The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • Why MTN Refurbished Playgrounds in Lagos

    “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a proverb. It means that without time off from work, a person becomes both bored and boring. The exact origins of the phrase remain unclear, though it was recorded as early as 1659.

    The meaning of the proverb above may have informed MTN Nigeria’s presentation of two newly refurbished playgrounds to Ireti and Hope Nursery and Primary Schools, in Lagos state to mark Children’s Day Celebration..

    Nigerian songstress, Chidinma Ekile and YouTube child Comedian Emmanuella Samuel commonly known as Emmanuella joined the team of the mobile telecommunication company led by the Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Lynda Saint-Nwafor to make the presentation of the playgrounds and other gifts.

    “This is all about to treat the children to a fun-filled day of gifts and memorable interaction,” Saint-Nwafor as the guests made a surprise visit at the school to make the presentation.

    According to Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Rahul De hasthat play and fun time in turn aid capacity to learn. She was delighted that “Children are a constant reminder that we have to continue to do better, be better and improve all aspects of our lives.”

    “The drive and tenacity expressed by these children at such a young age is especially exciting, which is why we believe that access to facilities such as these playgrounds will be beneficial to the students, the schools and their communities as they will serve as avenues for the children to express their vivid imaginations,” he explained.

    He further stated that “At MTN Nigeria, we believe in empowering the Nigerian child and equipping them for the future. This is why we are also donating learning materials to students in order to give them a better educational experience.”

    MTN Foundation, recently donated school supplies and learning materials to more than 60 primary schools across Nigeria Under its What Can We Do together initiative.

  • Foundation rewards six teachers with N5.2million

    The Principal of Somori Senior Comprehensive High School, from Education District 1, Lagos, Mrs. Akinbami Modupe Adebola  and Vice Principal, Oxbrigde Tutorial College, Mrs. Charity Tony-Ubah, have emerged winners of the Inspirational School Leader of the year award with cash award of N1,250,000 each.The award was  presented at the third edition of the Inspirational Educator Awards (INSEA) and Education Convention by Meadow Hall Foundation held  at Landmark Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Mr. Tajudeen Ayofe Amusan was the runner-up with a cash prize of N850,000.  A teacher from Jakande Comprehensive Senior College, Lagos, Mr. Soji Megbowon and a Science Teacher from Green Springs School, Mr. Lanre Abolaji Oguntoye, won the Inspirational Teacher of the year with the cash award of N850,000 while  Mr. Olusegun Michael Adeniyi, as the runner-up of the Inspirational Teacher of the year, won  N500,000.

    Mrs Adebola said that she emerged winner of  the inspirational School Leader because of her passion, dedication to duty and her continuous desire to improve learning outcomes among her students.

    She dedicated the award to the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary of Education District 1, Dr. Olufolayimika Ayandele, who according to her motivated and inspired her to give her best.

    The Head of Meadow Hall Foundation,  Omotola Oni, said that in selecting the INSEA winners, the Meadow Hall Foundation put out a call for nominations for the Teacher of the Year and School Leader of the Year categories; nominees filled out a comprehensive form, detailing their qualifications, experience, inspirational stories, and personal initiatives carried out that stands them apart.

    She continued: “The shortlisted candidates from this stage were invited for an interview with carefully selected judges across various industries in order to determine the winners and runners-up”. Six inspirational educators emerged from the INSEA 2019.

    She explained that INSEA is a merit-based annual award aimed at elevating the teaching profession and motivating teachers and school leaders to continue to strive for excellence in their profession. The award is open to teachers in Nigeria who teach in public or private schools (primary or secondary) and participation is free.

    Earlier, CEO/Founder Meadow Hall Group and founder, Meadow Hall Foundation, Mrs. Kehinde Nwani, said: “The vision of MHF is to improve the educational outcomes of the Nigerian Child through enhancing teaching quality, changing mindsets about teaching and advocating for the teaching profession”.

    According to her, Meadow Hall Foundation has rewarded 13 inspirational teachers and school leaders with the sum of N13m million  from 2017 till date through the Inspirational Educator Awards (INSEA).

    Nwani said, “In today’s knowledge-driven economy, education plays a pivotal role in national development. Substantial investment in human capital is a key component of socio-economic development. Education enriches people’s understanding of themselves and world.

