The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • Club launches N25m endowment fund

    Club launches N25m endowment fund

    •Partners ITF to promote skill acquisition

    The Collectives Club, Sagamu in Ogun State, has launched a N25million endowment to sustain its community development and empowerment programmes.

    Its President, Mr Adewale Fayemi, made this known during the inauguration of new executives and induction of new members in Sagamu.

    He said the club was concerned with the challenge of youth unemployment in the country and in its immediate environment. The club has, therefore, offered to sponsor the youth in a three-month course at the ITF skills acquisition centre in Lagos. He added that The Colletives is also partnering the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Ikeja Area Regional office, Lagos to train 16 youths of the community in electrical installation, web designing and tiling.

    He said: “This is our subtle approach to addressing unemployment among the youth in the community.”

    Stressing the club’s commitment to community service and corporate social responsibility, Fayemi said the club also organised a five-day free health screening and treatment for the residents of Sagamu, adding that about 3,000 people received treatment.

    The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the club, Mr Tunde Ajayi, said in the last 15 years, the club had made giant strides in empowering people in areas such as sports and academics.

    He said The Collectives gave awards to two distinguished Nigerians, Mrs Eunice Irebowale Adebambo and Otunba Yinka Lawal-Solarin, the Chairman, Literamed Publications, for their contributions and exemplary achievements in education and entrepreneurship.

    Ajayi said: “We encourage people of like minds to continue to show interest in the club, while we will not sacrifice merit on the altar of expediency, we believe its growth will impact positively on our community.”

  • Blackman returns with Beautiful Nubia

    Blackman returns with Beautiful Nubia

    After over 30 years in the doldrums, Blackman Akeeb Kareem returns to the stage with Beautiful Nubia (Segun Akinlolu) and the Roots Renaissance Band at a special concert on Sunday, July 26 at EniObanke Arts Centre, GRA Ikeja Lagos.

    It will commence at 5pm and end at 9pm.

    This will be Blackman Akeeb Kareem’s first live performance in Nigeria in more than 30 years. Foremost music critic Benson Idonije had much to say recently about this great artist: “Blackman Akeeb Kareem made considerable impact as a singer, composer, guitarist and band leader from the 60s to the 80s. Long before the wind of change from the imitation of foreign music to authenticity began to blow across Africa in the late ’60s, Akeeb Kareem was there, making his influence felt. As a matter of fact, before such Afro-inspired sounds as “Allah Wakaba” by Ofo the Black Company led by the late Larry Ifediorama and “Jeun Koku” from the Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, adopted authenticity in terms of the Africanisation of their music, Akeeb Kareem was already recording Afro-Pop fusions for Decca West Africa. So consistent and committed was Kareem that his mode of dress and that of his entire band was in the true African fashion. Needless to say that his compositions, most of which were written in Yoruba language, were meaningful and replete with inventiveness.

    He added: “The era of Akeeb Kareem was that of Johnny Haastrup of Monomono, Segun Bucknor and Revolution, Fred Fisher and his Ogiza Band, among others, who all created their different styles of fusion within varying sound identities. Akeeb was perhaps the most successful, not because of his musicianship but because of record sales arising from popular acceptance. He identified with the grassroots in terms of compositional themes and live shows. It was his popularity, as reflected by the sales of his music, that recommended him, in those days, to almost all the record companies. “On Shanu Olu’s stable in the early ’80s, Akeeb registered an artistic impression with the recording of a hit called “Amebo”. Apparently inspired by the role played by the great actress Ibidun Allison on the memorable television series, Village Headmaster, Akeeb told the story of a rumour monger and backed it up with his simple but powerful music. But perhaps the album that has continued to paint him in good artistic light, even though not as financially rewarding, is “Ololufe” (which means My Love) produced by Odion Iruoje.

    Blackman is one of Nigeria’s most talented musicians. At the time he left this country in the 80s, his last record, “Amebo” was doing well in the market. As a reflection of sales, it was occupying a comfortable slot on the hit parade chart in 1984.”

    Beautiful Nubia and his band will thrill all with their popular songs, provide backing for Blackman’s legendary numbers and then the two artists will complete the concert with a duet performance that is sure to please every attendee.

