Nigerian Watch - Issue 068

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charter mark launched to tackle ‘covert racism’ in higher education – p4

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BEFFTA communITy nEWSPAPER oF THE yEAR 19 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

Issue No 068

ForTNIghTly

To Inspire, Inform and Entertain

HIT mAn

After the outrage of #oscarsSoWhite Stormzy responds to ‘#BritsSoWhite’

‘Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not’ – Idris Elba unedited p 16

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TRAgIc loSS Tribute to a brilliant lawyer who lost her life serving Nigeria Page 6

gAngS REPoRT Children as young as nine being recruited, survey reveals Page 14 HoW A coAlITIon oF FoRcES IS dElIvERIng juSTIcE In nIgERIA – page 8

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rEally? No blaCk TalENT worTh a brIT?

NIGERIAN

WATCH CommENT

#DiversityIsCool he issue of diversity, or rather lack of diversity, has been inescapable over the past fortnight. It started with the #oscarssowhite and has ended with the #britssowhite. #diversity Is Cool.

In between, universities have launched a Charter mark system, to root out ‘covert racism’ that has thwarted many an academic career, which surely fed through to students. and an unprecedented media conference has been staged, with broadcasters concerned to tackle the glaring absence of black talent on- and off-screen.

That is the light at the end of a long tunnel, the journey along which started 50 years ago with the race Equality act. That’s if the goalposts don’t move, because they commonly do. That is what Nigerian rapper stormzy so acutely observed in his riposte to his snub by the brits. last year, he and other grime artists feel they were told get a chart hit and you’ll be nominated. several did just that. They have not been nominated. There is always one more river to cross, one more hurdle to jump. This is a commonly held view, not just that of disenchanted youth. with two of the Uk’s most important cultural institutions – the broadcast media and universities – coming clean and taking practical action there are signs the wheels of progress are gaining momentum. we will have to keep pushing, to make those institutions that don’t follow suit look as foolish and antiquated as today both the oscars and the brits do.

T

The lack of diversity in this year’s BRIT Award nominations has sparked the hashtag #BritsSoWhite, with social media condemning the ceremony’s exclusion of the UK’s black music stars.

Take away the international artist award, featuring Drake, Kendrick Lamar and the Weekend, and there is zero representation of black artists. Unbelievable in a music awards ceremony.

2015 was a massive year for black urban music and particularly grime in the UK, with many predicting it will be the soundtrack of 2016 as the new wave of performers are breaking through in the US. Yet the artists have been roundly ignored by the industry.

Stars including grime duo Krept & Konan (below) and south London Nigerian rapper Stormzy (right), who have each made chart history in the last 12 months, failed to land a nomination ahead of next month’s awards show.

“None of my Gs nominated for Brits?

Embarrassing. Last year, they told the mandem that to be nominated you’ve gotta go on UK charts,” Stormzy fumed on his track One Take Freestyle, released on Sunday (Jan 24).

“Last year, they told the mandem that to be nominated you’ve gotta go on UK charts. So what do we do? We chart. Don’t come here with your lies, don’t start,” the double MOBO Award-winning star continues.

In an interview with Radio 1, the unsigned 22year-old, who made it to No.7 in the charts – beating The X Factor’s Christmas single in December criticised the awards for overlooking “grime and underground music”.

He said, “It was such a great year for grime and underground music... I thought maybe this year it might get celebrated.”

“You know when you’ve got that little bit of hope and that little bit of faith, and then they didn’t. I thought it was such a shame. It’s just a

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matter of breaking the doors down and carrying on.”

2015 was a massive year for Grime and any performer from among Stormzy, Lady Leshurr, Novelist or Krept & Konan should surely have been on the best breakthrough act nominations.

Krept & Konan’s debut album The Long Way Home charted at No.2 in the UK when it was released in July 2015. Skepta’s Shutdown, JME and Giggs’ Man Don’t Care, Krept & Konan’s Freak of the Week, Lady Leshurr’s Queen’s Speech 4 or Stormzy’s Shut Up should have made the best single list.

Other black artists to have been overlooked for a Brit include UK singer Lianne La Havas’ for the album, Blood, which peaked at No.2; Ella Eyre, who had two top 40 hits with singles from her Feline album; and Fleur East

who stormed to No.3 with debut single Sax, taken from 2015’s Love, Sax and Flashbacks.

All met the eligibility criteria but for some reason didn’t get a nomination.

There is little transparency about how the winners of Brits are determined. Best single and video nominations are measured only in who gets the best numbers (sales and YouTube views) – and the 1520m views achieved by most of the above simply aren’t big enough.

As one person tweeted, “On that criteria McDonald’s would win best restaurant of the year every year.”

Other than that there is a voting academy of 1,000 industry insiders – record labels, publishers, managers, agents, media, NUS Ents officers – who determine the winners. Wow. They should get out more.

TV ChIEFs mEET To addrEss dIVErsITy dEFECIT Sir Lenny Henry (right) repeated calls for ringfenced funding in a bid to improve diversity in television at a TV industry conference about diversity, held at Channel 4’s HQ on January 19.

Sir Lenny said, “It’s wonderful to see everybody here.

It’s great actually to see everybody moving in the same direction on this issue, because it needs to be moved on, doesn’t it?”

He emphasised the importance of ringfenced fund-

ing, saying, “It would be fantastic to make the ringfenced money happen, because that will stimulate change in a big way. You watch. The minute they say ringfenced money’s going to happen, it will just increase BAME production activity.”

He said it would be “an incredibly positive thing”.

He added, “Let’s have all the talent. Let’s be greedy.

Let’s be greedy for the talent we’ve got here.”

The conference was or-

ganised by C4s head of diversity and inclusion Baroness Oona King to mark the launch of the creative diversity network, involving all the major UK broadcasters.

To herald this initiative actor Idris Elba gave a barnstorming speech in Parliament calling for more diversity in the media in which he said “talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.”

Turn to page 22 to read his speech in full.

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National charter mark launched to end ‘covert racism’ in British universities Campaigning nurse academic Professor Laura Serrant is to spearhead a campaign to raise the profile of black and minority ethnic people in higher education, after becoming a patron of a pioneering new scheme.

Ms Serrant, professor of community and public health nursing and director of research and enterprise at Wolverhampton University, is renowned for her policy and development work on needs of marginalised and ‘seldom heard’ communities and is a leading figure and Ambassador for the Mary Seacole memorial statue appeal.

She has now been appointed as a patron of the new national charter mark for race equality

in higher education.

The race equality charter was officially launched on January 20 and is the first award scheme designed to recognise the work that universities are undertaking to advance race equality.

Universities applying to be awarded recognition by the charter must commit to its guiding principles, which include acknowledging the “complexity and often covert nature” of racial inequalities, and addressing “institutional and cultural barriers” faced by staff and students.

So far, 21 universities have applied for a charter mark under a pilot scheme. The first

bank of England offering black scholarships The Bank of England and the Windsor Fellowship are offering students from a black or mixed African/Caribbean background a scholarship programme to financially support you whilst at university.

The programme will provide you with: l Up to £30,000 to support living costs during your undergraduate degree. l Paid summer internships. l Mentoring, coaching and support from a member of our team.

The programme is open to: students who are eli-

gible to work and study in the UK with at least 260 UCAS points and a household income below £50,000, who are planning to start a full-time undergraduate degree in Autumn 2016.

The deadline for applications is Sunday February 21. Application forms are available at www.windsor-fellowship.org/#!bank-of-england/c20hn If you require additional information please contact Karlene Mahoney, Project Manager, scholarship@windsor-fellowship.org or call 020 7250 8444

eight to have successfully achieved “bronze” level were unveiled yesterday. They received their awards from Professor Serrant at a ceremony in London.

The charter is being overseen by the Equality Challenge Unit, which works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in higher education institutions across the UK. The unit is funded by six bodies including Universities UK and the education funding councils for England, Wales and Scotland.

It said the need for the charter was “manifest”, highlighting that there is a “huge disparity in the representation and success of black and minority ethnic staff within UK universities”.

For example, it noted that out of 14,315 professors, just 70 were black. In addition,

there was a degree attainment gap of 15.2% between BME students who achieved a first or 2:1 and their white counterparts.

Jobs race penalty still evident People with an minority ethnic background suffer higher rates of unemployment, face more barriers to work and receive lower pay than white workers, research has revealed.

A study by the Resolution Foundation found that the employment gap between the best and worst performing regions of the UK was 11%, but for black, Asian and minority ethnic (Bame) people, the figure is 26%.

The thinktank said an analysis of information from 20 areas found that the best Bame employment rate was in Scotland not including Glasgow, at 74%. That was significantly greater than the north-east of England, outside Tyne and Wear where the rate was 48% – the lowest rate in the UK. Some of the gap was explained by ethnic minority people facing barriers to work

such as single motherhood or low skills, said the report.

Laura Gardiner, a senior research and policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The UK’s performance on jobs has been one of the biggest success stories in recent years, resulting in more people in work than ever before.

“But substantial weaknesses remain for certain groups, such as ethnic minority people, who have lower employment rates overall and experience even greater penalties in the worstperforming areas.

“Achieving full employment, must involve addressing the issues that prevent ethnic minority groups from entering or staying in work, and ensuring they have an equal chance of securing a quality job, no matter where they live.

Commenting on the report, Rebecca Hilsenrath,

chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “50 years after the Race Relations Act, this report suggests that ethnic minorities are still facing challenges in finding opportunities to enter and stay in work.

“We know from our recently published review of equality and human rights in the UK that, despite improvements in educational performance, people from almost every ethnic minority group suffered higher rates of unemployment and received lower pay than white workers.

“This is why the commission’s consistent view has been that the government needs to do more to address the hurdles that ethnic minorities face by putting in place a long-term strategy to achieve equality of opportunity regardless of race.”

barrister to give bamE talent a boost

A BARRISTER has launched a scholarship to “shine a spotlight on BAME talent” and help young people from minority ethnic backgrounds become the next generation of business leaders.

Miranda Brawn, from Wanstead in east London, has teamed up with the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) to create the Miranda Brawn Diversity Lead-

ership Scholarship, which aims to help tackle the ongoing diversity gap in the corporate sector.

The scholarship, open to young people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds between 14-21 years old and in full time education, will include up to £1,000 funding, one-to-one mentoring sessions with Miranda, CV clinics, and work experience opportunities.

Brown, who is also an investment banker, told the Waltham Forest Guardian: “I am from east London, and although I was lucky enough to have the right guidance to lead me through the early stages of my career, I know there are many young people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who lack that key support. This scholarship will shine a spotlight on the BAME talent pipeline among the next generation.”

