The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • Designer wins award, trip to Dubai

    The founder and creative director,  Creo Hub Designs, Mr Ifeoluwa Sopeju, has won the maiden edition of the Designers Arise Contest (DAC) Live Edition in Lagos.

    With the theme: Let’s design together, the DAC Live Edition, a one-day design competition, that had designers converged and assigned a brief by Wakanow, which was executed in two hours by the contestants.

    The event, organised by Ellae Branding Agency, was borne out of the need to create a community for Nigerian graphic designers, giving them an avenue to interact and learn from one another, while exposing them to local and international opportunities.

    According to the organisers, “over 300 designers applied for the live edition, submitting a number of their works, but only 40 top-notch designers were selected and invited to participate in the live event”.

    They added that the contest would be held quarterly. As the grand prize winner, Sopeju received N100,000 along with a flight ticket to Dubai from the organisers.

    The competition was sponsored by Ellae, Wakanow, Guaranty Trust Bank and Red Bull Nigeria.

    The agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mrs. Noella Ekezie, said: “The Designers Arise Contest will be a quarterly event, and is expected to address every aspect of the design field and draw graphic designers from around Africa. Our aim is to project Africa to the world through designs and to provide an enabling platform for creative talents to showcase their work and get discovered by the global design and tech communities.”

    Sopeju started his career as a Senior Graphics Associate at The Guardian in 2011 and moved to KPMG Nigeria as a graphics design specialist in 2013.

    He joined Deloitte & Touché in 2016 before he was poached by Visionscape Group as a Lead Creative Designer last year, after which he left to establish Creo Hub Designs – a creative outfit proffering design solutions to organisations, small and medium businesses who want to be distinct and remain ahead of their competitors.

    A graduate of Visual Arts from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Sopeju is grateful to God, his family, organisers and co-competitors for the award.

    “I am thankful and grateful to Ellae Branding Agency for putting up an amazing event with the aim of developing and growing the design ecosystem, which I believe has raised the bar for other creative agencies, as no one has done such before,” he said.

  • Ode to Dayo Wright

    Until he passed on at 79 on April 16, Pa EkundayoAlabi Wright, former Editor of Sunday Punch and columnist, was never keen on talking about his life times, but on fundamental issues affecting the society, especially the fast-degrading environment of Lagos, a city he grew up to cherish.

    Like a true journalist and an environmentalist that he was, he continually drew the government’s attention to environmental abuses and sanitation challenges. Even at retirement, if he was not pointing at a blocked drainage, he would be drawing attention to a heap of refuse on the road. His concern was the consequence of these abuses on the health of people, especially children.

    The late Wright recalled in The Nation report during his 75th birthday that the Lagos he used to know is not the Lagos of today. “The Lagos I used to know is not the Lagos that exists now. Everything is upside down, inside out, which is a shame. In the Lagos that we had then, sanitation was one of the major priorities. Then, we had people who were called Fokotafokota-they were those who cleared the drainage. Aside that, when you woke up in the morning, my house then was at Igbosere Road, we used to sweep the front of our house. Officials from the state and local governments will come to clear the rubbish and take them away. Today, when you clear the drains and put it by the roadside, it will be there in the next one to three weeks. Things have changed, nobody cares,” he said.

    Unlike many, he was not materialistic. He said: “I am fulfilled. My children are grown up …Fulfillment is something that comes from the inner self. Sometimes you don’t even think about it because I am not materialistic.”

    On the professional turf, the late Wright was among the best in the media .

    Ex-Punch Editor, Alhaji Nojeem Jimoh described the late Wright who was his predecessor as a fantastic professional in the calibre of Tayo Kehinde and Sola Odunfa, among others. “They are a case study in their calling. I am very proud of them as they belong to a special class.

    “Though I did not work under him, from what people said about him, he was a fantastic editor. Till date, people talk about him in glowing terms. He was a nice Egbon, who always made people happy. He always gave words of support to us at those critical times in Punch’s history. In fact, he contributed to the evolution of Punch, dating back to the era of the founder, the late Olu Aboderin till Ajibola Ogunsola’s time. As a pioneer editor, he was a fantastic gentleman. May his soul rest in peace,” Jimoh said.

    The late Wright had his secondary education at St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos,before he proceeded to the then Regent Street Polytechnic, United Kingdom. Wright was at a time the Public Relations Manager of the defunct People’s Bank of Nigeria.

  • 20 years after, master bead artist returns to scene

    After almost two decades of lull, following ill health, ceramist, sculptor, spiritualist and painter Chief Robinson Olafisoye is staging a big comeback with a solo art exhibition at Didi Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos in August.

    On surviving a stroke few years ago, Chief Olafisoye, 63, held a solo exhibition in The Netherlands, which, he said, was a sold-out show. That successful outing inspired him to return to full-time studio practice during which he produced artworks for the forthcoming exhibition at Didi Museum.

    The exhibition, which will run for a week and feature mainly beads and a mix of art and crafts, is being organised to promote African culture.

