FLYafrica Magazine, Issue 7

YOUR COMPLIMENTARY COPY

Touching Africa, Touching The World!

FLYafrica Arrivée à Abidjan ISSUE 7

FEB -APRIL 2020

AWA NOW FLYING TO COTE D’IVOIRE’S BUSINESS CAPITAL

PAGE 35

THE AWESOME OFFICES OF SPACEFINISH PAGE 11

FUSE ODG’S GHANAIAN ROOTS

COMPETITION

WIN

Hilburi hotel break for two

Contents PAGE 26

THE PICK OF PARIS 10 activities to try

Regulars

Features

3 Foreword

10 Vida e Caffe

6 AWAworld

11 Fuse ODG

Africa World Airlines Head Office - SSNIT Emporium Ground Floor, Airport City Liberation Road PMB CT67 Cantonment Accra, Ghana Tel: +233 24 243 8888 Toll Free: 0800 200 200 Email: awaoffice@flyafricaworld.com www.flyAfricaWorld.com FLYafrica Magazine is published for Africa World Airlines by: Land & Marine Publications Ltd 1 Kings Court, Newcomen Way Severalls Business Park Colchester, Essex CO4 9RA United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1206 752902 Email: publishing@landmarine.com www.landmarine.com ADVERTISING: Matthew Jay, Sales Manager Tel: +44 (0)1206 752902 Cell: +44 (0)7714 448057 (WhatsApp) Email: flyafrica@landmarine.org The contents and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor, or any other organisation associated with this publication. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in preparing the magazine, the Publisher and Africa World Airlines assume no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies or omissions.

All submitted material is accepted on the understanding that the material can be edited, amended or abridged for publication.

AWA arrives in Abidjan

8 STARdestination

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s largest city

Ghanaian gifts for your Valentine

FLYafrica competition

A look inside this Lagos bolthole for literature, live music and lush food

25 Paris

22 EATafrica

Young photographer’s work is a celebration of the joy and hope in everyday Ghana

19 Jazzhole

18 WINafrica

Musician is building schools and organising festivals in his spiritual home, Ghana

14 Michael Aboya

7 INSIDER information

Fast-track your food before your flight

The Pastry Corner Bakery in Lagos

AWA’s partnership with Ethiopian Airlines opens up the City of Lights to passengers

35 Spacefinish

28 TECHcorner

30 AWAworld extra

40 Eight reasons to visit Liberia

Time-saving tech

Nigerian playwright Inua Ellams

Innovative Nigerian office space design team make going to work fun

With its troubles firmly in the past, this country is an attractive option for the traveller

32 STAYafrica

Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra

38 INVESTMENT market review

AWA Information 4 AWAnews 45 AWAroutes

Subscribe to FLYafrica

Email: subscribe@landmarine.org

46 TRAVELinformation 48 AWAcontacts

©2020 Land & Marine Publications Ltd

Book online

flyAfricaWorld.com FLYafrica

1

Foreword Connect with AWA

Welcome

Facebook

www.facebook.com/ flyafricaworld

Twitter

@flyafricaworld

NEW YEAR HERALDS ARRIVAL IN ABIDJAN

Instagram

@flyafricaworld

Dear passengers, Let me start by wishing all our valued

carriers of Burkina Faso and Cape

AWA passengers a happy new year. It

Verde respectively. Under these

is my great pleasure to welcome you

partnerships, passengers from

onboard your AWA flight and to the

our partner airline networks can

latest edition of FLYafrica, our inflight

connect seamlessly on a single

magazine.

ticket on AWA’s services to

After a successful 2019 in which our airline was garlanded with a string

and from Nigeria, as well as to domestic points within Ghana.

of prestigious awards, including the

Building on our award for “Best

Routes Africa Airline Excellence Award

Passenger Experience” at the

for Innovation and Capacity Growth,

2019 AviaTour Awards, we

the new year has begun with a 10th

have also established a new service

destination, Abidjan, being added to

together with leading coffee shop

the AWA West African network and a

brand Vida e Caffe that allows our

new inter-airline partnership being set

domestic passengers to pre-order

up that increases the reach of seamless

a choice of snacks and drinks from

international travel for our passengers.

a special menu for pickup at Accra

The six weekly flights to Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire, have been a long time coming, but we are

Terminal 2 prior to their flight. We hope to roll this service out to our other markets in due course.

delighted to offer our loyal business

Thanks for choosing to explore the

travellers such an important market to

West African region with us today..

travel to from our Accra hub.

After similar interline partnerships with Brussels Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and others; AWA has teamed up with Air Burkina and Cabo Verde Airlines, the national

Michael C. Luo Chief Executive Officer Africa World Airlines

Book online

flyAfricaWorld.com FLYafrica

3

AWAnews We team up with Air Burkina and Cabo Verde Airlines

AWA arrives in Abidjan AWA passengers will be feeling the love on Valentine’s Day this year as 14 February marks the airline launching flights to Abidjan, its 10th destination across its West Africa network.

We will be offering six weekly flights each way between Accra and Abidjan, the world’s two largest cocoa producing countries. Passengers will also benefit with convenient onward connections to and from Lagos, Abuja, Freetown, and Monrovia through AWA’s hub at Accra’s new Terminal 3.

“Abidjan is an important market for business travellers from Accra,” said Togbe Afede XIV, Founder and Co-Chairman of AWA. “We have developed a reputation for providing safe, reliable, and affordable air transportation. This new route will permit us to introduce our awardwinning services to travellers in Côte d’Ivoire as well.”

All flights will operate using our Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft, offering the convenience and speed of a jet with the guarantee of no uncomfortable middle seats.

Flights leave Accra on Fridays at 2.50 pm and arrive in Abidjan at 3.45 pm.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays flights leave Accra at 6.25 pm before landing in Abidjan at 7.20 pm. Leaving from Abidjan, flights on Friday take off at 4.15 pm and arrive in Accra at 5.10 pm. The Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday flights leave Abidjan at 7.25 am and land in Accra at 8.20 am.

All flights offer quick and seamless connections in Accra to and from Lagos, Abuja, Freetown, Monrovia and domestic points in Ghana.

Check out the Star Destination feature on pages 8 and 9 for tips on what to see and do during your trip to Abidjan.

AWA passengers can now enjoy seamless connections through its airport hub in Accra with the West African network of destinations served

by Air Burkina SA, the national carrier of Burkina Faso, thanks to a new interline partnership. The agreement gives Air Burkina passengers the same stress-free connection – a single ticket and one-time bag check-in – when flying between Accra and Lagos, Abuja and Abidjan, as well as domestic points within Ghana.

Similarly, passengers can connect seamlessly on a single ticket between AWA and Cabo Verde Airlines (CVA) flights at Lagos, with onward connection to their respective hubs in Accra and Sal, and beyond.

Air Burkina operates a fleet of modern Embraer E-Jets on a network of nine destinations in West Africa and the Sahel region, serving countries such as Togo, Benin, Mali, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Ghana from Ouagadougou airport in Burkina Faso.

CVA flies to domestic points in Cape Verde and also from Sal to Lisbon, Paris, Milan and Rome (Europe); Boston and Washington DC (USA); and to the Brazilian cities of Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, and Salvador.

These partnerships add to similar agreements that AWA has with Brussels Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways and others which have given passengers seamless access to a host of destinations worldwide.

HOW TO BOOK Passengers can book flights online by visiting flyAfricaWorld.com and using the ‘Book A Flight’ function. You can then choose your flight, book your seats and select your payment method. AWA offers various methods of payment for customers in Ghana and Nigeria including debit/credit card, MTN Mobile Service (Ghana only), Quickteller (Nigeria only) and bank transfer. For detailed information, check out our website.

Book online 4

flyAfricaWorld.com

Telephone bookings can be made by calling +233 24 243 8888 or our

Toll free number:

0800 200 200

AWAworld

A round-up of West Africa news and events

Former Miss Ghana UK competitor looking for love on TV

The Year of Return sees more visitors than ever to Ghana

The procession of bikinis, buff bodies and backbiting that is UK TV phenomenon Love Island will feature a contestant of Ghanaian heritage in its latest series.

When Ghana President Nana AkufoAddo declared 2019 as the Year of Return to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of African

Leanne Amaning, a former Miss Ghana UK competitor, is among the singletons who will arrive at the Love Island villa in South Africa in January in the hope of finding their perfect partner.

The 22-year-old was born and raised in London, but she is of Ashanti heritage and recently spent time in Ghana. It seems she had a great time with a recent post on her Instagram site (@leanneamaning) saying she is “never coming home”.

She may be one of the contestants best suited to the see through the mind games and “mug-offs” (cheating – the island has its vernacular) as she graduated with distinction from the University of Nottingham, in the UK, with a master’s degree in occupational psychology.

As to what kind of man she hopes to find – and ultimately share the £50,000 (US$65,000) prize for the winning couple with – Amaning says she wants “Someone who is rugged and manly, not anyone with a pretty face. I also want someone loyal and trustworthy.” Turn-offs include “Someone sensitive, boring or rude. I’m good with banter but if someone is too rude, I don’t like it.”

Good luck, Leanne! For more details, visit itv.com/loveisland

slaves in America it is unlikely he could not have foreseen the scale of the effect it would have.

Not only have unprecedented numbers from the African diaspora visited Ghana, some of them have stayed for good.

Americans arriving in Ghana increased by 26 per cent to their highest ever rate between January and September 2019. The number of visitors from other countries also shot up with a 24 per cent rise from the UK, 22 per cent from Germany, 10 per cent from South Africa and 14 per cent from Liberia.

All told, Ghana reportedly issued 800,000 visas this year. By December, it was being reported that border agents were running out of visa stickers. Akwasi Agyeman, chief executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority, said applications to

The White House from Washington, DC / Public domain

Duro Oluwu

6

London-based, Nigerian-born fashion designer Duro Oluwu is well known for having a very discerning clientele, with A-list clients including former First Lady Michelle Obama, musician and Beyoncé’s sister Solange Knowles, actress Uma Thurman and model Linda Evangelista.

They are sure to be delighted that the winner of the Best International Designer Award at the 2009 African Fashion Awards has chosen as his latest muse French style icon Françoise Gilot. The 98-year-old is

perhaps most famous for a 10-year relationship with Pablo Picasso, but she is also a very talented painter, art critic and author. Olowu came across a recently reissued collection of sketches inspired by her travels in India, Senegal and Italy and drew from them in his new work.

The results are softer in palette than Olowu’s signature rich, saturated hues, but, as ever, effortlessly elegant.

For more information, visit duroolowu.com

INSIDER information Valentine’s special

Truba7113 / Shutterstock.com

Valentine’s Day is approaching and FLYafrica has selected a range of Ghanaian gifts for that special someone in your life.

enter Ghana had vaulted from around 1,000 per week to 10,000, with the majority of applications from Americans.

CHALE SOCKS Chale Socks believe fashion starts with the feet and its vibrant range of adinkra-inspired socks are super stylish. The Gye Nyame Collection, made from the finest combed cotton, is the ultimate sock gift for gentlemen with the Gye Nyame symbol (it stands for supremacy of the creator) masterfully embroidered on the ankle of each sock.

Visit: chalesocks.com Box set of 5 pairs: US$ 60 Single pair: US$ 13 ODARA Odara sells beautiful limited design ethnic jewellery.

This Floating Stones of Love neck-piece with earrings is perfect for gifting to your loved one.

Visit: odarasite.com US$ 560

The promotion has been boosted by the support of a number of celebrities.

