A solo art exhibition Index Season ii by renowned mixed media artist Olu Amoda will open at Art Twenty One, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, from March 28 to June 25. It will feature the artist’s newest body of works created over the past two years.
As one of Nigeria’s most-celebrated visual artists, Amoda’s sculptures combine discarded metal fragments to form hybrid figurative and abstract installations. His works often incorporate rusty nails, metal plates, bolts, pipes and rods, that are welded together to create figures, animals, flora and ambiguous forms. Amoda uses these materials to explore socio-political issues relating to Nigerian culture today, including gender, privacy, consumerism and economic distribution.
In Index Season ii, Olu Amoda uses leaves as a metaphor to address the notion of a nation undergoing political impasse. Creating metal sculptures that evoke the changing colours of the four seasons, Amoda compares the individual leaves to human relationships, bunched together in social interconnectedness. As an isolated object, the leaves are meticulously sculpted to show their unique shapes and characteristics.
As a collection, they form an abstract, geometric mass that binds the sculpture as a cohesive whole. Just as the tree’s foliage changes colour in different seasons, the collective nation goes through different stages and journeys. Amoda attempts to critically draw the audience’s attention to the global crisis of political gridlock plaguing the world today, suggesting that we must consider humanity as an ever-evolving process that shares affinity with one another.
In other works in the exhibition, Amoda continues his investigation into the organic processes of our natural world. He also depicts insects cross-pollinating with vegetation, as well as circular forms sculpted from repurposed welded nails, cubes and scroll motifs. Using the circular shape as a reoccurring visual element, Amoda makes references to the globe or the human eye. Like the isolated leaves that form a unit, so too do his circular sculptures attest to a cyclical pattern of human life. The nails reveal a narrative of shared responsibility, with each part integral in keeping the whole as one.
Amoda also focuses on the female form, with silhouettes, profiles and close-up perspectives of women. Amoda fixes his gaze at the women’s bodies, hairstyles and dress, capturing the figures in contemplation and in deep thought. In his large scale sculpture, Amoda’s interest manifests in the figure of Marion Jones, a world champion athlete who was recently involved in a steroid scandal. While Amoda’s works explore universal aspects of humanity, they are also rooted in news headlines and current events. Set amidst these diverse works is a makeshift vehicle, created from a repurposed canoe and castor, an apt foreshadowing of our turbulent political times.
Olu Amoda graduated in sculpture from Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, and received a Master’s Degree of Fine Arts from Georgia Southern University, USA. Amoda has participated in exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), the Museum of Art and Design (New York), Skoto Gallery (New York), Georgia Southern University (USA), Didi Museum (Nigeria), WIPO Headquarters (Switzerland), and Art Twenty One (Nigeria), among others.
He has completed residencies at Villa Arson (France), The Bag Factory (South Africa), Appalachian State University (North Carolina), and the New York Design Museum. His work is included in many prestigious art collections including the Newark Museum, Fondation Blachère and the Sindika Dokolo Foundation. Amoda has taught Sculpture and Drawing at the School of Art, Design and Printing at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos since 1987.
Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine
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Amoda’s Index Season ii holds at Art Twenty One
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Obasanjo Presidential Library: A rare monument
The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, which started like a child’s play in 2008 at Ita-Eko in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has blossomed into a monumental edifice. Scholars, technocrats and heads of government from across the globe were hosted at its inauguration, Martins Akanbiemu reports.
No event, no history. This age-long adage succinctly typified the inauguration of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) referred to by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) as the “Grand Opening Ceremony”on March 4 and 5. Coinciding with the 80th birth day celebration of the chief promoter of OOPL, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, history was made on these days as the library, nay, Abeokuta provided a melting pot for foreign heads of government as well as the crème de la crème of the society across the globe whose roll-call was inundating and capable of drying up the pen.
It was a gathering of different classes of personalities across the length and breadth of the globe, including Nigeria. Never before has such a conglomerate of personalities that painted a picture of a ‘sea of heads’ gathered in one place to honour an occasion as the grand opening ceremony of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in the annals of Nigeria’s social history. And the reason is not far-fetched considering the personality at the center of the occasion: a politician, democrat, statesman, mediator, a de-tribalised Nigerian and above all, an ardent and unrepentant crusader in the Nigerian project.
There is no gainsaying that the center-piece of the colourful grand opening ceremony was the exquisite and inestimable museum exhibit display which centers on the life and times of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from cradle to the present. For Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), the exhibit designer and the Curatorial team led by the Resident Curator, Sir Martins O. Akanbiemu, it was a momentuous and historic occasion to behold what started like a ‘mustard seed’ blossom to a dazzling full fig. From the curatorial team’s standpoint, what started like a child’s play in 2008 at Ita Eko with the full documentation of CELL 333 (i.e Yola Prison Reconstruction) exhibits in the build-up to tackling an aspect of the storyline soon snowballed to full scale selection and documentation of exhibits at the prompting of the Chief Promoter who was determined to jump-start the process leading to what we have on display today. Nevertheless, full scale behind the scene activities by RAA and the curatorial team started after the review of the agreement between the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Foundation (OOPLF) and Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) in 2012 at Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s Hilltop residence.
The choice and selection of exhibits (both two and three dimensional) that fitted into the jig-saw of the story line was not an easy task because of the avalanche of perplexing and competing materials to choose from, but thanks to the wealth of experience of the curatorial team led by the Resident Curator whose competency in museology and curatorship was of tremendous advantage and value as shown in his ability to select the most appropriate and relevant exhibits that matches the storyline and which the exhibit designers, Ralph Appelbaum spoke of in glowing terms. Little wonder his colleagues and contemporaries in the field refer to him as ‘curator numero uno’ (i.e Curator No. 1) in view of his outstanding knowledge, professionalism, competency, diligence and dexterity in museum curatorship. By any standard, the exhibits selected represent the best that could have featured in the respective exhibit areas vis-a-vis the competing exhibits and the story line.