    In a chat with art writers in his Ikorodu home, Chief Olafisoye said the exhibition, which will hold on his birthday month, is planned to reassure his fans and collectors of his return to the art scene after two decades of absence. He said many of his collectors do not believe he is still alive.

    “People do not believe that I’m still alive. Even when I went to Didi Museum, some thought I had died and they don’t know I’m alive. I am trying to come out for them to know that I am still into art and also it is to promote African culture, not through oil painting and carving, but beads.

    “I did some bead works when I was paralysed 10 years ago. I was on wheelchair for two years, so by that time, I was trying to use my hand to do the works.  If I could survive and did a big work, then I should do shoes.  But I was using one hand. I produced about 40 pieces of shoes, which I exhibited outside the country and everything was sold out. That was after I recovered from the stroke.

    “It is almost 20 years since I did my last exhibition in Nigeria. And it was in The Netherlands. Before then, I  held exhibitions at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, Art Place, Alagomeji, Yaba Lagos, owned by the late Art Alade. I have also held an exhibition at a gallery at Apapa, Lagos owned by Naiwu Osahon,” he added.

    According to him, he cannot create an art work without calling on Holy Spirit for guidance.  “I was introduced to art by three Holy Ghosts at the tender age of six. I am still under the guidance of the Holy Spirit that is why I can design different unique beads works that stand out.

    “One does not need any formal training to become an artist. I am not saying it is not good have good formal training in art. In my case, it has all along been something of divine inspiration,” he noted.

    Chief Olafisoye stated that arts and culture are very relevant for the sustenance of Nigeria’s heritage and identity. “More than anything, art serves to preserve our cultural heritage. It identifies us as a people. For example if anyone sees Igbo-Ukwu, Ife heads and Benin bronze carvings, he or she will know immediately they are natives of Nigeria. Art reminds us of our past, traditions and culture,” he said.

    As part of giving back to the society, the Ondo-born artisthas trained many young artistsin art and crafts within and outside Nigeria. “I believe in sharing my artistic knowledge with the younger generation. I had the opportunity to learn under my mentors, such as Bruce Onobrakpeya andJimoh Buraimoh. They encouraged me right from my secondary school days and I am ready to pass the baton of knowledge to the younger generation who are interested in arts and crafts,” he added.

    He also disclosed plans to open arts and crafts institute for those passionate about arts and crafts especially handicapped and less privileged ones in the society.

    He shared his experiences on why he changed the narratives on the making of bead shoes not only for the royal fathers and chiefs but for all that desire it. “Not until you become a traditional ruler that you can use bead shoes. When women can use beads shoe, why can’t men use it too. So, I’m trying to change that narrative about beads. That’s why I go into this method that allows you to buy slippers and wear it to occasion. You don’t need to be a chief. In fact, I’m using beads to promote Yoruba culture,” he explained.

    Among his collections are artistic bead works of royal crown, royal walking stick, shoes, horse tail and other accessories.

    Chief Olafisoye started showing talent in art at six by making toys from clays and soft wood.Born on August 17, 1955, he attended St Ann’s Catholic Primary School, St. Ambrose Catholic Modern School, Ondo and Progressive College, Lagos.

    His strong passion for art made him sought knowledge in handcrafts at Handcrafts Training Centre in Lagos (1977-1978), Arts and Crafts at Yaba College of Technology in (1978-1979). Still yearning to better artistic skills, he attended Arts and Crafts School in Bombay,India (1979-1980) and Free Academy Netherlands (1980-1981).  He has also exhibited in Holland, US and Warsaw in Poland, among others.

  • Hellen Keller launches $50m fund for children

    Helen Keller International  (HKL) in partnership with the Lagos State Government and funding from Mondelez International Foundation, has launched a multi-year $50million fund for the promotion of healthy lifestyle among pupils and their families in Lagos State.

    Its Country Director, Philomena Orji announced the pledge at the Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Project meeting in Lagos.

    The meeting brought together major stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, Sport Commission, Ministry of Health, Lagos State Nutrition Officials, School teacher and managers, Parent Forums and Community Development Associations in Ikeja.

    Orji said the project was aimed at bringing nutrition education, active play and fresh foods to undeserved children and their families in Ikeja, Lagos.

    She noted that HKL work in nutrition focuses on promoting innovative and integrated solutions that have been proven to reduce malnutrition among women and children. One of such integrated solutions is the nutrition and healthy lifestyle project funded by  Mondelez International Foundation for government primary schools and communities in Ikeja for a period of three years from last January to December 2020.

    She said: “HKL will teach over 6000 children the importance of proper nutrition, physical activity and gardening through in-school and after-school activities and an estimated indirect 48, 000 children and their families over the next three years across the community development areas.

    “The project will focus on six to 12 year-olds attending nine primary schools in Agidingbi, Estate, St Peters, Oke-Ira, Ogba, TokunboAlli, Ojodu, 1, 2, 3 and will involve a multi-pronged approached of nutrition education, gardening based production of nutrient rich crops and active plays.”