For further information on the application process which opens in February 2016 visit http://bcaheritage.org.uk.

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bbC extends diversity training Penguin gives cold shoulder Four of the BBC’s flagship measures to increase the representation of ethnic minorities on and off-screen have been given funding to continue for a second year, Director – General Tony Hall has announced.

The Assistant Commissioner Development Programme, £2.1m Diversity Creative Talent Fund, Senior Leadership Development Programme, and Creative Access Graduate Trainee Interns have already brought new ideas and talent from a diverse range of backgrounds to the BBC and helped ensure that existing formats better reflect the diversity of the UK. The programmes are a key part of plans announced by the Director-General in 2014 to make sure the BBC represents every family and community in the UK, as well as being the first choice employer for people with creative ideas whatever their background.

The announcement comes ahead of Tony Hall appearing alongside leaders from ITV, Sky and Channel 4 tomorrow to discuss the broadcast industry’s progress on

to degree requirement One of the UK's largest publishing companies has announced it is removing any requirement for a university degree from all of its new jobs, in order to attract “more varied” candidates.

Director General Tony Hall and Acting Director BBC TV Mark Linsey with the BBC Creative Access Graduates

diversity.

Tony Hall said: “I’m determined to focus on programmes that make a real difference to diversity on and off-air. The plans I announced in 2014 were designed to broaden the range of voices and backgrounds at all levels of the BBC and that is exactly what they have done.

“The energy and creativity of the Assistant Commissioners, Creative Access Trainees and those on the Senior Leadership Development Programme has been infectious. I am delighted the programmes, and the fund that helps us to take risks to develop new and exciting talent, will continue.

“I want to go even further and we’ll be building on this strong platform with a new diversity strategy later this year.”

The Assistant Commissioner programme has been extended for another year and will be a two year placement in future. The current cohort has been given the option of staying on for a second year.

New participants for the Senior Leadership Development Programme and Creative Access Graduate Trainees will be recruited.

13.1% of BBC staff are now from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background – the highest proportion ever.

Penguin Random House UK cited “increasing evidence that there is no simple correlation” between having a degree and work performance as the reason for its decision.

The publishing group joins accountancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) in opening up its jobs to candidates without degrees. EY announced last year it would be removing the degree classification from its entry criteria, saying there is “no evidence” success at university correlates with achievement in later life.

In the same year, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) scrapped using UCAS points as entry criteria for its graduate scheme. The audit firm believed placing too much emphasis on the scores meant employers might miss out on key talent from disadvantaged backgrounds, who can perform less well at school.

The Random House group also now has no requirements for A-levels or UCAS points, so “academic qualifications will no longer act as a barrier to talented people getting a foot in the door to publishing”.

However, “certain” professional qualifications would still be required in “some

cases”.

The group said the degree filter had been removed from all job advertisements and descriptions in the UK with “immediate effect” in order to give “every applicant the opportunity to demonstrate their potential, creativity, strengths and ideas, regardless of their background”.

“Not having been through higher education will no longer preclude anyone from joining and progressing their career with Penguin Random House UK - if they have the skills and potential,” the company added.

“The move is also designed to send a clear message to job-seekers who have been through higher education that the university they attended will not impact their chance of success.”

Neil Morrison, HR director of Penguin Random House, highlighted the need for the company to “think and act differently” in order to recruit the best people, regardless of background.

“This is the starting point for our concerted action to make publishing far, far more inclusive than it has been to date. We believe this is critical to our future: to publish the best books that appeal to readers everywhere, we need to have people from different backgrounds with different perspectives and a workforce that truly reflects today’s society.”

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TRIBUTE TO A SHINING STAR WHO DIED WHILE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR NIGERIA The family of a brilliant young lawyer from London killed in a hit-andrun crash in Nigeria have paid tribute to their “beautiful, adventurous and caring” daughter.

Doyin Sarah Fagbenro, 25, was flown 4,500 to the UK in a desperate attempt to save her but was pronounced dead in a hospital in Cambridge three days later with her parents by her side.

Miss Fagbenro, who was named one of the UK’s 10 most outstanding black students in the 2010 Rare Rising Stars Awards, was reportedly in collision with a bus as she drove to church in capital Lagos on January 10. According to local media reports the driver fled the scene leaving her with fatal injuries in the wreck of her car.

The straight-A student, the eldest of four siblings, grew up in Canning Town and graduated in law from Queen Mary’s University in east London in 2013. Ms Fagbenro then determined to establish herself in Nigeria and use her expertise to help the development of Nigeria – as many diasporans dream of doing and are encouraged to do. It was a decision that was to cost her her life.

In a moving tribute written by her family she was described as having an “adventurous nature and fierce independence”. They said, “Her relentless determination was an inspiration to so many, yet never deterred from her playfulness and love for life; she loved to laugh, party and smile."

Doyin Sarah Fagbenro’s funeral was held at All Nations Church in Bedford on Saturday. Mourners were asked to wear red, her favourite colour.

Here, Ken Davidson writes a moving tribute to his beloved cousin, which asks some searing questions of Nigeria.

Oh death! Where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Another casualty of a broken and failed state. Your story is particularly gut wrenching as it is equally heartbreaking.

You spent near enough all but two of your 25 years on earth in the country of your birth, the United Kingdom, where your parents and entire family reside. You were born, bred and educated in the United Kingdom.

But two years ago, immediately after you graduated, you elected to visit Nigeria where your grandparents reside - both of whom are in their mideighties. You signed up for the National Youth Service having freshly graduated with a sterling First Degree in Law and a Post Grad immediately afterwards.

You were headhunted by an energy firm before you completed your NYSC and a presto, you gallantly announced to your nervous parents - dad a Diplomat with the United Nations based in Italy and mum, a Pharmacist based in the United Kingdom, your country of birth - that you were going to permanently relocate and make Nigeria your permanent abode. Your grandparents were ecstatic, you being their most favourite granddaughter.

You were a straight A

student right from when you passed your GCSEs through to when you excelled in your A’levels... so much so that the prestigious Queen Mary’s London University snapped you to study Law. You missed a First by whisker’s. Nevertheless you made your mark all the way through.

Then it all came crashing down. What was supposed to be a routine journey to

forever, never to be the same again. A victim of the reckless and probably high on drinks/drugs ‘Danfo’ driver. The most galling of the entire episode was the fact that the driver of that Danfo survived unscathed, ran away from the scene, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake.

Four people died at the scene. Your new Toyota Corolla was a crumpled

church on a relatively sombre, otherwise uneventful Sunday morning on the Lekki/Ajah Expressway around the Lekki Phase 1 approach, turned into a living and eternal nightmare for those of us left struggling to pick up the pieces.

Our lives changed

wreck. But the fighter that you were, despite massive injuries, you fought and fought and fought. Your dad, via his status at the United Nations, got you into Lagoon Hospital where you were for a few days.

When it became clear that the extent of your injuries was too severe for the local

facilities here in Nigeria, an air ambulance was scrambled from the United Kingdom to get you much needed specialist care. Your tireless mum, who flew in from the UK, barely 48 hours after the accident, accompanied you in the air ambulance.

Still, we prayed and prayed and hoped for the best. Sadly, we lost you a day after you arrived in the United Kingdom.

The surgeons tried desperately.

You fought desperately to hang on. But in the end, it was not to be.

A few days after the ghastly automobile accident occurred, very many of your friends, especially those abroad, frantically and desperately reached out to us for news – having not heard from you and your social media handles - positive news. Any news. In utter desperation, they scoured the internet, all known Naija blogs and online news portal, major and minor print and online media.

Practically nothing. One friend of yours based in the United Kingdom retorted to me: ‘You mean, in a cosmopolitan city, a high brow area like Lagos, Lagos Island, five souls can perish in a major automobile crash, many more sustaining life changing injuries, and not one single mention of that major incident was reported anywhere?’

Then it struck me how cheap human lives are in our country today. Tragedy of a nation. A nation pushing 60 yet still in diapers. Heaven knows how many more lives have been prematurely terminated on that same stretch of road and thousands of more roads up and down the country since then. I digress. Best leave the inquest for another day. As it is said in Yoruba ‘Eni kan lo mo’.

The pain is palpably raw as it is numbling. We asked again and again, why you?

Why you? If only you had stayed on in the country of your birth, if only... so many questions but very few answers.

Your parents, your grandparents, Oh! Your grandma, with whom you celebrated her 80th Birthday over here in Nigeria a few years ago, has refused to eat since she was informed of your passing nearly a week ago.

All she repeatedly does is wail, wail to space ‘God take me instead, give my granddaughter back to Nigeria. Nigeria needs her, her parents need her. God take me. God take me.’

These are indeed extremely perilous times.

And so it was that having just spent barely a few weeks in Nigeria after a prolonged winter holiday and Christmas in the United Kingdom with family and

friends, I now find myself in the rather unenviable position of scrambling for the next flight out back to the United Kingdom just so that I can attend your funeral this weekend.

Someone retorted to me ‘Oh, you know, ‘our tradition’ forbids older relatives attending and being present at funerals where the deceased is much younger than us...’ I snapped back, ‘which tradition? And what has tradition ever done for us? What did tradition ever give to her?’

I am here like a Zombie, mechanically and circuitously packing a few items for my flight out in the morning. The family has decided that yours would be a celebratory sending forth, so red rather than the traditional grey, black, would be the colour to be worn on the day.

DSF as you were very fondly called, you touched so many lives in the quarter century, (twenty five years only!) you ran your race on earth. You were considerate to the end, so much so that you waited until you got back home - nearer your parents and many siblings before you finally bade the world farewell.

Doyin Sarah Fagbenro, my learned friend in the profession, my lil sister, my cousin, sleep well till we meet again. O Death! Where is Thy Sting!

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MP backs breast cancer care course

haVE yoU sEEN JEssy?

PolICE arE appealing for help to find 11-year-old Jessy ofori who hasn’t been seen since leaving his house on saturday (Jan 23) afternoon.

The schoolboy was last seen at approximately 1.30pm on bruce grove in Tottenham, north london, and failed to return home.

Jessy is described as black and of slim build. when last seen, he was wearing a red jacket and black trousers. “his family and officers are growing concerned for his welfare,” a police spokesman said. anyone who has seen him is asked to contact officers at haringey police station via telephone number 101, quoting reference 9271/23

Helen Grant MP on Jan 25 attended the launch of a new report

by Breast Cancer Care, which highlights that BAME women do not always get the support they need after they have finished their treatment for breast cancer.