At this juncture, it is pertinent to bring into focus the preservation instinct of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo which underscores what he wanted to achieve. His action is a re-enactment of the historical evolution of museums in ages past which sprang up as a result of two related natural tendencies or ‘instincts’ which are universal and timeless. That is, the desire to accumulate objects and the desire to show them to people. The former is more developed in some people than in others but Chief Obasanjo certainly belongs to the two categories. As a Curator, I salute his preservation instincts and consider him as a curator without formal training. It is true that every human being has preservation instincts but there is none I have encountered on the scale of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who veered away from the ordinary to the more complex field of keeping not only valuables but everything and anything that has to do with his life. The revelation at Ita Eko of the metal school box and report cards from elementary through primary, standard and secondary schools as well as the AK 47 rifle, service pistol, swagger stick associated with the Nigerian Civil War etc. was particularly astonishing to the curatorial team considering the time lag. Against the backdrop of his preservation instincts, I regard him as the ‘Curator of the Year’ in my capacity as the Resident Curator of the Presidential Library and an affiliate of the Museums Association of Nigeria and the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Committee (Nigerian Chapter) where I double as the Secretary General. Of all the exhibits preserved by this icon, only the metal school box showed signs of serious deterioration, and understandably so, but it was promptly restored by the organisation’s Chief Conservator, Dr A.S. Edet. In this regard, the exhortation of the curatorial team by Tracy Roosevelt, grand-daughter of President Franklin Roosevelt (the father of Presidential Libraries in the United States of America) and the Guest Speaker at the Center for Human Security (CHS) International Symposium on “ Purpose and Utiliterian Values of Presidential Libraries” on Saturday, 4th March, 2017 speaks volumes. In a congratulatory message to the duo of the Resident Curator and Chief Conservator, Tracy wrote: “Congratulations on the opening of the Obasanjo Presidential Library. It is a testament to your hard work. Your insight and intelligence shows in the exhibits. It is my pleasure to work with you at the start of the project. Warmest wishes”.
It is also pertinent to give credit to Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), the exhibit designers of Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library museum except for the Arrival Pavillion that houses the exhibits of “Symbols of Power and Authority’. Never before in the history of exhibit design in African museums has such ingenuity, creativity, proficiency and excellence been demonstrated as has been done by RAA. In my entire career as a Curator in the service, I have never witnessed an exhibition of this gangantuan nature with its eclectic design, use of audio-visuals and interactives, content development and classical show-case infrastructure. The choice of designers underscores the aspiration of the Chief Promoter and the OOPL Board of Trustees in bequeathing to present and future generations of Nigerians, nay Africans and the rest of the world, a befitting facility that will be standards- setting for other Presidential Libraries. Known for its eclectic band of employees and the interdisciplinary quality of their work, the New York Times reported in 1999 that the firm comprises of “architects, designers, editors, model builders, historians, childhood specialists, one poet, one painter and one astrophysicist”.
The firm is well known for the United States Holocaust Museum which has been described as a “turning point in museology and museography” and won the US President Award for Design Excellence as well as the Federal Design Achievement Award. Ralph Appelbaum Associates is also known for its work at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library (2004), the National World War 1 Museum (2006), the Museum of the Portugese Language (2006), the London Transport Museum (2007) and the Newseum (2008). The recent addition to its chain of achievements is the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and has also won the bid to construct Barrack Obama Presidential Library in the United States of America.
The emergence of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library generated much discussions and comments on the day of the Grand Opening ceremony among the array of dignitaries. Indeed, its continuous story has been subject of reporting in newspapers, television and magazines around the globe. Only very rarely is a discussion of such magnitude brought to the fore with the strength to fire the imagination, the courage to portray the truth and the power to touch on our deepest aesthetic sensibilities.
In conclusion, we can surmise that the life of Chief Obasanjo is a life of ‘Vini Vici Vidi’ (i.e I came, I saw, I conquered) and, may God grant him many more years in good health to continue to render his valuable service to humanity.•Akanbiemu is Resident Curator, Obasanjo Presidential Library Museum, Abeokuta.
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Fare thee well Adinoyi–Ojo
Last Saturday, friends and colleagues converged on the The Journalism Clinic in Surulere, Lagos Mainland, to celebrate the life and times of Dr Adinoyi-Ojo Onukaba, journalist, author, thespian and poet, who died on March 5. They recounted the memorable times they had shared together. Evelyn Osagie reports.
It was not the kind of end they envisaged for him. One could see it from their look. Death has struck again, taking away their friend, Dr Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, former Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc.
Adinoyi-Ojo was killed on March 5, four days to his 57th birthday, while trying to escape a robbery attack at a village near Akure, the Ondo State capital.
He was on his way back to Abuja from Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he attended the inauguration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. He was buried penultimate Monday at his ancestral home Oboroke-Ihima in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
His life was full of excitement and purpose. His colleagues gathered to reflect on the happy moments they shared and to pay him last respect.
It was an evening of reminiscences, readings and performances, convened by his friend, Taiwo Obe. His long-time friends in the media and other worlds were at The Journalism Clinic on Surulere, Lagos Mainland venue of the event in their numbers. They praised his sense of duty and professionalism.
The late Adinoyi-Ojo obtained his first degree in 1982 in Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan (UI) and joined The Guardian as one of its pioneer reporters in 1983. He rose to News Editor before travelling abroad in 1989 for graduate studies. He became the Managing Director of the Daily Times of Nigeria Plc in 1999. The late Adinoyi-Ojo was a Senior Special Assistant on Media to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Publication Lanre Idowu described the late Adinoyi-Ojo as “that aviation reporter who brought out wonderful stories that made the news pages of The Guardian very interesting”.
To Idowu, Adinoyi-Ojo was a true professional who believed in standard. “It is painful. But the lesson is that it is not how long but how well. Let’s keep his memory alive. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Managing Director, Bayo Onanuga, said the late Adinoyi-Ojo was one of those few seasoned journalists who wrote well and made the sub-editor’s day. He said: “He was not part of the cartel at the airport, that was how he sprang up. That was why he was the only one who got the scoops, like the ‘53 suitcases’. I called his number and somebody picked and narrated how it happened. His death was very tragic and very dramatic. I pray that God will protect him and put him in paradise.”
A friend, Mr Niyi Obaremi, said the late Adinoyi-Ojo’s life “was full of drama”. He noted that it is difficult to think of him in the past tense. He said: “Physically, he won’t be with us again but he is ever with us in our hearts. I call him a ‘fountain of inspiration’. The same words I used for Taiwo because I have known the two of them since the 80s. As a young man, Onukaba was already the one who could break a mountain that Obasanjo was in the whole of Africa then. And he was the one who was able to get across to anybody no matter how tough they were at his airport beat for The Guardian. He was not just another young man under 25, but one that was empowering those of us who were around at that same age to reach for the skies.