    Orji lamented that Nigerians suffer from high levels of food security and malnutrition, including deficiency and poor child growth.

    Orji said: “The rate of stunting or chronic malnutrition is 37 percent, resulting in lifelong cognitive and physical defects. Under nutrition remains a major health problem among Nigerians school children while overweight and obesity are emerging problems in urban areas.”

    She said a recent study showed prevalence rates of stunting and wasting of 17, and 14 percent, among primary school pupils in Ikeja, as well as 15 and 13 percent overweight and obese. A study of 200 primary school children in Lagos revealed 38 percent were suffering from anemia.

    She added that while physical education is a subject taught in primary school, there had been a systematic decline in its implementation over the past decades. Also, physical education and sport facilities and equipment are inadequate in most schools.

    She quoted Mondelez International Foundation President, Sarah Delea  as saying that making a positive impact on the people and the planet was at the core of their programme.

    ‘’Since 2012, our partners and their programmes have been transforming the lives of more than a million children around the globe by increasing their nutrition knowledge, physical activity and access to fresh fruits and vegetables,’’ she said.

     

    She noted that the new programme would further build on our commitment to help communities thrive and improve the well-being of school-age children and their families.

     

  • Drums as tool for economic growth

    It was not only about drumming. Organisers of the yearly African Drum Festival in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, held a conference tagged: Drumming for advancement, a workshop and an exhibition at the Olumo Rock. The three-prong event featured renowned scholars and drum experts from across the continent. It was initiated to explore the drum as a tool for education, socialisation, cultural and economic advancement of Africa, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

    Renowned scholars and drum experts, including 91-year-old ex-Rex Lawson’s drummer Pa Tony Odili, were among participants who spiced up this year’s African Drum Festival in Abeokuta with intellectual flavour. At a conference, they examined the drum as a tool for education, socialisation as well as cultural and economic advancement of the continent.

    The presence of monarchs, such as Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and Obong of Calabar, Etubom Ekpo, underscored the drum’s critical place in Africans’ socio-economic life..

    Also there were Ogun State Governor Senator IbikunleAmosun, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed and Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, who directed the conference.

    The theme was Drumming for advancement, with a sub-theme: Drumming for socio-economic development.

    In line with the concept of the conference, the session provided a veritable platform through which the very nature and character of drum and the vocation of drumming were distilled to rediscover its potentialities as a significant instrument for advancing the cause of the society.

    Setting the tone for the discussions, Soyinka raised the alarm that a thick cloud hangs over the indigenous creative and festival events in Nigeria due to religious extremism, violence and instability. In his prologue, From Olatunji to Marsalis, Soyinka related the profound feelings of the familiar in the works of Fela Sowande and the reason for selecting his memorabilia for exhibition at this year’s festival.

    He gave three anecdotes – which centred on the musical works of Babatunde Olatunji, Quincy Jones and Winston Marsalis – to discuss the possible lack of understanding of the true nature of the African drum by most African-American artists who, though are descendants of Africans, are not able to grasp the intricacies of the African drum and its multi-rhythm uniqueness. This, he described as ‘poly-rhythm’- the absence of which deprives their music of the true ‘African pulsation’.

    A revered Nigerian musician of BLO fame, composer, repertoire expert and consultant, Laolu Akintobi (Akins), said African drums have names and their texture determines their tonality, adding that the procedure of making a drum determines the rhythm it produces. He stressed the importance of education via drums.

    In his paper titled: Sustaining drumming culture via structured education, he stated that drumming should be inculcated and entrenched into the younger generation so as to preserve the culture of drumming.He identified different types of drums, noting that African music producers use the rhythms and tonal sounds of African instruments to produce music that is commercial and globally acceptable.

    A member of the famous Osogbo Art School, Mr.Muraina Oyelami, identified lack of reference materials for teaching drum and drumming in schools as a hindrance to an effective transmission of knowledge about drums, while lamenting the lack of interest by publishers to publish his manuscripts.

    Oyelami, who was also a founding member of the late Duro Ladipo Theatre  Company as an actor and a musician spoke on production of digital documentation of an educational audio-visual facility and publication of Bata Drumming Techniques and Notation, a document he has been longing to publish. To drive home his points, he gave a brief demonstration of the speech patterns of the Dundun drum.

    Prof. Jeleel Ojuade, a master drummer and expert dancer, classified drums into three groups – ideophones (these are self-sounding instruments), aerophones (these are instruments such as flutes, trumpets, saxophones) and membranophones (these are the drums made from animal skins).

    In his paper, Drumming for socio-economic development: The application of Dundun and Bata drums,  Ojuade said that drums possess innate language through which messages are transmitted in African societies. “Drums possess ‘sound codes’ which only the initiated can understand,” he said, using Yoruba Bata and Dundun drums to illustrate the essence of drums in African cultures. He noted that drumming is one of the ways value is brought out of any socio economic endeavour without words, but observed that Nigeria is not harnessing the economic capital of the drum. He therefore appealed to the Federal Government through the Minister and other stakeholders to salvage the African culture through the promotion of drum festivals such as this.