  • Nana Living Museum gets century-old war relics

    Nana Living Museum gets century-old war relics

    Can you imagine what the ancient city of Ebrohimi looked like before, during and after the invasion of the British in 1894? What of the Nana palatial residence, adjoining warehouses, town hall and the British warships? Take a trip to the Nana Living Museum Koko in Warri North Local Council Area of Delta State, and you will find many more, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports. 

    One hundred and 20 years after, some relics on the infamous British invasion of the ancient Itsekiri city of Ebrohimi in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State have been donated to the Nana Living Museum in Koko, Delta State. The donations, which include vintage photographs of Nana palatial residence, adjoining warehouses, stores, town hall, four British warships, (Phoebe, Widgeon, Alecto and Philomel) were made by a former Commissioner in the defunct Bendel State and a frontline Koko community leader Chief J.O.S. Ayomike at a ceremony in Koko.

    The items were courtesy of an Oxford University researcher, Julia Binta Mmeg. They were received by the Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman, represented by Benin Museum curator Mr Theophillus Umogbai and Mr Wilson Onime of Nana Living Museum.

    The event brought back sad memories of the British invasion of Ebrohimi in 1894, and the 1897 British Expedition in Benin Empire that resulted in the looting of priceless Benin bronzes and deportation of Oba Ovonmramwen to Calabar where he died.

    But, there seems to be more to worry about in Koko, home to Nana Living Museum where the returned century-old photographs are being kept for posterity. According to Chief Ayomike, the 21-year-old museum deserves greater patronage. He said a 40KVA generator donated by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) at the inauguration of the museum in 1994 sits unused outside the museum and unconnected to the building because of old and decrepit wiring of the ancient building.

    “So, the lighting of the museum is almost zero and this does not help the preservation of the ancient items within it,” he said.

    He is also worried about the state of funding of the museum at a time the country is cash-strapped. “Now that our government institutions at all levels are cash-strapped, a way out should urgently be found to increase revenue from this museum. The state government and Warri North LGA should put heads together to take care of this museum, raise its profile through publicity and make revenue from it.

    “So, they do about the same way the Mandela House in Johannesburg, Mahatma Gandhi’s House in New Delhi and such other places in the world. This is the only living history museum in Nigeria,” he said.

    He decried the elimination of History as a subject from the schools’ curriculum, saying History as a humanity discipline is crucially essential for any society. He noted that History is the root of some disciplines such as museulogy, anthropology and ethnology.

    “Even for Nigeria, still finding ways to develop, I am afraid leaders in government, universities, NGOs have to rethink this faux pas and restore History as discipline of study if we are to adopt social democracy as ideological progressivism in our development. Even Cambridge and Oxford, very old universities still teach History,” he added.

    He also expressed worry over the sustenance of the pioneering efforts of scholars, such as Prof Kenneth Onwuka Dike, Prof Ade Ajayi, Prof Tekena Tamuno, Prof Fred Omu, Prof Obaro Ikime, Prof Philip Igbafe and Prof R.A. Adeleye.

    A renowned historian and author of (The Merchant Prince of the Niger Delta), a biography on the late Chief Nana Olomu of Itsekiri, Prof Obaro Ikime, said it was not enough for the commission to declare structures or buildings national monuments, but that the commission must maintain and preserve such structures for future generations. “Your organisations owe Nigeria that duty. May God help you to perform it,” he said.

    He, however, urged the commission to create more relevant monuments such that will document historical events on  how Nigeria’s first prime minister was gunned down in his official residence in Lagos in 1966 in Nigeria’s first military coup. “Nothing marks that house. What would it cost to erect a statue of Tafawa Balewa by that building, with a plaque at the base telling what happened? General Murtala Muhammed was declared a national hero. He was gunned down at a spot in Ikoyi, Lagos. Nothing marks that spot. It will not cost the moon to build a small monument there, with a plaque telling the story. Where was Col. Dimka captured? Is it marked by your commission?

    Ikime who was represented by his wife urged the DG to lead in persuading the Federal government to create a national cemetery, which will become a national monument that will represent a slice of the nation history.