“And it was the reason I chose to be Onukaba’s friend. And I am forever grateful that I knew him. I loved him and he accepted me as a friend and a brother. And we learnt from each other. And his life enriched mine. And I am sure wherever he is he would be happy to see this gathering convened in his honour: happy that he made his mark while he was with us. And wherever he is I am sure he is representing us very well. So, I say ‘Fare thee well my brother. God bless your soul!”
A trust fund which will be named after the late Adinoyi-Ojo to cater for his children’s education and welfare is in the works, it was learnt. It is being coordinated by the late Adinoyi-Ojo’s friends, Obe and Sonala Olumhense. “When opened, it would be named ‘Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo Memorial Trust Fund”, Obe, the event’s convener, said.
He recounted how the late Adinoyi-Ojo became Obasanjo’s friend. He said: “The airport was one of the beats that lots of journalists swam to because that was where you can get the story and other things like ‘brown envelope’. It was only Onukaba who would go to Obasanjo when others wouldn’t. And Onukaba dressed well as a reporter.
“Whenever he approached him for an interview, Obasanjo would decline, saying: ‘I am a farmer. I don’t talk to the press’ and not say any other thing. Onukaba would come to the newsroom and write it; and Lad Bone would put it on front page. And it went on like that; then one day, he invited him to his farm. Onukaba was persistent; he never chased after ‘brown envelope’. And that was why Obasanjo believed in him.”
A former Director at Taijo Wonukabe Limited, Chido Nwakanma, recollected: “I met Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo then Shaibu Ojo on July 1, 1983. It was a Friday. The Guardian was to go daily on July 4. Fred Ohwahwa and I had come as undergraduates who were seeking an internship. Shaibu was already a graduate, looking for full-time job. We became very close, Onukaba was extremely friendly.
“He would reach out to you and help. I remember when we started Taijo Wonukabe, we talked about books and he sent a number of them from America. That morning I just saw a quote on a WhatsApp page and called Taiwo to confirm. The news came like a bolt. Maybe the drama of life continued with Onukaba till the very end. He likes to make a great entry and he has made a sudden exit. We wish him well.”
Some friends like the Executive Editor, The News, Kunle Ajibade and Toyin Akinosho read the late Adinoyi-Ojo’s articles and creative works. Gani Kayode, formerly of The Punch, read the translated song by Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister on death, entitled: Ajara Iku, which when translated means Ode to Death. This reporter, known on stage as Evelyn D’Poet, performed a tribute poem in his honour.
Also at the event were the Editor of The Nation, Gbenga Omotoso; pioneer Photo Editor of The Guardian Express and ace photographer, Sunmi Smart-Cole; the General Manager, External Relations NLNG, Kudo Eresia-Eke; Special Adviser, Communications to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Hakeem Bello, who represented the Minister at the event; renowned photographer Tam Fiofori; Obe’s wife, Yemisi; Dele Agekameh, Ayo Asagba; Dotun Adekanbi; Mrs Bunmi Akinkugbe; Gbile Oshadipe; Bode Modupe and Temitope Lakisokun. -
Connecting art with spirituality
The relationship between art and spirituality as well as the therapeutic effects of art on human souls form the theme of a group art exhibition, Art and Spirituality, which featured works by seven contemporary Nigerian artists. They are Tola Wewe, Sam Ovraiti, Duke Asidere, Angela Isiuwe, Erikan Ekefrey, Emman Ekefrey and Zinno Orara. The group exhibition, curated by Paris-based Nigerian curator Bose Fagbemi held recently at the Conference Hall, St. Ignatius Centre in Surulere, Lagos, a newly built centre by the Jesus Society (Jesuits) of the Catholic Church.
Each artist expressed his inner thoughts about the theme, using different media and styles. The 31-piece collection was enriched not only by the creativity of each artist, but by the influences of the different Arts Schools the artists were trained in. But, the Ekefreys (Emman and Erikan) exhibited works that drew from same cultural milieu and style of presentation, which is almost exclusive to the duo.
Art and Spirituality was organised by the Jesuits as another platform to show the connectivity between art and spirituality, as well as to increase the appreciation of works of God as created by artists. It was the first art exhibition to be held at the conference hall since the centre was opened on September 30, 2016.
Of the 31 works, paintings such as All for love, Praise, Study, Little being, Men of honour, Transition, Life travels, Heaven and Earth, Focus on creation, Reflection and Mysteries of Life captured the essence of the theme. Interestingly, most of the paintings have been produced long before the exhibition was conceived. Yet, almost all the paintings were in consonant with the theme.
Angela Isiuwe’s Praise, All for love and Sam Ovraiti’s Heaven and Earth, Focus on creation, and Duke Asidere’s Transition are very instructive and representative of the theme. For instance, Isiuwe’s Praise, an acrylic on canvas is a simple rendition of a figure of a man raising his two hands up in praise of the almighty. Presented with simple black bold lines on a white canvas, the artist gives the image a prime focus. In a way, Isiuwe used her painting to praise and celebrate God as part of man’s spiritual life. But Asidere’s Transition, a memorial in honour of one Nigeria’s contemporary artists Mr. Ben Osaghae who died in January, is a commentary on the transient nature of life. Other works on display include Mask Figure, Kakaki, The Hunter, The artist, Couple, Womanhood, The Independent and Should be in.
Rev. Father Nweke, a Jesuit, described the exhibition as a wake-up call on Nigerians to preserve human patrimony as represented by the collection on display, adding that it will also help people to see the link between art and spirituality.
“In most of our communities and houses we have art. It is difficult to go to any Jesuit community without seeing art. You find lots of artworks in them, ranging from Benin bronze, to sculpture, carving and paintings. This is the first exhibition and hope it will not be the last,” he said.
Condemning the increasing destruction of priceless works of art across the globe by fanatics, Rev Father Nweke said: “See what the ISIS is doing to art. Human patrimony is being blown away by them every day. Also, we still witness the destruction of works of art by our people because of their beliefs. Some of us are more sensitive to art than others and as such we don’t appreciate art same way. The catholic spirituality is very sacramental unlike the Pentecostal, which is less sacramental. I mean what you see around you is a pointer to what you don’t see.