    An Ibadan-based research scientist, Consulting Engineer and Culture Activist Dr.Tunde Adegbola stated that the bandwidth needed to communicate in Yoruba language is 10 times less than that needed for other languages because one can lose the consonant and vowel sounds alternatively in a speech and still be understood.He said that the objective of his paper, ‘Probabilistically Speaking: A Quantitative Exploration of Yoruba Speech Surrogacy’ is to demonstrate that history is not a joke based on the use of musical instruments such as drums and flutes, which express the tonality of the Yoruba language. He recalled that in the past, speech surrogacy was the mode of communication in African communities, adding that the tonality of Yoruba drums is mathematically and scientifically demonstrable.

    A public speaker and pan-Africanist, Dr. Bukola Bello Jaiyesimi, stated that drumming gives life and must be preserved just as culture preserves life. According to her, drum is not accorded a place of importance in our society, hence, people with talent in drumming engage in other more lucrative jobs while others go out of the country, resulting in brain drain. She, however, questioned the place of gender in the drumming and reiterated that women can contribute to the socio- economic advancement of our nation through drumming. Citing examples of schools such as the Women Drum Centre in USA, Jaiyesimi called on government and the private sector to continue to support the arts in order to contribute effectively to the nation’s economy.

    Speaking on “Swange Music and Socio-Economic Importance: The Jovena Swange Band of Gboko in Perspective”, Mr. Solomon Terkura Adaa, a master drummer, observed that there had been a paradigm shift in the music industry in recent years where youths moved from disco night clubs to focus on cultural dances choreographed for swange music in Benue State.

    According to him, swange music has been in existence as a form of socialisation for a long time but it did not have a dance expression until a choreographer of Yoruba origin evolved the dance in the course of a workshop. “Swange music has over 100 dance groups in the country and every evening they dance to entertain people,” Adaa said, highlighting the didactic messages passed through swange music, which helps in the social correction of the younger generation.

    Swange traditional performance entertains, educates and has the potential to help the youth earn some income and contribute to the economy of the nation, he said.

    Dr.Sylvanus KwashieKuwor, a master drummer and scholar at the University of Ghana, Legon, said  drumming should not be made to suffer on the altar of modernity as both could be synergised to formulate a holistic aesthetic. He identified Economic Values, Cultural Values and Aesthetic Values as the three major pillars of his paper, noting that drumming can be vocalised and textualised. To him, education is not only about books because education is experiential.

    Other participants who spoke at the plenary included Wanle Akinboboye, Dr. OluAdeniran, Tunde Kelani, Akin Adejuwon,GregoireKabore, Landry Louoba, Bokossa Cocou Armel and Brenda Uphopho. Akinboboye suggested that Ogun State should build adrum festival resort located around the beautiful hills onShagamu-Abeokuta Road because of the availability of expanse of land to accommodate hotels, arts centers and cinema houses that are necessary to drive tourism.

    The workshop segment was coordinated by Peter Badejo – an international African dance ambassador, while Isioma Williams and Emmanuel Ikwue both master drummers and drum instructors were resource persons that assisted in coordinating the workshop. Stand-by troupes such as Footprints of David, Eko Brass Band, Atunda Entertainment and Ogun State Cultural Troupe gave performances.

    There were demonstrations, during the plenary session, by Salisu Mashi, AbegwaAlu, Goiserey Louoba Landry and Mukanyandwi Claudine – all master drummers from various parts of Africa. The session also accommodated honoured performances given by Pa Anthony Odili (Nonagenarian ex-drummer of the late Rex Lawson); Ajewole Oniluola (octogenarian ex-lead drummer of Ayinla Omowura Band); and Mallam Magaji Mahuta (octogenarian ex-drummer of Mamman Shatta Band.

    Also, an exhibition featuring collections of literary works by Fela Sowande was  opened at the Olumo Rocks to celebrate the life and time of the great icon, to critique Yoruba heritage and tradition through Sowande’s works, to develop new audiences for Yoruba art and culture in Abeokuta and beyond, among others.

     

  • ‘ABC helped build tourism in Ghana ‘

    On April 28, one of Nigeria’s leading international luxury bus operators, ABC Transport Plc will be 25. Its Managing Director, Mr. Frank Nnaji speaks with CHINYERE ELIZABETH OKOROAFOR on his challenges, why he is operating on the West African Coast, the potential for stimulating tourism in the Southeast, travel insurance and attractions of night travels, among others.

    As the pioneer of the second generation of transporters in the Southeast, what is the motivating factor behind your business model?