Among those who have visited Ghana this year are US rapper Cardi B, model Naomi Campbell, chat show host Conan O’Brien, actors Rosario Dawson and Idris Elba and British-Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG (for more on his passionate support of his homeland, see the feature on pages 11 to 13 in this edition of FLYafrica).

The Year of Return was also unwittingly boosted by the words of perhaps the most prominent American of all: President Donald Trump.

In July, 2019, he tweeted that a group of Democratic congresswomen of colour, including US citizen Ilhan Omar, who arrived in the country as a Somali refugee, should “go back [to the] places from which they came”.

The following month Omar was able to respond with pictures posted of her and US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi at former slave fortress the Cape Coast Castle on Ghana’s coast. “So grateful for the honour to return to Mother Africa,” Omar tweeted.

In 2019, over a million visitors to Ghana were able to say the same.

NICHE CHOCOLATES Made with 100 per cent Ghana cocoa and with a smooth exquisite texture, Niche chocolate bars for someone you are sweet on. There are 12 varieties to choose from, including the brand new coconut flavour.

Visit: nichecocoa.com Single bar US$ 1.50 STUDIO BADGE If you are going to be cooking for your loved one on Valentine’s make sure the meal is framed to its best with a Studio Badge platter.

They are made from Ghanaian wood or concrete and look as good as (we hope) your food tastes.

Visit: studiobadge.com Merley wood platter US$ 102

57 CHOCOLATE Nothing says Valentine’s and Ghana like chocolate and this artisanal chocolate company has been producing bean-tobar Accra chocolate for four years. The cute gift boxes made them the perfect present.

Visit: 57chocolategh.com Gift pack of six chocolate bars: US$ 25

FLYafrica

7

STAR DESTINATION

Abidjan

The skyline of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s largest city and economic capital, is dominated by the gleaming skyscrapers of commercial district the Plateau, which loom over the Ébrié Lagoon. However, dip deeper and the city reveals a tapestry of characterful suburbs where Abidjan’s true heart beats. Here you’ll find one of the liveliest night scenes in West Africa, vibrant markets, traditional Senufo art, wonderful street food and golden beaches. With AWA making Abidjan the 10th destination in its West Africa network with six weekly flights each way between the city and Accra, there’s never been a better time to visit.

8

freeejournalist / Shutterstock.com

Agre guy thony roger / Shutterstock.com

LAGOON LIFE Abidjan’s commercial district

TRAVEL: From 14 February,

architectural ingenuity, but

band ensembles for its arty

AWA will be scheduling six

St Paul’s Cathedral, which

crowd.

weekly flights between its hub

dominates one of the Plateau’s

in Accra and Félix Houphouët

highest points, still stands out.

Boigny International Airport, in

It cost US$ 12 million to build

Abidjan. All flights will operate

and is fronted by an enormous

using our Embraer ERJ-145 jets.

concrete cross that appears

Flights leave Accra on Fridays at 2.50 pm and arrive in Abidjan at 3.45 pm. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays flights leave Accra at 6.25 pm before landing in Abidjan at 7.20 pm.

Leaving from Abidjan, flights on Friday take off at 4.15 pm and arrive in Accra at 5.10 pm. The Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday flights leave Abidjan at 7.25 am and land in Accra at 8.20 am.

SEE: For beaches, the palm-

behind it. For a donation, you can explore the arena-like interior and walk the steps to the top for fantastic views of the city.

The Senufo, the people of northern Côte d’Ivoire, have one of the richest craft traditions in Africa with their weaved cloth techniques and their painted masks, which are said to have inspired Picasso’s move into Cubism. You can find examples of their work at art outlets across the city, including Musée

fringed stretch in Grand-

Municipal d’Art Contemporai

Bassam, about 40km east of

and Le Centre Artisanal de la

Abidjan, is the most picturesque

Ville d’Abidjan (CAVA).

and popular and you can also wander the town’s old Quartier France, once the nation’s capital, which is full of faded French colonial homes and the interesting National Museum of Costumes. However, the undertow here should dissuade all but the strongest swimmers.

Best to head for the safer and almost as gorgeous Assinie and Assouinde.

Hailu Wudineh TSEGAYE / Shutterstock.com

to be dragging the cathedral

DO: Head to Treichville Market, in one of Abidjan’s liveliest districts, for a bargain, especially during ‘l’arrivage’ – the early morning hours when

Galerie Cécile Fakhoury is a not-to-be-missed trove of African contemporary art from sculpture and painting to photography. Exhibitions are always being updated so check cecilefakhoury.com for what’s on show during your stay.

EAT: There is much to choose from whether you are after fine dining or some fiery traditional fare from one of the many maquis (rustic open-air restaurants) that pepper the city, especially, as the name suggests, on the Mille Maquis strip. You can dine under the stars at rooftop terrace restaurant of the Bushman Café and the menu is just as heavenly with a focus on local flavour. Aboussouan is a sleek take on the traditional maquis with some innovative culinary twists.

SLEEP: The Hôtel Ivoire has been an iconic part of Abidjan since 1963 with crowds flocking

new stock is brought in.

to its cinema (which still

You can really soak up the

lucky). It underwent a massive

traditional music and dance

five-star renovation in 2011 and

of West Africa by joining a

its chic rooms have some of the

Yelemba d’Abidjan workshop.

best views in the city and the

remains) and its ice rink (not so

Classes are led by members of

massive outdoor pool is out of

Nature lovers should make their

the troupe. Visit its Facebook

this world.

way to the northwest edge of

site for more.

town to explore the walking

The Radisson Blu Hotel is

The city has a strong and

a fantastically flamboyant

varied music scene. You can

option near the airport.

on hand for guided tours.

catch live reggae acts at Parker

Quirky design touches such as

Place while L’Acoustic presents

its reception’s sculpted steel

The central business district

everything from solo singer/

spiral staircase make for a

is packed with examples of

songwriters to jazz and big

memorable stay.

trails of the Parc du Banco rainforest reserve. Rangers are

FLYafrica

9

Fast-track your food before your flight Fast food at Kotoka International Airport coffee shop Vida e Caffe has got even faster thanks to a partnership with AWA.

N

ow passengers travelling on AWA flights within Ghana will have the ability to pre-purchase the speciality coffees and delicious toasted sandwiches, wraps and pastries prepared by Vida e Caffe via the flyAfricaWorld.com website. They can then collect their purchases at the Vida e Caffe store at Accra Terminal 2 departures before their flights.

Head of commercial at AWA Richard Kyereh said: “This new

partnership with Vida e Caffe will not only allow travellers the flexibility of choosing and consuming their refreshments at the departure airport, but also reinforces AWA’s commitment towards environmental sustainability by reducing the weight of catering carried on board our aircraft.”

GET THE JUICE Choose from a range of drinks

Vida e Caffe is similarly excited with team up with AWA. Its managing director Samir Sawma said: “This is a groundbreaking

BREWS AND BAGUETTES Have your inflight food and drink waiting for you

10

partnership. We are excited to offer AWA passengers the opportunity to savour the ‘life and coffee’ experience during their journey through Accra’s Terminal 2.”

This service will initially be pioneered for domestic flights departing from Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 2, but is planned to be rolled out in other markets in due course. The menu is available to pre-order up to 24 hours prior to departure, and will feature a special selection of sandwiches, as well as a choice of selected hot drinks and juices from the Vida e Caffe menu.

‘I’m here for Fuse ODG is known for joining the dots from the music of his birthplace Ghana to the urban sounds of grime and hip-hop that filled his teenage years in the UK, but along with the music comes plans to build schools, organise festivals and rebuild national pride.

Ghana

W

ith its irrepressible Afrobeat rhythms, Fuse ODG’s music has always

been a celebration of the Kumasiborn artist’s Ghanaian roots. It’s been there from his 2013 breakthrough hit ‘Azonto’, that took the West African dance worldwide, to his most recent EP, Road to Ghana Vol 1, that showcases some of the country’s hottest emerging musical talent.

But Fuse – born Nana Richard Abiona, the ODG in his stage name stands for Off The Ground, a musical collective he was once part of – champions his homeland in much more than music. This year began with the second annual TINA (This Is New Africa) Festival, in Accra’s Labadi Beach resort. The threeday event was organised by Fuse and included his biggest live music concert, a series of discussions on

of African slaves in America and to

is a call to the African and Caribbean

how to take Africa beyond aid –

welcome descendants to their spir-

people, bonded by blood and

with speakers including President

itual home has catalysed the festival

history, to return to their beginnings.

Nana Akufo-Addo – and a Kente

as well as much of Fuse’s recent

Party celebrating the visionary

musical output. His second album,

Festival fundraising

artists, designers and thinkers that

New Africa Nation, released last year,

This Caribbean and African fusion

are changing perceptions of the

includes the song ‘Bra Fie’ (‘Come

extends to the two causes that will

continent.

Home” in the Ghanaian Twi dialect),

benefit from the festival and its

a duet with Jamaican reggae star

fundraising drive. One is based in

the Year of Return to commemorate

Damian Marley, in which Fuse rallies:

Ghana – the building of a secondary

the 400th anniversary of the arrival

“Don’t forget where you are from.” It

school in Akosombo – and chosen

Akufo-Addo declaring 2019 as

All images courtesy of Fuse ODG

FLYafrica

11

land in Akosombo. Together they fundraised to build a school on the site.

“It became our mission to help build a school,” says Fuse. “We gave as much as we could when my music blew up we gave a lot more.”

Fuse is certainly a big star now – one of the new wave of Afrobeats artists able to command worldwide acclaim. As his stage name suggests, his music is a fusion of the rap, grime, bashment and house that he’s grown up with in Mitcham and the Afrobeats and Hi-life he would hear on return trips to Ghana. He has done much to raise the global profile of Afrobeats with the genre now so mainstream Beyoncé drew heavily

by Fuse, while the other is the pick

with my friends. If there was a car

of Jamaican singer Chronixx and will

coming, it would have to go around.

see much-needed improvements

on its sounds and stars for her Lion King-inspired album, The Gift.

Collaborations

“Kids wouldn’t get together to do

carried out at Haile Selassie High

that in Mitcham. It wasn’t deemed

Fuse has collaborated with big

School on the island.

safe and too many black kids gather-

names himself, including dancehall

ing in one place could get us into

legend Sean Paul and UK ‘artist of

trouble.”

the decade’ Ed Sheeran, who flew

Akosombo, a picturesque town on the banks of the Volta River, means a lot to Fuse. It is where his commit-

out to Ghana to record at Fuse’s

ment to Ghana first took shape,

London life

despite living at the time in Mitcham,

To socialise in a safe way, Fuse

‘Bibia Be Ye Ye’, on Sheeran’s record-

a southern suburb of London in the

was involved in setting up Escape,

breaking album ÷, made Fuse the

UK. His parents took him aged 11,

a youth group in Mitcham. ‘I have

along with his younger sister, from

always been a community kind of

Ashtown, in Kumasi, to the UK in the

person,” he says. Along with being

hope of a better life. However, Fuse

a place where young people could

immediately missed the ease and

pursue their passions in music, art

freedom he was used to and felt that

or sport, Escape was from the start,

meant he has been able to trans-

his race and heritage labelled him in

Fuse says, somewhere “you could

form the school and the lives of its

the tough housing estate that was

help yourself by helping others”.

students over the years.

his new home.