All these works of art are pointers to the unseen supreme God. But a work of art becomes fetish when it turns God and you embrace it. However, there are holy places where people go to worship.” -
Cultural heritage week excites leaders
The Chairman, Post -Primary School Management Board (PPSMB), Enugu State, Mr. Nestor Ezeme has called on Igbo students to embrace their cultural heritage, adding that they should not allow their culture to die.
He made the call at the Model Secondary School, Nsukka, during the grand finale of the school’s Cultural Week.
According to him, the Igbo tradition is anchored on truth and respect. He added that the tradition abhors impunity and vices, such as examination malpractices.
The chairman, who was represented by the Director, Education Services Mr. Obiora Owube, extolled the principal of the school, Ichie Emmanuel Ezugorie, for initiating the cultural activities, saying it would instil consciousness in the pupils and salvage the dwindling language and custom of the people.
He expressed satisfaction with the cultural displays by the pupils, saying they were in line with the Igbo tradition. He urged the principal to sustain the cultural week.
“I am happy with what is happening in this school. I am happy that the Principal, Ichie Emma Ezugorie, initiated these cultural activities and has set an example for others to emulate. It is believed that the pupils will understand the rationale behind this initiative and embrace it.
‘’I, therefore, urge the pupils of Model Secondary School to be models and live within the motto of the school, which is to “Show the light always”, he said.
Ezeme, a lawyer, used the opportunity to announce that schools in the state have adequate teachers to boost the academic excellence of the pupils, attributing this to the deployment of teachers by the Federal Government through N-Power programme.
He charged the pupils of the school to make use of this opportunity and increase their academic performance.
The Chief Supervising Principal (CSP) in Nsukka Educational Zone, Mrs. Monica Agu, noted that her office was elated when the school paid her a courtesy visit on Valentine’s Day as part of the cultural activities.
Mrs. Agu appealed to the school authorities to set aside every February 14 as the cultural week of the school.
A former Chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Tony Okechi Ugwu, observed that the cultural heritage of Igbo was gradually giving way for foreign culture and blamed the trend on non-inclusion of Igbo as a subject in schools curriculum. He noted that people without culture were like people without identity. He appealed to the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo and other concerned people of Igbo extraction to ensure that Igbo culture and tradition do not die. He praised the principal of the school for taking the step to organise the cultural event.
Mr. Ichie Ezugorie in a paper titled: Let’s bring back our culture, said the idea of cultural week in the school was predicated on the fact that foreign cultures were fast threatening the Igbo culture to the extent that about 20 per cent of people who bear Igbo names and of Igbo origin are unable to speak the language, adding that as a responsive institution where young minds were being nurtured and where cultures were being transmitted, they decided to organise a cultural fiesta to educate and sensitise their pupils on the values and virtues inherent in their indigenous culture and the need to preserve them. -
Aje Olokun Drummers win Goldberg contest
Aje Olokun Drummers from Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, have emerged winners of the traditional drummers’competition at the third edition of the Goldberg Excellency Tour held at Nicety Hotel, Ikare Akoko recently. The group beat four others at the grand finale to clinch the first position and the grand prize of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250, 000).
The second position with the cash prize of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N150, 000) was won by Afunbiokun Drummers, while Aloyinlapa Group claimed the third position with the prize of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000). The other two finalists Omolere and Heritage Group got Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) each.
The contest was the third of the drummers’ competition in the ongoing Goldberg Excellency Tour, following the Abeokuta and Ilorin editions. The tour will visit Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State; lle lfe in Osun State and Benin City in Edo State in the coming weeks.
Eight groups auditioned at the preliminary stage of the competition on Friday, March 3, from where five groups made it to the grand finale.
The traditional drummers contest started with a procession through some streets of Ikare Akoko and it attracted a large turnout of residents who trooped to the venue of the contest to witness what they described as a new dawn in cultural rejuvenation among the Yourba.
Senior Brand Manager, Regional Mainstream Brands, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Funso Ayeni stated that the Goldberg Excellent Excellency Tour which is also scheduled for Ado Ekiti, Ile Ife and Benin City, is part of the brand’s effort strategic plan to promote the cultural values of the Yorubas.He added that in line with the brand’s ethos, the successful event in lkare Akoko also helped to promote local talent, as the competition brought out the best skills from the performers who see the contest as an opportunity to showcase their talents and skills.
Leader of the overall winning team, Mr. Ayanbisi Timothy, said it is a thing of joy to see his group clinch the first prize after dedicating much time for training on how to come up with the best performance. He also attributed his group’s victory to God’s special grace. “Though we practiced for quite a while for this contest, it would not be right if l do not acknowledge the work of God in all this,” he affirmed.
The Goldberg Excellency Tour is coming on the heels of the unveiling of Goldberg lager beer as “Your Excellency” in 2016 and it is in line with the brand’s unique credentials that places it in a class of its own in the market. -
Summit aims to boost coastal areas
The maiden edition of Badagry Economic Summit designed to expose investment opportunities in Badagry will hold on March 23rd and 24th in Lagos. Organisd by the Badagry Convention and Visitors Agency (BCVA), the summit, which has as theme: Unleashing Investment Opportunities around Historic and Coastal Zones of Epe and Badagry is a bi-annual conference that will draw stakeholders from all walks of life.
Director, Marketing and Administration of Badagry Convention and Visitors Agency, Dr Temidayo Hephzibah, said that the utmost aim of the agency was to bring economic growth to the people of Badagry and its environs. He said Badagry Economic Summit is a bi-annual platform established by Badagry Convention and Visitors Bureau to create economic opportunities surrounding the ancient city blessed with several natural economic endowments.
“This summit is designed to bring together corporate organisations and individuals to share ideas about Badagry opportunities. Epe became part of the maiden edition of the summit because of its similarity in terms of history, location and resources.
“The main objective of the summit is to provide direction to the reality of making Badagry an international market hub for investment and leisure activities. The summit will also bring together regional and international industry experts including investors to discuss investments opportunities around Badagry and other coastal neighbourhoods of Lagos state such as the Epe axis.
“Deep sea port investment naturally attracts a huge number of business activities ranging from logistic park operations, bonded terminals, and so forth. This is the best time every maritime and logistics operator in West Africa should position themselves to be key players in what is to be Africa’s largest sea port in Badagry,” Dr Temidayo added.
Bureau’s Chief Executive Mr Ashamu Sewanu Fadipe said that top tourism experts and investors are being mobilised for the summit to explore investment opportunities in the area.
