and the
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butter, and Jamaican jerk chicken on a bed of pickled cucumber. There’s a wide selection of cocktails, fine wines, whiskey and cognac. A DJ plays Thursday to Saturday nights. 28 Pope John Paul II Street, Maitama Tel: +234 810 454 5070 www.vanilla-abuja.com
Vanilla Restaurant and Lounge
Transcorp Hilton Hotel The several restaurants in the Hilton include the Zuma Grill, which has a nice patio for fine dining with a Mediterranean à la carte menu. Bukka offers an extensive Nigerian and continental buffet; the Oriental serves Chinese, Thai and Mongolian (make up your own) stir-fries; while the Fulani Pool Bar, with its thatched roof and African statues, has a tandoori oven and themed BBQ nights. 1 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama Tel: +234 708 060 3000 www3.hilton.com Uptown Asian Cuisine & Lounge With experienced Asian chefs, the menu here is mainly Japanese and Chinese. As well as an
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extensive choice of main courses, the teriyaki prawns, delicate sushi and tasty wonton and dim sum are ideal to share among a group. The décor in red and gold with Chinese screens is relaxing. Upstairs, sink into the comfortable sofas of the lounge, and enjoy good cocktails from the well-stocked bar. A DJ plays on Friday and Saturday evenings. 176 Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II Tel: 0809 531 8362. Vanilla Restaurant and Lounge Vanilla’s menu offers international fusion food, and it has very smart designer interiors and a garden bar where tables are set under raffia ceilings with flowing curtains. Typical dishes include steamed sole with lemon and saffron
Wakkis This is an Abuja institution that has been going since 2000, and is popular with Nigerians and expatriates, with a permanently buzzy atmosphere. Set on two floors, it has a rustic feel to it with bare brick walls and a thatched roof over the clay oven/grill area, and eating and drinking is very sociable with everyone sitting at long bench tables. The extensive menu is predominantly Indian, with a wide choice of seafood, lamb, chicken and vegetarian dishes – it’s best to order a number of mains to share. 171 Aminu Kano Crescent, opposite Kumasi Crescent, Wuse II Tel: +234 9 780 2929 or 780 3000 www.wakkis.com Wakkis
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FASCINATING D E STI NAT I ON S
hand written menu behind the cash desk. Everything is quick to be served and delicious- from the grilled chicken salad which has fast become a fan favourite, to the enormously satisfying classic burger served with perfect French fries. The Bistro also cashes in on Abuja’s insatiable desire for yummy pastries- try any one of their extensive range of muffins and fall instantly in love. The best place to go for a quick lunch, an easy coffee-and-gossip or a short break from whatever life throws at you, Tulip Bistro is a welcome addition to Abuja’s gastronomical scene. Ask nicely and you can even plug your own iPod into the speakers for an extra blast of chill. 3 Bangui St, off Kindia St, Ademola Adetokunbo, Wuse 2
Blucabana
Beer Barn Blucabana
Tulip Bistro
Blucabana offers guests a warm, comfortable, high-end atmosphere in which to enjoy delicious international dishes. Whether it’s a business or casual lunch, a quiet dinner, or a festive late night weekend, their diversified menu will satisfy everyone’s taste and knowledgeable, friendly staff will ensure your prompt return. Their goal is not to only provide an enjoyable dining experience but also to entertain you. The facility comprises a swimming pool, gym, lounge, as well as an indoor and outdoor kids’ playroom. Therefore, they deeply encourage you to come with your friends, family or even alone, and spend your time with them. Mabushi Distritc, Opp Next Stores
Biobak
Beer Barn is one of Abuja’s best sports bars, offering the most impressive selection of imported and domestic brands you’ll find anywhere in the city. Whilst beer is (unsurprisingly) Beer Barn’s speciality, you don’t have to love beer to love the barn. A wide range of drinks include tempting signature cocktails. There’s finger food, a pool table, a large balcony, lively decor and a good DJ. No wonder the place is bubbling every night of the week. Beer Barn attracts expatriates in search of familiar beer and sport - and with multiple screens its the perfect place to catch major sporting events. 72 Aminu Kano, Wuse 2
Beer Barn
Biobak Kitchen, the home food place, is noted uniquely for African delicacies and continental menus, cooked, preserved and presented in their natural form. It feels as though you’re eating in a typical home setting. Plot 1274 Nkwere Crescent, off Muhammed Buhari way, Garki 2
Tulip Bistro Situated in the heart of Wuse, Tulip Bistro somehow manages to be a little oasis of calm away from the steady heartbeat of Nigeria’s capital. The Bistro is reasonably small but flooded with natural light and stylishly furnished with high wooden chairs and tables, a huge glass fronted display showing all the freshly baked goods on offer and a
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EMERGENCY SERVICES
Traffic Hotlines (Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA) 01 470 3325, 01 774 3026, 0808 555 5795, 0815 477 7216 Inspector General of Police (IGP) 0805 966 666 (SMS only) State Security Service (SSS) 0813 222 2105–9 Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to report traffic accidents, emergencies or congestion 122 or 0700-2255-3772 (0700-CALL-FRSC) Remember to add 01 when calling with a GSM number.
Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS/LASEMS) 0802 288 7777, 0802 288 3678, 0802 288 7788, 01 7413744, 01 793 0490, 01 763 9939
BRT 0802 314 6096
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Office of Public Defender (Public Complaints) 01 897 5571, 792 6928
Lagos state emergency numbers in the event of any security threat 01 493 1260/1261, 497 8899, 774 5705 (100 if Multilink subscriber)
Citizens Mediation Centre 0802 312 8837, 0705 500 3863
LAGOS EMERGENCY NUMBERS Distress Call (includes police, ambulance, traffic service and environmental monitoring) 767, 112 (toll free)
Distressed/Collapsed Building (LASPPDA) 01 593 1947, 493 3658, 493 1940, 763 0854
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Rapid Response Squad (RRS) 0805 625 0710, 0803 348 2380, 0802 312 7350, 0803 335 5544, 01 775 0715, 01 497 0389, 01 497 0062, 01 493 1261, 01 492 0388
ABUJA EMERGENCY NUMBERS All Emergencies 122 Fire +234- 8032003557 NEMA +234- 80022556362 FCT Police +234 - 8061561938
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