“Growing up in Ashtown was a

home studio. The co-written result,

first Ghanaian to win a Grammy. The HERITAGE Fuse’s portfolio includes a festival, a fashion range and a children’s book

In 2007, when Fuse was still in

track was inspired by the pair’s visit to Akosombo. Sheeran has since donated a school bus to the project and Fuse’s musical success has

The first pupils to benefit from

his teens, he and the youth group

the new school are now at the age

lot more free,” he says. “I remember

teamed up with a charity called

to move into secondary education,

being just a little boy and playing

Wood World Mission, run by a

but the nearest secondary school is

football in the middle of the road

Ghanaian couple who had bought

miles away and most families are not

Five of the best from Fuse ODG

12

ON A MISSION Fuse ODG

Azonto Fuse’s breakout hit offers a stepby-step guide to the West African dance craze with a joyous beat you can’t help but move to.

Antenna Fuse’s 2014 hit spawned its own dance and roped in former Fugee Wyclef Jean. Never has being cheated on by your girlfriend sounded like so much fun.

able to afford the school fees. Fuse

which returned bigger than ever in

is now raising the funds to build a

January, is the culmination of that,

school to house them nearby.

championing the creative talents of

The TINA involvement in the

the diaspora.

new schools extends beyond just

The festival and the Road To

the infrastructure. Each school

Ghana Vol 1 EP reveal the calibre of

has complemented the general

musical talent in the country. The

curriculum with lessons in carpentry,

EP’s six tracks include collabora-

beauty, cooking, filmmaking and

tions with artists such as Efya, Kwesi

music that explore students’ creativ-

Arthur, M.anifest and ToyBoi.

ity and ready them for rewarding jobs. Efforts are also made to show pupils the proud heritage that shaped them.

Providing positive African role

Ghana’s cultural roots to the world.

For Fuse this is the way countries such as Ghana will inspire investment and tourism from around the world

NEW EP Fuse has worked with a string of local acts on Road To Ghana

Fuse enjoyed the experience and was impressed with the talent that came into his studio. “There are new guys out here who are killing it, like Quamina MP,” he says. “There was

models for the younger generation

– by extolling the talent and heritage

a natural vibe spending time with

has been key to Fuse’s other creative

of the country, rather than relying on

these guys. I built a relationship

endeavours under the New African

other’s help.

spending time with them. I really

Nation banner. He has written a

It’s a stance that has brought him

wanted to focus on Ghana talent

children’s story, ‘Nana Yaa and the

into conflict with some high-profile

Golden Stool’, which recounts the

aid projects in the past. In 2014 he

true tale of the late 19th century

pulled out of the re-recording of

not the end of the project and with

warrior queen of Ghana who led the

the Band Aid single because of the

so many projects, such as the new

Ashanti rebellion against British colo-

sense of pity for Africa he believed

secondary school in Akosombo, in

nialism and has become a symbol

it evoked and the quick fix nature of

the early stages, Fuse is dedicated

of female emancipation and gender

its help.

to the homeland that has brought

equality.

Nana Yaa also appears as one of

With his own projects, Fuse

with this one.”

As the EP’s title suggests, this is

him and millions of others around

wanted to celebrate Africa and

the world a sense of belonging and

the dark-skinned dolls available to

ensure its people knew of its riches

freedom. As Fuse says: “I am here for

buy from the New African Nation

and potential. Just as the uncon-

Ghana.”

website. The aim is that parents will

tained joy of Afrobeats music

be encouraged to buy dolls for their

grabbed Fuse as a young man so he

daughters that represent their skin

wanted to distil that positive energy

colour and so help them appreciate

in his projects. The Tina festival,

their race as they grow up.

Fashion line The website also sells Fuse’s fashion line – a range of modern men’s, women’s and children’s clothes in African print – and is part of a portfolio of creative endeavours for Fuse, among them his own record label, 3 Beat Records, which showcases

There was a natural vibe spending time with these guys [on Road To Ghana]. I built a relationship with them. I really wanted to focus on Ghana talent with this one

Road To Ghana Vol 1 is available on all digital music platforms to stream and download.

For more information on the TINA Festival and to donate to the causes it supports, visit tinafestival.com For the full range of Fuse’s fashion line, black dolls and children’s books, visit newafricanation.com

Osu T.I.N.A. The vibrancy, love and spirit of Africa distilled into a four-minute pop song.

Boa Me Featuring a Twi-singing Ed Sheeran, this song is pure sunshine

The lead single from Road To Ghana Vol 1 takes on a serious subject – sex workers in the titular Accra suburb – in Fuse’s inimitably sweet and sensitive fashion.

FLYafrica

13

Michael Aboya

Prize winner finds freedom in photography

14

All images courtesy of Michael Aboya

Young Ghanaian photographer Michael Aboya is now US$ 25,000 richer after winning Best Photo of the Year in the Agora Awards. Here we reveal how his heartwarming work aims to inspire a change in the way people perceive Ghana and Africa.

FLYafrica

15

Michael Aboya

A

pre-teen African boy stands

professional and amateur photog-

bare-chested on Labadi

raphers across 193 countries for the

Beach, in Accra. He has a

competition – praised the image as

violin tucked under his chin and

an “intelligent visual manifesto of a

his face appears both focused on

current reality and, at the same time,

and transported by the music he

an optimistic and dignified message

is creating. Behind him stand four

about the future”.

similarly topless boys their eyes closed and with their right arms

Inspiration

raised in silent salute. All the chil-

The idea for the picture came to

dren are framed by an expanse of

Aboya while he was at home, listen-

turquoise sky that is burnished by

ing to Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption

the early morning sun.

Song’, which contains the refrain

It’s a wonderfully striking image,

‘Songs of Freedom’ and talks of

at once both powerful and delicate.

slavery, both physical and mental.

Caught on camera by 24-year-old

As soon as the track began playing,

self-taught Ghanaian photographer

Aboya knew he wanted to bring it to

Michael Aboya and called ‘Songs of

life with his camera.

Freedom’ it was named Best Photo

Aboya had been aware of the

of the Year at the Agora Awards.

children in Labadi – all local kids

Aboya was presented with his award

from local fishermen’s families – for

along with a life-changing cheque

some time and has seen them as

for US$ 25,000 at a ceremony held

a source of inspiration, using their

basics of handling and playing the

in Barcelona last November.

beach football games in an earlier

instrument. One of the young boys

photograph, ‘Unity’. In framing ‘A

stood out for his expressive way with

and co-founder of Agora – the free-

Song of Freedom’, Aboya gathered

the bow.

to-use photography app which

the children together while a musi-

received more than 130,000

cian friend, who had brought along

Freedom in photography

submissions from its community of

his violin, taught the children the

Aboya takes up the story: “In order

Octavi Royo, the chief executive

to get the image as real and natural as possible without losing the most important aspect of who they really are, I asked my friend to teach them the basics on how to hold the violin, the perfect hand positions and I saw that one of the boys had the strongest expression with the violin, which was perfectly aligned with my vision for the photograph.”

Fitting for an image that melds inspiration from the lyrics of an AfroJamaican stemmed from the Atlantic slave trade and a vision of hope and innocence in the youth of an African homeland, the photograph has had a particularly strong impact among users of the Agora app – who all had a vote in the competition – from the African diaspora. It symbolises more than just a photo to them: the end result visualizes an unspoken struggle for freedom and belonging, conceptualized through the violin, which Aboya describes as an instrument of the soul.

He says: “I created this image to emphasize the fact that we have the power to free ourselves from any 16

form of mental, physical, spiritual and

portraying a cheerful and optimistic

emotional captivity.”

representation of the life around

For Aboya, that freedom was

him.

found in photography. “Doing what

Whether at work or at play, the

you love is freedom and loving what

subjects have gleaming, wide smiles

you do is freedom,” he says. In 2014,

and there are many images celebrat-

while still a teenager, Aboya lost his

ing the beauty of strong, stylish

father to cancer – a tragedy that

black women. Aboya aims to inspire

made him realise life was too short

a change in the way people perceive

to spend it doing something he

Ghana and the African continent in

didn’t enjoy. He ditched the course in

general.

software programming to pursue his dream of a career in photography.

Self-taught The school fees he saved went on his first professional camera.

“After I purchased my first camera,

With his US$ 25,000 prize money, the highest in the contest’s history, Aboya plans to invest in his passion and continue to develop his photography skills “I’ll be able to get the gear I need”, he says. “I’ll invest into learning

the next step was to join a photog-

videography, putting my visions into

raphy school, but the fees made that

moving pictures, visiting new places

impossible,” he says.

I have never been to capture the

“So I invested a lot of time reading

In his optimistic images, Aboya aims to inspire a change in the way people perceive Ghana and Africa in general

beautiful people and their colourful

about photography, and watching

stories. I’ll support my family and give

YouTube videos on how profes-

back to the community of youths.”

sional photographers shot and used different kinds of lighting to their advantage. I would then go out with my camera to practice by shooting anything I found interesting, and then go home and do some editing.

I kept doing this over and over again until I gradually started getting good at it.”

Aboya began to build a portfolio of images, many of which he submitted to the free-to-use Agora app,

To see Aboya’s latest work, visit his Instagram page @aboya.8 To join the Agora community, see the variety of haunting portraits, stunning landscapes and incredible pieces of photojournalism and start posting your own images, download the app at agoraimages.com FLYafrica

17

WINafrica Win a two-night break for two at Hillburi, Alburi

FLYafrica competition beautiful vista and its double rooms provide luxurious accommodation.

Take in the majestic view across the evergreen valley from the Akwapim mountain ranges and it’s hard to believe you are just a 40-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of Accra.

One lucky FLYafrica reader has the chance to win a twonight break (excluding weekends and public holidays) at Hillburi for themselves and a guest. The stay includes a welcome drink on arrival, breakfast both mornings of your stay and use of the pool.

But, it is true and this is the magnificent setting Hilburi, an exquisite escape of a hotel in the Aburi Hills, enjoys.

Its facilities such as the open-air restaurant The Pavilion and Hiburi’s incredible infinity pool make the most of this

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the three questions below and email them along with a picture of yourself holding a copy of FLYafrica 7 onboard your flight, to awacompetition@landmarine.org Best of luck!

QUESTIONS 1. What is the name of Fuse ODG’s annual three-day event held in Accra?

2. What is the title of photographer Michael Aboya’s Agora Award winning image?

3. AWA has recently added a 10th destination to its network. What is it?

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Closing date is 10 April. Photographs should be sent along with your entry. One entry per person. Entrants must be 18 or over. The winning entry will be selected by Land & Marine Publications Ltd. This competition is not open to employees of Africa World Airlines, Hillburi or Land & Marine Publications Ltd.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST ISSUE’S LUCKY WINNERS, SHEILA DJANGMAH AND RICHARD OPUKO Our winners will soon be enjoying a pair of Chale Socks from the company’s just-released new unisex design range, visit chalesocks.com for more information. Well done, enjoy your prize and thanks for flying Africa World Airlines.

Book online 18

flyAfricaWorld.com

S ER N IN W

Sheila Djangmah Richard Opuko

BOOKS AND BEATS AT THE

JAZZHOLE Live music and literature come together at the Jazzhole – a bolthole of beats and books in Lagos. Chidozie Uzoezie reveals why a recent visit revitalised his love of reading.