    She added “It improves the quality of their lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education raises people’s productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In addition, it plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress and improving income distribution. Studies show that no country has achieved constant economic development without considerable investment in human capital”.

    Keynote speaker, Registrar/Chief Executive, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Professor. Josiah O. Ajiboye, said “I am very glad Meadow Hall is also involved in education. It is very clear to me that Government alone cannot fund education.

    “Private participation in education is real and it has come to stay. The only thing you need is the rules and regulations to guide private participation”, he said.

    The TRCN boss explained further that education is an accepted veritable instrument for national development. Hence the saying that, “no society can develop beyond its educational system”. It is the product of education that transforms the society.

    Ajiboye pointed out that the level of investment in education determines the quality of gross national product of a country. He compared Finland, Malaysia, Botswana and Nigeria, which Nigeria was ranked lowest in terms of investment in education.

    According to Prof. Ajiboye,  “the quality of a nation depends upon the quality of its citizens, the quality of its citizens depends not exclusively but in a crucial measure upon the quality of education and the quality of education depends more than upon any single factor upon the quality of their teachers and the quality of the teacher depends mainly upon the quality of policy thrust guiding the operations of the teacher which is provided by professional regulatory authority such as TRCN controlling and providing benchmarks for standard of operations.

    “It is in this context that National development all over the world is viewed from the lens of education which is pivoted by accurate policy provided by professional authority in the field”.

  • Egungun: Its socio-cultural relevance

    Egungun masquerader may be defined as the collective spirits of the ancestors who occupy a space in heaven hence they are called Ara Orun (dwellers of heaven). These ancestral spirits are believed to be in constant watch over their survivors on earth. They bless, protect and punish their earthly relatives depending on how their relations neglect or remember them. The ancestral spirits have collective functions that cut across lineage and family loyalty. They collectively protect the community against evil spirit, epidemics, famine, natural disasters, witchcraft and evil doers, ensuring the wellbeing, positively and productivity of the whole community generally.

    The spirits of the ancestors could be invoked individually or collectively in need or the graves of the ancestors (Oju Orori), the family shrine (ile run) or the community grave (igbale). That is why when an elder dies, the relatives of the deceased will say ” majokun, majekolo, Ohun ti won ban je lorun niko o ba won je ki oma sun lorun o. bo ju wo awon omo re o, meaning ” Never eat millipedes, never eat earthworms. Eat what they eat in heaven don’t sleep off, take care of those you left behind. The ancestral spirit may be invited to visit the earth physically in masquerade and such masquerades are called Egungun, egun or ara orun (Dwellers of heaven)

    The supernatural powers the ancestors have over the community became real as the different Egungun perform their religious, political and social functions.

    Egungun appearance reassure the Yoruba of life after death. The coming out of lineage egungun is a source of blessing and pride to the family; it is a time of rededication and intimate association with the ancestors. Also it is a time of festivity entertainment and apprehension of forces of evil and of engendering deep belief in divine guidance and protection.

     

    Political organisation

    The political head of egungun is Alapinni; whilst the Alagbaa is saddled with the ritual functions of egungun. The Oje is the new hybridisation of the cult of egungun anybody born into egungun family is called eegunjobi, eegunyemi etc, they can also be called Ojewale, Ojewunmi, Ojetunji etc.

    Annual appearance of Egungun and the attendant festivities at Ifewara

    Ifewara is located to the Eastern part of Ile-Ife Osun State of Nigeria. It is about six kilometrE from Ife. Its indigenes are into farming, trading and artisanship. They have high esteem for cultural practices. They are very hospitable, generous and altruistic.

    At Ifewara land, there are two main categories of Egungun. There are young ones (kunduke, tobolo or abilere) whose costumes are without any headmasks. There are also elder egungun whose costumes include headmasks which are wooden except egungun Onirun (The masquerades whose headmask is made of very long synthetic hair) and egungun Onina (the masquerade whose headmask is burning fire). The most prominent ones are owolewa (money brings beauty), (Obademeji) Igbalode (the vogue).

    Egungun festival takes place between August and November every year. Some of them are individual egungun while others are lineage egungun. Egungun ceremony at Ifewara lasts for a month.

    All the egungun lineages, after having conferred with one another pick a date for the commencement of the festival while the lineage and elderly egungun will agree with the Oje on the day of the outings of their egungun to avoid any unwanted clashes with one another.