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, and in collaboration with King’s College London, the charity undertook a research project to understand how services that support people after breast cancer treatment can be culturally adapted.

Every year around 58,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK – that’s the equivalent of one person every 10 minutes.

Many of these women can feel lost and unable to return to normal when they have completed their hospital-based treatment. Breast Cancer Care’s research found that BAME women have additional needs, many of which are not being met.

These can include isolation, due to the stigma of cancer in some communities, as well as language barriers. Some services do not offer support that is suitable for all, for example by offering lymphoedema sleeves in different skin tones or healthy lifestyle information that takes different religions into account.

Ms Grant said, “I’m very happy to be showing my support for this important issue. It is vital that everyone, regardless of their ethnicity or social background, gets the support they need to live well after their breast cancer treatment”.

Breast Cancer Care’s Moving Forward course is designed to support people once they complete breast cancer treatment in a way that is specific to their needs. The sessions cover topics such as healthy living, managing side effects of treatment, and spotting the signs and symptoms of a possible recurrence.

David Crosby, Director of Services and Engagement at Breast Cancer Care, said: “We want to thank Helen for showing her support for our work. We know from the women we work with that finishing treatment does not necessarily mean you can just go back to normal. That’s why we run our Moving Forward service to help people during this potentially tough time.

Our research has found that some people, particularly from black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities, can find themselves without support that is adapted to their needs. We

urge all providers of support to ensure that their services are inclusive for all.”

To find a Moving Forward course near you, visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0808 800 6000

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Justice is being delivered in Nigeria a grassroots revolution involving the Nigerian police force, vigilantes and tradititonal rulers is paying dividends Nigeria could reap a multibillion dollar ‘peace’ dividend from beefing up its system of justice and the opportunity to do so has never been so ripe, with the political will in place and one in depth study revealing Nigerians are willing to pay $4,000 per household to achieve it.

That was the positive conclusion of three experts working on the frontline in Nigeria to deliver greater access to justice across the country but particularly to people living in communities affected by instability and violent conflict.

Dr Bob Arnott has lived in Nigeria for 14 years and is the National Programme Manager of Justice For All (J4A), which works in both the formal and informal sectors across five states – Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Jigawa and Lagos (with additional work in Niger and Anambra) – to foster better policing and access to lower courts. Dr Rebecca Wolfe, director of Conflict Management and Peacebuilding programmes for the Mercy Corps, has spent

the past three years in the middle belt engaged in conflict resolution between the pastorals and farmers of the region. And Dr Engobo Emeseh is a renowned academic and expert in the Delta oil conflict.

The three doctors comprised the panel of the first All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria meeting of the year on January 20 – and the first under the chairmanship of Kate Osamor MP – which attracted an audience of over 100.

Access to justice, of course, starts with the police and to most the Nigerian Police Force is something of a standing joke. Dr Arnott took exception to this. “Everyone has an opinion of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and most have a negative view and I think a simplistic view,” he said.

“People say if only they were decentralised to state level, or had better gadgets – the word gadgets crops up a lot in our discussions –, or better fuel provision, as if all these things were a magic silver bullet for the deep systemic problems that exist.”

l-r: kate osamor and drs arnott, Emeseh and wolfe

The one glaring systemic problem is size. The NPF comprises 377,000 officers serving a population of 170m, “with between 30-50% a bag carrier or private security for a big man”.

Once outside the urban centres policing is hardly evident at all. He gave a specific example, Dutse Central in Jigawa. The central police station has 120 police officers to serve 1m people and a monthly budget of $60 to pay for everything. “There’s the problem,” he said. “That’s why the NPF is struggling.”

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Hence J4A work on the very grassroots, establishing a network of community policing. The organisation has developed “model police stations” across 70 sites and the good thing is where these have become embedded neighbouring areas start to demand the same. It is a bottom up revolution and one both citizens and police are hungry for.

“I don’t have to teach the Nigerian police anything,” said Dr Arnott. “All I have to do is go to the reform elements and say this is what we do, why don’t you try it.

We ‘ve gone back to basics and taught them community policing from scratch. Once that’s done people begin to trust the police.”

Due to the underresourcing of the police J4A also work with vigilante groups and the traditional courts. He called vigilantes the “informal police”, without whom he said Nigeria would be “massively underpoliced”.

He admitted “it’s messy” but said where it does work it works well. Vigilante groups know their communities and know who the bad boys are.

“We work with them to

establish a mandate and train them to establish them as an adjunct to the police.” In 24 areas J4A have established community accountability forums to ensure the vigilantes reflect the will of the people. As they work with the informal police so J4A work with traditional rulers and traditional courts.

Like vigilantes are the first port of call for security for many in remote areas traditional courts are the first port of call for justice, for many reasons; it’s cheap, familiar and accessible.

Using the traditional courts is not without its problems; rulings can be inconsistent and the courts can be unresponsive to human rights and gender issues. However, J4A have been working with the traditional rulers to counteract this. The courts have been trained in record keeping and the consistency of rulings has improved as a result.

Mr Arnott said the programme was very successful.

“There has been a 70% increase in the number of cases in the time we have been working with the traditional courts. Trust is rising. Traditional rulers are finding it is a good mechanism to cement their position. It is in some regard a virtuous circle.”

While there are obvious issues with such a piecemeal approach, it is sewing the seeds of a justice system that can deliver for all the people.

And Mr Arnott concluded, “I think we are at a most propitious moment where there are people at both the Federal and State level who take justice and security issues seriously and if we can capture this moment we will move forward rapidly.”

The cost of not affording

people access to justice was laid bare by Dr Wolfe. In the middle belt where there is conflict between pastorals and crop farmers over traditional grazing rights, resulting in over 500 deaths a year because “people are left to take the law into their own hands”, this has been calculated to cost Nigeria $9bn a year. Ending the conflict would boost the economy by $13bn and household incomes by up to 210%. The study also found “a willingness to pay for conflict management at a level of $4,000 per household”. This report is being used to lobby hard for investment in mediation and justice in the region.

Dr Emeseh underlined the need for such investment, addressing the underlying roots of the ongoing Delta conflict. This she said is no simple resource war. Rather it is a reflection of a marginalised group taking up arms to protect their way of life when denied justice.

The people of the Delta do not belong to the three main ethnic groups, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, who have always held the levers of power.

When oil was discovered in the region they and their concerns were simply swept aside and ignored, despite the ecological carnage that was destroying their way of life.

“The state has never taken one case against the oil companies since Nigeria gained independence,” Dr Emeseh pointed out.

Indeed, it has simply sought to quash the concerns of the region, most famously with the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa. As a consequence the conflict has raged for years at an unimaginable cost to the people of the region and the Nigerian economy.

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lEFT To rIghT baCk row :Shailesh Vara, CON, North West Cambridgeshire; David Lammy, LAB, Tottenhham; Dawn Butler, LAB, Brent South; Clive Lewis, LAB, Norwich South; James Cleverly, CON, Braintree; Lord Herman Ouseley; Simon Woolley; Baroness McGregor-Smith; Alan Mak, CON, Havant.; FroNT row Tulip Siddiq, LAB, Hampstead and Kilburn; Seema Malhotra, LAB, Feltham and Heston; Diane Abbott, LAB, Hackney North and Stoke Newington; Keith Vaz, LAB, Leicester East; Valerie Vaz, LAB, Walsall South; Kate Osamor, LAB, Edmonton; Helen Grant, CON, Maidstone and The Weald; Baroness Ros Howells.

PolITICal hIsTory IN ThE makINg Operation Black Vote and Home Secretary Theresa May held a ceremony on January 14 at the Houses of Parliament, to celebrate the largest number of BME MPs to be elected in British political history. Never in the history of British Parliamentary politics have so many Black, Asian ethnic minority MPs and members of the House of Lords been present in the Palace of Westminster.

Details of those who could attend the ceremony are above while we record the names of those BME MPs and peers who

couldn’t for posterity. They were; Adam Afriyie, CON, Windsor; Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, SNP, Ochil and South Perthshire; Rushanara Ali, LAB, Bethnal Green and Bow; Rehman Chishti, CON, Gillingham and Rainham; Thangam Debbonaire, LAB, Bristol West; Suella Fernandes, CON, Fareham; Nusrat Ghani, CON, Wealden; Sam Gyimah, CON, East Surrey; Imran Hussain, LAB, Bradford East; Sajid Javid, CON, Bromsgrove; Ranil Jayawardena, CON, North East Hampshire; Mark Hendrick, LAB, Preston; Sadiq Khan, LAB, Tooting;

Seema Kennedy, CON, South Ribble; Kwasi Kwarteng, CON, Spelthorne; Khalid Mahmood, LAB, Birmingham Perry Barr;Shabana Mahmood, LAB, Birmingham Ladywood; Lisa Nandy, LAB, Wigan; Chi Onwurah, LAB, Newcastle upon Tyne Central; Priti Patel, CON, Witham; Naz Shah, LAB, Bradford West; Alok Sharma, CON, Reading West; Virendra Sharma, LAB, Ealing Southall; Rishi Sunak, CON, Richmond (Yorks); Yasmin Qureshi, LAB, Bolton South-East; Nadhim Zahawi, CON, Stratfordon-Avon.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

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KASUMUWATcH

The

Samuel KASUMUColumn

Our pastors have failed us I became a Christian aged 12 and have since used my faith as a guide whilst navigating through the many facets of life. For me, the ultimate expression of my faith is to love God and love my neighbour as myself.

I try not to be concerned too much with the complexities of everything else. But as I get older, and as our world becomes more secular, I can’t help but analyse what role faith should play in this new world.

Many people that I grew up with in church no longer hold onto their faith with any great conviction, and sometimes that lack of conviction has even resulted in a public declaration of sorts. I recently read about a famous Christian rapper who had ‘denounced’ and

would now be voicing his issues with Christianity.

I have concluded at this time that churches, particularly the evangelical movement, have failed in their duty to express a faith that is pure in motive. You attend a black majority church on any given Sunday and what you are likely to hear is a message focused on some expression of prosperity, followed by lobbying for an offering.

Prosperity gospel of course has a bad reputation, but its reputation should probably be worse than it currently is. Prosperity isn’t just a promise for a better financial return, but is also the promise that one’s life is guaranteed to be better, that there may come a time where

you have no problems, or that challenges you face must automatically be the cause of an enemy in a high place.