T

he view from the outside doesn’t give much away, except for the random paint-

ings on the wall. But as the sun sets far behind its golden rays, the door opens to what I call an evening of music from the masters. And as you walk in, the perfectly synchronised afrobeats filter into your ears. Your

London, United Kingdom. I didn’t

mind is at peace with what your

only want to make good grades, I

ears perceive. And as you take your

also wanted to learn. And not even

position surrounded by books, the

the wicked winter weather could

soothing trans-cultural harmony

stop me from frequenting the librar-

tion, came alive. I wanted to read

puts your mind at ease as it caress-

ies. So walking into the Jazzhole

Just and Unjust Wars which first

es your body and soul, leaving

Bookshop brought back those

caught my attention, and then When

you with an almost unquenchable

memories almost in one quick flash.

God and Cancer Meet stared me in

craving for more. Now, that’s what

NOT YOUR REGULAR BOOKSHOP The Jazzhole in Ikoyi, Lagos

Stepping into Jazzhole Lagos, for

expectations, every bit of them, was exceeded by an exponential magnitude. My voracious literary instincts, which had hitherto been in hiberna-

the face. And so did Grey’s Anatomy

you get on a typical gig-day at

the first time, I wasn’t sure exactly

and The World in Six Songs. I was

the Jazzhole Lagos. The gig days

what my expectations were. My

practically consumed by the fire

don’t come as often as they used to

feelings were mixed, at best. But all

of reading, and I wanted to read

though, but that essentially takes

of that quickly gave way as soon as

every book I set my eyes on, but

nothing away from the Jazzhole.

I made my first gaze. What my eyes

that wasn’t even possible. My mind

met wasn’t like anything my mind

couldn’t stay on one book because

had imagined, not even close. All my

my wandering eyes couldn’t stay off

For The Love of Reading For someone who writes so much, reading so much is a given. At least, that’s what people think. Personally, the last time I read with so much avarice was some years ago when I was writing my postgraduate dissertation at the University of East

the rest. If you were in my shoes, you

My mind couldn’t stay on one book because my wandering eyes couldn’t stay off the rest

would do exactly the same.

Beyond The Ordinary Established in 1991, the Jazzhole Lagos is not your regular kind of bookshop where you go for

FLYafrica

19

HUGE CHOICE The Jazzhole is crammed with books of every genre

South Africa’s Yvonne Chaka Chaka or get high with a track from Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and his Inter-Reformers Group, the Jazzhole Lagos has you covered. You’ll find Steve Harvey’s Sign Of Things to Come as well as the chart-topping It’s Over Now by America’s Luther Vandross.

If you’re looking for maringa palm wine music from Sierra Leone, or the

Beyond literary works, the Jazzhole Lagos takes you on a mental journey that transcends geographical boundaries

popular soukous dance music from Congo, look no further than Jazzhole Lagos. And if you love it jazzy or even very jazzy, the Jazzhole Lagos will particularly interest you in more ways than one. From mainstream jazz to the avant-garde, you can never get it wrong. However, if

back-to-school shopping. It’s

comprehensive bookshop I’ve

you’re looking for the trendy and

not your regular bookshop for

ever been to. The product range

hippy stuff for the millennials, you

New General Mathematics for

is incredibly comprehensive and

won’t find them at Jazzhole Lagos.

Senior Secondary or Quantitative

all inclusive. From contemporary

No, you won’t find Joro by Wizkid,

Reasoning for Six Graders. No,

bestsellers like the multiple award-

neither will you find Brown Skin Girl

Jazzhole is a lot more than that.

winning Americanah by Nigeria’s

by Beyoncé. These are not consid-

It’s a bookshop for those who love

Chimamanda Adichie to thought-

ered ‘good’ enough for the mature

reading, for authors and for record

provoking books like A Labyrinth of

mind which Jazzhole caters for. The

artists; it’s a bookshop for publishers

Kingdoms by Steve Kemper, your

accent is on the past.

and producers, and it’s a bookshop

head will literally turn while you

for collectors. It’s also a bookshop

struggle to make a pick. There’s

for the man on the street. In fact, it’s

a huge pool of highly intellectual

Connecting Cultures Through Arts

a bookshop for anyone seeking for

books in practically every field of

Perhaps, the most remarkable reali-

inspiration.

human disciplines. From science

ties about the Jazzhole Lagos are

to medicine, arts and even religion,

the panAfricanism and the transcul-

you can think of that is not (or has

the scope is wide, wider than your

tural connections between Africa,

not been) stocked at the Jazzhole

wandering eyes and your voracious

Europe and America. Beyond literary

Lagos. It is the richest and the most

mind will ever cope with.

works, the Jazzhole Lagos takes you

There’s perhaps no book or record

The generations as well as the

20

on a mental journey that transcends

genres of music records on display

geographical boundaries while

will make you bow in respect, that is,

connecting cultures and people

after it has taken your breath away.

through music and arts.

There’s classical, there’s jazz, there’s

Beyond books and records, the

highlife, there’s afro-pop and there’s

Jazzhole Lagos is known for many

everything in-between. If you want

other things. It’s known for promot-

to travel back in time with oldies and

ing cultural integration through

evergreen tunes, there’s an endless

music and arts. Perhaps, worthy

collection to pick from. Whether you

of mention is the “Obsession”

want to relax with Sweet Satisfaction

West Africa Jazz Tour with Céline

from Midnight Express featuring

Rudolph (from Germany) and Lionel

CAFE Break up the book browsing with a coffee

Loueke (from Benin). The music tour took the international duo through six African cities before berthing in Lagos with a live concert at the Jazzhole on 26 July, 2018.

The concert was organised by the Goethe-Institut in co-operation with

outside view deceive you. Stepping

Jazzhole.

into the Jazzhole Lagos for the first

Jazzhole Lagos is also known for

time, you’ll fall in love at first sight.

encouraging reading and the love

You’ll fall in love with the appar-

of literature. It hosts book reviews,

ent harmonic trans-generational

art exhibitions, film screenings and

marriage between ancient and

live concerts. It has hosted some

modern. You’ll love the perfect

of the finest international perform-

fusion between music, literature and

ing artists and groups including

arts. You’ll love the palpable serenity

German-born Jazz pianist and

which sharply contrasts with the

composer, Hans Ludemann of Trio

chronic madness on the adjacent

Ivoire, Lekan Babalola, the Master

streets behind you. You’ll love the

Afro-Jazz Percussionist and a

almost moody ambience and you’ll

two-time Grammy Awards winner,

love the afrocentric decor.

as well as Etuk Ubong Quartet, just to mention a few. Notable award

Parting Words

winning authors have attended

The Jazzhole is an experience.

book readings at Jazzhole including

Whatever your reason for visiting

Chimamanda Adichie.

is, it’s nearly impossible to walk into

Something For The Pallet

Jazzhole Lagos and walk out the same. You can’t resist the mental transformation that will hit you. In

Tea or coffee? Never mind, you can

fact, you will have to be a super

have both at Jazzhole Lagos. To

sophisticated and hopeless arts

be able to have a full dose of the

snob to not fall in love with Jazzhole

Jazzhole experience, you’ll have

Lagos. If good music, good books

to walk around a lot. Every single

and good art are your sorts of thing,

item will so grab your attention,

then the Jazzhole Lagos is your sort

that you’ll walk from item to item

of place. And if you can’t find it in

and accumulate miles without even

Jazzhole, you probably won’t find it

realizing it. But if you work (or walk)

anywhere else in Lagos.

up your appetite, the ‘little’ coffee café readily comes to your rescue.

Here, you can grab a cup of smoothblended coffee, or green tea, with a piece of fine pastry.

Looks Can Be Deceptive You can’t judge a book by its cover, that’s what they say. Perhaps, that maxim should also apply to bookshops. The Jazzhole is a perfect example. Do not let the unassuming

Other suggested reading 1. For The Love of Arts and Reading: The Jazzhole Experience 2. Connecting Cultures Through Music and Arts: The Jazzhole Experience

FLYafrica

21

EATafrica

Premier pastries Delivered to your doorstep The Nigerian love of a meat pie is well known but online venture The Pastry Corner Bakery is opening up Lagosians to an unchartered variety of sweet and savoury treats – all freshly baked and beautifully boxed for next-day delivery. Mark Edwards speaks to co-founder Natalie Okotie-Eboh.

‘‘L

ooking back on my life I can’t recall a moment when food wasn’t part

venture in Lagos that provides customers with mouth-watering

of it,” says Natalie Okotie-Eboh.

gourmet pastries delivered to

“My mother owned a restau-

their door. Lucky Lagosians can

rant and I would watch with

choose from a regularly updated

intrigue how her meals and

range of cakes, cookies, toasted

pastries had the ability to magi-

sandwiches, pies and breads.

cally put a smile on anyone’s face. I started cooking at a very early age, enjoying experimenting with spices and herbs to create a very unique taste.

Aged nine or 10, I would grind different spices with a grinding stone rather than a spice grinder because I wanted to make my pepper soup taste more traditional and local.”

“We bake everything in house.

Our customers are able to order from 10am to 8am the following day and have freshly made pastries delivered to them within 12 hours,” says Okotie-Eboh.

‘Everything fresh’ “We have a policy in our kitchen ‘nothing stale, everything fresh’.

With food as her lifelong

We bake all our customers’

“soulmate”, as she puts it, it

orders fresh. Nothing is carried

was no surprise that the English

over to the next day. We start

literature graduate would carve

baking by 5am mainly because

a career in cooking and one that

most of our pastries are prepped

retains the family connection and

a day before to make the next

her scrupulousness in sourcing

day easy for us.”

and using the best ingredients.

22

Pastry Corner Bakery, an online

The food looks as good as it

The 28-year-old is the head

tastes – check out The Pastry

chef and, along with her two

Corner Bakery’s Facebook page

sisters, the co-founder of the

for a host of gooey, oozing

SISTER ACT Natalie Okotieeboh (centre) with Hillary and Anne-Marie SWEET TREATS Cookies to choose from

FRESH AND FILLING Hot patties and sandwiches

examples – and it is beautifully

understood,” she says. “I craved

than a dessert we eat to me,

packaged for delivery. Unboxing

the knowledge so learned all I

it’s an art that goes through a

has been made an experience to

could from the internet. I knew

process of creativity.”

savour and is an example of the

within me that in order to feed my

care Okotie-Eboh has put into

craving of knowledge I needed

All that learning and creativity has gone into the Pastry

the business.

to move from my small town to the hustle and bustle of Lagos.

Corner Bakery, which was

Pastry education

“I researched the top pastry

with Okotie-Eboh letting her

chefs in Lagos and applied to

imagination run riot on the menu.

Since the initial culinary mentoring by her mother, Okotie-Eboh has honed her own skills over time. She loved all cooking, but pastries always

work as an intern for Chef Alex Oke at his XO Bakery. Through him I learnt about, saw and tasted pastries I had never heard

launched in December 2018,

“I believe that new creations are born through experimentation so I just love playing around

of or seen in my life.

different elements,” she says.

realised there was more to learn

“I worked and saw how a

made with ripe plantain, chunks

than life in Warri could teach her

bakery was operated. I felt like

of beef and Guinness. The result

so moved to the megacity of

a child in a candy shop. I was

was super delicious. We are

Lagos.

hungry for more knowledge

currently planning on increasing

so I downloaded more books

the size of our Guinness Pie to a

“I knew for a fact that there was

and read all I could on the art of

large pot pie so our customers

more to the art of pastries than I

pastries. You see, pastry is more

can have enough of the filling.”

held a special appeal. She soon

“Last year, we created a pie

FLYafrica 23

Another recent quirky addition

in-house chefs that assist me in

to the menu are Junk Cookies,

the kitchen.”

which are loaded with coco pops, cornflakes, oatmeal, chocolate chips, Oreo cookie pieces and,

Pastry Corner Bakery is far

Whatever Okotie-Eboh’s future plans, food is sure to be a part of them.

most bizarrely of all, potato chips.

from the sisters’ only project. In

When the business began it was

launched Dora’s Food and Spices

the sisters baking everything

(DFS), which freshly prepares

on their own. Okotie-Eboh

ready meals to give busy

For more information, visit The

remembers: “We would bake

households a stress-free delicious

Pastry Corner Bakery Facebook

more than five cakes overnight.

meal at the end of the day.