    Transportation provides for effective interaction for social and commercial connections. It is a very important component of human activities, despite the growth in technology. Before ABC came on board in 1993, a lot was taken for granted by people travelling. What we did was to change the narrative through improving the way we travel. We achieved this by placing more emphasis on safety and comfort. Truly speaking, we can say that transportation in Nigeria can be divided into two segments: the days before ABC and the ABC days. Some of the present generations don’t know what people encountered travelling in the 90s. Now, there is a new revolution, which we initiated. Nobody will expect anything less with our standards. Other companies are beginning to improve in terms of standards and we led this revolution in the 1990s.

    What model did you adopt to achieve this, or you simply wanted to change the face of road transport in the country?

    I am an entrepreneur who searches for better ways of doing things and creating values. The concepts I introduced were as a result of disappointments, that I had during travelling. Therefore, over time, we thought of how to improve the seeming challenges faced and add value. The belief was that if we add value, we will create more markets. Transportation was not my first business. I was into supply of educational materials for a company known as Rapido.

    Transportation business came later with ABC and it blossomed. People caught up with the industry and it became a big business. When we opened the West Africa Coast route in 2004, something spectacular happened and many people didn’t realise that it wasn’t as easy to move from Nigeria to Ghana. It was difficult crossing the border and harmonising things. But, we were able to open up the gateway across the West Coast to encourage tourism across the axis. Incidentally, this has favoured Ghana than Nigeria because more people go to Ghana for tourism than from any other countries in the West Coast.

    Therefore, it took quite a lot of work to unlock the West Coast gateway using the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). Also, the work was facilitated by the Economic Community of WestAfrica States (ECOWAS) Secretariat. In fact, we had to carry everybody along to open up that corridor.

    By April 28, ABC will be 25. What has kept the company going?

    First,what has kept us going is that we set out to create value and we are doing something we are interested in. We didn’t get into transportation to make money. Therefore, when you aredoing something that you have particular interest in, you seem to drive it better.

    For me, it was fun that I was developing things that people were appreciating, so that kept me going. Also, remember that I said that our focus is comfort and safety.

    We have continued to work at achieving safety and comfort in our service delivery, and this is aimed at making people patronise us. We have also brought in a lot of innovations, such as seat spacing, better safety appreciation, on board insurance, entertainment and others.

    How can the government key into this to promote tourism?

    For you to promote tourism, it has to be a deliberate effort. It does not happen by accident.The government has to get people who understand this sector through engagement and think of how to develop it. Tourism development has to be prepared for, it is not something you rush into. For instance, in Owerri, there are many hotels, but just having hotels is one thing,the other thing is having things that will make it attractive to people and encourage them to visit the city. For the government to promote tourism, it needs to set up a clear-cut blueprint on what it wants to achieve.

    How critical is road transportation to tourism growth?

    First of all, if you take a sector that is informal and try to make it formal, it becomes a bit easy for everybody. What you will realise is that if you want to go from Nigeria to Kenya, you go through six borders (from Nigeria into Benin, Benin to Togo, Togo to Ghana). There are bottlenecks. From Lagos to Accra is like from Lagos to Onitsha in terms of distance, therefore you realise that the challenges are just at the borders. Now, the question is: how do you remove these bottlenecks? First of all, you have to consider if the Immigration officers across the Benin, Ghana and Togo borders understand what the ECOWAS Treaty for free movement provides and the truth is that they don’t.

    This was why we went there to unlock the axis by first going to the ECOWAS Secretariat to pick the treaty, which makes all the countries in West Africa one mega country for free movement for trade (ECOWAS trade liberalisation scheme). At a point we had to get a letter from the Secretariat to the tourism unit of Lome and Accra to let them know that for this corridor, this is the way it is supposed to run.

    Again, we had to address the issue of language barrier by recruiting bilingual crew members. If you come to ABC, you will find that they speak English and French. So, getting into the borders and communicating was easy. We do quite a lot of things to ensure that there is hitch-free trade and movement. And over time immigration officers learnt that when people go through the border they are not doing them any favour because it is provided in the ECOWAS Treaty.

    What are the challenges ?

    The government has not repaired the roads the way they ought to be. We have not been able to get the best with road development, especially when you merge it with population growth.Therefore, our roads are still below par and this exposes people to risk of accidents, damage to vehicle. In Nigeria, there are lots of harassments on the road with police checkpoints for no reason. If you move from Lagos to Owerri, you will encounter more than 15 police checkpoints.

    One thing about modern travel is that it has to be predictable. If you are going from one location to another, the time you specify for such trip should be it. You realise that the many checkpoints, the bad roads are a  fall out of the security situations in the country. Another challenge is the appreciation of the average Nigerian as to what the importance of tourism is. Many people don’t understand the importance of tourism. For instance in Ghana, when they decided that they wanted to develop their tourism, everybody was carried along.

    There is a need to encourage people and invite them to be part of tourism development in the country, by creating things that will make them come, people will not come. Many countries are thriving best on tourism.

    Is night travelling still attractive?