Fadipe said that the summit would showcase the abundant investment opportunities in Badagry so as to lure investors and tourists to the area.
“There is no doubt that investment opportunities abound in Badagry and we have all it takes for investors to invest in.
The community is blessed with rich historical and cultural heritage, crude oil, serene beaches, coconut plantation, seaport and massive land for development.
“If all these potentials are properly utilised, it will boost the economy of Badagry and increase the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of Lagos State.
“At a time like this when government calls for opinions on economic diversification with focus on tourism, federal government of Nigeria will be glad to see leadership direction that harnesses tourism economic potentials in Badagry as a model to replicate tourism investment in order parts of the country,” he said.
Badagry Convention and Visitors Agency (BCV Agency) was formally established in August 2016 to market Badagry as a destination. -
All for the amazons
The Wheatbaker Boutique Hotel in Lagos hosted a private collectors’ preview of The Art of Nigerian Womenbook and celebrated the opening of Standing Out II,an art exhibition, featuring works by 10 Nigerian female artists.
The preview, chaired by Chairman, First Bank Nigeria Mrs Ibukun Awosika and attended by the cream of the Lagos art community, commended the exhibition and book. The Art of Nigerian Women is a 360-page hardback book printed on silk paper, featuring the work of seventy five leading and emerging contemporary visual artists — some of Nigeria’s brightest. Complementing the artists’ works are scholarly essays, features and profiles of women who have influenced and helped shape the art industry in Nigeria.
Prof dele jegede, renowned art historian, artist and Professor Emeritus of Miami University, praised the book in his essay saying: “This is a pioneering work, one that deserves a prominent place on the shelves of corporate, institutional, college, and personal libraries. Bosah deserves admiration for the courage and resources ploughed into this work.”
“The journey of researching, writing, and publishing The Art of Nigerian Women has been a labour of love, which started in 2011,” explained US-based publisher Chukwuemeka Bosah, whose acclaimed work 101 Nigerian Artists has become an important reference point for the international art community. “
In line with the book’s focus, Standing Out II features 26 paintings, photographs, mixed media works, and a thread & ceramic installation created by Ngozi Ezema, Amami Isiuwe, Bunmi Oyesanya-Ayaoge, Data Oruwari, Marcellina Oseghale-Akpojotor, Olawunmi Banjo, Omo Udenta, OzozSokoh, Sade Adebowale and Taiye Idahor.
“Standing Out II is our way of contributing to this year’s World Women’s Day theme, Be Bold For Change, by presenting the work of 10 leading and emerging female artists featured in Bosah’s new book,” said Mosun Ogunbanjo, Director of the LCA.
Standing Out II acknowledges how women continue to break through and overcome physical, psychological, emotional, professional and societal boundaries with unforgiving energy and elan. The paintings and mixed media and installation works express the artist’s thoughts on diversity and identity, spirituality, environment, culture and celebration, history and memory through unabashed creative experimentation.
“The Art of Nigerian Women is a testament to the awesome “rising tide” of female artists in Nigeria, represented byStanding Out II,” commented Sandra Mbanefo Obiago of SMO Contemporary Art, the Wheatbaker’s long standing art curator.
“Chukwuemeka Bosah’s book, celebrating female artists, is a timely gift to Africa and the world,” said Chief Nike Okundaye, who has mentored generations of female artists, and won international awards for her ground breaking work in teaching art to marginalised women in Nigeria and Europe. “We are delighted that the powerful work of our female artists is being projected in this beautiful publication.”
The public launch of the book was held at Nike Art Gallery on together with one week art exhibition curated by the Nigerian Federation of Female Artists.
The Art ofNigerian Women publishing project was supported by GTBank, The Guardian, XL Africa Group, The Wheatbaker, SMO Contemporary Art, Global Energy Company, VeuveClicquot, Knowledge Exchange Center, Max10, UpByFive, Arik Airlines, and committed art patrons. The book will be available for purchase at leading Nigerian bookstores, and on Amazon from mid-March. -
Studying Nigeria’s ungoverned spaces
The term “Ungoverned Spaces” actually drew my attention to this book. Ungoverned spaces are those spaces where officially recognised state institutions cannot exercise their full sovereignty, areas of limited or anomalous government control. In fact, an ungoverned space is a territory of violence and insecurity.
The book, Nigeria’s Ungoverned Spaces – Studies in Security, Terrorism and Governance, edited by Richard A. Olaniyan and Rufus T. Akinyele, has come at a right time due largely to the festering security situation in our dear country, most particularly the continued insurgency by the Boko Haram sect in the north-eastern part of the country. The 154-page book is divided into eight chapters, with nine contributors, mostly professors with diverse backgrounds, including history, legal, sociology, international relations, military intelligence etc.
A compelling read is chapter three, aptly titled Eco-Violence or Transborder Terrorism: Revisiting Nigerian Pastoral Nomadic Fulani Question by the trio of Awogbade, Olaniyan and Faleye. This chapter is illuminating on the dangerous trend of trans-border influx of pastoral Fulani groups into Nigeria. Despite the wide media publicity of the pastoral nomadic violence in Nigeria, it is rather disheartening that there seems to be a dearth of literatures focusing on understanding the pattern of behaviour within the context of ecological history and geopolitics. It is stated that the incessant clashes involving Fulani pastoralists can be associated with dwindling grazing lands. It is dangerous and should be a concern to the government that, according to intelligence report, in comparison with the Boko Haram insurgency that kills an average of 2, 500 people annually, over 2, 000 people were killed in conflicts between the herdsmen and different host communities in 2015 alone. Indeed, the herdsmen menace has led to the death of about 3.7 million people in a period of 16 years in Adamawa state, among others.
A well-known case is the kidnapping of Chief Olu Falae, an elder statesman, who was released after payment of ransom to his captors who were Fulani herdsmen. This chapter highlights the environmental and ecological perspectives of the perennial pastoral Fulani crisis mostly between nomads and sedentary populations.
In the study of ecological violence, it was asserted that large populations in many developing countries are highly dependent on four key environmental resources that are fundamental to crop production: fresh water, cropland, forests and fish. The scarcity or shrinking of these resources as a result of misuse, over-use or degradation under certain circumstances will trigger off conflicts.