I would fall sleep in a chair in my kitchen with a rolling pin in hand and my mum would have to wake

September last year they also

about the sisters’ latest venture, a blog and YouTube channel called

That situation couldn’t continue,

launch this year and document

especially with the demand

the buzzing food, fashion and

spiralling for the premier pastries.

beauty scene in Lagos.

joined by another trio of talented

The White Sisters, which will

There is also plenty in store in the

women.

new year for the Pastry Corner

Family business

the chance for customers

“My sisters are partners,” says

delivery of Baking Boxes, which

Okotie-Eboh. “Hilary is in

are filled with the ingredients

charge of customer service and

and recipe card to make one

photography while Ann Marie

of Okotie-Eboh’s amazing

runs the logistics of the company.

cakes at home. “We wanted to

We now have a marketing

introduce exciting and fun ways

manager, Temisan. She is in

for families and novices to bake

charge of bringing in the money

those beautiful creation they

and promoting the business

see on social media,” she says.

while Bemi and Sandra are our

The scheme is on course for a

We would bake more than five cakes overnight. I would fall asleep in a chair with a rolling pin in my hand.

page.

Okotie-Eboh is very excited

me up.”

Now the three sisters have been

24

The help is welcome as The

September launch. A Brekki Box, containing a cooked brunch delivered every Saturday, is also in the pipeline.

Bakery with projects including to subscribe to the regular

Valentine’s pastries to fall in love with The Pastry Corner Bakery team are right now hard at work in their kitchen working on their Valentine’s Pastry Box. ‘It will cost N 6,000 (US$ 16.55) as we want it to be very affordable for our customers,” says Okotie-eboh. “It will feature a new addition to the menu called the Smore Brownie Pie,” she adds.

Bestseller A favourite of Okotie-Eboh’s as well as many of her customers are the bakery’s fudge brownies. “They are made with locally sourced cocoa and chocolate. One of the reasons our brownie is so popular among our customers is because the brownie is packed with fudge at the centre and it’s chewy and gooey all at once. Plus it’s filled with locally made chocolate chips for an extra chocolate punch!”

Fall in love with

Paris

AWA passengers now have more than 140 new destinations they can travel seamlessly to thanks to our interline agreement with ASKY Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines. Among the places you can now travel to from our West African network without having to collect baggage or check-in again in Accra is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Paris. Once you’ve arrived in the City of Lights after your stress-free flights, here’s our top 10 activities you have to try.

Musée de Rodin

Musee d’Orsay This former railway station has been beautifully restored into a magnificent art gallery that contains the work of a veritable who’s who of the impressionist movement of the late 19th century. Here you’ll find some of the most well-known works by artists such as Matisse, van Gogh, Renoir, Manet and Cézanne.

Tip: The museum is open until 9.45pm on Thursdays. It’s a great opportunity to soak up the art on display without being bustled along by the crowds. It is also free to enter on the first Sunday of every month

The Rodin Museum was once the grand town house where the sculptor worked until his death in 1917. The much-renovated building now houses many of his great works here, including ‘The Thinker’, ‘The Kiss’, ‘The Cathedral’, ‘The Walking Man’ and many other busts and ceramic work. You’ll also find work on display by Camille Claudel, Rodin’s co-worker and lover. There are works by van Gogh, Monet and Renoir here too.

Tip: Make sure you stroll the garden, which is a gallery space in itself and offer a chance to recreate your best ‘thinker’ pose next to the original ‘Le Penseur’.

Climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower In a city stuffed with iconic buildings, one stands above the rest. Standing at 324 metres (1,063 feet), Gustave Eiffel’s wroughtiron tower is the tallest structure in Paris.

More than seven million people head to the top each year. To avoid the crowds head out early, get a ticket in advance or walk the first two levels – the 674 steps put most people off. You’ll need to take the lift to get to the top, but it is worth it, not only for fantastic views across the city, but also because you’ll get a glimpse of Eiffel’s secret apartment where he would conduct scientific experiments with luminaries such as Thomas Edison.

Tip: Another way to avoid the queues is to book a table at one of the tower’s two restaurants, which each have separate entrances.

FLYafrica 25

Montmartre (Sacre Coeur) The Sacré-Coeur is an unfailing vision in white – its specially selected stone cleans itself when it rains – that can be seen from far and wide in the city. Walking the steep hill – paying for the funicular ride is another option – to reach it rewards with views of the city laid out before you from the basilica’s terrace or, best of all, its largest dome. Once you are up, take time to explore the nearby winding, cobbled streets of Montmartre. Once home to artists such as Picasso, the district still has a village-like feel and there are plenty of independent shops, street cafes and even a working vineyard to take in while exploring.

Tip: Audio tours for exploring the Sacré-Cœur are available free of charge in a number of languages.

The Louvre The Louvre makes the four-storey Musée d’Orsay look like a studio gallery. It is the biggest art museum in the world and getting lost amid its trove of history from the seventh century BC to the mid-19th century is part of the fun, but there are highlights you won’t want to miss. For many, the museum means the Mona Lisa, but you’ll probably only get a minute to see it before being shunted along by museum security and you’ll need to squint as, in contrast to the museum, Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic work is tiny – at just 77cm by 53cm. On a far bigger scale are the ancient Greek sculptures, including the peerless – and armless – Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, which once decorated the prow of a Greek war ship. One of the oldest and yet best-preserved exhibits is the Lamassu, a pair of colossal carved solid stone statues of winged bulls, which would have stood guard entrances in ancient Assyria as far back as 3,000 BC. Tip: The iconic glass and metal pyramid entrance to the Louvre is an exhibit in itself and should definitely be checked out, but if you want to avoid the queues to enter, head for the museum’s ‘secret’ underground entrance Le Carrousel du Louvre at metro Palais Royale-Musée du Louvre.

26

Grab a crêpe

Dine at a street café Whether it’s a morning strong black coffee or a chilled glass of wine as an evening aperitif you’re enjoying, combining them with watching the effortlessly stylish Parisians saunter by from a sunny pavement café is a Gallic ritual you have to try. It’s a great way to break up your tourist trail and feel part of Paris society.

Tip: If you want to be entertained while enjoying your break, head for Café Beaubourg, which has a terrace with a prime view of the assortment of mime artists, musicians, fire-eaters, puppeteers and comics performing in front of the Pompidou Centre. It’s a good excuse to make that chocolate chaud last.

With all this sightseeing, you’re going to need some sustenance to keep you going and this calorific French pancake is the perfect pick-me-up. Those with a sweet tooth or more savoury tastes are catered for. Savoury crêpes are made with buckwheat flour and called galettes to distinguish them from the white flour crêpes, which can be filled with all manner of sweet treats from marshmallow to melted chocolate. You can get a sit down three-course meal consisting entirely of crêpes with different fillings at crêperies all over the city, but if you want yours on the move head for the similarly ubiquitous takeaway stands.

The scent of bubbling butter on hotplates will let you know you are close and you’ll be able to see your crêpe made in front of you.

Tip: If you want to try a classic French crêpe try the classic ‘beurre sucre’ butter and sugar crêpe.

Simple, cheap and delicious.

Be a ‘flâneur’ and explore Paris on foot Paris is so walkable that you can hit many of its most famous sights without needing to take the metro. The French even have a word, ‘flâneur’, for sauntering around and taking in the sights, so there is no more Parisien way to explore. If time is tight and you feel you have to use the metro, it may be wise to invest in a Paris Pass, which entitles you to free travel on public transport as well as discounted entry to many of Paris’ biggest attractions such as the Louvre and Centre Pompidou

Walk along the Seine Paris, the world’s most romantic city, is at its most beguiling along the banks of the Seine. There are plenty of river cruises on offer, but every few hundred metres you’ll find stone steps down to the quay where you can walk the river’s edge away from the traffic.

It brings a sudden tranquillity to Paris and these areas are popular spots for picnics among locals.

Walking the Seine is a great idea if you have lost your bearings as it braids many of Paris’ most well-known attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Tuileries Garden and the Louvre. You’ll also get a close-up view of some of the 37 bridges in Paris with the Alexander III, with its golden statues and art nouveau lamps, a highlight.

Tip: There is now a two-mile-long stretch along the right bank of the Seine, starting at the Tuileries

Take in a show at the Palais Garnier

Go for a wander through the Jardin du Luxembourg

This mid-19th century opera house is one of the most extravagant buildings in Paris – a team of 14 painters and mosaicists and 73 sculptors worked on the ornamentation of its south facade alone. Recent additions include Marc Chagall’s painted ceiling around the six-ton chandelier. There were rumours that the original work, overseen by the then unknown architect Charles Garnier, uncovered a vast, fish-filled lake under the building. Detective writer Gaston Leroux grew up with the rumour and it inspired his gothic love story The Phantom of the Opera, which was later turned into world-conquering musical. Now the ghostly buzz is more likely to stem from the beehives up on the roof. The honey is sold at the gift shop when available.

Paris has plenty of immaculately manicured green spaces, but the beautiful Jardin du Luxembourg may be the pick of them. The park and the palace inside it were the home of Marie de’ Medici in the early 17th century, and she had them designed to replicate the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens of her native Florence. It’s a popular outing for Parisian families, especially at weekends, with remote control boats on the lake to hire, tennis courts, concerts in the bandstand and playgrounds to entertain.

Garden and ending in the Bastille

Tip: If you are going to attend a

neighbourhood, which has been

performance, arrive early to allow

pedestrianised.

time to explore the opulence.

Tip: Once you’ve had your time in the gardens head for the neighbouring St Germain neighbourhood for a drink or a snack – it’s brimming with cafés, patisseries and chocolateries.

FLYafrica 27

TECHcorner Time-saving tech We all lead busy lives so gadgets that free up precious time in our days are a godsend. If you are so busy you don’t even have the time to look for gadgets that will save you time, then FLYafrica has got you covered. Here’s our pick of the most productive products out there.

For clean drinking water when you want it… LARQ Bottle OK, it might seem a ridiculously high price for a water bottle, but buying it takes away the need to ever purchase a plastic bottle of water again, which could mean a saving of up to US$ 1,000 a year. Over that year you will also save a huge amount of time never having to wash it as the LARQ bottle purifies the water using UV light – meaning no need for a filter or replacement filters – and cleans itself every two hours, removing up to 99.99 per cent of germs and bacteria.

It will also keep the purified water inside it chilled for up to 24 hours for a refreshing drink whenever needed.

Price: US$ 95 livelarq.com

For running an efficient home…

The Amazon Smart Plug This smart home device works with the virtual assistant Alexa app to add voice control to any socket. It will make your life easier, give you added peace of mind and save time and money. You can schedule lights to come on as a visual alarm in your bedroom or set a time for lights out/games console switch-off to ensure your children get a good night’s sleep or have no distractions during their homework slot. Hook it up with a couple of lamps and you can make your home look occupied even when you’re out for a little extra security.

