Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

By Evelyn Osagie

A non-profit, LGRhythms foundation is set for its annual charity walk.This year’s edition will hold on March 8 in Port Harcourt. The walk will kick off at Waterline junction by Mobil filling station by 8am.

The annual walk is done as an enlightenment campaign against terminal diseases. This year is no different as cervical cancer is the purpose for the walk.The ambassador for the Port Harcourt connect, Elizabeth Obioma, says the theme for this year’s walk is “War against cervical cancer” with a slogan – fight, support, hope.

Supported by the walk coordinator, Mr Temi Ogunwolu, they enjoin residents of Port Harcourt and Nigerians in general to come out to support this worthy cause on Sunday.

The LGRhythms Foundation is a social/Non-governmental Organisation powered by love for Universal change and progress in the global community. Founded in 2011, the LGRhythms has over 3,000 members spread across the country. Already gaining recognition for its yearly charity walk against terminal diseases, the LGRhythms also embarks on yearly empowerment programs for women, the less privileged and Nigerians in general.

By Evelyn Osagie

SOME  civil rights groups  have condemned the attack and arrest of some persons living with disabilities who protested the recent ban of tricycles, popularly known as keke in Lagos  State.

The Physically Challenged Empowerment Initiative (PCEI), the Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation (Federation) and Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI) condemned the attack.

On February 25, over 600 persons living with disabilities (PLWDs) and other Lagosians went on a peaceful protest to the Lagos State Governor’s office to request for an audience regarding their plight in the aftermath of the blanket ban on keke across Lagos that started on February1, 2020.

They, therefore, called for the release of the arrested leaders. “We call for the immediate release of Mohammed Zanna, Sarkin Abubakar Umaru, Shehu Issa Daiyanu, Guragu Mustapha Bello, and Guragu Yunusa Mohammed, for the frivolous charges against them to be dropped, and for the governor to respond to the petitions and requests made by these peaceful and lawful protesters, including reversal of the keke ban in favour of pro-people regulation,” the three civil rights groups wrote in a joint statement.

According to the statement, the February 25 peaceful protest was following an earlier peaceful protest staged on February 7, whereby PCEI members whose livelihoods and mobility had been decimated by the overnight Keke ban had delivered a petition to the Lagos State Governor and the House of Assembly, regarding their plight.

“Despite promises by the representatives that day, there has been no response to their appeals…Just before midnight, officers of the Nigeria Police Force on ground began to shoot tear gas into the midst of the protesters who were eating or starting to sleep. Rather than scatter, the protesters took courage to stay together and united. Sometime later, more tear gas was fired and at least five of the group’s leaders were arrested and detained at the Lagos State Task Force cell. Despite efforts to secure their release, the five leaders have since been charged before the Lagos State Mobile Court on bogus charges like “wandering” and efforts to perfect their bail are ongoing,” according to Abbas.

“Beyond these violations of our members’ rights to livelihood and  property, the situation is more chaotic with inadequate transportation system leaving ordinary citizens stranded at bus stops across the state. For PCEI members, the impacts have been worse since many of them struggle to navigate Lagos traffic; now they are practically trampled in the rush for buses and have been unable to either move themselves using their network’s keke fleet or move long distances self-propelled.

‘’This amounts to a severe assault on their right to mobility and, moreso, their right to dignity’’.

Explaining that the peaceful protest organised on February 25, 2020 was a “sincere attempt to engage the governor’s office regarding the negative impacts of the ban and the alternative approaches the government could pursue to improve security in the transport sector without such “collateral damage,” aligned with the efforts of a broader coalition of civil society and concerned citizens who have championed a #RegulateNotBan approach that has called for an alternative policy by the end of February 2020″.

The statement continued: “Still in shock, we condemn in strong  terms the attacks on peaceful protesters and the arrest and frivolous prosecution of leaders of the PLWD community in Lagos, who are supposed to enjoy the highest forms of protection in line with the Lagos State Special Peoples’ Law, 2011. By contrast, they have now suffered violations of their rights to freedom of assembly,  freedom of expression, to physical integrity, and to liberty, on top of the other rights already violated by the blanket keke ban.

“This ban left ordinary Lagosians stranded en masse at bus stops across the state and decimated the livelihoods and investments of those involved in lawful and useful transportation businesses.