    When we started operation in the 90s, we realised that the volume of traffic at night was as high as 30 percent. There was a time night travel was booming. There was also a time we introduced the sleeper service. We had our super sleeper and executive sleeper.There was a climber seat where you can sleep in the bus. We stopped at the Benin transit and people were served coffee. Then, security was assured until the late 2000 when armed robbers started to attack buses on the highway. At present, we still do night travels, but it is skeletal. We use night travel for the delivery of mails. But, generally, night travel is the bench mark even among airline operators. Before now, the roads were better and the traffic was not very high. What has happened is that traffic has increased and the road development cannot cope with the pace of traffic. Therefore, road development supposed to be going at the same rate with population growth and traffic development. Generally, we have not done well as a country, especially in the transportation sector.

    Has ABC incurred any major loss to claims from travel insurance?

    We ensure that whatever you pay for our ticket, there is a component of it that comes to personal insurance against injury or any fatality and the vehicle itself. When we talk about accident or fatality, it doesn’t really has to be your fault at times.Transportation in Nigeria has become very informal and has become an all-comers affair.

    The standards are not maintained. In some other climes, you have to go through protocols,understand the rules and meet certain standards. Overtime, we have done a lotof advocacy in the sector, we look good and the other operators don’t look good, there is no way there will development. So, we advocated what is known as road transport standardisation scheme, whereby any operator that has a fleet of five vehicles is regarded as a fleet operator. Then certain standards are set for the person to operate. We also led the setting up of speed limit of vehicles. We were instrumental to the setting of Federal Road Maintenance Agency  (FERMA).

    What is the potential for stimulating tourism in this axis?

    As I said, the development of tourism is adeliberate effortand it is not going to happen by accident. Onour part asindividuals, the much we can do is advocacy. There are different regulations and rules, which only the government can do. If there is a site,there should be a government who can take ownership that site, develop it and engage thecommunity.

    For instance, we have a blue lake known as the Oguta Lake. It used to be a beautiful lake, you realise that it has been neglected. The government has to put money in infrastructure. There should be a travel bureau that will hire knowledgeable hands in the sector to carry along the people.

    In most of the hotels, the problem is not the building, but the number of staff. If you attract people, they would like to stay and the standard would be upgraded. So, you find that if you have a tourism bureau to take care of these things, you make a calendar that will make people come to your city and build facilities that can hold large conferences. Luckily, we have an airport, and also it is as if we are in a confluence.In terms of positioning, Owerri is well-positioned. Talking about what we do to promote tourism, Imo State has the least to do. What we can do at this stage is advocacy.

    The government must have aspecific goal to develop tourism and I think it is something to consider very seriously as job creation will make the city more popular.

  • 89 plays compete for $100,000 NLNG prize

    Eighty-nine entries will compete for the 2018 edition of the Nigeria LNG Limited-sponsored Nigeria Prize for Literature focused on Drama, the company revealed at  the hand-over of the entries to the Advisory Board of the Prize in Lagos.

    The hand-over, chaired by Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, signifies the beginning of the judging process, which will culminate in the announcement of the winner in October.

    NLNG’s Deputy Managing Director Sadeeq Mai-Bornu, represented by Acting Manager, Community Relations, Godson Dienye, said stakeholders needed to rally around the prize to ensure that it is sustainable and takes its rightful place in the rank of literary prizes in the world.

    “We have received 89 entries this year, lower than what we had in 2014, when drama was also in focus. We must change this trend. All stakeholders must begin to own the prize as theirs and push it to greater heights.We  also received two entries for the Literary Criticism Award competition, which unfortunately, appears not to attract many entries. I consider this as a huge gap in Nigeria’s Literacy space.

    “To the judges, I urge you to demonstrate your usual proficiency in administering and adjudicating the process, knowing that the world is earnestly waiting for your announcement of another legendary work,” he remarked.

    The entries, which came in response to a call published in national dailies last February, will be examined on excellence in language, creativity and book quality.

    The entries were immediately handed over to the panel of judges led by Matthew Umukoro, a professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan.

    Other members include  Mohammed Inuwa Umar-Buratai, a Professor of Theatre and Performing Arts and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Ahmadu Bello University, (ABU), Zaria; and Dr.  Ngozi Udengwu, a Senior Lecturer Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies,  University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

    This year’s award will run concurrently with NLNG’s Prize for Literary Criticism for which only two entries were received for this year’s competition.

    Members of the Advisory Board for the Literature Prize, besides Prof Banjo, two-time Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, are Prof. Jerry Agada, former Minister of State for Education, and former President Association of Nigerian Authors, and Professor Emeritus Ben Elugbe, former President  Nigerian Academy of Letters and President of the West-African Linguistic Society (2004-2013).

    The Nigeria Prize for Literature has since 2004 rewarded eminent writers, such as Ikeogu Oke (2017, Poetry) with The Heresiad; Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (2016, Prose) – Season of Crimson Blossoms; Sam Ukala (2014; Drama) with Iredi War; Tade Ipadeola (2013; Poetry) with his collection of poems, Sahara Testaments; Chika Unigwe (2012 – prose), with her novel, On Black Sister’s Street; as well as Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book, The Missing Clock.