Price: US$ 32 Amazon.com

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For cooking fantastic food without fuss… Instant Pot The Instant Pot, the Swiss army knife of the kitchen, has built an almost cult-like renown – with followers in the US calling themselves ‘potheads’ – for its ease and versatility in the kitchen. You can get rid of your pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer and yogurt maker, as this money-and-time-saving kitchen gadget performs all of the above with ease. Its built-in microprocessor enables you to cook food up to 70 per cent faster or you can slow cook your meals so they bubble away while you’re at work and you return home to a delicious meal and the house full of its fragrance. Even if you aren’t a skilled cook, the Instant Pot makes it easy to prepare healthy, filling meals.

Price: US$ 119.95 Amazon.com

For keeping your room clean without you…

Roomba Vacuum With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the newspapers are full of dystopian doom-mongers saying that robots are going to take over the world. Today, it is only possible to say they have taken over our house cleaning. Autonomous robotic suction cleaner the Roomba vacuum, which again works with the Alexa app, can be programmed to go on an expedition all around your house every day, picking up food crumbs, dog hair and more while giving you more time to devote to more rewarding activities. This latest version of the Roomba features five times the suction of cheaper models, advanced sensors that know to spend extra time cleaning the dirtier high-traffic areas, and multi-surface rubber brushes designed to pick up even more dirt and hair.

It also returns to its dock to recharge when it has finished cleaning. It might mean Armageddon for the hand-held vacuum cleaner.

Price: US$ 448 Amazon.com

For ensuring a two-minute teeth brush…

Oral-B Pro 2 2500 Most dentists advise cleaning your teeth for two minutes morning and night. Many people approximate and often fall plaqueneglectingly short or get carried way and go over the time, damaging their teeth’s protective enamel and irritating their gums. The Oral-B Pro 2 2500 has a built-in two-minute timer and it notifies you every 30 seconds to change the area you are brushing.

As you move the brush around the mouth the vibrating Oral-B head does the rest.

The company claims the Pro 2 clears 100 per cent more plaque than a standard manual toothbrush for healthier gums and it starts making your smile whiter as of the first day of brushing by removing surface stains. All this with not a second wasted.

Price: US$ 45 livelarq.com

FLYafrica 29

AWAworldextra Playwright puts Chekhov in Nigeria Inua Ellams is a multi-talented individual. The 35-year-old is a poet, playwright, performer, graphic artist and designer. Across such wideranging work there are references to his heritage – his family left Nigeria for London in 1996 – in the recurrent themes of identity, displacement and destiny as well as his blending of traditional African storytelling within his four published books of modern poetry.

Ellams has been clear in past interviews that despite spending more than two decades in Britain, his homeland will always be Nigeria. “I am not black British. I am Nigerian,” he said in an interview with UK newspaper The Independent.

His work has garnered a string of accolades in the UK. Most recently, the theatrical adaptation of his long poem his play The Half God of Rainfall, which centres on a Nigerian basketball hero who also happens to be the son of Greek god Zeus, won best Theatre Production at the first Black British Theatre Awards.

This year has begun with another prestigious achievement. Ellams’ reimagining of Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters is being staged at one of the UK’s most prominent arts venues, The National Theatre. His work, which he describes as “After Chekhov”, transplants the setting of the 1900 Russian masterpiece to the Nigerian War, which plunged the country into chaos between 1967 and 1970.

A great admirer of Chekhov’s work and with three sisters of his own, Ellams was moved to adapt the work. In the original, the three provincially stranded sisters Olga, Masha and Irina yearn for Moscow. In this adaptation, Lolo, Nne and Udo pine for Lagos from a village near Owerri, at that time the last capital of the doomed Biafran republic.

Ellams’ play represents the first time a black male playwright has taken on a classic of Western literature at the National since fellow Nigerian Wole Soyinka adapted ancient Greek tragedy The Bacchae in 1973.

For more information on Inua Ellams and his work, visit inuaellams.com

30

A round-up of West Africa news and events

Sci-fi series to go from page to screen Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor’s award-winning trilogy ‘Binti’ is soon going to appearing on television screens.

Okorafor’s body of work for adults, young adults and children has brought a much-needed injection of diversity into the science fiction genre with many of her stories led by female characters of colour. In ‘Binti’, a brilliant but rebellious young woman is brought into conflict with her family when she becomes the first member of her Himba tribe on earth to be accepted into the most prestigious academy in the galaxy. She has been singled out to lead her community in Africa, but runs away to take a transport ship to the academy. When the ship is hijacked by Meduse, a jellyfish-like alien species, she realises the magic of her homeland could be the key to her survival and peace among the stars.

The first instalment of the book, which was released in 2015, won both a Hugo and Nebula award for Best Novella, which are awarded to standout books in the genre of science fiction.

Okorafor, who is American-born daughter of Igbo Nigerian parents, has been visiting her parent’s homeland since she was very young.

She refers to herself as “Naijamerican” and believes her dual heritage is one of the factors that drew her to the otherness of the science fiction genre.

She cites Nigeria as “her muse” and her books are full of its folklore and mysticism. Her first work to be adapted for the screen, ‘Hello, Moto’, the tale of a woman who creates witchcraft-filled wigs that help their wearers grab power, was optioned by Nigerian production company Fiery Film and remade as ‘Hello, Rain’ by filmmaker CK Obasi and was released in 2018 Three Sisters opens Tues - runs to Feb 19 at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre, London ‘Inua Ellams: Plays One’ has just been published by OberonT

West Africa has recognised the importance of her work. She was awarded The Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature for early work ‘Zahrah the Windseeker’ and won the Children’s Africana Book Award for Best Book for Young Readers for ‘Chicken in the Kitchen’.

Okorafor will be writing the script for the TV adaptation of ‘Binti’ with Stacy Osei-Kuffour, who has previously written for superhero series Watchmen, and the show will screen on US streaming service Hulu.

FLYafrica

31

STAYafrica

Five-star hotel combines scale and style

The Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra, which commands an urban oasis within the city’s business district, is an unforgettable blend of style and size. Not only does it have Accra’s biggest outdoor swimming pool, but sun-worshipping guests are served drinks by staff navigating its expanse of palm-fringed terrace on roller skates. This is a hotel where you can live large and in luxury.

Location Set in the heart of Accra’s city centre and just seven km from the capital’s Kotoka International Airport, the five-star Ambassador is conveniently located for leisure and business travellers alike. The latter will appreciate its proximity to The Accra Financial Centre, World Trade Centre, International Conference Centre and wealth

lobby that teems with life and

throughout. Even the crescent-

has become a popular place to

shaped hotel is a nine-storey

meet for Accra’s movers and

hug of a building, wrapping

shakers. Its One2One Bar and

itself around the lagoon of a

Lobby Lounge are hip hangouts

pool. Similarly, inside the stylistic

for a drink, snack or – during

touches keep the grand scale

‘Mövenpick Chocolate Hour’– free

sociable. The impressive lobby

chocolates.

is a cavernous vision of polished wood floors, copper panelling and artworks, some preserved

Services and facilities

from the original Ambassador

Mövenpick piles on the amenities

tourists will have the city’s best

Hotel opened in 1957 (there are

for guests at the Ambassador.

shopping spots, a golf course

2,500 pieces of original Ghanaian

For those who don’t want their

and delicious eateries close by.

art throughout the hotel). It’s a

fitness regime to flag on their

of Government ministries while

Bustling Makola Market and the resorts of Labadi Beach are also within easy reach. However, the hotel is a haven of luxurious amenities set within its 16 acres of lush, landscaped gardens so you may be reluctant to venture far.

Style With 260 stylish rooms and suites, The Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel Accra is the largest five-star hotel in the city. For all its size, it retains a 32

warm, welcoming atmosphere

STYLISH The hotel has a luxurious look inside and out

travels there is the ToneZone

advantage of the extensive

prints and fabrics. Each room

gym and the hotel grounds are

meeting and conference facilities,

has a large bathroom, free high-

circumscribed by a 400-metre

which are – as is becoming a

speed wi-fi, 46” flat screen TVs,

jogging track. The Marn-Dah Spa

theme here – the largest in the

laptop sized safe, individually

will soothe any aching muscles

city.

controlled air-conditioning, a

as will the lagoon-shaped pool, which has a kids’ swimming area as befits such a family-friendly

work desk and minibar.

Rooms

Guests staying in one of the hotel’s suites or on the

establishment.

The hotel’s superior, deluxe and

The Emporium shopping mall

with a choice of city or pool

attached to the hotel offers retail

views while the top floor vantage

Lounge with its balcony

therapy while the neighbouring

point of the Ambassador and

overlooking the gardens and

Arts Centre of Ghana sells a

Presidential Suites reveals a

pool, evening canapés with

range of traditional handicrafts

magnificent cityscape. All the

wine and champagne and a

such as wood carving and

rooms are minimal and fresh in

private check-in/check-out

drums – ideal souvenirs of your

décor with an urban feel and

service. It’s like staying at a

visit. Business guests can take

injections of colour from African

hotel within a hotel.

executive double rooms all come

DINING Sankofa

Executive Club Floor have access to the elegant Executive

FLYafrica 33

Food and drink There are a variety of dining options available. Flagship restaurant Sankofa samples cuisines from all over the world with some of the dishes prepared right before your eyes at live cooking stations. Its Sunday buffets are very popular and occasionally attract star guests.

Ghanaian recording artist Adane Best was recently seen singing live to diners.

The Deli, located on the ground floor of the Emporium Shopping Arcade, offers freshly made sandwiches, light meals and signature Mövenpick ice cream to be taken away or enjoyed on the outdoor terrace.

More light bites can be had at the Lobby Lounge, which has become one of the city’s hippest

hangouts to meet friends, discuss business deals and enjoy refreshments while enjoying the views out to the hotel gardens and pool.

The Pool Bar and Barbecue is where to go for the Ambassador’s most fun dining experience. Here guests can relax poolside amid the lush gardens and enjoy light summer dishes, barbecue nights and a range of ice-cool drinks, all brought to them with a flourish by a team of roller-skating waiters. Now that is cool.

GRAND The lobby

Guests can relax poolside amid the lush gardens and enjoy light dishes and a range of ice-cool drinks delivered by roller-skating waiters

An extensive drinks selection can also be enjoyed in the lobby at the One2One Bar. This chic lounge bar, which also does light meals, is the perfect spot for entertaining clients, business meetings, or unwinding after a long day at work.

Room prices from US$ 297 per night. For more information, visit movenpick-hotels.com All public areas are wheelchair accessible and there are two specially adapted rooms suitable for wheelchair users.

CHIC The One2One bar

34

Spacefinish

WORKING

SPACES Going to work can be a bit of a chore to some people, but not if you’re a lucky enough to work in an office designed by Nigerian company Spacefinish. With features such as stationary bikes as work desk seats, armchairs made out of makoko boats and mudhut-themed meeting rooms, Spacefinish’s ingenious designs for Fortune 500 companies and startups alike make the workplace a beautiful and exciting place to be and can’t help but motivate staff. Company CEO Remi Dada (right) talks to FLYafrica about creating a better world for humans to live and work in.

Q. You were given a day a week

designed and most innovative office

goal was simply to provide the best

to work on the idea of Spacefinish

spaces in the world, across Africa,

work environment for my coworkers

while you were an employee of

Europe, Asia, North America, and the

and myself. And the rest is history...