‘’Some of the worst impacts of this policy have been on persons living with disabilities across Lagos State, many of whom have over recent years been supported by PCEI to leave street begging for more dignified and lawful work of driving kekes. Our members have invested heavily to learn how to drive, get the requisite licences, and purchase kekes that they have proudly driven until 31 January 2020, providing for themselves and their families’’.

The statement was signed by Megan S. Chapman of JEI, Abbas Alhaji of Nigeria Physically Challenged Initiative and Akinrolabu Samuel of Nigerian Slum/Informal and Empowerment Settlement Federation.

By Lanre Amodu

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines tradition as “a belief, principle, or way of acting that people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time”. The belief or principle evolves over time and becomes trusted, such that it governs the activities of the group that adopts it. Different professions have traditions that help to regulate their processes. Organisations also evolve traditions that staff members are expected to adhere to. Tradition is vital to sustainability. Without tradition, critical decisions will be left to the discretion of people who are perhaps not qualified to take such initiatives. If you want to ensure that certain values are sustained and passed on from generation to generation in your family or your business, you need to establish a tradition. The following are specific usefulness of tradition:

• Creates identity: how do you tell a Japanese from an American? How do you tell one airline from another? How do you differentiate between close competing brands of businesses? All of these you can do by checking out their traditions. Looks are superficial. An American who has spent her entire life in Japan is likely to adopt the Japanese tradition and vice versa. But tradition holds a deeper meaning to the people who subscribe to it. When you have brands that are very similar, reason becomes less important in customers’ choice of one over the other. It then comes down to the brand that stands out the most. Do you want to become unique and stand out from the crowd? Develop some valuable beliefs and principles that will guide your actions. Suddenly, you will discover that what you do becomes more meaningful. You will also discover that people will be able to connect with you on a deeper level. A lot of times, the reason we are proud to be identified with a family, organisation or country is because of what it stands for.
• Ensures consistency: unpredictability may be exciting under some circumstances but there are times when it is not desirable. Would you like your Internet access to be unpredictable? Would you want your employer to be unpredictable? Would you want your airline to be unpredictable? Would you want your bank services to be unpredictable? In the business world, consistency is power. Even employers wouldn’t enjoy inconsistent staff- show up when they want, display drastic mood swings, offer varying quality of the same service, etc. Tradition sets a standard that is passed on from one generation to another. There are organisations that are over a 100 years old, yet they maintain uncompromised quality of service. A set of principles guiding your life makes people feel safe around you.
• Strengthens a movement: a house divided against itself cannot stand. When there are conflicting values within the same entity, collapse is imminent. When the leadership of an organisation possess a set of values and the staff possess another set, trouble is looming. Tradition is useful in ensuring that a group of people speak the same language and aim at the same goal. If you observe that your group is scattering, check the tradition. And if you don’t have a clearly defined tradition, it’s time to get one. It has the potential of binding people together into a formidable entity.
• Protects: While some traditions were established based on past occurrences, others are adopted to forestall potential problems. For instance, an organisation can preempt growth challenges by adopting measures that can kill an observed trend before it becomes a major problem. Parents may also establish some rules or values to check potential excesses of their children. Traditions serve as boundaries that try to protect people from doing things that can have undesirable consequences.

As valuable as traditions tend to be, are they infallible? Join me next week as we explore some challenges of traditions. Thanks for reading my article today. I would really love to hear from you. So, do share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu. Remember, if you can change your mind, you can change your life. Grow your mind and every other thing will catch up!

By Ebube Ojukwu

Performance poet and photographer Evelyn D’ Poet Osagie has called for more proactive steps by government towards resolving the security challenges in the country.

She made the call during the fourth  Words Meet Images (WMI), an art to the street project. It featured an outdoor art exhibition, open air poetry and musical performances which was attended by children and parents, as well as art enthusiasts.

With the theme Embers of Love, the event held at Diamond Mine School at Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos, drew guests from all walks of life.

WMI has been held in Agege, Shomolu and Isolo local government areas. Using poetry and visual art (photography) to drive home the need for peace, unity and love, she sought to rekindle the appreciation of art in the public while showcasing how art can beautify the environment.

“In the spirit of love, the outdoor  series installation with the theme Embers of Love sought to reawaken the importance of love and peace as indispensable continuum in our polity.

The event, according to its organiser, is a meeting point that seeks to promote the appreciation of arts (poetry and photography) while bringing together different art forms and people from various places and social strata.

“In advocating the beautification of our spaces (homes, offices, market places) using art, what better way to show how beautiful our world can be using my arts.