It must be observed that though there are over 3.1 million hectares of potential fadama lands found along the flood plains of Niger, Benue, Sokoto, Rima and Yobe river systems, the nomadic pastoral Fulani violence indicates a breakdown of the traditional eco-social linkages due to climate change, population growth and land use.
Chapter 7, titled Mahdism, Maitatsine and Boko Haram: Understanding Hardline Religion Legacy in Northern Nigeria, by Abimbola Adesoji, provides the nexus between Mahdism, Maitatsine and Boko Haram, tracing the historical conquest and the spread of Islam through the northern region. Mahdism is a movement formed around the Mahdi, refered to as ‘the rightly guided one.’ Strangely, Mahdism in Nigeria is related to Mahdism in Sudan, which perhaps was the most political of all Mahdist Movements, producing a two-time Prime Minister in the person of Sadiq al-Mahdi.
On the economic and political sides, security and development in the northern region requires the attention of the government, while meaningful economic policies must be propagated and implemented to mitigate illiteracy, unemployment, poverty, vulnerability and infrastructural development. The political class, on the other hand, must stop patronising religious sects for electoral purpose.
Also, ethnic division across modern state boundaries, a legacy of colonial rule aided by the porosity of the Nigerian borders, has made it possible for foreigners who share ethnic and religious affinities with Nigerians to slip into the country and enlist or otherwise join the fanatics’ army. A case in point was the Maitatsine rebellion led by Mohammed Marwa, a Cameroonian. From all indications, Mahdism reincarnated in Maitatsine, while Maitatsine reincarnated in Boko Haram, not to mention the Shiites whose allegiance is to Iran and are presently troubling the peace of Kaduna State. Indeed, a whole book is required to do a definitive study on hard-line religious preaching in Nigeria, particularly in the north.
In Chapter 8, written by an expert, Tanwa Ashiru, a former intelligence analyst, United States Department of Defense (DoD), aptly titled Fixing Nigeria’s Broken Intelligence Agencies, the Nigerian intelligence community’s performance is the focus. Also, the chapter looks at the lack of information on Nigeria’s intelligence agencies like Department of State Services (DSS), Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA), particularly on their websites, very unlike the United State’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which has 267 entities in its World Fact book, providing trusted information on every country and geographical entity.
More than any aspect of the book, the chapter on intelligence gathering showcases our wrong tactics in the war against the Boko Haram insurgents. Counter insurgency is an intelligence-driven endeavour which focuses on facilitating understanding of the operational environment with emphasis on the populace, host nation and insurgents. Anti-insurgency, on the other hand, involves more kinetic tactical operations necessary for dousing the insurgency. Actions such as killing or capturing members of the terrorist group constitute anti-insurgency campaign. We should have geared our efforts towards focusing on improving the cultural awareness of the region that encouraged the Boko Haram movement due to extreme poverty, socio-economic challenges, high illiteracy rates, ethno-religious sentimentalism, poor border controls and nationalistic devotions.
The performance of our intelligence organisations leaves much to be desired. DSS in particular needs to move from just providing security to government and very important personalities, to a full intelligence gathering mechanism. DSS should not involve itself in prosecution but pure intelligence gathering. All of our intelligence gathering agencies are expected to perform optimally. This is the best way we can win the war against insurgency.
This is a well-researched book on security, terrorism and governance coming from the academic environment. It is well-packaged and edited; easy to read with references. This book should be a guide to our security and intelligence apparatus, and also generally as everyone needs to be security-conscious. With tact, planning and proper intelligence gathering, we will win the anti-insurgency war. -
Killer palm oil floods markets
Gboyega Alaka chronicles the growing presence of adulterated palm oil in the Nigerian market and the dangers they portend for unsuspecting consumers
You must have seen them. Or perhaps tasted of them, albeit unwittingly. Adulterated palm oil or killer palm oil as some people have come to term them. They are everywhere in the Nigerian market. For the not-too discerning buyer, these set of oils even get the nod ahead of the pure unadulterated palm oil on the shelves because they come across as more alluring. What are the tell-tales? Redness; they are unusually red and attractive, while some are almost impossible to differentiate.
From Ikotun market in Lagos to Jankara, to Mushin, Ajegunle, in Lagos, Ibadan and as far as Potiskum in Jos, the story is the same. Nigerians go to the market with the intention of buying palm oil to cook their meals but end up with poison. Yes, consumers do not die immediately, but that does not make it less poisonous; or how does one describe inedible substances and chemicals deliberatly mixed with food ingredients and sold to innocent people?
Palm oil ordinarily enjoys a universal acceptance amongst all Nigerian tribes, to the extent that no home-made meal is complete without it (or vegetable oil).
Palm oil in Nigeria is derived mainly from African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), popularly referred to as Palm Tree. It is naturally a reddish-orange colour because it has very high beta-carotene content. It is richly endowed with so many health and nutritional benefits. According to Organicfacts.com, an online health journal, the health benefits of palm oil include improving energy levels, preventing cancer, boosting the immune system, helping to prevent aging, protecting against heart diseases and also beneficial to pregnant women. More recently, it has become more popular because of the risk of bad cholesterol associated with other cooking oil. Aside energy, its beta-carotene content also boosts hormonal balance in the body, and enhances vision. The source also states that it prevents macular degeneration and cataracts, thereby enhancing sight.
This is why this habit of adulterating the oil is attracting so much attention. “What else do we turn to?” Morayo, a housewife around Mushin area of Lagos, asked this reporter almost rhetorically, during one of his fact-finding mission. Palm oil also has high level of HDL, good cholesterol, which helps to maintain a good balance of cholesterol in the body and by implication, ensure a healthier cardiovascular system. It’s rich in Tocopherols , a type of vitamin A antioxidants, that also help to prevent cancer by neutralising free radicals, which experts say cause healthy cells to mutate into cancerous cells.
It is therefore unfortunate that this rather healthy gift of nature is gradually being bastardised to the extent that man now needs to be more alert when buying and consuming it or products for which it serves as a component.
Adulterated palm oil everwhere
At Ikotun Market, arguably one of the biggest markets in Lagos, an elderly woman, Mrs Saratu (not real name), who deals in yam and other farm stuff in the market, spoke of how adulterated palm oil has taken over the market. “Adulterated palm oil is what we have in the market right now. I mistakenly bought it sometime ago and regretted it. It is adulterated with chemicals and colouring. I got to know the secret when one of the sellers operated close to me, before she closed down due to debt incurred from a microfinance bank.”