None of the above is necessarily true. We also often fail to recognise that more often than not we are our greatest enemy. We make mistakes often because of our own imperfections and lusts. We are but mere humans, without perfect knowledge, and will more likely than not get decisions wrong that result in many of our present challenges.

Evangelical churches have failed because they believed that a simplistic expression of the gospel; sow a seed and don’t sin, would continue to be relevant to a new generation of people that grew up in church but are more independent minded.

Pastors with impressive looking libraries have proved not to have the intellectual capacity to reason like the Apostle Paul would do with the both Jews and Gentiles. They have flashy cars, they have children in independent schools, they go to speak in impressive international conferences, but they do not have the capacity to lead us in tomorrow’s world. They have not shown the humility needed to utilise the talents of those around them effectively.

They have failed and many young people will leave the faith as a result of this failure.

Christianity now needs new leaders. We need a John the Baptist in the wilderness. We need a Martin Luther reformer. We need a Frances of Assisi to take us back to a life lived more simple. We need something new and I hope and pray we find it!

Two vital decisions loom for us The great question for this year will of course be whether the United Kingdom remains in the European Union or leaves through a socalled ‘Brexit’. I have been absolutely clear in my belief that Britain needs to look beyond its European borders for friends.

We often talk about the issues that Eastern European migrants bring from a migration perspective. But the truth is even other EU states, like Greece, Spain, and Portugal – themselves troubled economically – do not inspire much hope. The Prime Minister will need to somehow disguise his failed negotiation attempts as some form of victory. The British people will see straight through this, and hopefully we will make the right decision.

Meanwhile in London we have the small issue of deciding the new Mayor in May! Housing is of course the number one issue for Londoners, with prices still rising at alarming rates. We need to stop international investors from inflating the market, and like Zac recently said, Londoners must have priority in regards to the purchasing of new homes. The race will get more intense over the coming months I am sure…

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NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

EMBASSYWATcH

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News from the

NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSIONLondon

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Gallantry honour for armed forces on Remembrance Day

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Armed Forces Day took place on January 15 throughout Nigeria, with a Remembrance Day parade at the Cenotaph in Abuja and in the 36 state capitals.

The event was marked by the High Commission with the The Nigerian Think Tank Group UK presenting the Nigerian Armed Forces with a plaque recognising their gallantry in fighting the insurgency in North Eastern Nigeria.

Armed Forces Day also known as Remembrance Day, was formerly celebrated on 11 November of every year to coincide with the Remembrance Day for the World War II veterans in the British Commonwealth of Nations. It was changed to 15 January in Nigeria in commemoration of the surrender of Biafran troops to the Federal troops on 15 January 1970, thus concluding the Nigerian Civil War that threatened to tear apart the unity of Nigeria.

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14

NIGERIAN WATCH 6 - 19 Nov 2015

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NEWSWATcH

asda gET a TasTE For FamIly-rECIPE ChIN-ChIN

GANGS ARE NOW RECRUITING CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS NINE Children as young as nine are being drawn into gangs, often to deliver or store drugs, new research published by the Home Office suggests.

Schoolchildren, recruited with offers of trainers or tracksuits, are set drug selling targets, and punished if they are not met, researchers were told. The study also suggested that the sexual exploitation of women and girls in gangs is becoming more prevalent.

For the study, researchers interviewed staff from the police, probation service, local authorities and health services in 33 areas around England and Wales to find out how the nature of gangs, and their perception, is changing. They also spoke to current and ex-gang members.

One interviewee said, “The method of recruitment is to target young, easily influenced youths as young as 12-years-old from local schools and the surrounding area.

“They (gang members) recruit them with the lure of earning money or being given new trainers, tracksuits etc, then use these runners to deal for them.”

In some instances youngsters were away from home or care for several days, the report found. Agencies, particularly those in London, indicated that the use of young, often vulnerable, people to transport drugs

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to other parts of the country was a major concern.

The youngest gang members were most commonly said to be aged 12 to 14 (50%), while a third were said to be between nine and 11. A handful (7%) of gang members were thought to be under nine, according to the report.

Nearly all interviewees said sexual or physical violence against women and girls happened “sometimes” or “often” within gangs, often as punishment or to take revenge on rival gangs.

Interviewees said women and girls were used to carry and hide weapons, take prohibited items into prison and transport drugs.

Particular concerns were highlighted

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around the notion of sexual consent within gangs.

Gang associates told researchers that girls were motivated to perform sexual acts with gang members “because of your reputation, because of your name”.

Asked whether a girl got anything out of sex with 10 men, one associate said, “She gets to brag about it with her brethren.”

The report also suggested that gangs were now less visible on the street, as more covert tactics were used to avoid detection.

Fewer gangs now met in public places or used graffiti to mark territory, it said, preferring to use social media to promote the gang and its reputation.

A minority of gangs, however, were said to be wary of operating online for fear of attracting police attention.

To coincide with the publication of the research, the government announced it was extending its programme to tackle exploitation by gangs to Basildon, Grimsby, Harrow, Hastings and Eastbourne, High Wycombe, Medway, Sefton, Southampton and Swindon.

Home Office minister Karen Bradley said: “Gang and youth violence has a devastating impact on young people, their families and local communities.”

The West African delicacy chin-chin is to appear on the shelves of 434 Asda stores across the UK this year as the innovative Nigerian company Love Chin Chin has secured an agreement with the retail giant to supply it with the snack.

Hugely popular among Africans, chin-chin is a biscuitlike snack with the same crunch and generally serving the same purpose, to be served with tea or coffee or as a treat in packed lunches.

Love Chin Chin founder and managing director Bolu Akindoyin (right), said, “We use a unique traditional family recipe inspired by my mother’s cooking to create our chin-chin, which is a super satisfying snack that was such a childhood favourite of mine.

I am thrilled that, with these exciting new listings in Asda stores, we can further spread the word and get so many more people to enjoy this sensational snack.

Love Chin Chin Vanilla and Love Chin Chin Cinnamon are a key part of an Asda initiative to promote an increased awareness of interesting and different world foods, in particular those from Africa, as that continent slowly reveals its rich and tasty food heritage and culture.

Both varieties of the snack are made with only natural ingredients and flavourings and are available in eye-catching ethnically inspired branded 70g packs retailing at just £1 in Asda. They will be available in both impulse and traditional world food aisles depending on the store.

Uk set to hold international conference on corruption Britain’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Paul Arkwright has revealed that the British government is considering the idea of hosting an international summit on corruption, which President Muhammadu Buhari will be invited to.

According to Mr Arkwright, for corruption to be rooted out in Nigeria, there was a compelling need for institutional change in all spheres of human endeavour.

However, he expressed optimism that with President Muhammad Buhari, Nigeria is on the right track.

“Britain is committed to helping Nigeria increase its security, stability and prosperity. We would continue to provide capacity building, technical and investigative support to Nigeria to tackle corruption.

"We are working with President Buhari to ensure the success of the fight against corruption and will continue to support the administration to ensure a corrupt-

free society in Nigeria."

In addition, he also reaffirmed that the British government will redouble its support to train the Nigerian military to fight the Boko Haram insurgency.

Mr Arkwright further revealed

that the British government is also willing to support children in the northern eastern part of the country to pursue a qualitative academic career in the face of insurgency that had devastated the region.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

YOURWATcH

15

Letters to the Editor let us know what you think. Put pen to paper and send your letters to: The Editor, Nigerian watch, Chartwell house, 292 hale lane, Edgware, middlesex ha8 8NP, or email us at: editor@nigerianwatch.com letters to be included in the next issue must be received by no later than Feb 10, 2016. anonymous letters will not be published. Please include your full name, postal address and contact telephone number. Names and addresses can be withheld, if preferred. letters may be edited for publication.

BEWARE, CORRUPTION IS FIGHTING BACK We at the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group condemn totally the recent call by some unpatriotic Nigerians to rope in the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai, in the funds for arms purchase scandal.

It is obvious that those behind this surreptitious moves have the ulterior motive of ridiculing the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It is obvious that the Buratai led military has, since taking over, dealt a serious blow to the Boko Haram insurgency with renewed commitment and professionalism.

Yet we can not rule out the fact that some unscrupulous elements who have benefitted from the insurgency are not happy with the achievements of the military under General Buratai.

It is our belief that the recent call for the probe of Buratai by the

committee established to audit arms and equipment procurement in the military between 2007 and 2015, is merely an indication that corruption is fighting back to ensure a return to the era of business as usual. We call on Nigerians to rise up and condemn any attempt to distract the Buratai led military from finally crushing the Boko Haram insurgents.

The fact that Major General Buratai was the Defence Head Quarters (DHQ) Director of Procurement between 2012 and 2015 without being linked to the arms purchase scandal is a basis for commendation instead of using the same fact in a twisted way to claim that the investigation carried out by the committees was incomplete.

The claims being made by these people is targeted at casting aspersion on the work of the committee since they are suggesting that it

should have included names to satisfy the whims of certain people.

They are already preparing the groundwork to create loopholes for their sponsors and dragging the Chief of Army Staff into the probe by all means must be one of the schemes to ensure that their paymaster whip up public sentiments against the anti-corruption fight.

We fear that these calls are part of a clandestine plot by Boko Haram sponsors to discourage the army and roll back the recent gains and successes that they have made so far in crushing the extremist insurgents.

The demand by these groups is also an affront to the authority of President Muhammadu Buhari as they are insinuating that the probe he ordered is meant to witch-hunt a particular branch of the military when they claimed that only past and serving Air Force chiefs have been indicted. Must the other branches be indicted just for the sake of creating balance when they have not done anything wrong?

Calls like this make it imperative that Nigerians familiarise themselves with the concept of command structures and approving authorities in the public sector so that mischief makers have lesser chance of misleading people.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group has also appealed to the Chief of Army Staff not to allow the distractions being thrown his way to negatively affect the war on insurgency but should rather treat it as part of the psychological war that Boko Haram and its sponsors are mounting against the Nigerian state.

The connection between those making these jaundiced calls and the Boko Haram sponsors should be thoroughly investigated with a

view to disrupting the propaganda and psychological warfare that they are aiming at citizens.

The authorities must also not delay any further in bringing these Boko Haram sponsors to book since neutralizing them is crucial to making the gains of the war on insurgency permanent.

Philip Agbese, Coordinator, Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group, The Boroughs, Hendon, NW4 4BT

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16

NIGERIAN WATCH 6 - 19 Nov 2015

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NEWSWATcH

G’WAN, LET’S MASH IT UP In a barnstorming speech to 100 starstruck mPs, actor Idris Elba delivered a devastating critique of the closed shop clubbable british elite. here we publish it in full. It’s long, but so on the money Thanks for such a warm welcome. I could almost feel at home… In fact we’re not far from where I grew up in East London, but as a young man, I never thought I’d come here. In fact as an older man, I never thought I’d come here.