    Before the commencement of egungun proper, there is Igbaja ceremony where all lineage egungun will either assemble at market square or Oba’s palace area to dance and show a sign of happiness and pleasure that they are about to witness another ceremonial year.

    On the following day, the younger egungun (kunduke) will set the ball of the commencement of egungun appearances rolling. Kunduke is dressed in inner apparel called eku or ago and outer strips of multifarious beautifully enthralling colours while the face area is covered with net like material with a view to enabling the egungun to seeing and brathing properly.

    The followers of Kunduke are predominated by younger people who call the kunduke names such as ole, alakisa, oloorun (meaning a slothful person, a thief, a smelly person and ragged person). Others will say araorun kin-kin-in, kaabo, meaning heavenly person, welcome. The abilere don’t always dance but run after their spectators and flog those they can catch up with, with atori whips. These activities will take place for seven days when the elderly egungun commence theirs.

    The elderly egungun, particularly the lineage ones come out at the appointed day fixed by the Oje. The ceremony involves some rituals, rams, snails, cocks, beans pudding (olele) are prepared for consumption.

    The rams and/or any others animal slated for the rituals are slaughtered at Orirun (grave of the ancestors). Women will be singing and chorusing “egungun mi oti igbaale de o, eyin abinu eni e ma ma foojo pawa o” meanining egungun has come out of the ancestral shrine detractors don’t cause the rain on us).

    Before the egungun comes out from Igbale, the drummers and elders would have gathered at the house where the igbale is situated while lead-talking drummer uses his dundun (iyalu) to sing the praise of the egungun and panegyrics until the egungun appears backing the spectators as she comes out from Igbale.

    On getting outside, he will now face the crowd, perform some rituals, step on the blood of the ritual animals praying for people and the repose of the soul of their fallen heroes/heroines. The masquerade is clad in an inner wear called eku and beautifully embroided costly variegated pieces of clothing materials called lebe with head mask to match.

    There are other smaller strips over the ones in form of decorated feathers or cloth embroidery tied round the neck and a net covering the face. The head mask may be wooden. It may represent the head depicting the facial marks of the lineage or totemic animal or bird sacred to the family. It may be a female head with a woven hair do.

    After the prayer, he will dance to a lot of tunes dished out by the drummers. From there he will begin to go to important places such as market square, Oba’s palace, his in lawa, etc. dancing a lot.

    At Ifewara, the reigning drum system is dundun/iyalu, omelet, gudugudu, gangan, others such as Bata, Bembe, Gbedu etc. are not common.

    On many occasions, the egungun follows the dictate of the lead drummers before acting. For instance, if a woman is to contiguous to the egungun, the drummers may sing using his drum to say ‘ bobirin ba ma wok o gbodo wi” meaning a woman who is abreast of the cult of egungun, dare not to divulge it. On hearing this, the egungun will pick a specially prepared dried atori whip to flog people in the vicinity while the crowd take to their heels.

    The elderly egungun follow similar procedure in their activities till the close of the festival.The egungun will entertain his spectators until evening or even till midnight when he will go back to Igbale thus putting paid to the activities of the day.Like egungun called Owolewa (money is beauty), when it is about to end the ceremony, he will grow up a big pot which should not land on anybody.

    Before this takes place, spectators must be forewarned because the broken pot must not hit anybody as anybody that is hit by it will never witness the following year.

    At Ifewara, egungun festival is annual unless there is any special occasion that may warrant one or two egungun appearing.There is no egungun alare or onidan (pure entertainment or magical egungun) at Ifewara. They only come from Ede or Oyo and Ibadan to entertain. Some of them perform on wooden sticks, some sing and dance and comment on current affairs and some are satirical of some events.

    The magical egun can turn themselves into pythons, lions etc they do this with a view to collecting money and other gifts. Their appearances are not annual. They do it regularly.

    Importance of Egungun

    Firstly, Egungun make it incumbent on the lineage members to protect and promote the good image of the lineage as the ancestors can fatally deal with any erring members.

    Secondly, it serves as an instrument of winning popular support for the Oba because the head of each lineage (Alaagbo) represents the lineage before the Oba. Since each lineage pay obeisance to the Alaagbo whom in turn does this to the Oba, then the Oba is in dubitably supported in totality.