Asked if there is a marked difference between the pure oil and the adulterated one, Mrs Saratu said, “It is attractive when you behold it in a bottle, but when you cook with it, the chemical with which it had been mixed will not allow you to enjoy the soup. Apart from showing in the colour, which makes the soup as red as blood, the chemical does not allow you to enjoy the soup, as it mars the taste and makes it nauseating. And that is aside whatever health danger the chemical may carry. And as for me, anything that will harm my body, I have sworn not to take, except if I don’t know.”
Continuing, she said: “I wonder why they are not just selling the oil pure, even if it is more expensive, at least, people will eat and remain healthy. And it is not as if the mixed one is cheaper. I think it is mainly because the chemical and colouring make the oil red and more attractive. Please, help us tell the government to look into it before these greedy traders kill us all. They don’t seem to care about the risk they are putting the people through. All they are interested in is the money they are making.”
Asked how she gets her supply now, or if she now has a way of detecting the adulterated type, Mrs. Saratu said she now buys from source in Edo State, since it is not so easy to determine which has been mixed. “I give money to my contacts who supply me yam in Edo and other states to help me buy pure unadulterated palm oil from source, and this is what I take with my family and sales people who live with me. I buy in gallons, but how many people can do that?”
Another woman, Lara, a journalist in Lagos, said the situation is horrible and dangerous to healthy living. Her experience: “I bought it once and it was really appalling. The odour that greeted me the moment I got home was really offensive. Aside that, there were so many dirt and particles; most of them blackish. It was so bad that I just closed the lid and went out to buy another oil. I couldn’t cook with it. I think one of the reasons I fell for it was because I did not taste it. Usually, I taste my oil before buying. “
Since then, Lara said she has been more careful, taking time to always taste the oil and stick to one customer, whom she can trust and who has so far never failed her.
Unlike Mrs. Saratu, Lara said the one she bought was not attractive. “It had the same reddish-orange colour but was clearly adulterated. And it was not as if it was cheaper. As a matter of fact, they even make it look more expensive by giving it a higher price tag. That was last December, but after that, I have been extremely careful, making sure I only buy from one customer, whom I trust.,” she said.
Yetunde, another journalist, also recounted how her experience made her stop buying palm oil in Lagos. Last year, she said her sister bought a 250 litre palm oil, which they both shared. “Initially,” she said, “the content looked really good. Even when we started using it, it tasted really nice. However, by the time we used it halfway, we discovered that the colour and taste were changing. The content in the gallon had become thick and black. It was then that it dawned on me that the palm oil was adulterated. We stopped using it immediately.”
So now, she buys her palm oil only outside Lagos. “Each time my sister or anyone is travelling out of Lagos, I ask them to help me buy from source, to avoid making the same mistake.” She would not allow some bad people to poison her and her family in their greed.
Barakat, a housewife and businesswoman, also condemned the adulterated palm oil, which she said may be the cause of the numerous cases of cancer now afflicting the country. A 41-year-old woman, she said in her younger days, cancer was virtually unheard of and wondered why some people, would, for the sake of making money, be poisoning their countrymen and women. To underline her angst over the adulterated oil, Barakat told this reporter of how she has taken it upon herself to enlighten as many people as she knows and come across, never to buy the palm oil. She does not know exactly what chemicals it is adulterated with, but vows that they cannot be edible stuffs. She also wonders what NAFDAC is doing about it.
It is from Cotonou – Head, Ikotun palm oil sellers
One of the wholesale dealers in Ikotun Market, who gave his name as John, would not divulge any information. He denied knowing about adulterated palm oil and would not tell where he sources his supply from, save an umbrella statement that: “My oga buys it from the East.”
Attempts at getting information from the retailers also met with denials and rebuffs.
Ifeanyi, a bulky elderly man, is the head of palm oil retailers in Ikotun Market, Lagos. In an attempt to unravel the riddle behind the unwholesome practice and ask if anything is being done to stem the situation, this reporter sought his opinion.
He admitted that he is aware of the adulterated palm oil, but said it is the ones brought to Nigeria from Cotonou via Idiroko border that are adulterated. On his own, he said he does not mix his oil and that he sells it as it is delivered from the producers.
When asked what the perpetrators use to mix the oil, he said he did not know. When this reporter told him about his finding that the dealers mix the oil with bad cholesterol vegetable oil, colouring and other chemicals, he said he was not aware.
And on the effort his association is making to stem the practice, Ifeanyi said the association tries its best, but insisted that it is a difficult situation, as it is hard to catch the perpetrators in the act. On some occasions, he confessed that they have had to fight some of those involved in the practice and admitted almost helplessly that “they just seem unwilling to desist.”
As for him, Ifeanyi said he sells original, unadulterated palm oil, but disclosed that even the consumers/buyers make things difficult, as they always ask for the adulterated ones, albeit unknowingly, because of its ‘rich’ colour and attractiveness. “And you know that in business, demand drives supply. So the sellers try to meet up with demand.,” He said.
‘They’re all culpable’
Mrs Saratu on sighting this reporter with the head of the palm oil sellers association, however, vowed that even he is into the unwholesome practice. She expressed surprise that even Ifeanyi was the head of the oil; sellers and said that is a sign that ‘we’re all in trouble.’
When asked if she ever sighted NAFDAC officials cracking down on the adulterated oil sellers, Mrs. Saratu said she had no idea.
Nowhere is safe
For those taking solace in buying the products from outside Lagos, it might not yet be uhuru, as some unscrupulous elements are even said to be engaged in the dangerous habit. Sometime last year, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NCDSC) arrested some suppliers in Potiskum, Jos, for allegedly adulterating the product with dye. Their arrests at the time led to the confiscation of several other samples, which after lab tests by NAFDAC, showed traces of high acid, high saponification and high relative density.
Lawal Musa Dadingelma, the state’s coordinator of NAFDAC, confirmed that the adulterated palm oil samples tested contained dye which is capable of causing cancer when deposited in human body. And these were just a tip of the iceberg of people who might be engaged in the nefarious activity. The Medical Director of Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital, Damaturu, Dr. Garba Fika, was also quoted by a national daily to have confirmed an increase in the number of cancer cases. Ditto, several other hospitals in the country. Even the ministry of health has confirmed this.