But Oona [King] invited me to speak here today. You know what she’s like, she’s a bit obsessed with diversity. I told her to get out more, and stop watching TV. Thing is, when you get out more, you see there’s a disconnect between the real world and TV world. People in the TV world often aren’t the same as people in the real world.

And there’s an even bigger gap between people who make TV, and people who watch TV. I should know, I live in the TV world.

And although there’s a lot of reality TV, TV hasn’t caught up with reality. Change is coming, but it’s taking its sweet time.

why change?

1. Because the TV world helps SHAPE the real world. It’s also a window on our world.

But when we look out the window, none of us live in Downton Abbey.

2. Because the creative industries are the foundation of Britain’s future economy.

You guys want to safeguard Britain’s economy, right?

That’s your job?

3. If you want to safeguard the economy, you have to safeguard the Creative Industries; and they rely on TALENT. Talent is our lifeblood - we can’t afford to WASTE it, or give it away. But when you don’t reflect the real world, too much talent is trashed.

Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t. And talent can’t reach opportunity.

Especially on our small island – that’s why British talent gets exported all over the world. We haven’t done enough to nurture our diverse talent.

But before I go any further I want to say something really important: I’m not here to talk about black people; I’m here to talk about diversity.

Diversity in the modern world is more than just skin colour - it’s gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, social background, and most important of all, as far as I’m concerned – diversity of thought.

Because if you have genuine diversity of thought among people making TV and film, then you won’t accidentally shut out any of

the groups I just mentioned.

Anyway, on the whole, I don’t think of myself as just a ‘black actor’. I’m an actor, not a number. Just like anyone else. You know what I mean; all the MPs in the room, (by the way, thanks so many of you for coming.

Oona tells me it’s really unusual to get 100 MPs to turn up, she says often she can’t even get one.)

But you guys know what I mean, about not just being a number. I suspect, for those of you who have children, you don’t just speak as a politician, you speak as a parent. Well I’m not just a black man, and you’re not just a politician.

None of us are just one flavour or one colour. If we were, we’d be onedimensional. And that’s what used to drive me mad as an up and coming actor.

My agent and I, we’d get scripts and we were always asked to read the “black male” character. Or “the athletic type.” And that was just Crimewatch… But when a script called for a “black male”, it wasn’t describing a character. It was a describing a skin colour. A white man or a caucasian - was described as “a man with a twinkle in his eye”.

My eyes may be dark, but they definitely twinkle! (Ask the Mrs…) And I was like “I wanna play the character with a twinkle in his eyes!”

So I got to a certain point in my career, and I saw that glass ceiling; I was very close to hitting my forehead on it.

I was busy, I was getting lots of work, but I realised I could only play so many “best friends” or “gang leaders”.

I knew I wasn’t going to land a lead role. I knew there wasn’t enough imagination in the industry for me to be seen as a lead. In other words, if I wanted to star in a British drama like Luther, then I’d have to go to a country like America.

Now some people might say “but back then, Britain hardly had any black detectives, so how could you expect us to have a TV show about one? How could you expect the BBC to have the imagination to put Luther on TV? …because it’s TELEVISION?!

And the other thing was, because I never saw myself or my culture on TV, I stopped watching TV. Instead I decided to just go out and become TV. If I aspired to be on a level with the Denzil Washingtons, and the Robert de Niros, I had to reinvent myself. I had to transform the

way industry saw me. I had to climb out of the box.

In other words I didn’t go to America because I couldn’t GET parts. I went to America because I was running OUT of parts. They were all the same sort of parts.

But 20 or 25 years ago there were a handful of casting directors, without whom I wouldn’t be here today: - Doreen Jones Priscilla John - The Hubbards - Leo Davis - Mary Selwaye.

These people regularly auditioned me, they saw the twinkle in my eyes, and put me up for roles that definitely weren’t written for me or my type.

At which point I’d like to add, the BBC was the broadcaster to give me my first break. In all honesty they’ve been incredible to me, not to mention our country, and the WORLD. They also had the imagination.

It’s that same imagination casting director Nina Gold had, when she cast the film “Attack The Block”. She searched the whole of London for raw talent, much of it diverse. She found John Boyega, a British African.

Nina then put Boyega up to be the hero in the latest Star Wars blockbuster.

Since when did the lead character in Star Wars come from Peckham? Since a woman with imagination became the casting director.

It’s the vision of people like Nina, and those 5 original casting directors, that allows me to stand before you today.

That, and the fact I refused to be pigeon-holed.

I’m not gonna lie, it was really hard work. What all this taught me, is too often people get locked inside boxes. And it’s not a great place to be. Ask women, they’ll say the same thing. Or disabled people. Or gay people. Or any number of under-represented groups.

So today I’m asking the TV and film industry to think outside the box, and to GET outside the box. This isn’t a speech about race, this is a speech about imagination.

diversity of thought.

Thankfully in our country, we’re free to say what we want. But we’re not as free as we think, because our imagination isn’t that free.

We can’t help putting people inside boxes, it’s a national pastime… Funny thing is, it’s not good for the people locked in the box; but it’s also not good for the people deciding what’s ON the box. Audiences don’t

want to see caricatures.

Because the point about a caricature is this: you’ve seen it all before.

So I want our incredibly creative and successful TV industry to be more imaginative with the cultural exports we send around the world. We have an amazing record. Think about Britain’s place in history. For half a millennia we shaped the world.

Winston Churchill said he could save the British Empire from anything – except the British… Like all great men he had his flaws. He wasn’t too hot on gender equality… All the women MPs here today, you probably know what he said to the first woman MP: -

and Sierra Leonean father.

The irony is not lost on me. The British Empire brought great progress to many, and for others, great suffering. But history isn’t always neat and tidy, the sums don’t always add up.

What’s for sure, though, our Empire gave birth to the multi-cultural miracle that is modern Britain. And for that I’m grateful.

So back to “Empires of the Mind”: That’s my theme: how can we change our mindset? How can we be more imaginative to make our creative industries more successful? How can Britain influence the world to embrace diversity, and be more tolerant?

“50% of British medal winners went to private school. Yet only 7% of British kids GO to private school” that having her in Parliament was as embarrassing as if she’d walked into the men’s toilets! Some of Churchill’s attitudes were plain wrong.

But he was truly visionary when he said this: “the empires of the FUTURE are empires of the MIND.” Now before I leave the subject of Empire, I should mention I’m honoured - just the other day - to have become an Officer of the British Empire. The exact title is “Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire” – a snappy little number. And of course the word “Empire” is laden with meaning – especially to the son of a Ghanaian mother

When you look at the news today, nothing could be more important. But just because we do better than most countries, doesn’t mean we have nothing to learn. Look at the lesson of the Olympics. What did we learn? l We learned that if you invest in sports, you win gold; l that our country is a nation of volunteers; l that disabled sport can be more thrilling than NONdisabled sport l and that VIPs can find their way to Newham (if they have their own bus lane)…

We came third in the medal table - an amazing

achievement. But make no mistake, we could have won more gold. Here are two incredible statistics: 50% of British medal winners went to private school. Yet only 7% of British kids GO to private school. How many Mo Farah’s did we miss? How many Jessica Ennis’ will never be discovered? Think what we could have achieved if we’d fished for talent consistently among the other 93% of British kids.

And that’s what we SHOULD BE DOING in ALL industries, including the TV and film industry: be more consistent about looking for talent everywhere Even so, when Mo Farah is wrapped in the British flag, (Somalian born, raised in Newham); - and when the entire British nation cheers him fanatically, the world intuitively learns more about diversity and tolerance. We show the world that Britain thinks outside the box.

That’s how we changed from an empire based on raw materials and military might; to a cultural power exporting talent and creativity. We don’t steal gold any more. We WIN it. From hard power to soft power. And in terms of soft power, nothing is more powerful than the media.

Only one other country in the world influences what people watch more than us.

In terms of real estate on this earth, we’re a small island.

But in terms of culture we’re a continent.

The Britain I come from is the most successful, diverse, multicultural country on earth. But here’s my point: you wouldn’t know it if you

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turned on the TV. Too many of our creative decisionmakers share the same background. They decide which stories get told, and those stories decide how Britain is viewed. Even to ourselves. Especially to ourselves.

Furthermore, how Britain is viewed on the world stage should concern all of us. It’s all our business. And that’s why everyone should care about our media industry it’s the custodian of our global identity.

But everyone knows British broadcasting these days can be a tough gig. Execs running TV companies, (Hi there) you need to make cash, grab audience, and please Government. And these days you’re in a fight to the death with the streaming people. And the platform people. And the content people. The war never ends.

Technology has turned TV on its head. The audience is now consumer and “commissioner”.

If young people don’t see themselves on TV, they just switch off the TV, and log on.

End of. They create their own channels.

Their own audience. They become their own CEOs. They don’t need us. Because as the experts in the room know, the TV industry is about two things: - the pipes, and what you send down the pipes.

The pipes used to be just the broadcasters. And the broadcasters were the only ones who could send content down the pipes. Now, anyone can send stuff down those pipes. Before, there were only 4 broadcasters.

Now, everyone’s a broadcaster.

A lot of young people never switch on a TV. They’re on their mobiles all day long.

Times are truly changing. The times when TV was the only window to the outside world, are long gone. Kids have windows in their pockets.

diversity of thought.

But what will bring the change we need? Three things: 1. A change of mindset: get all commissioners and content creators to think about diversifying at the beginning of the creative process, not the end.

2. Transparency: friendly competition between broadcasters. See who’s actually doing the best creative diversity.

Benchmark it.

That encourages everyone to do better.

3. A different approach towards risk. The story of Netflix is that risk-taking delivers audiences Let’s be honest. Too often commissioners look at diverse talent, and all they see is risk. Black actors are seen as a commercial risk.

Women directors are seen as a commercial risk. Disabled directors aren’t even seen at

NIGERIAN WATCH 6 - 19 Nov 2015

NEWSWATcH all. In general, if broadcasters want to stay in the game, their commissioners must take more risk with diverse talent.

Now if you’re thinking “who’s he to say all this?”, I asked myself the same question. I asked Oona, actually, “who am I to say all this?!” And she started going on about me being a “British export…” (She was talking about me as if I was a crate of Nigerian Guinness…)

If some people see me as an export, that’s fine, but I only come with my story and my observations. I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not. So what am I? I’m a product of my imagination.