Google. Was this kind of workplace

Middle East.

flexibility to allow workers to pursue

Google allowed me to fuel my

Q. What are the key aims for you

their passions an influence on you

creative outlet by providing me

and your team when designing

when you were creating inspira-

with the opportunity to spend 20

workspaces?

tional workspaces yourself?

per cent of my time working on a

A. At Spacefinish we truly want to

A. Working as a Googler brought

passion project. And I was lucky that

create a better world for humans to

me so much inspiration because I

I got to design and build the Google

live and work in. We have decided to

got to work out of some of the best

office as my 20 per cent project! The

begin this journey by focusing on the FLYafrica 35

workspace, a place where we spend 80 per cent of our time. To improve how people experience the workspace, we aim to design spaces that inspire teams to be more productive, innovative and collaborative. We employ a human-centered approach to design solutions; carefully focus-

The workplace is where we spend 80 per cent of our time. We aim to design spaces that inspire teams to be more productive, innovative and collaborative

ing on how people work and interact.

Spacefinishers understand that an

who reached out to work with us.

and innovative. The solution to

office area must first meet the needs

However, going forward our amazing

this problem is that it is now even

of the people who use the work-

product team has been working on

more important to design for the

space daily.

a solution to make our service more

multiple individual profile types in

ubiquitous and available to smaller-

a workspace - the introverted, the

Q. You’ve designed office space

scaled clients, and that is why we are

extroverted, the conformist, the

for banks as well as start-ups and

excited to announce that in 2020 we

rebel...etc - all these profiles need to

technology companies. Are they

would be launching an easy-to-use

express themselves in unique ways

receptive to some of your quirkier

online service called DesignMatchup,

that allow each of them to maximise

ideas such as phone booths for

which matches StartUps and SMEs

how the work.

private meetings etc?

(who otherwise cannot afford our

A. The core of every design solu-

enterprise services) with Spacefinish

Q. I read that when you were

tion we proffer reflects a precise

vetted design partners and build-

younger you fancied yourself as a

understanding of the needs of the

ers at an affordable price. We are

rapper. How far did you get with

users because we understand how

presenting a new way to work

this? Did you release any tracks?

design can shape or influence human

with us!

Are the Spacefinish team ever treated to some of your raps now at

behaviour. Through research, we take insights into how our clients

Q. A lot of your spaces draw heavily

office parties?

work, collaborate and communicate.

on African iconography and tribal

A. (Laughs) Yes, I still rap occasion-

In turn, these insights informed our

traditions. Why is this important to

ally. For me, my passion for rap

design decisions to develop new

you and your clients?

stems from a childhood love of

solutions such as phone booths for

A. Our approach to the spaces we

creating something out of nothing.

private meetings, mobile writable

design is not monolithic. However,

Occasionally I get to trade bars with

trolleys for flexible and spontaneous

based on the needs of the clients

some of the rappers and singers at

brainstorming, and other bold ideas

we have worked with, many of

the Spacefinish office!

that redefine the workplace like the

our design directions have taken

life-size train converted into a work-

significantly from the African cultural

space for our client at Renmoney.

motifs because we are in an age

This has made clients’ reception of

where there is more awareness

our out-of-the-box ideas generally

towards identity, and as a result,

warm because they trust our process

our clients strive to create cultur-

of proffering design solutions that

ally relevant offices that reflect the

address relatable problems they

identity of their employees.

battle with on a daily basis.

Q. You have worked in some of the

36

Q. Redesigning the Google office

best office spaces in the world.

space in Lagos showcased your

I’m sure you have also seen and

talents and brought you a huge

perhaps worked in, some bad ones.

amount of high-profile custom in

What do you see as the problem

just three years. Are you surprised

with standard office spaces?

by the success and how do you see

A. The problem with standard office

the future for Spacefinish mapping

spaces is that historically architects

out?

have designed spaces for one type

A. The design of the Google Nigeria

of individual profile - hence the

office did open up lots of business

boring cubical systems from the

opportunities for us. And while we

1970s. But as we have evolved in

are happy with our impact so far,

the work-space we are now aware

we can’t ignore the fact that we

of the fact that you need a diverse

weren’t able to work with everyone

workforce to remain competitive

DINING AREA At Google Launchpad

MEETINGS PLACE Renmoney project

INNOVATIVE DESIGN PWC offices

FLYafrica 37

INVESTMENT market review Brought to you by: Strategic African Securities Limited

Ghana Stock Exchange closes the year out in red The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) traded in the negative for most of 2019 resulting in a 7.4% fall in total market capitalisation to GH¢56,623.79million.

The GSE Composite Index declined 12.3% to 2,257.15 points while the GSE Financial Stock Index shed 6.2% to 2,019.65 points.

In comparison, during 2018, the GSE Composite Index and the GSE Financial Stock Index closed the year 0.3% and 6.8% lower, respectively. SAS market benchmarks also ended the year in the red: the SAS Index was down 10.4% by

the end of December 2019, Manufacturing Index eased while the SAS Financial Index lost 1.3% to 6,253.87.

Market breathe indicated a market of net sellers, with 22 price decliners compared to only six advancers. The top riser was Trust Bank Ltd (The Gambia), which

Top Advancers Closing Price (GH₵) 1 Year Change

Top Decliners

38

Source: GSE, SAS Research

25.2% to 3,481.52 points

Performance of GSE Listed Companies Trust Bank The Gambia Access Bank Aluworks Ayrton Drug Manufacturing GCB Bank

Stock Market Indices (per cent)

to 5,628.34 points, the SAS

0.40 73.91% 5.00 40.85% 0.10 25.00% 0.08 14.29% 5.10 10.87%

Closing Price (GH₵) 1 Year Change

SIC Insurance Company Ecobank Transnational Inc Fan Milk GOIL Benso Oil Palm Plantation

0.08 -57.89% 0.08 -50.00% 4.12 -48.50% 1.70 -45.51% 2.86 -43.81%

Source: SAS Equities Desk

1 Jan - 31 Dec, 2019

added 73.9% to close the year at a price of GH¢0.40. Other gains were recorded in Access Bank, up 40.85%, Aluworks, up 25.0%, Ayrton, up 14.3%, GCB, up 10.9% and Ecobank Ghana, up 7.9%. The biggest loser was SIC Insurance, which shed 57.8% to close at a price of GH¢0.08.

Other notable losses were seen in Ecobank Transnational, Fan Milk and Ghana Oil Company down 50,00%, 48.5% and 45.5% respectively.

MTN Ghana dominated trading last year Liquidity remained tight as total turnover contracted 5.6% to GH¢622.07million. Turnover was dominated by a block trade in Ecobank Transnational back in August 2019, resulting in 3.49 billion shares worth GH¢349.42million changing hands.

Throughout the year, MTN Ghana dominated trading, with daily average turnover of GH¢451,017.15 (47% of total daily average turnover). Other significant contributors to daily turnover were

CAL Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana Oil Company and Ecobank Ghana Ltd, which together with MTN Ghana contributed 87% to average daily turnover.

Treasury rates generally moved upwards until midyear, before moderating. The 91-Day Treasury Bill rate has been hovering around 14.7% for the better part of the year. The 182-Day Treasury Bill rate, reached its year high of 15.5% in May 2019 but has since pulled back to 15.2% as at December 2019, a trend also seen among longer dated instruments. In comparison, the interbank weighted average rate was 15.2% as at October 2019, while average six-month time deposit rate remained at 10.5%.

Also, savings and demand deposit rates have remained unchanged at 7.6% and 2.8% respectively, while average lending rates of banks were 23.7% as at October 2019. On the secondary market, rates remained stable, with instruments recording marginal gains in yield. The seven-, ten- and 15-year bonds saw yields of about 19.8%, 19.9% and 20.3% towards the end of the year.

Cedi depreciation rate worsens The Ghana Cedi depreciated 12.9% against the US Dollar in 2019, worse than the 8.8% depreciation recorded in 2018, exacerbated by government bond liquidations by foreign investors around February 2019. But this was slowed by the issuance of the USD3billion

Treasury Rates

Avg Open Avg Close 1 Year Change 91 Day T-bill 182 Day T-bill 1 Year Note 2 Year Note 3 Year Bond 5 Year Bond 7 Year Bond 10 Year Bond

14.59% 15.03% 15.50% 19.50% 19.50% 16.50% 16.25% 17.50%

14.70% 15.15% 17.90% 20.95% 19.70% 19.50% 16.25% 19.80%

0.11% 0.12% 2.40% 1.45% 0.20% 3.00% 0.00% 2.30%

Source: Bank of Ghana, SAS Research 1 Jan -31 Dec, 2019

Eurobond as well as the USD1.5billion Cocoa Syndication Loan. In its outlook, the Bank of Ghana, expects the Cedi to remain relatively stable supported by improving macro fundamentals and inflows from the second tranche of the cocoa syndicated loans.

While a current positive trade balance, the planned Eurobond issuance (c. USD 3 billion) in February and expected cocoa loan inflows are positive, we still expect pressures on the Cedi to remain in 2020 and in the medium-term. To help ease pressures on the Cedi during this election year, especially during the seasonal 1st quarter for dividend and capital repatriation, we expect the MPC to maintain the policy rate at the current level (16.00%) in the medium term. We do however anticipate that the budgeted 21% increase in government spending will be inflationary (government will probably actively monitor the effects of recent tariff reviews, as these remain a major source of inflation). The year-onyear inflation rate closed the year at

Market Activity Company

Volume Traded

7.9% and the central bank expects to maintain inflation within the 8 +/- 2% range in the medium term through its interventions.

Looking ahead Activity in equity markets is likely to remain relatively depressed, as capital is expected to remain in fixed income alternatives. The government’s borrowing plans to finance the 4.7% of GDP planned budget deficit present new investment opportunities for domestic and offshore investors. The large increase in issuance size will likely keep yields stable or cause an upward trajectory, thus concentrating capital in bonds.

While historical trend has shown that the stock market does not thrive during the election year and given that the recent banking crisis is still fresh on the minds of investors, it is still worth noting that stocks are currently undervalued (average market PE of 10.21x), providing unique opportunities for patient capital.

We believe the stock market has tapered off enough to provide opportunities for the discerning investor and recommend investors with a long-term view to consider companies with strong fundamentals, which continue to exhibit high growth potential, a strong balance sheet and high cash generating capacity.

Find out more

Strategic African Securities Limited, 14th Floor, World Trade Centre, Independence Avenue, Accra Tel: +233 302 661 990 / 770 / 008 Email: info@sasghana.com, research@sasghana.com www.sasghana.com

Volume Contr. Value Traded (GH₵) Value Contr.

Ecobank Transnational Inc. 3,493,197,716 MTN Ghana 202,909,503 Ghana Commercial Bank 6,193,891 Fan Milk 3,637,692 CAL Bank 20,199,369 Standard Chartered Bank 774,949 Guinness Ghana Breweries 5,113,691 Ecobank Ghana Ltd 1,325,299 Ghana Oil Company 4,360,475 Enterprise Group 3,859,973 Other 47,438,864 Total 3,789,011,422 Source: Ghana Stock Exchange, SAS Research

92.19% 5.36% 0.16% 0.10% 0.53% 0.02% 0.13% 0.03% 0.12% 0.10% 1.25% 100.00%

349,423,343 144,036,495 27,810,440 22,339,349 15,106,630 12,492,694 11,123,643 10,352,336 8,842,275 7,537,199 15,821,620 622,070,887

56.17% 23.15% 4.47% 3.59% 2.43% 2.01% 1.79% 1.66% 1.42% 1.21% 2.09% 100.00%

1 Jan -31 Dec, 2019

GH₵ Exchange Rates Currency Avg Open Avg Close 1 Year Change US Dollar 4.82 5.54 -12.95% Pound Sterling 6.17 7.32 -15.67% Canadian Dollar 3.54 4.27 -17.06% South African Rand 0.33 0.40 -16.54% Euro 5.51 6.21 -11.29% Chinese Remimbi 0.70 0.80 -11.96% Nigerian Naira 63.77 55.38 15.15% Source: Bank of Ghana, SAS Research 1 Jan -31 Dec 2019

FLYafrica 39

EIGHT REASONS TO LOVE

Liberia

Now given a clean bill of health after its Ebola outbreak and with its torrid political history consigned to the past, Liberia is finally able to reveal its tourist treasures to the world. Lonely Planet, one of the world’s leading travel authorities, placed the country at number eight in its list of Top Countries to Visit in 2020 and here FLYafrica gives eight good reasons why intrepid travellers should head for West Africa’s hidden gem.