Last year, Francis Durosinmi-Etti, a professor of Oncology and Radiotherapy at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, disclosed that 500,000 new cases are diagnosed yearly in the country. Speaking at his inaugural lecture, titled, “That We May Overcome Cancer: The Odyssey of a Radiation Oncologist” in Lagos, cited lack of basic infrastructure and late report by patients, as reasons. But with the spread in these ‘evil’ palm oil, the professor might have overlooked one major factor, albeit unwittingly.
Dr Abubakar Jimoh, Director, Special Duties at NAFDAC, confirmed that the trend is not new and that the agency is aware of the dangerous practice. Even as far back as ten years ago, when it first got wind of the trend, he said the agency, under the late Prof Dora Akunyili, waged a ceaseless battle against the perpetrators in the markets. “We also made it a point to educate the public about the presence of the product and sensitise them. We discovered a particular colourant, with which they mixed the oil to make it more attractive and get people to buy.”
During a lab test, Jimoh said they discovered that the palm oil is mixed with of Azo dye. “Azo dye is a dye used in dying clothes and is not to be consumed because it is highly carcinogenic, which means it can cause cancer. It is the major colourant used but it is dangerous enough.”
He said the first challenge the agency faced back then was whether to dabble into it or not, since it especially didn’t fall into its purview. “We were torn between cracking down on it and being passive, because it does not really fall under the purview of NAFDAC. NAFDAC, based on law, is concerned with processed food. But it got to a point, where we decided that we had to think outside the box. For the sake of the people, we had to redefine our role and commenced a public enlightenment process to get people aware. Market women particularly.”
He confessed though that the agency has not sustained the battle, especially because it has had to do battle on so many fronts. “There are so many issues, including fake/counterfeit drugs that is still daunting, not to talk of other processed foods. There is also the issue of bringing the quality of export agricultural products to par with standards. “
He concluded that what the agency needs still is “a lot of public enlightenment. If people are aware, then they will not fall prey. Another thing we’re planning is to begin to make people scapegoats. So far we have been restraining ourselves from literally taking over the role of the police, so to speak.”
He admits that the agency would eventually resort to cracking down, but said for now, it aiming to get Nigerians to take their destinies in their hands and try to be vigilant and careful. I can tell you that the local market women have very discernible eyes to detect such adulterated product. “By just looking and tasting, they are able to decipher and differentiate. It is called organoleptic test. Even scientists do organoleptic tests to eliminate products before embarking on tests. That is the first natural test, before any lab tests.”
Jimoh, however, said the agency’s Food Nutrition and Applied Nutrition Department recently disclosed to him that it is part of their plan to carry out a nationwide survey. “That survey will help us take samples from markets and suppliers across the country to see what new tricks or addition they’ve brought on aside azo dye. The survey would also aim to gauge how impactful our enlightenment campaigns have been on the market habits of the consumers. It is after that we will take more actions, such as raids. The only raids we have done in the past were on vegetable oil.”
Adulterated palm oil can cause cancer – Chemist
Dr Abayomi Akeem of Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Research Group, University of Lagos, expresses his dismay on adulterated palm oil in the market and warns that it can cause cancer and other health complications.What are the dangers in consuming such palm oil?
As in all adulterated foods, impacts on health could range from a mild discomfort to serious long term effects such as cancer and organ impairment, depending on the chemical composition of the additive used in the food. There have been reports of gastrointestinal issues from people who allegedly consumed foods prepared with adulterated palm oil.
Have you seen these adulterated palm oils or done any analysis?
I have not seen adulterated palm oil or perhaps I have had no intuitive need to look out for such. That is not say I might not have seen one unknowingly on the supermarket shelves. I always try to avoid smartly packaged palm oil, since it is one item that is still amply produced locally. I believe the rural dwellers are likely no to have access to these chemicals, which in all likelihood do not come cheaply. Thus, when buying palm oil for use, I buy from source. I have not carried out any analysis on palm oil especially with respect to this emerging concern but it will be interesting to quickly do so in order to have a scientifically provable fact to the insinuation.
There have been fears about the chemicals being carcinogenic, what is your opinion on this?
As to the chemicals being used, unconfirmed reports indicates they are dyes, presumably to enhance the red hue of the oil. If this is true, consuming artificially formulated dyes or pigments could be poisonous, depending on the composition of the dye. Some dye are formulated using colourful and often toxic metals, which could bioaccumulate in the body and damage its physiology, while other dyes are azo dyes which have allergenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic effects on humans. If the presence of any of these dyes is confirmed to be present in the oil, then this must be taken as an emergency by the regulatory bodies.
There have been fears that these adulterated palm oils may be responsible for the rise in cancer cases; what do you think?
This may not be a definitive statement, as there is presently no peer reviewed publication to this effect to my knowledge. However, the newly acquired knack of Nigerians to go for processed, packaged and often colourful foods is obviously doing more damage to our health, thus the increasing incidences of these terrible ailments. So, it is not only in palm oil that one may be exposed to cancer, other foods and condiments, in addition to our rapidly deteriorating urban environment, may also serve as exposure route for these ailments. The concern is that most of these foods find their ways onto our supermarket shelves without the necessary certification by NAFDAC.
A particular consumer said the one she bought had repulsive odour and filled with blackish particles.
If this is proven to be true, then samples must be obtained and adequately tested to determine the constituent. The repulsive odour may be due to the presence of the dye. Dyes, especially the azo types, smell awfully. The presence of particles as an indication of artificial additives may not be conclusive, as wholly natural palm oil may still contain particles if not refined properly.
The adulterated oil seems to be everywhere; this probably casts a question mark on the efficiency of NAFDAC, what do you think? What do you think can be done to exterminate these dangerous products in the market?
The problem is that products get into the market faster than NAFDAC could effectively monitor. Nigerians can also assist by reporting suspicions of such food items to the regulatory bodies for prompt action. I will encourage consumers to move as close as possible to the base of the production chain when buying food items, especially those that are still produced locally. In other words, patronise the traders who bring in fresh produce from the hinterland rather than looking for attractively packaged food items on the shelves. In so doing, the probability of buying adulterated items might be reduced. Also, as there is virtually no household in Nigeria which does not consume palm oil, the item must be listed as a priority food which requires regular sampling, by NAFDAC, from the local markets and departmental stores to determine their constituents.