Made in Hackney. Made in Newham.

Made in Dagenham. But above all, made in my mind: Seeing it, thinking it, doing it. I used to fit tyres in Dagenham, now I make films in Hollywood.

And the difference between those two lives comes down to one single word – OPPORTUNITY. By the way, I got my tyrefitting job through a Youth Training Scheme. Good old YTS Schemes, who remembers them in the 80s??

Before that, for a while I went to a school for disabled kids.

I had severe asthma.

I finally got my first break in the creative industries from the Prince’s Trust. Yeah, the good old Prince Charles stepped straight up for me, right in there, well done!

Helped me break into theatre, and from there TV and film.

The Prince’s Trust subsidised my first ever audition for the National Music Youth Theatre. They gave me £1,500, because my parents didn’t have enough money; - there were hardly any black kids there, none of us could afford it. And although back then obviously I never met Prince Charles, we both had one thing in common: We both fell into the same line of work as our parents.

Yeah it just sort of happens… My Dad worked in a car factory, so before I could get work as an actor, I ended up doing night shifts at Ford Dagenham. In fact Ford Dagenham turned out to have more opportunity, and more diversity, than the TV industry I was trying to break into. And without the Prince’s Trust I probably wouldn’t have made it because so many invisible chains can hold you back.

Historically in Britain, you never escaped. If you started at the bottom of the heap, you most likely died at the bottom of the heap. Things started to change inside this incredible building; the building where every British monarch has been crowned since 1066. While I’m on the subject of 1066, I should say my history’s not all that. A long time after I left school, someone explained what the Magna Carta was.

For people in your industry, Magna Carta is the basis of modern democracy: For people in the music industry, Magna Carta is a rap album by friend Jay-Z. So Magna Carta was a peace treaty between the King and the Barons (shout out to the Barons in the room today).

The idea was, the King couldn’t just take things off people on a whim. IT WAS ABOUT THINGS BECOMING FAIRER. It was preceded by the Doomsday book, a big map of Britain which counted up what everybody had.

Back then, King’s always had their eye on everyone else’s stuff. They weren’t sorting out drama auditions for YTS kids… But back to my point: in a funny way, broadcasting needs a Magna Carta. We need to start doing things more fairly. It’s not so much a Peace treaty; more an

“Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t” Opportunity Treaty.

We need to count up what everybody has, see the lay of the land, and see who has which careers in TV? Who makes TV? Who’s allowed ON TV? And when they get the opportunity, which roles do they play, both on and offscreen. Are black people often playing petty criminals?

Are women always playing the love interest or talking about men? Are gay people always stereotyped? Are disabled people hardly ever seen? Do some people have their careers taken away on a whim? Is their talent unfairly ignored?

diversity of thought.

So yeah, back to the box; Back to the stereo-typing.

Take gender stereotyping: “girls love dolls, boys love cars”. Well actually I DO love cars. I’m a stereotypical boy who loves his fast cars.

Yeah, I don’t mind playing Achilles in Troiluss & Cressida, but I’d rather break the land speed record in a Bentley at nearly 200 mph.

Just can’t help it.

And I just have to ask myself, “is it because I’m a man?” (The answer is probably “yes.”)

So women also have to ask themselves a question: When they disappear off our screens over the age of 40, “is it because they’re FEMALE??” (The answer is probably “yes.”) And is that why they always get paid less than their male co-stars?

(The answer is DEFINITELY “yes!”)

That brings me on to Channel 4’s conference on Diversity in the Media. I agreed to speak in Parliament today, because I want to highlight the important discussion taking place tomorrow The CEOs of Channel 4, ITV, and the BBC, are just some of those industry leaders meeting to discuss diversity.

And Channel 4’s research for the conference is really interesting. The headline finding is that British TV is awash with low-level sexism.

The interesting comparison, is that the same figure for low-level racism was only a tenth of that. This means women on TV are 10 times more likely to be treated negatively than black people on TV. That’s crazy, right? I’m not saying you expect black people to be treated worse than women (although God help black women). But as Viola Davies said last year when she became the first-ever black woman to win an Emmy for drama, “you can’t win an Emmy for a role that’s never been written.”

That’s why we need more imagination from our directors, our producers, our casting directors, our writers - especially our writers. So I’m just saying we need to be more aware.

In the 1970s, popular TV programmes like the Black & White Minstrels and Love Thy Neighbour were awash with what you might call “light- hearted racism”. At the time, though, everyone thought it was absolutely fine to go along with it. The same with homophobia. The same with disability.

Well I want to say something very clear to all the women in the TV and film industry, onscreen and offscreen: I don’t think it’s absolutely fine to go along with it. Audiences shouldn’t think it’s absolutely fine to go along with it. Above all: the industry shouldn’t think it’s absolutely fine to go along with it. Instead we need to educate ourselves out of it.

And however far we have to travel ONscreen, we have many more rivers to cross OFFscreen. When we take this problem in the round, this lack of opportunity leads to me being asked the same question again and again.

This is what every young actor asks me: “should I go to America to become a successful actor?”

I’m always in a quandary.

Because it’s not always true that the grass is greener. But the reason I went to America, is because the USA has the most famous diversity policy of all: it’s called the American Dream. The problem is the GAP between the dream and reality. That gap is what Martin Luther King set out to fill with his dream. To champion diversity is to champion the American dream. It’s to say that if you work hard and you have great talent, you will have the same chance as anyone else to succeed. It guarantees no more than that, but that in itself is a golden guarantee.

And I want that guarantee here in Britain. I want that British dream.

The stats show we haven’t had it in the past. In fact we don’t really have it in the present. It’s a shocking fact that only 1.5% of British TV is made by B.A.M.E directors.

But the other thing we haven’t had, is this commitment from those at the very top of broadcasting, combined with the current level of strategy, finance, transparency, and accountability.

This is the new system they’ve put in place, working together within the creative diversity network.

Creative diversity Network.

Yes we are trying to turn a tanker. But the tanker is turning. And we have so many great people to learn from, like Keli Lee at DisneyABC, who has done so much to change the face of American TV. Keli made sure that one of the most powerful people in American TV got their break. That is Shonda Rhymes, and those of you who haven’t heard of her, well you will… - She’s the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal among many other hit shows Shonda isn’t just THE ONLY black woman in America to have her own night on TV (with three hit shows back-to-back on one night). Shonda is the only person in America to have that. She’s done what no one else has. At least partly thanks to Keli. And Keli’s own Diverse Casting Initiative is responsible for a lot of the diverse talent we see onscreen, so it’s great news we’re looking to do something similar in the UK. And now, for the last time - I promise you - back to fast cars… I was surprised to hear, the CAR industry and steel industry combined don’t bring in as much cash to Britain as our creative industries. So let’s make sure our creative industries get all the talent this country has to offer: - whether that talent just walked out of Oxbridge, or off the factory floor.

In conclusion, then, let’s have a bit of a Magna Carta moment in British Broadcasting. Let’s make things fairer. And let’s see

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who’s got what. Luckily we have just the thing. It’s taken British Broadcasting several years to develop, but it’s called Project DIAMOND. For the first time we’ll have hard data across the TV industry on who’s doing exactly what, where, and when.

Let’s take the guesswork out of it. Our broadcasting industry will be the first in the world to have hard data about which groups are locked inside the box. It’ll show us which Broadcasters’ diversity policies work best. Once we know that, we can benchmark progress.

And that’s all I’m asking: let’s make some serious progress. It’s what Lenny Henry and so many others have asked for. In conclusion, these are the things that will bring about change: l being more imaginative in all we do l fishing for talent more consistently across all groups, not just some groups l implementing transparent systems to benchmark what Broadcasters actually do l understanding “risk”, and re-evaluating commercial risk l implementing dozens of targeted policies l If you’re really interested (and I hope you’re ALL really interested), make Channel 4’s Diversity Charter your bedtime reading. Google it.

(It might keep you awake longer than you think!) l Check out what the BBC, Sky, ITV and others are doing to be more diverse.

So my message today is let’s get more professional about this whole area - our economy depends on it; our future depends on it.

Nelson Mandela said “anything difficult always seems impossible until it’s done.” But the good news is, we’re not trying to put a man on the moon. We’re just trying to redesign the face of British TV. And because British TV helps shape our world, and is the window onto our world, this is a debate for everyone.

And yes, let’s make our cultural empire even more successful than our military empire. I’ll leave you with this thought: I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but in the new Star Wars film, isn’t it amazing the princess grows up to be a General??!

Seriously: let that sink in: the princess grows up to be a General! That’s all I’m asking for some proper imagination, untold stories, the road less travelled.

Let’s think outside the box. In fact let’s smash the box. Given we’re in London let’s "MASH the box." G’wan, mash it up! Lords, Ladies and gentlemen, officers of the Empire, and any princesses, Thank you for listening!

For more information on Creative Diversity Network visit; http://creative diversitynetwork.com/

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BY OBAH IYAMU

raINbow ColoUrs The new craze is about colours and indeed rainbows of colours, from stripes to paint splatters.

Every designer worth their salt is showing this trend on everything, from bespoke tailorings to accessories and we are putting our money on this trend. A clever way to style this is to add a crisp white pallet, pulling you out from the clown costume territory to high fashion knowhow.

Take cue from the streets and keep your colours effortlessly coordinated. Pick stripes that flatter you figure or show your loyalty with belts, shoes or scarves.

mUm JEaNs Move over skinny jeans.

Yes, we know how we can't do without our skinnies, but if you are not going to be stuck in a rut then a good pair of mum jeans is your road to jeans freedom. Channel the new, or should we say old?, craze in our denim life – as if we don’t need an excuse to hide those lumps and bumps we get from the modern rise in our jeans – this saving grace has a huge following and I totally covet it. However you decide to wear yours keep it fresh for 2016, I'd actually wear mine with a fluid blouse now and cuff the ankles in the warmer months.

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Fortnight

FashionWATCH Certainly, the fashion world has seen no shortage of trends come, go and come again and dressing for seasons has slowly become expendable, so when you pick colours in the cold you are evidently a cool chic

NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

whaT To sEE aNd do oVEr ThE NExT

14 days...

ma rainey, mother of the blues, uses every trick in the book to fight her record producers for control of her music. hardened by years of illtreatment and bad deals, she’s determined that ‘black bottom’, the song that bears her name, will be recorded her way.