Each piece in this body of work, Together Series, is symbolic of the silent cry today. This edition featured three additions drawn from Project #TASAA’s WETINiSABI exhibition to show that peace, love and sound health are not unconnected,” she said.

Osagie’s artworks are photographs of varying sizes in colour and monochrome; framed on mat, bamboo, firewood, and regular frames, mounted on trees, or placed on mat to show that art beautifies every space.

The images explore the metaphoric interaction between humans and their environment (nature), animal and inanimate objects (bags) towards achieving harmony and the attendant power play in our polity as it affects our existence.

“The human and photo installation, which form my outdoor exhibition has as the theme  Embers of Love, each piece has a story behind it, of blood, of pain, of hunger, of belly- full.

The TOGETHER SERIES exhibition always showcases human installation, using market women and our traditional wares and furniture to create a local milieu to reignite the feeling of the old days in her audience.

The event also featured a drama written and directed by Evelyn D’ Poet, entitled: “Ija Ile Idana (Kitchen Revolution) which was inspired by Prof Wole Soyinka’s words on insecurity and Amotekun-Federal Government saga.

Read Also: How Soyinka inspires Osagie’s Valentine’s show

It opened with some lines from the founder of Diamond Publications Lanre Idowu’s new poem. The play meant to remind people of the need for peace, encourages all to pursue peaceful means of resolving disagreement.

“If we forget the reasons why, we must fight for the peace and unity in our land. Let art, nature, our children and animals remind us.”

It was featured the WMI casts drawn from different strata of the society, including market women in her human installation.

The cast were Gboyega Alaka, Amaka Ojie, Ibrahim Yusuf, Williams Ogele, Mrs Aminat Abiola, Atiku Orija, Oyebola Owolabi, Sherif Amanda, Busola Odugbesan, Mrs Balogun, Oladapo Akinduntire, Iya Toyin, Mrs Top Fajebe, Jide Owolabi, among others.

The play was followed by a poetic/musical concert tagged: The Love Lines Concert, which also featured diverse  musical acts between the ages of five and 60 music sensation Jide; celebrated kiddies group, The Dynamix Group and the Igbo flutist Mazi Akpama.

Osagie has overtime proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the art world as she blends her poetry work with modern and traditional motifs, elements of folklore, myths, songs, and sometimes employs masks, drums, rhythms, music, dance, images, songs and speech patterns while drawing inspiration from traditional African theatre to express her brand of poetry.

She performed three poems – Sunrise, Eko Dance  and Life is a Dance – at the just-concluded edition. Each piece is embedded with a decade old story and messages of love and unity.

The poem, Sunrise, was inspired and first performed on Channels TV Book Club for Nigeria’s Independence Day celebration in 2015 and has since been performed over 15 times at different venues. Eko Dance is a love poem to the city of Lagos, inspired by Award winning journalist, Pelu Awofeso’s book, White Lagos.

The poet has performed her poems and others before diverse artistic events and festivals across the country, including the United States Consulate, Lagos German Embassy in Lagos, CORA’s Lagos State Book and Arts Festival (LABAF) and The Night of The Poet during Lagos Black Heritage Festival, WORDSLAM Bogobiri  (Ire Celebrates) and the Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA) and MUSON Centre, among others.

By Lanre Amodu

When talking of legendary companies that practically shaped the world and the way it is perceived, it is difficult not to mention Kodak.

The company was a giant in the business of capturing the moment and preserving memories. The Eastman Kodak Company, simply known as Kodak, was established in 1888 by George Eastman and Henry A, Strong.

For the most part of the 20th century, Kodak remained dominant in the business of photographic film. From inception, the strategy of the company was to sell inexpensive cameras.

However, the large profit margin came from the sale of consumables such as film, paper and chemicals.

One of Kodak’s engineers, Steve Sasson, invented the first ever digital self-contained camera in 1975. While it wasn’t the first camera to produce digital images, it was the first to be portable- hand-held.

The invention was so significant to the evolution of photography that in 2009, Steve Sasson was awarded by President Barack Obama the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, which was the highest honour that the United States government can bestow on an inventor or a scientist. He was also awarded the Progress Medal and Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2012.

Considering how huge the invention was, it must have perpetuated Kodak as a market leader right? Wrong! Actually, Kodak only shelfed it and didn’t use it.

Recall that I mentioned earlier that the major source of profit for the company was the sales of consumable; the portable digital camera would have affected the company’s sales of films because the camera was filmless.