    Also, Egungun is used to ward off evil spirits. Especially Egungun Alaagbo (Carrier of herb) or Eleru (Carrier of load)

    However, it also promotes a social gathering during the festival, where one can shrug off tendency to feel dejected. Finally, it serves as an avenue where bachelors and spinsters can be connected as future husbands and wives.

     

    • S.M.O. AWOBEKU, National Museum, Onikan-Lagos.

  • ‘Jazz Festival mixes pleasure, economy, arts and culture’

    The battle against illegal migration was part of the highlights at this year’s Lagos International Jazz Festival held at Freedom Park, Lagos over the weekend. The Creative Arts Coalition Against Irregular Migration (CACAIM) project, was launched by festival director, Mr. AyoolaSadare in partnership with PMAN National PresidentMr. Pretty Okafor as part of the festival activities. It is an initiative to address the growing concerns around illegal migration using different creative art disciplines. The initiative seeks to empower would be migrants and returnees by enlightenment and engagement.

    The seven edition of the LIJF with the theme, Music and Creative Arts Are Tools in Addressing Illegal and Irregular Migration Among Nigerian Youths featured a line-up of seasonedjazz artistes who participated in concerts, lectures, workshops, educational materials and exhibitions. This is the second time that the Jazz festivities have been domiciled in Freedom Park, which is increasingly emerging as a hub for the Nigerian creative industry.

    Sadarehas since grown the festival to be biggest event of its kind prior to establishing LIJF sojourned to South Africa to witness Cape Town Jazz Festival in 2005, as he thought this might help set the wheels in motion.

    To perfect this, Sadare’s arrival at the festival in Cape Town became the surest way to spur the vision. In fact, as soon as he set eyes on those personalities everything about Lagos International Jazz became a dream come true.

    The festival is held traditionally on April 29, in line with UNESCO approved International Jazz Day, which falls on every April 30 annually. This year festival, with three stages connected by walkways, witnessed who’s who in the jazz world that included Samuel Ayunke Nigerian international based in South Africa, SamDerry, Christen Kamaun Female Jazz Trumpeter, Waje, Orliam among others.

    He discovered that event such as jazz festival had been positively affecting South African tourism and creative industry. For Sadare, Jazz Festival is a mixture of pleasure, economy, arts and culture.

    “In Nigeria tourism and creative industries have not been structured and developed. We have to train our people, we have to develop them and engage them by adding values to them and hence we do that, the issues of illegal and irregular travel abroad will drastically reduce.

    We are asking government to give Nigerians the enabling environment by allowing us have access to soft loans, electricity and stable water. He however advised the youths to stay focused and know that in life there is no short cut.

    President Performing Musician’s Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) Pretty Okafor, said: “The creative industry practitioners are taking the advantage of enlightenment, engagement and empowerment to ensure we discourage the youths from travelling abroad through illegal routes”.

    According to him, creative industry is encompasses writers, filmmakers, fashion designers, sculptors, painters, musicians, graphic artists and comedians which has the largest labour force.

    “As it stands the industry can generate 15 trillion naira and with well-structured system into the economy, we don’t have to start taking loans from China and living in debt.  For instance, Kenya invited us last two years and we set up same structure which we have wanted to set up in Nigeria. Last year Kenya made 8billion from creative industry.  But, in Nigeria where we have more than 200 million people the government has not been able to pay attention to what the people in the creative industry are saying. They passed the bill because they saw the potentials. Creative industry as stand-alone can actually run the economy, “Okafor said.

    Continuing he said: “How can they look at an industry that worth this and is being neglected. The research has been done and it’s been audited and they don’t want to pay attention to it. We sponsored the bills and they refused to pass it.

    “But because we have this mind of getting the industry working and with this we came out with various programmes such as enlightenment, education and engagement. We need to let them understand they have opportunities to survive here. We went as far as engage them with local and state tours, teaching them every aspect of creativity industry for them to learn.  We engaged them to remove their minds out of poverty.  They are not looking for short cut to wealth but they are looking for short cut to get out of poverty.”

  • Teensy Centre, Foundation hold art workshop

    Tots and Teensy Creative Centre in conjunction with Priceless Precious Art Foundation will hold a three-day art therapy training for abandoned children, especially those living with autism, deaf, physically challenged and visually impaired.