26 Jan - 18 May, Evening performances 7.15pm, matinees 2.15pm days vary. Tickets from £15.

National Theatre, South Bank SE1 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

ma raINEy's blaCk boTTom ThEaTrE

Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road WC2H www.branaghtheatre.com

a Tale of Two Cities: a night of hip-hop and poetry The rolling stone Dembe and Sam have been seeing each other for a while, but they're gay and this is Uganda. The consequences of their relationship being discovered will be explosive especially for Dembe, whose brother goes into the pulpit each week to denounce the evils of mutual male love.

Ongoing until 20 Feb, Matinees Thurs & Sat 2.30pm, evenings 7.30pm. From £20.

Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence Street, Richmond, TW9 www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk

red Velvet

Bringing together young poets, Hip-Hop artists and filmmakers from across London to share their stories of the city. This evening provides the chance to release the tensions that come with the daily struggle of (just about) surviving in the city.

30 Jan, 8pm Rich Mix 35-47 Bethnal Green Road E1 www.richmix.org.uk

Can I start again Please?

A beautiful, meditative and moving performance that investigates childhood trauma and, ultimately, how we might find techniques to cope.

6 - 7 Feb, 2pm Tickets £14 Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road SE1 www.southbankcentre.co.uk

FIlm The Price of memory Presenting the powerful case for social and economic reparations for slavery in Jamaica. Shot over 10 years, the film incorporates extensive research and a rich array of contemporary footage.

Set in the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, in 1833, a young black American actor has been asked to take over the lead role in Othello after the original actor collapses on stage. But as the public riot in the streets over the abolition of slavery, how will the cast, critics and audience react to the revolution taking place in the theatre?

Ongoing until 27 Feb, 7.30pm evening performances, 2.30pm Wed & Sat matinees.

Tickets from £35.

Screening followed by discussion.

30 Jan, 2pm.Tickets £6.

BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road SE1 https://whatson.bfi.org.uk

soulmate A Christian journey into the realities facing single African American women. A deeply personal portrait revealing the trials, and triumphs of women, the desire for sexual intimacy, men on the “down low”, the ticking biological clock and the uncertainty of the future.

13 Feb, 7pm. Tickets £10 Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham Green N15 www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk

ExhIbTIoNs red africa Comprising an exhibition, film screenings, talks and events exploring the legacy of the cultural relationships between Africa and the Soviet Bloc that flourished during the Cold War. 4 Feb - 3 Apr, 12pm - 6pm, Wed — Sun. Calvert 22, 22 Calvert Avenue E2 http://calvert22.org/redafrica

‘sand In my Eyes: sudanese moments’

Presenting very different images to those one might expect from Sudan, Enikö Nagy has spent several years collecting everyday moments – in photography and spoken word – from over 45 tribes and ethnic groups across 30,000km of Sudan in some

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NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

of the hardest-to-access regions of the world.

Ongoing until 19 Mar, 10.30am - 5pm.

Brunei Gallery, SOAS University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square WC1 www.soas.ac.uk

robel Temesgen: adbar New paintings and works inspired by the longstanding Ethiopian belief of adbar and its associated rituals. ‘adbar’ refers to the embodiment of protective spirits within various elements of the natural landscape, such as lakes, mountains, rocks or trees.

loNdoN’s goT TalENT alter Ego 2016 Final Featuring performances by headline acts Ghetts, Rude Kid and Paigey Cakey, alongside the best talent that young Hackney has to offer; singers, dancers and rappers, who will all be competing for the title 'Alter Ego 2016'.

This year's finalists are Aysia Edwards, Rio-Cavelle Phillips, Jessica Fernandes, Urban Vinyls, Josh Tenor, City

Academy Choir, Katie Wilson, Steppaz and Princess Olowogboye.

5 Feb, 7.30pm. Advance tickets £4.

boroughs United 2016 Young London's liveliest talent showcase & #enoughisenough peace campaign. Dedicated to the memory of Marcel Addai and every young person lost

through youth violence.

Bringing together young singers, rappers, emcees and dance troupes from across London's 33 boroughs and beyond in celebration of the positive contributions young people make to our society everyday.

14 Feb, 5pm Tickets £6.

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St E8 www.hackneyempire.co.uk

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St E8 www.hackneyempire.co.uk

mUsIC afrobeat Vibration

basketmouth Valentines Uk Tour 2016

Dele Sosimi marathon live session with Femi Eilias, Olakunle Olofinjana and DJ Koichi Sakai.

Basketmouth in Concert with Olamide; Lil Kesh, Adekunle Gold: YBNL. And comedians including: Okey Bakassi; Buchi; Salvador; Funnybone; Acapella and Bowjoint The concert is an annual initiative aimed at promoting African Arts & supporting the AfroCarribean Societies within UK universities.

14 Feb, 11pm. Tickets from £25 Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street W6 www.coko bar.com

Ongoing - 6 Feb, 11am - 6pm.

FREE Tiwani Contemporary, 16 Little Portland Street W1 www.tiwani.co.uk

african routes

philosophical journey of artists from Africa.

Nine artists, including works from members of the collective Nigerian Art Society UK, Toni Ndikanwu, Chike Azuonye, Hassan Aliyu and Raymond Soko, show works that contribute to the personal, physical, and

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Ongoing until 6 Feb. Tues – Fri: 10am - 6pm, Sat: 11am – 5pm. FREE Lacey Contemporary Gallery, 8 Clarendon Cross W11 www.laceycontemporarygalle ry.co.uk

daNCE live Vibe: generations

Hakeem ‘Mr Impact’ Onibudo welcomes you to a celebration of hip hop, street and African-inspired dance including; Ace Youth, BirdGang, Boadicea, CAOS Fly No Filter, Impact FFI, Impact Youth, Jack Pointer Mackenzie, Myself UK,North Africa Dynamics, Urdang Academy, Rapture, SoH! and Zoonation Youth.

6 Feb, 7.30pm. Tickets from £10.

Peacock Theatre www.sadlerswells.com

ComEdy stephen k amos Feel-good comedy, as heard on BBC Radio 4 Life: An Idiot’s Guide and What Does the K Stand For? 13 Feb, 7.30pm. Tickets £20.

30 Jan, 9pm. Tickets £10.

The Forge, 3-7 Delancey St NW1 www.forgevenue.org

massive attack Touring for the first time in over five years, with Young Fathers in support.

3 Feb, 7pm. Tickets from £25 O2 Academy Brixton, 211 Stockwell Road SW9 www.academy musicgroup.com

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Dugdale Centre, Enfield, EN2 www.projectacei.org

dele sosimi appearing at the Forge see music listings

mark kirk quartet Live Jazz from Los Angeles Trombonist Mark Kirk leads his quartet through cool R&B rhythms fusing Jazz with a Latin and reggae tinge along the way.

5 Feb, 9pm. FREE The Ship, 499 High Road, Tottenham N17 www.haringey.gov.uk

makeba

A fresh new take on emerging art and music from the African Diaspora, hosted by the incomparable Ola the Comedian.

9 Feb, 8pm. Tickets £5.

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd E1 makeba.co.uk

london remixed Festival A celebration of the best emerging musical talent from Global London, with Latin Grooves, Afrobeats, Tropical Bass and Urban Roots, including; Movimientos,

NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

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North london’s got Talent Raising money for North London Hospice competition open to talented individuals with cash prizes for the winners, categories are; Comedy, Community events, Music and Theatre and dance.

Numbiyan Twist, K.O.G. & The Zongo Brigade, Native Sun, Baldo Verdu & Tonto Malembe amongst the 25 acts performing over two days.

5 - 6 Feb, from 8pm.

Various venues, see website for ticket details. londonremixedfestival.com

oThEr aswa: let's Talk business Workshops run by special guest entrepreneurs, thought provoking discussions and a FREE screening of the hardhitting 7AM Documentary, the first in-depth documentary focusing on black socioeconomics.

30 Jan, 10 am - 5pm. FREE. Registration required.

London College of Communication, Elephant & Castle SE1 www.instagram.com/aswauk

6 Feb Artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley N12 Contact fbarry@northlondonhospice.c o.uk for details.

west africa: word, symbol, song short film workshop Led by Daniel Onyia, a British film-maker of Nigerian heritage working with storytelling, photography, sound and music, to develop a film around the themes and content in British Library exhibition.

Prosepective participants need to email Ann-Lise Fotso, at The Africa Centre on events@africacentre.org.uk

by Monday 25 February 2016. www.bl.uk/events/westafrica-word-symbol-song

ICsN general house meet-up

5 Feb, 10 am - 2pm. FREE

BEHIND THE SCENES

with Lace Mamen

aIrklIPz-The Nigerian Uk Naz & you as africans , our music africans. americans and the know ya boy “bro, seems to have lost touch with Uk do it but why not africans? bTs boys are on the scene, bringing you the hottest interviews from the people making it happen in the Uk african entertainment scene. we also find out ways that the scene can be improved. I caught up with a guy I worked with years ago, airklipz, aka Uk Nigerian

Naz, because of his conscious lyrics on everything concerning his people. so, 2016 bTs interview and even before we sat down, first thing airklipz told me was:

our struggles.” airklipz started doing music in Nigeria at a tender age; he then went to live in the Usa where he said he got his today’s perspective. “I saw black struggle in america, and this made me. as a british born, I came back here to live and I realised everyone’s black struggle is different and Uk africans do not talk about it in their music. besides FEla we have had nobody who talks about our struggles. The recognized promoters and others at the top are only interested in ‘shaking ass and spending money music’ - but that is not even 50% of an african story. “we are not doing or saying what we need to be saying or looking at as Nigerians or

my music is directed at mind education and awareness of your surroundings. I have just come from Nigeria where it seems like things are moving forward but they are not, it’s the same ol’ - no infrastructure , no electricity, no roads but more corruption! In october I’m releasing an album of my own and also for a group I mentor called 4ma. I got a video out now called balance – airklipz ft bingx. also out is my current mixtape called The subliminal. I will also be releasing a single soon called war business (the remix) with lace mamen.

Check airklipz out on airklipz@bandcamp.com

BTS gets it in with Amy osabohien, cEo Amy media/blogger/ model/ Host and Presenter on power extra Radio uK

International zero Tolerance to Fgm day Bringing together agencies supporting communities affected with FGM and domestic and sexual violence in Enfield, aiming to see an end to violence against women and girls.

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Networking, socialising, debates and games every second Sunday of the month.

13 Feb, 6pm - 9pm. From £5.

Score Centre, 100 Oliver Road E10 www.icsn.co.uk

wEsT aFrICa: word, symbol,soNg There’s one month to go before the British Library’s West Africa exhibition, Word, Symbol, Song comes to an end. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience over 1,000 years of literature and music from the great African empires of the Middle Ages to the cultural dynamism of the region today.