    The Nigeria Prize for Literature, one of Nigeria LNG Limited’s numerous contributions towards building a better Nigeria, is Africa’s most prestigious literary award with a cash reward of $100,000. It rotates yearly among four literary categories – Prose fiction, Poetry, Drama and Children’s Literature.

  • In Cairo art, education sues for peace

    With growing demand for global competence and cross-cultural skills, there is increasing recognition that international experience is invaluable for teachers and their students. This is credence to my sojourn in Cairo, Egypt this April.

    In the first week of this month, I attended the third African and Middle East International Society of Education through Art (InSEA) Regional Congress/Amesea second International Conference held at the October 6 University Campus, Egypt. It had as theme Education and the Arts Developmental Prospects 2030.

    On the second, I submitted the textile works from my school, Caleb British International School, Lagos to the InSEA Vice President, Prof. Samia ElShaik for the Arts for Peace in Africa project (Project between NEPAD and InSEA). It was received with great admiration and one of the textile pieces was selected to feature in the next InSEA postcard.

    Later in the afternoon, I spoke on the topic, Wearable art, redefining textile design. I spoke on the beautiful traditionally made cloth from Nigeria called Adire. I explained wearable art as metamorphosis of the old tradition of tie and dye into a ready-to-wear outfits. The wearable  art is a fusion of art and  fashion, which is composed  of Adire  background  with  the  infusion  of  artistic  hand printed designs and patterns inspired by the African traditional cultural elements. I mentioned that the wearable art from Nigeria promotes our unique ethnicity, cultural identity, and speaks more of our root. It is to be seen more than clothing; it is a work of art.

    To buttress my points, I made references to my wearable art designs,  borne out of the idea of taking my fine art beyond the aesthetic value by creating art piece with utility value and also affordable for everyone. My concept of wearable caught the attention of press more than a decade ago. The most intriguing one was the centre page publication on the Nigerian most widely distributed newspaper, Punch published on March 8,2009 and written by the award-winning Journalist, Kemi Ashefon.

    It was a great opportunity to share my concept of wearable art with the international audience of artists and art educators.

    Same day, I met for the first time with InSEA President, Prof. Teresa Torres de Eça (we have been communicating virtually since 2013) and she gave me a wonderful gift, the current edition of the International Journal of Education through Art.

    On the third day of the conference, I had a great adventure with the InSEA members to the Pyramids in Giza. One of the beautiful moments I had was walking around the Pyramids with Torres de Eça. We had a tete-a-tete about the future of art education and expanding the InSEA membership in Nigeria.

    InSEA is where I belong, art education is my constituency and it has always been my dream to increase art education in Nigeria. Anyone who cares about the future of art education will join InSEA. InSEA  is the global society of art educators concerned with education through Art. Members work together to share experience, improve practice and strengthen the position of art in all areas of education. Teaching Visual Art (www.teachingvisualart.blogspot.com ), an art organisation from Nigeria is an affiliated member of InSEA (www.insea.org )

    At the conference, I made some acquaintances but I shared memorable moments with Dr. Angela Saldanha for we share similar interest in photography. We captured beautiful sceneries and moments in Cairo with our Nikon cameras (D700 and D5200). I love photography passionately – it is my greatest hobby.

    Few days after the conference, I visited the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Ancient Egypt is said to be the beginning of the modern civilisation and I have always been fascinated by the Egyptian art. So, it was a beautiful experience for me to have a direct observation of the Egyptian art. I was astounded by the magnificent array of arts and artefacts on display at the Egyptian Museum. My last stop was the Kan El-Khalili market. I was marvelled at the Egyptian art and craft dexterity and how they have imprinted their artistic culture in everything.

    In Cairo, I raised the flag of CBIS so high and brought the excellence spirit of CBIS to a good showcase for the second time on a global scene.

    Wow! What a trip, an adventure to the magnificent Egypt, the land of the pharaohs. Yes, I will sure come back again next time maybe with my art students or group of Nigerian art educators.

    Many thanks to InSEA and Amesea for this platform; it’s so enriching. Being part of InSEA is a springboard to fulfilling my dream, to raise the standard of art education and inspire the next generations of artists and art lovers in Nigeria and beyond who will be innovative thinkers.

    Keeping to the words of my mentors in the art back in Nigeria, Prof. Adepeju Layiwola (Head of Department, Creative Department, University of Lagos), Dr. John Adenle (University of Lagos), and Dr. Badaru (FCE, Abeokuta); in Cairo I have been a good ambassador for the arts, CBIS and my country, Nigeria.

     

    • Adeniyi is a staff member of Caleb British International School, Lagos

  • Second Argungu polo tourney opens April 24

    THE Second Argungu Polo tournament will hold between April 24 and 30 to showcase Kebbi State as a destination to keep visitors engaged during their holiday.