    The training, which will run from May 27 to 29 at Home of Abandoned Children, Sabo Iba, Ojo, Lagos will focus on art as a healing balm for special children, as well as help the children to express themselves. The training will also help the children to understand their emotional conflicts, develop social skills, improve self-esteem, manage addictions, reduce anxiety and restore normalcy to their lives.

    It is organised as part of activities to commemorate this year’s Children’s Day and will involve training in tie and dye, string painting, leaf painting and mural painting.

    According to the organisers, it is hoped  that through the art therapy workshop, the children will be healed physically, emotionally socially and spiritually.

     

  • Pushing writers craft through ICT

    Writers, under the auspices of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), sought new ways of advancing their craft and the business of creative writing in an age by driven ICT.

    With the theme, ‘Pushing the writers craft and business in the age of ICT, they decried the “lorry-loads” of challenges confronting their venture, such as constant power outage, piracy and lack of proper distribution channels.

    While exploring solutions to the challenges confronting their venture in the country, they named ICT compliance as one of the forward-looking ways to achieving better results.

    The thoughts were expressed at the 2019 Authors Groove, an annual event literary clinic for writers, held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    The dialogue was championed by 11 writers. They included Akeem Lasisi, Folu Agoi, Dagga Tolar, Eriata Orhibabor, , Lola Akande, Henry Akubuiro, Abigail Ohiero, Dickson Ekhaguere, Taofeek Olatunbosun Oladele Medayese and Tolani Salawu. The event ,which fielded the founder of Bambooks, was graced by the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), John Asein.

    But how has Nigerian writers been able to stay afloat. “The tenacity of writers and individual efforts has kept the Nigerian literature thriving,” former ANA Lagos Chair, Tolar, said. “Writers have refused to give up. In fact, it has taking sweat and blood of authors to survive.”

    “My take is, ‘use what is available to push and express yourself”, Medayese opined.

    Ohiero blamed the leadership for the poor reading culture and lack of infrastructure in the country. According to her, “If leaders don’t read, how do you expect the followers to? Parents are also to blame. How many have imbibed the attitude of reading or the time t read?”

    Adding his voice to the issue of survival, PEN Nigeria President, Agoi said: “It is longer day and shorter night in Nigeria for writers because of the hostility of the terrain that we have been operating in. Anybody still  writing in Nigeria should be praised and given an award.”

    “It is no gainsaying that the ICT world holds huge opportunity for writers. The onus is on writers to seize the day and use technology to make the book business better. That is what we are here to explore. It was for this reason that ANA chose to focus this year’s Author Groove,” said the ANA national president, Mallam Denja Abdullahi.

    “The future of reading”, according to the founder of Bambooks, an online reading subscription service firm, is mobile”.

    Okoye observed that lack of infrastructure, bookstores, and libraries have hampered the advancement of creative writing and writers over the years, arguing that the advent of ICT seemed not to have helped especially because most reading platforms initially focused mainly on international and foreign-based Nigerian authors.

    For this reason, he said, his company introduced a mobile application that not only allows users to read an unlimited numbers of books on its platform, but chiefly to empower African authors and writers thereby creating a niche for the African/Nigerian reading space.

    “So we saw a niche there and we decided to talk to authors and some of their associations. Most writers and authors have challenge of making money from their books. Some of them wait for years to get it published. That is because most are yet to go digital. They forget that their device is a library and market in their hands. They are still battling with the challenges of distribution of books and piracy, among others.

    “Our digital platform, we launched last October, addresses the distribution problem. While working with writers and content creators, it allows them to monetise their contents overnight. Once they have written their books they can publish with us and readers can start reading immediately and they can start making money and also they never run out of books because it is digital. The app comes in a mobile app and a web application, which allows users to read on their phones, tablets, laptops at any time of the day as long as they have a valid subscription.”

    While encouraging copyright owners and holders – writers and publishers alike – to take advantage of its online bouquet by registering their works with the commission, Asein warned that they should ensure they have a lawyer check every contract before they sign. The commission had a dedicated stand from where it operated a legal clinic, where scores of authors (copyright owners) and publishers who are copyright holders had first hand opportunity to register their interests with the NCC under its e-registration platform during the Nigeria International Book Fair (NIBF) where the Authors Groove was held.

    “Don’t sign out all your rights. Beyond pursuing your passion, it is important to understand the business of your craft. There is much money to be made as a writer. For example do you know many are making millions through the secondary use of their works,” he said.