Fabian Plock / Shutterstock.com

1.

40

It’s a surfing paradise

Several surfing beaches can be found in and around Monrovia, but the coastal town of Robertsport, around 80 km from the capital, has been described as the greatest undiscovered surf spot in Africa, offering long stretches of deserted beaches and waves as high as six metres unfurling along its coast. Robertsport was the spot where thousands of freed African-American slaves first touched land to make a new life after The American Colonization Society founded Liberia in 1821. The names of many of them are still carved into a cottonwood tree on one of Robertsport’s best beaches. The beach is also the location for the stilted huts that make up Nana’s Lodge, which puts up surfers overnight so they can catch the first swell of the day. All levels of surfer can enjoy the waves here – there is none of the vicious undertow and crashing waves of the Monrovia beaches – with the angle of the coastline creating gentle ocean swells that seem to go on forever.

2.

The food is delicious Traditional Liberian food is bursting with spice and flavour. Try Palava, chunks of smoked meat or fish on a spice-hot soup, or the deepfried dumplings with spicy dip of Liberian pepper Kala.

The fiery sauces are usually soaked up with mountains of jollof rice or street food staple fufu, a sort of pancake usually made from a dough of cassava and plantain. Liberians are welcoming hosts so a meal out is a wonderful experience.

Jefferson Krua | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-4.0

3.

4.

It has a thriving fashion scene

Liberia has wealth of skilled textile artisans and in its urban areas there is a vibrant fashion scene with self-expression at its heart. Shopping in Monrovia you’ll find The Bombchel Factory, which trains disadvantaged people to produce ready-to-wear African print clothes and accessories. The capital is also home to Afropolitan, producing handcrafted clothes for him and her to the Liberian and international market, and ethical fashion brand Myeonway Designs, which sells its luxury handbags, accessories and clothes from its outlet in Monrovia’s Murex Plaza.

You can catch the legends of hipco live Bold and politically charged, hipco is the voice of Liberia’s youth – who are great in number in the country with the CIA World Factbook recording the average age of its citizens is 17.9 years. The best place to see and hear the leading lights of hipco (the name comes from a blend of hiphop and colloqua, a local term for Liberian English) is Bar 146 in Monrovia’s downtown Carey Street. The reliably hot and heaving venue is run by Liberian hipco legend Takun J and high-profile acts such as Peaches, Butterfly and Romeo are known to take to the stage on the Friday hipco live nights.

5.

You can visit a national park teeming with unusual wildlife

Sapo National Park is Liberia’s largest protected area of rainforest and it is home to 125 species of mammal and 590 types of bird. Among them are a number of nature’s most unusual and threatened creations, including the pygmy hippopotamus, the African golden cat and three species of pangolin. You’ll also find forest elephants, crocodiles, colourful bird life, leopards and colobus monkeys.

A trip here is a true adventure. Around an eight-hour drive from Monrovia, there is no official accommodation inside the park but rangers will show you the best spots to set up camp. Tour operator Barefoot Liberia (email info@barefootsafari.com) can arrange trips and exploring.

Erik (HASH) Hershman | Wikimedia Commons | CC-BY-SA-2.0

FLYafrica

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Liberia The north east of the country

has some spectacular waterfalls. The crowds head to Kpatawee, 32 km from Gbamga, a popular spot for picnics and a cooling swim. The falls can be found after a walk through the banana and rice plantations of the neighbouring village. Locals will expect an entrance fee to experience Kpatawee and many of them are involved in the running of an ecotourism site nearby and ensure the waterfalls are kept pristine.

Wongan waterfall, in Bong County not far from the border with Guinea, is less well known, but even more awe-inspiring. During the wet season from May to October the spring that rises from the 60-metre tumbling cascade of water is said to be visible from 10 km away. Outside of these months, visitors can get up close and swim in the then tranquil rock pool below. Locals from neighbouring village Boisien maintain the falls and activities such as fishing, traditional canoe rides, swimming and for those brave enough – diving from the top of the waterfall are available.

42

Fabio Diena / Shutterstock.com

6.

Its waterfalls are mind-blowing

7.

Its president was once the world’s best footballer From 2006 to 2018 Liberia was led by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected female head of state in Africa. Her successor, George Weah, represented another first as it was the only time a former professional footballer had been made president of a country. Weah was a Liberian international, scoring 10 times during his 47 matches for his country, but it was as a club player, with stints at top-level teams such as Monaco, PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Marseille, that the striker really made his name. In his first season for AC Milan he was the club’s top scorer, leading them to the Serie A title. These achievements earned him the Ballon d’Or as the World Player of the Year. He was the first African to win the prestigious award.

Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

8.

There are quality hotels to stay at

One of the Monrovia skyline’s most iconic buildings may be the long-abandoned eightstorey Ducor Hotel, which was one of Africa’s first five-star hotels and the city’s biggest tourist attraction, but there are a number of stylish new alternatives very much open for business. Among them is the Royal Grand Hotel. From its rooftop bar serving up specialities such as cane-juice caipirinhas through the stateof-the-art treatment rooms at its spa to its own doughnut bar in the lobby stuffed with handmade pastries, this is a hotel that sets out to pamper its guests. Ecotourists may want to head for Libassa EcoLodge, which has a prime location where tropical forest meets the junction of a virgin lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean – all just 30 minutes’ drive from Monrovia.

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TRAVELinformation Before your flight

1.

2.

3 .

4.

5.

Allow enough time to arrive at the airport at least two hours before the flight departure time and no later than 40 minutes before departure.

Unaccompanied minors Children aged five to 12 must travel as an unaccompanied minor (UM) on AWA. Only children mature enough to

If you are a special needs passenger, arrive at the airport in ample time to allow the airport staff to process documents.

travel with limited supervision

Make sure you have the correct identification for check-in, such as a voter’s ID card, National Health Insurance card, driver’s licence or any form of government identification before you travel on AWA’s domestic routes and a valid passport on regional routes. A visa is required for non-ECOWAS passport holders. Without a valid physical government-issued ID you will not be checked in.

receiving a UM at final

are allowed to travel as a UM. Details of parent/guardian destination must be provided by a parent/guardian during reservation.

Proof of age such as a valid passport, birth certificate or National Health Insurance card must be presented at check-in.

Check that your bags are within the correct weight and size limits for your product class (see table below).

AWA ground staff will assist the UM with check-in, transfers and boarding.

Check your seat assignment, which will be given to you at the airport.

Once on board, a flight attendant with observe and/

During your flight

6.

7.

8.

periodically.

Enjoy complimentary hot beverages, served on some routes, as well as fresh fruit juice and snacks including croissants, biscuits and fish/meat pies.

UMs are only allowed to travel on non-stop or same-

The parent/guardian receiv-

Pay close attention to the safety procedures outlined by the cabin crew and take note of your nearest exit.

plane services.

ing the UM should arrive at the gate 30 minutes prior to

AWA does not accept

scheduled arrival and present

responsibility for a UM’s

valid photo ID to an AWA

actions. The parent/guardian

representative. AWA will not

agrees to hold AWA blame-

release a UM to anyone other

less for any injuries to UM

than the designated parent/

caused by or out of UM’s own

guardian.

negligence.

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AWA reserves the right to

Baggage allowances

46

or communicate with the UM

Checked baggage

Hand luggage

Excess baggage

Should the UM’s flight be

transport UMs on flights that

disrupted or should the guard-

may have been diverted or

ian or parent fail to meet the

cancelled due to weather or

UM on arrival, AWA is author-

operational disruptions.

ized to take necessary and

Domestic Regional 23 kg

30 kg

One piece up to 5 kg and 1 handbag/laptop bag GHS 5/kg

US$ 3/kg

book stating the duration of

to AWA representatives of the

pregnancy at the date of travel.

person’s condition upon ticket purchase.

A new mother is permitted to fly 48 hours after a normal

Pre-boarding to find a suit-

delivery, provided that she has

able seat. Passengers with

a certificate from her obstetri-

disabilities are not permitted to

cian stating she is fit to fly.

sit in the emergency exit rows.

Babies under 14 days old are not permitted to fly.

Receipt of checked-in wheelchair or other assistance device upon disembarking or

Passengers with reduced mobility

at baggage claim.

AWA is not insured, permitted

AWA provides assistance to

or equipped for staff to carry

passengers with special needs

any passenger who is unable to

during the reservation process,

assist himself or herself onboard

check-in, during the flight

an AWA aircraft, even if he or

and at final destination. AWA

she is able to walk but needs a

will ensure provision of the

trained and accredited bearer.

following: AWA is not equipped to Transport of passengers

reasonable action under the

agrees to reimburse AWA for

Pregnant women Expectant mothers are permitted to fly until the 28th medical certificate.

From the 28th to the

seated on the lap of an adult

34th week of pregnancy, an

over 15 years of age. However,

expectant mother is required

a passenger may choose to

to provide a medical certifi-

purchase a seat for the infant

cate from her obstetrician

as long as there is a proper

stating that the pregnancy is

child restraint device.

progressing without complications and stating the expected

Only one child is permitted

delivery date.

to sit on an adult’s lap. An additional seat must be purchased

or contained gas either in the

safety-related regulation that

passenger cabin or as cargo/

requires us not to do so.

baggage.

AWA is not equipped to

chairs or other assistance

transport passengers who

devices for personal use at

require stretchers, incubators,

no charge, in addition to

respirators or other devices

enplaning and deplaning.

that may rely on aircraft power

Attention should be brought

supply.

week of pregnancy without a

AWA requires all children under two years old to be

other hazardous materials and/

unless there is a specific

Transport of wheel-

any expenses incurred.

Infants and toddlers

with disabilities of any kind

and more comfortable flight.

circumstances. In the case of the latter, the parent/guardian

transport medical oxygen or

Expectant mothers more

if one adult is travelling with

than 34 weeks pregnant are

two infants.

not permitted to fly with AWA.

AWA recommends that

For pregnancies less than

a child over 20 kg in weight

28 weeks, passengers should

should use a seat for a safer

possess an ante-natal card/

Fleet information Embraer ERJ-145LR Length:

29.87 m / 98 ft 0 in

Height:

6.76 m / 22 ft 2 in

Wingspan:

20.04 m / 65 ft 9 in

Capacity: Engines:

50 passengers Rolls Royce AE 3007-A1 Turbofans

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Number of aircraft: 8 FLYafrica 47

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Get in touch Email Contacts Local Offices Accra – Head Office SSNIT Emporium Ground Floor, Airport City Liberation Road PMB CT67 Cantonment Accra, Ghana Tel: +233 24 243 8888

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