To avoid “spoiling its own market by its own product”, Kodak management decided to maintain the existing business model.

As at 1976, Kodak enjoyed 90% sales in the film market and 85% sales in the camera market in the U.S. It was difficult to imagine a future that wouldn’t have film in it!

So confident was Kodak of its status that it turned down the opportunity to serve as the official film for the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984.

Nature abhors vacuum, they say, so Fujifilm had its much need opportunity to win the sponsorship rights. That opportunity established Fujifilm, a Japanese company, as a force in the U.S. and it went on to open its plant, embark on aggressive marketing and take over the market.

Meanwhile, Kodak was unsuccessful in penetrating the Japanese market and even filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation, which was rejected. Finally, Kodak faced its fears of the impending digital age; the company embarked on a decade-long journey in the 1990s to migrate to digital photography.

They employed several strategies unsuccessfully to delay the digital era. Several of their customers had already migrated.

Soon, the company began to struggle due to a decline in sales and its slowness to migrate to digital photography.

It is ironic that 2012, the year that Steve Sasson received a Progress Medal from the Royal Photography Society for his outstanding contributions, particularly the invention of the portable digital camera, was the same year Kodak filed for bankruptcy.

Fujifilm, on the other hand, was reported to have handled the migration quite well. According the reports, as far back as the early 1980s, the company had started to evolve plans for the switch.

The three-pronged strategy included the plan to squeeze as much money as it could from the film business, to prepare for the digital migration and to develop new business lines. As at 2018, the company acquired 50.1% controlling shares in Xerox for $6.1 billion.

The worst problem you can have is to be afraid of your own ideas and your own future. Rather than struggle to hold on to a passing trend, prepare yourself for the future.

If you don’t innovate, someone else will. Thanks for reading my article today. I would really love to hear from you.

So, do share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu. Remember, if you can change your mind, you can change your life. Grow your mind and every other thing will catch up!

 By Ozolua Uhakheme, Assistant Editor (Arts)

In the last few years, Lagos has continued to evolve from the city of cosmopolitan city that never sleeps into a megacity that is fast becoming the envy of other states of the federation.

Last Monday at the Wheatbaker in Ikoyi, Lagos, six young photographers: Amanda Iheme, Ayanfe Olarinde, Nelly Ating, Oluwamuyiwa Logo, Omoregie Osakpolor and Somi Nwandu presented no fewer than 58 honest, intimate and audacious photos to analyse, interrogate and expose the enigmatic duality of Lagos.

Iheme is an architecture photographer and psychotherapist living and working in Lagos. She studied at the University of Cape Coast for a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and received a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Swansea University.

Olarinde is a self-taught multimedia visual artist who obtained a BSc. in Microbiology from the University of Lagos in 2018.

Her journey into art stems from her love of scribbling, a process through which she is able to unpack her emotions in playful and intriguing ways, whilst speaking on broader issues of self-exploration as well as the stories that often are untold.

Ating is a freelance reporter doubling as a photojournalist reporting from the front lines of conflict zones in Nigeria. She is currently exploring conceptual documentary work on flouted topics in her immediate society.

Oluwamuyiwa is a photographer and filmmaker. His approach revolves around conceptual and documentary style of photography, while Osakpolor is a documentary photographer and filmmaker.

He received his BA (Hons) in English and Literature from the University of Benin, Edo State. He is presently a mentee at the Nlele Institute Mentorship Programme and was nominated for the Edwin George Prize for Photography at The Future Africa Awards in 2017.

Nwandu was enamoured with the arts from an early age. She was fascinated with photography and spent years exploring digital software alongside expressing her creativity through writing, painting, and fashion illustration.

From photos of historical buildings, to the daily struggles of transient communities, the effects of censorship on the minds of our youth, juxtaposed against the beautiful pattern and repetition of our organic and built environments, the group photo exhibition touches on the complex pressures of life in Lagos while beckoning residents to grapple more honestly with what must change.

The photo exhibition tagged Dis Lagos Life, which will run till May 17 and curated by SMO Contemporary Art is supported by The Wheatbaker and Louis Guntrum Wines.

The exhibition also highlights curated quotes from six writers and thought leaders – Wana Udobang, Jareh Das, Kovie Evi-Parker, Sheila Chukwulozie, Roli Afinotan, and Adeoluwa Oluwajoba – whose reflective sentiments and analysis of Lagos provide a deeper appreciation of the exhibited images.