    According to him, although the e-registration is not new, it has become more interactive to service creators with their relevant bouquet. “The system will also allow users to search for information relating to registered copyright works or authors; protection for copyright works of Nigerian authors in all countries who are signatory to international copyright conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory, among others services,” he said.

  • Dearth of intellectual capital bane of educational space

    By Omolola Afolabi

    Thoughts on nation building and social re-engineering formed the thrust of discourse by culture icons, writers, scholars and members of the literary circle on Saturday at a book reading event tagged Book Trekorganised by Committee for Relevant Arts. Venue was Quintessence Gallery, Parkview Estate,Ikoyi Lagos.

    CORA programmes chairman Mr Jahman Anikulapo anchored the session asMr Jimanze Alowes,a journalist and scholar who authored the book The university Media Complex: Nigeria’s Foremost Amusement Chain took readings from some parts of his book.

    Examining whether the current situation in Nigeria is a matter of leadership or scholarship failure, Dr.Alowes said scholars need to develop a sound capacity for critical assessment as well as make manifest the wealth of knowledge daily consumed in the ivory towers.He said the scholars must be able to influence leadership positively in order to steer the ship of the Nigerian state to a successful harbour. He pointed out that model civilisations like Europe and the US that are used as standards by African leaders are all an expression of long conceived ideas that have been given an opportunity to gestate. He reiterated the need for creative ingenuity to bring about original ideas that must be invented at a high level of inspiration and later allowed to descend to a lower level of operation. He gave an instance of a motor vehicle driver who has the ability to drive a car while not necessarily having the dexterity to carry out its manufacture.

    Discussing how interventions must be made on the Nigerian state, he recommended an equal representation of all tribes in Nigeria irrespective of their size at the parliamentary levels. He also shared thoughts on the heterogeneity of Nigeria, saying ‘constitutions should not be drafted by judges but rather the people who are delineated by their representatives in the parliamentin order to have a people-centered constitution where all tribes will be adequately represented.

    DrAlowesrecalled how a Buddha, suggestive of a desired spiritual and political leader must precede a Caesar, a representation of a vicious and despotic potentate. This, he recommended in order to achieve anutopic society. He however lamented the dearth of intellectual capital in the Nigerian educational space. He said it’s a scathing indictment on nationhood and the manipulation that have been allowed to thrive with the intellectuals taking positions of compromise with the political elites must be eliminated in order for the intellectual circle to regain its revered status.

     

  • Nwachukwu, Erelu others call for cultural reawakening

    Former Foreign Affairs Minister General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd) has described culture as a critical element in the socio-economic development of Nigeria. He said no nation thrived above its culture, hence, Nigeria must make effective use of its culture for development.

    Gen. Nwachukwu, who spoke at this year’s Annual Lecture titled: Culture as an effective tool for foreign relations, organised by National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in Lagos, last week, urged the Federal Government to allow the Foreign Affairs Ministry to coordinate the nation’s cultural diplomacy policies and no other ministry. This, he said, would allow for effective harmonisation of cultural elements for the promotion of national development as well as  foreign relations.

    Chairman of the occasion, former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ambassador Olusegun Akinsanya called for  cultural reawakening in the conscious promotion of culture and core values in these days of hate speeches. He said this is imperative as the present administration is vigorously fighting corruption, fighting insurgency and addressing economic growth and development.  This, he said, would bring  out the essence of core value that will aid development as well as mainstreaming culture of peace into our policy frameworks.

    Describing the lecture title as apt and relevant, Ambassador Akinsanya said it related to one of the guiding principles and objectives that underpin Nigeria’s foreign policies. “The conduct of foreign relations of any country, rich or poor, big or small, is guided principally by national interest. What is national interest and how does it shape foreign policies?

    “Foreign policy as an extension of our domestic policies is determined by the prevailing national interest, which is the totality of the political, socio-economic and cultural particularistic of collective of group interest formulated into policy framework that have guided Nigeria’s foreign policies since independence. These principles have remained consistent despite foreign policies thrust and style of various administrations. The importance of culture for promoting and prosecuting foreign policy is not far-fetched in the Nigeria’s foreign policy. What needs to be done is to enhance and strengthen this,” he added.