    In a statement, the Special Adviser to Governor Abubakar Bagudu on Tourism and Coordinator of Argungu Fishing Festival, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, said Kebbi was a notable cultural tourism destination and to activate multi-tourism that will boost and generate tourism traffic for Argungu fishing festival next year.

    The maiden edition of the event held last year April, with over 10 teams competing for various cups donated and sponsored by Kebbi State Government, corporate bodies and notable individuals. This year’s edition will have teams competing for the President’s cup, Governor’s cup, Sultan’s cup, Emir of Argungu’s cup, Shehu Kangiwa’s cup, Argungu Fishing Festival cup and Umaru Shinkafi’s cup.

    On the cultural side, Kangiwa listed the international wrestling competition between Nigeria and Niger Republic as top attraction, with games and cultural dances. such as Mel racing, Yan Tanri cultural dances, bull fighting (Hawan Qaho), archery and catapulting competitions geared towards giving sponsors windows into how the festival will look like next year.

  • Fasuyi’s 35-year-old experiment returns in Egun Nla

    IN 1983, former Arts Adviser to the Federal Government and founder TAFAS Art Gallery, Lagos, Chief Timothy Adebanjo Fasuyi, did an experiment that explored the use of local materials, such as calabash and painting, for a three-dimension work.

    That experiment was inspired by the desire to produce unique art works for his solo art exhibition in Paris, France, which was sold out.

    Thirty-five years after, the artist and educationist, who will turn 83 tomorrow, is revisiting the experiment to enrich his collection, particularly sculptures. Among the new sculptures for the exhibition are Family unit, Eyo masquerade, Herdsmen, Nigeria’s Unity Not Negotiable, Unknown Soldier, Hostility, Onidodo, Nigeria’s Restructuring Negotiable and others.

    Speaking as a guest on Artist Roundtable, organised by the Arts and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria (ACWAN) in Lagos, Fasuyi recalled that before the intervention of foremost art scholars like him and his colleagues, art was regarded as an inferior vocation that added no value to the nation’s development.

    He noted: ‘’What is considered modern sculpture in European art is an offshoot of traditional African art, while painting is entirely a European concept and practice exported to Nigeria through art education.’’

    He said he is known more as a painter and an educationist but that his solo exhibition Egun Nla (Big masquerade), which is more of sculptures, is meant to tell his admirers and followers that he is still active in the art circuit.

    “I am exploring a new medium of expression (sculpture), using locally sourced materials. I started the experiment in 1983 while preparing to hold my solo art exhibition in Paris France. I asked myself then, what would interest the Paris audience apart from painting? I knew development of modern painting more in France than any other country In Europe. So, I decided to do something different and I chose sculpture.

    ‘’I went there with sculpture and to my surprise of the 20 works I exhibited in Paris only two returned to Lagos.

    “Some of the paintings I thought would be bought were returned. This time around, I am trying to revive the same sculpture pieces. I want to enrich my collection and gallery. I have gone into extensive research. The two works that I brought back were rejected because they were broken. But now, I am going to strengthen the calabash with Pop to avoid easy breakage,” he said.

    About 20 sculptural works in three categories namely Calabario (works made from calabash), Plastic, and Plasticocalabario (works made from combination of plastic, calabash and local materials such as PoP) will be exhibited. To him, he believes strongly the sculptural works will sell because they are unique. He added that for a change he may want to sell some of his paintings at the exhibition. He disclosed that he is setting up a hall of fame in honour of those who have contributed to the art sand artists.

    Egun Nla will open simultaneously at three venues: TAFAS Gallery, Ikeja, Lagos, Quintessence, Ikoyi and Yemoja Gallery, Surulere on April 21. The week-long birthday celebration will start tomorrow with a church service/song of praise and a youth drama presentation while an evening get-together will hold after the exhibition at The Resource Place, Badagry Street, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja on Saturday, April 21.

    Also, on Saturday, National Gallery of Art, Abuja will present a book on Chief Fasuyi. The presentation will be done by former Director-General National Gallery of Art, Dr. Paul Dike, while Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya will give keynote address.

    The event will be chaired by Omooba Yemisi Shyllon. Chairman Board National Gallery Art Ambassador Umaru Azores Suleiman is chief host. The book Timothy Adebanjo Fasuyi: A Renowned Artist and Educationist, is a documentary on his work and life.

    The get-together will feature Fasuyi art award presentation to individuals who contribute to the growth of art and artists, especially his last year’s birthday celebration. The recipients, he said, would include collectors, curators, critics, art writers and six student artists.

    At his last year’s birthday, he gave some of his artworks as awards to seven Nigerians that included Princ Shyllon, Dr. Onobrakpeya, Mrs Melinda Akinlami of Channels Television, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, Mr. Jerome Elaiho, Nike Okundaiye, Wale Fasuyi and Fred Udoaka in appreciation of their contributions to art and artists.