SMO Founder and Artistic Director Sandra Mbanefo Obiago noted that photography is unfortunately still an under-represented medium in Nigerian art collections.

“Dis Lagos Life showcases powerful narratives which will heighten our socio-cultural awareness, while providing us with unforgettable images of a city which draws us into a whirlwind of energy, colour, and vibe at a critical time in our ever changing history.

“As we enter a new decade, the Wheatbaker is delighted to continue providing our artists with an important platform for innovation and creativity through their powerful expressions in different media,” Director Wheatbaker Mosun Ogunbanjo said, adding that the exhibition perfectly encapsulates the contradictions and beauty of our Lagos.

According to Ilogu, “When I first received the vision for this exhibition, I struggled, as I wasn’t quite sure the nature of my emotions towards Lagos.

I found it difficult to encapsulate this enigmatic city with so much wealth, vibrancy, diversity, social engagement, chaos, injustice, and poverty.

It became apparent that the solution lay in the process of trying to document the various facets of Dis Lagos Life, with fresh ideas, images, and narratives everyone was not necessarily familiar with.

‘’One thing I was certain of was the need to find the right artists whose works would speak volumes on the theme.

Working in the creative industry for the past few years, I have been fortunate to meet a number of talented photographers, who captured and interrogated life in Lagos with audacious images.”

DisLagos Life offers a fresh perspective and interrogation of daily life in Lagos through the lens of six young dynamic artists.

To complement these powerful images, quotes from five dynamic writers have been juxtaposed against the photographs, adding a deeper dimension to the imagery, as each writer shares their sentiments and reflections of this enigmatic city.

With all of life’s challenges and chaos in Lagos, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, desensitised, and certain events go unreported.

However, the works of each of these artists cause us to pause, collectively highlighting history, transience, loss, emotions, and injustice through an honest and critical analysis of lives in this city.

Amanda explores the humanity of built spaces, and critically analyses historical buildings in the Brazilian quarters according to an organic lifecycle.

Her photos of ‘Waterhouse’ tells a story of the preservation of the legacy of Papa Esan, a repatriated slave, who used the remuneration he received after slavery, to build a well for his household and the surrounding community.

Read Also: Photographers task government to invest in photojournalism

His house was called “Waterhouse”, and his legacy preserved through the establishment of the Lagos Water Corporation. Amanda’s images explore the birth, life, death and reincarnation of the built environment.

Logo’s photos document familiar everyday themes, while spotlighting the nuances. His black and white images are pure poetry, as well as historical references.

For example, his photos of the ubiquitous motorcycles, called okada  which dotted the Lagos landscape just a few weeks ago, might as well be archival photographs, with the recent ban on this preferred mode of transportation for the Lagos masses.

He documents okada riders, known for their bold irreverence and the passengers, who hang on for dear life as they weave in and out of the daily traffic rush.

Ayanfe, the youngest of them, presents photo collages, which address the struggles of city youths hustling for a better life and financial security in a witty, tongue-in-cheek way. Her collage, Wakapass, shows a blocked rear-view mirror, covered with hands, while pedestrians walk past, commenting on the current challenges Lagosians are facing trekking long distances due to lack of sufficient transportation.

Omoregie’s ability to immerse himself in transient communities is evident in the raw expressions captured as he silently documented the displacement of waterfront communities since 2014.

The photograph of a woman with a bulging head load, walking through traffic into the hazy evening smog, communicates the soulful uncertainty and hopeless resolve of vulnerable citizens of this megacity.

The images created by Nelly, a documentary photographer who is used to covering conflict areas are an intimate exposé of unreported stories of those left behind by loved ones who have emigrated.

Her images of Tola in her wedding dress, provides us an unveiled glimpse of the emotional turmoil, mental unrest and heartbreak associated with deferred love and loss.

From fashion designer to documentary photographer, Somi’s work explores the different lives of waterfront communities.

Her photograph of a house on stilts cross-layered with images of shimmering waste, creates the illusion of a ramshackled hut suddenly bejeweled. Her images beckon us to look beneath the surface to discover the hidden beauty that can be found in everything.

“Dis Lagos Life takes us on a journey through the streets and occurrences in Lagos. It pushes us out of our curated bubbles into the raw beauty and harsh realities of the city, forcing us to engage, discuss, speak out, and make change – even if just in our little corners,” the exhibition curator and Manager at SMO Contemporary Art Nneoma Ilogu said.