    He,however, identified paucity of fund as one of the major challenges that hindered the promotion of Nigeria’s cultural diplomacy. He said that Nigeria needs to enhance the elements of the diversity of its culture must be used positively. “As Nigeria’s government is vigorously fighting corruption, fighting insurgency and addressing economic growth and development, I will posit that there should be a cultural reawakening in the conscious promotion of culture and core values in these days of hate speeches,” he said.

    Abiola Dosunmu, the Erelu of Lagos said what is happening in Kano regarding the creation of four new emirates is culture in action, which she likened to the Arab spring. She said that the development is not new but there is the need to expand the coast of culture as it is not stagnant or rigid, noting however that the integrity of the position of emir must be maintained. She recalled that what is happening in Kano now happened in Lagos centuries ago when Oba of Lagos was the only paramount ruler from the border of Ogun to the Atlantic.

    “Today, all that has changed. Culture is not stagnant and must not be diminished. The integrity of such position must be respected while the position of the premier emir should be maintained.”

    Guest lecturer Dr. SharkdamWapmuk said culture can serve as an effective tool for enhancing Nigerian foreign relations. According to him, the practice of promoting foreign relations through cultural diplomacy has not been completely neglected, but could be enhanced to derive more benefits.

    “In today’s globalising world, more than ever before, culture has a vital role to play in international relations. Cultural exchanges give us the chance to appreciate points of commonality and shared values. Where there are differences, we seek to understand the motivations and humanity that underlie them. While noting that culture is broad, complex and dynamic, we underscore the important role that culture can play in promoting Nigerian foreign relations through sports, cultural tourism and festivals, films, food culture, culinary diplomacy, music, dance, literature and the Diaspora,” he said.

    He noted that promotion of Nigerian culture in other countries of the world would be very beneficial in exposing its rich diversity. This, he said, will go a long way in enhancing cooperation and help in attracting forteigners, including tourists and support its economic diplomacy that focuses on boosting trade and foreign investments for jobs creation.

    The lecture was attended by guests such as  Acting Director-General CBAAC, Mrs Ndidi Aimienmwawu who represented Minister of Inforamtion and Culturte, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,  Mrs. Titilayo Solarin (representative of Deputy Governor of Lagos State), Prof Duro Oni, Prof. Akin Oyebode and  Mrs Victoria Agodo.

  • Ooni, Attah speak on Ifa as connecting link to Nigeria’s diversity

    The non-profit, African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment Foundation, has released excerpts of an upcoming documentary of paramount traditional rulers with a mind of adding to the ongoing discourse on Yoruba-Igbo cultural origins and linkages.

    In the documentary,   the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Attah of Igala, HRM Idakwo Ameh Oboni, explained the connecting link between diverse ethnic nationalities, known as the Niger Kongo ethnolinguistic family believed to be a continuum of dialects.

    In the documentary, both monarchs named Ifa as the connecting link of diverse ethnic nationalities. While comparing Ifa to a powerful torchlight that shines into the darkness, the Attah of Igala charges Nigerians to look inward and connect the link dots of their civilisation, saying in it lies the advancement of the country and the entire black race. He said: “We are the same people. Ifa is the connecting link. From the Igala man to the man with Kwararafa blood in him, to the man, the original Nigerians, Ifa is cardinal. Igalas have the same 16 like the Yoruba, which guided us to our homeland. The pronouncations might be slightly different but Ifa is the same. The Whiteman has taken our Ifa and turned it into a global success, before they come for the rest, let us come together and pick the bits to uplift ourselves”.

    He explains that Igala language is 60percent-70percent Yoruba mixed with JukunKwararafa influences, stating that the Yoruba spoken in Ife or Ilesa is different from that spoken in Kabba, closer to Igalaland and that is how language diverged throughout Africa. Igala is believed to be the second oldest group, followed by Igbo. Igalaland was essentially the dispersal point of human migration out of the Southern Rainforests called Igbo Irunmole, forests of the spirits.”

    Read also: Democracy @ 20: Okorocha, Ooni, Oyetola, others to attend Osun NUJ lecture

    The Attah added that the Nupe left IdahIgalaland for Bida, while Igbos passed through Igalaland to reach Aguleri, their ancestral home. “If you look closely, you will see Ifa is our culture, our history, our chemistry Blackmans magic, our everything. I have the greatest pity for those without cultural identity. Ifa is our language, if you say it is devil language, then, your culture, your history, your identity everything is gone! You will be neither here or there, you will be like a motor that the whiteman or computer made. If they turn you here, you go. If they turn you there you go,” Attah of Igala said.