Events accompanying the based band Yaaba Funk with the arts in the fight for exhibition include; their infectious highlife-led environmental justice in West art, literature and dance grooves, with Larry Africa and beyond.

Environmental Justice Achiampong DJing.

5 Feb, 6pm - 8.30pm. Tickets The role of arts in the fight for 12 Feb, 7.30pm - 11.55pm. £8 environmental justice in West Tickets £20 late at the library: ghana Africa and beyond beats wole soyinka in A panel including writer Helon Playing a full live set will be conversation Habila, artists Sokari Douglas A wide-ranging conversation the incredible Ghanaian duo Camp and Michael McMillan, with Wole Soyinka and Olusola FOKN Bois (below) - Wanlov designer Jon Daniel and Oyeleye. the Kubolor and fellow emcee artist-campaigner Suzanne 5 Feb, 6.30pm - 8pm.

M3NSA, joined by Brixton Dhaliwal discuss the role of

Tickets £12 Ongoing until 16 Feb 2016, Mon, Fri: 9.30am - 6pm, Tue, Wed, Thu : 9.30am - 8pm, Sat: 9.30am - 5pm, Sun: 11.00am - 5pm.

Admission £10.00; Under 18: Free British Library,96 Euston Rd NW1 www.bl.uk

Finding inspirational ladies in the Niche sector of Uk african entertainment is not as hard as you might think. The difficulty is finding the real ones that can inspire others as opposed to the too-gassed to hustle kinds. They don’t come realer

than the successful, intelligent, radio presenter, blogger, host, presenter and plus size model amy osabohien. bTs boys took amy for a game of pool and a chat as we do and trust me it wasn’t so hard as she was sooo much fun. we took it from 0 to 100 on amy’s rise, her plans for 2016, inspiration and advice for the ladies. born in the Uk, grew up in Nigeria, moved back to the Uk a few years ago, amy studied business information systems at University of East london, this was her academic choice and not by parental pressure (I am starting to think only african dudes parents want to pick careers for them, haha). amy came from Nigeria and found her close friend barbara amelia was modelling. “she was a size 10 but I was a plus size,” recalls amy. “I wanted to model, so I trained hard on how to be comfortably naked in front of people - that’s the business. The problem is not that you are a plus size model, it’s more about confidence. I did a lot of Freelance shots to get comfortable with my weight. once I was comfortable, jobs started coming in from websites I was a part of. I did the mahogany bridal show, adidas, music videos and afrodite hair presentation which led to a presentation opportunity from a video producer. I discov-

ered that when you have confidence, it shows. Now I have it, I want to give it to all the plus size models out there.

bEhINd ThE sCENEs hEaT ToP 5 Video’s of the week wretch 32 & avelino ft sneakbo and moelogo - The 15th oluwa shimzie ft big Tobz - hustle on my lonely kC Pozzy - who gave you That airklipz ft bingz - balance maleek berry ft sneakbo - For my People Send your music videos to info@btsbehindthescenes.com to be considered for our video of the week.

“I was schooling, working and modelling. Then I started a blog for african news, fashion, reviews, events and politics. I got an opportunity with the owners of Power extra radio station from planning stages and in 2016 april, I will be celebrating 2 years on air a radio presenter. on my radio show I play afro beats music, discuss fashion, entertainment and relationships.

“2016 is busy for me, I am doing a Plus size modelling reality show with sky, a plus size magazine with alice, presenting a TV styling show and being the face of zuware couture clothing and Jewellery.

Then in the last quarter of 2016, I will be working in Nigeria on a female empowerment programme. my plan is developing amy media.” should you have a song to promote or anything you feel amy can help you with? Contact her at amymediablog.com on that note I’m potting the black ball and moving this party a little nearer to the dancefloor.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

SPORTSWATcH

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GIFTS

BOOKS

FUELLING THE DELTA FIRES Based on the real life situation in Nigeria's Niger Delta, Fuelling the Delta Fires is an expose and action adventure novel revealing why there is turmoil in the world's sixth largest crude oil exporter.

AVAIALBLE NOW AT: amazon.co.uk, chapters.indigo.com, waterstones.com, authorhouse.co.uk, barnesandnoble.com whsmiths.co.uk and borders.com For those in Nigeria Ring Peter Agbor of walahi.com on (234)805 361 0533 Paperback £9.30 Hardback £13.60 E-book £2.60

REPARTIATION

mUsa hEads PrEm waNTEd lIsT As the transfer window sets to close English Premier League clubs are looking to beef up their squads with Nigerian talent.

Struggling Premiership giants Manchester United have joined the race to sign Super Eagles skipper Ahmed Musa after league leaders Leicester City had a £15.1m bid for the winger rejected by his Russian club CSKA Moscow.

With the European transfer window open until January 31, clubs across the continent are intensifying their efforts to sign several players over the weekend.

Leicester, who are the surprise leaders of the Premiership, were hoping to strengthen their title credentials by bringing in the pacey Musa to play upfront alongside their leading goalscorer Jamie Vardie and fellow African winger Riyad Mahrez of Algeria.

Musa, 23, currently has a $32.5m (£22.8m) buyout clause in his CSKA contract, which runs until 2019, meaning that any club which bids for this amount can have him.

Leicester City is expected to return with an improved bid for the player who has scored 10 goals in 29 games this

season and 11 times in 56 appearances for Nigeria.

However, Manchester United, who are struggling in the league are said to have entered the fray with a bid of their own. It is believed that the Old Trafford side have got in touch with Musa's London agency but the full details of the bid have not been disclosed.

Leicester, however, remain in the driving seat and the club is expected to make another bid to CSKA Moscow within the next 40 hours. Last year, CSKA offered Musa a new contract which lasts until 2019, making acquiring his signature very costly.

Meanwhile, Newcastle, Everton, Swansea and Werder Bremen all interested in Super Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi, who is currently out of favour with his Italian club Lazio. It is believed that the Serie A side are ready to sell the anchorman, who has just returned from injury, to the highest bidder.

Italian news outlet Calciomercato reported that Lazio value Onazi at £5.3m, adding that Lazio president Claudio Lotito will allow Onazi, 23, to leave the club this month, if the price is

right.

London rivals Crystal Palace and West Ham are vying to sign Fernebahce striker Emmanuel Emenike. Last week, the Hammers made an offer to take the 28-year-old on loan with the view to a permanent transfer in the summer but their fellow Londoners known as the Eagles have decided to enter the fray too. Palace boss Alan Pardew wants another option up-front as he could lose Connor Wickham for three matches after he was charged by the FA with violent conduct.

Emenike, who was of interest to Tottenham several years ago, has been playing on loan in Dubai for Al Ain and Hammers boss Slaven Bilic knows him from his time in charge of Besiktas in Turkey.

Finally, Super Falcons' Asisat Oshoala is close to joining Women Super League side, Arsenal Ladies, after Liverpool Ladies reluctantly accepted an offer for the player. The Gunners have activated a release clause in the Super Falcons' striker contract with the Reds and the transfer will be completed after the 21year-old receives a work permit ahead of the 2016 season.

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maraThoN world rECord From page 24 This record means so much to me. My health was really deteriorating and the doctors continuously told me I had to change my lifestyle. All I wanted was to lose weight but the more I pushed myself the more I wanted. Running the Seven continents twice and becoming the first Nigerian to run all Seven Continents and the North Pole to top it up with a GWR means so much.

“When I was a child, my parents bought every copy of the Guinness World Records that was published. I remember saying to myself that one day that will be me.”

An accountant by profession and mother to four boys currently living in Qatar, Morgan began her record-breaking journey with a desire to change her unhealthy lifestyle, having ballooned from 63kg to 121kg.

“Prior to getting married, I was a slim woman with an average weight of 63 kg,” recalls Tee. “However, with each child came an addition to my weight and by January 2008, I stared regretfully at my 121 kg/Size 26 (UK) frame! Over the years, I had developed an unhealthy lifestyle and relationship with food. This seriously affected my health and I lived with constant pain in my legs due to the weight I had gained.

“I decided then that it was time to make a change. Joining a gym was my first positive decision. I started walking on the treadmill and as soon as I could run a 5 k on the treadmill, I went outdoors and started running on the road. I am very proud to say that I have since completed 44 full marathons in 34 countries, plus two Ultra marathon 50 km.”

But that’s not the end of the road for Tee, who plans to run more marathons and attempt to win more records.

“I fully intend to run hundreds marathons in lots of countries and continue to meet new people and inspire them. I know I want more Guinness World Records titles.

“I want to attempt a record in cycling: Fastest journey from Land's End to John-O'-Groats by bicycle (female) and one day Fastest circumnavigation by bicycle (female). That will require a lot of commitment and focus but am mentally preparing myself.”

When she runs each marathon, Morgan raises funds for the National Black Marathoners Association – an organisation which encourages black youth to pursue track and field activities and awards scholarships to college students. She is also the co-founder of a group called Women Encouraging Women to live healthily. You can follow Morgan’s fitness journey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeeMorgans-Fitness-Adventures

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NIGERIAN WATCH 29 Jan - 11 Feb 2016

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INsIdE

Premiership transfer dash to land Nigerian talents

SportsWATCH

mARATHon RunnER SETS TWo WoRld REcoRdS

Nigeria's Tuedon “Tee” Omatsola Morgan has entered the Guinness Book of World Records TWICE for her amazing feats of marathon running.

First for setting the fastest time to run a half marathon on each continent (female), completing seven races in a mindblowing time of 10 days, 23 hr, 37 min and 8 seconds.

At 42 years old, Tee finished (in order) the Carlton Classic Half Marathon (Australia), Abu Dhabi Striders Half Marathon (Asia), Torcy International Half Marathon (Europe), The Carthage Race Half Marathon (Africa), Lincoln’s Birthday Half Marathon (North America), Southern Cross Half Marathon (South America), and Penguin Half Marathon (Antarctica).

And second for setting the fastest time to complete a half marathon on each continent and the North Pole (female), with 62 days 12 hr 58 min 49 sec.

Indeed when Tee competed in the polar marathon she became the first Nigerian to reach the North Pole, as we reported at the time.

On being notified that she had entered the Guinness Book of World Records, Tee told Nigerian Watch, “My hands were shaking and I felt tears down my cheeks. Turn to page 23

lEFT: In receipt of two world records dubai Jan 21st rIghT: Completing The Penguin half marathon antarctica

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