    On his part, the Ooni of Ife, HRM Oba AdeyeyeOgunwusi, obsevered, in the documentary, that: “We are a piece of the same garment; all we need to do is to put them together.”

    He stated that Igbo Irunmole was the same as the Abrahamic Garden of Eden, and Osun was Eve. Despite qualifying the statement that physical and spiritual births are different, Ooni agreed that scientifically that Osun meaning “it breeds”, oun sun, Orisun, is the closest to Eve and the true mother of physical humanity. He stated that Oduduwa who appears at the beginning of humanity and also at the beginning of monarchy a thousand years ago was a spiritual essence that kept repeating in different ramifications through history like all other spirits.

    Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi added that: “Like with Oduduwa, Orunmila was the one that oversaw everything. Orunmila is Ifa, Igbos calls it Afa, Binis call it Iha, Urhobo call it Efa. Ifa was there and saw it all that’s why Ifa is called eleriipin, the witness of the divergence of humanity. We are all saying the same story, same lineage. Ifa recorded everything from the trees to animals, to humans, underwater, Ifa explains the universe. Just as Oduduwa was there in the spiritual world, the superhuman world and now in our current world, so is Ifa at the beginning, it was at the dispersal, it is still relevant since its 256 pulses derived from Ifa 16 times 16 Odu is the basis of the first computer. The 256bit Clifford motherboard, which advanced in multiples to 512 up to the present gigabytes. Ifa 256 is also compounded into infinity.”

    In the same vein, the President African Sociocultural Harmony and Enlightenment Foundation, Prince Justice Faloye, observed that Ifa is not a religion but includes religion, Ifa is not philosophy but contains philosophy, science and everything about humanity. It is the Original African way of organising and storing all information and activated with the electromagnetism that comes from the 256 pulses of the Odus.

     

    • Daramola is a media practitioner with African Socio-cultural Harmony and Enlightenment Foundation

  • Look within you

    You’ve got greatness within you!” These are the words of Les Brown, one of the world’s leading motivational speakers. Before you dismiss this statement as another sugar quoted, empty, and make-people-feel-good speech, you need to read the story of Les. One of my most revered mentors says that the secret of people is in their stories. Let’s see if Les has the right to motivate us.

    Leslie Calvin “Les” Brown was born in 1945. Les and his twin brother, Wesley, were born on the floor in an abandoned building, in a low-income area of Miami, Florida. They were later adopted at the age of six weeks by Miss Mamie Brown, a cafeteria attendant and a domestic assistant. In the fifth grade, Les was labeled “Educable Mentally Retarded” (EMR) and he became a child perceived to have no future.

    One day, Les was in a class, waiting on a friend who was to rehearse for a play. The teacher told him to go and write something on the board but he declined. When he was asked why, he explained to the teacher that he was in a special education class. The teacher asked him what that meant and insisted that Les should write on the board. Still, he declined. Again, the teacher asked him why, then he said he was Educable Mentally Retarded. The teacher came from behind his desk and said, “Don’t ever say that again. Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality”. That statement changed Les’ life forever.

    Les Brown never had a college degree, never worked for a major corporation, and never had any MBA or Ph.D; yet, he became one of the world’s most renowned motivation speakers and a highly-sought-after resource for Fortune 500 Companies. What happened to Les? Was there a magic in what that teacher told him? I don’t think so. What happened was that the teacher redirected Les’ attention from outside to within. He had previously been confused by people’s opinion about him that he never looked inward to discover himself.

    Several people are too focused on external factors that they think very little of the internal virtues. How can we believe other people over our own minds? How can we accept external verdict that we are a failure when our hearts are screaming that we can make it? When it comes to our personal success, majority does not carry the vote. We, as the minority, should determine the outcome of our lives.

    According to Les Brown, many people think of great things to do and they talk themselves out of it. That inner conversation is the reason most people take their greatness and ideas to the graveyard with them. Les referred to late Myles Munroe’s famous quote that the wealthiest place on earth is the graveyard. According to Myles, “The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.” Five years from now, you will either be telling the story of how you succeeded in spite of your limitations or how you could have succeeded if not for your limitations. “What’s it gonna be?”

    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, you are currently nothing compared to what you can become. This can be your year if you want it to be!