    In his speech titled: Monuments as history, he said national cemeteries across the world are tourists’ attractions such as grave of Napoleon Bonaparte in France. On the non teaching of History in schools, he said: “We don’t teach history to our children-the only nation I know that doesn’t do so. While we, professional historians, keep struggling to persuade our government to make teaching of History compulsory in our primary and secondary schools, we can use the building of monuments to teach our peoples different slices of our history. I pray and beseech you, Mr. Director-General to give this matter your serious consideration. I will be willing to wait on you, if you so desire, to discuss the matter further,” he said.

    Former governor of Bendel State Dr  Samuel Ogbemudia described the presentation of the photographs as an event that would inspire future generations to ‘magnify the exploits of their fore-bearers, noting that the museum is a monument to the vigour of a living people infinitely capable of resilience, renewal and creative adaptation. “Nana the great established an epoch. Ayomike and his peers are worthy baton bearers extending the Itsekiri race into eternity,” he added.

    Director-General of NCMM Usman said it was worthy of note that the unfortunate outcome of the war would later provide the firm foundation for the establishment of the Nana Living History Museum. He said the efforts of the Oxford researcher and Chief Ayomike have further increased the awareness of the people of Koko community about the importance of the museum to the society and the absolute need to preserve it for the present and future generations.

    “The presentation of these historical photographs and important documents today would help to boost the Nana Living historical monument as not only a museum but a nodal research centre in possession of vital historical and ethnographic materials for learning and development.

    “As the custodian of the cultural and natural heritage of any community or nation state, the museum provides essential facilities for cultural education, entertainment and recreation through preservation, interpretation and promotion of cultural inheritance of humanity.

    “Today’s event underscores this essential function of the museum. In no small measure, the National Commission for Museums and Monuments has helped the community and society in general in self fulfillment and sustainability through exhibitions, educational programmes, establishment of community museums and skill acquisition.  Interestingly, the Nana Living History Museum is one of such by-products,” Usman said.

    He recalled that other donors’ gesture also bears close affinity and is in tandem with some other symbiotic synergies which the commission has nurtured with local and foreign organisations. According to Usman, the latest of such is the Smithsonian Institution/NCMM international exhibition titled: Chief S.O. Alonge: Photographer to the Royal Court of Benin, Nigeria, which is on-going at the National Museum of African Arts of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, US. The exhibition, he said, will travel to National Museum Benin City in 2016.

    Munitions of war captured on the fall of Ebrohimi in 1894

    Arms

    • 106 canon, from 3-prs to 32-prs
    • 445 heavy swivel blunder-buses, about half of them brass
    • 640 long dane guns
    • 1,151 short flint-lock and cap guns
    • 17 cases of short swords
    • 5 large swivel mountings for small cannon
    • 10 revolvers, various calibrEs.

    Ammunition

    • 1,640 kegs of powder, over 14 tons
    • 500 zinc cylinder case-shot, filled
    • 500 bamboos cylinder case-shot, filled
    • 1000 or more bamboo cylinders, ready for fillings, of all calibers, to suit the cannon
    • 14 kegs small round shot
    • 540 gallon iron pots of balls of various sizes
    • 2 cases Snider ammunition, about 1,600 rounds
    • 5 cases machine gun ammunition, containing 36 feeders filled ready with 43 rounds in each- 1,548 rounds
    • 1 case, containing 5 empty feeders for machine gun
    • 2,500 rounds solid drawn machine gun-ammunition
    • 300 rounds Ely revolver cartridges, various calibrEs.

    •source: Merchant Prince of the Niger Delta

     

     

  • Light House Fest opens Sept 30

    Light House Fest opens Sept 30

    This year’s Lights, Camera, Africa!!! Film Festival will run from Wednesday, September 30 to Sunday, October 4 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The festival is titled: Future Forward, an assembly of bold and energetic pieces of African and independent cinema that portrays the intrepid spirit that characterises the force that propels the organisers to succeed.

    A statement by the organisers said the spirit is illustrated on the continent through constant movement in various fields of endeavour. This movement, it said, is marked by a purposeful quest for achieving a higher self. It is illustrated by a country that has elected a new political dispensation.

    This is what The Life House continues to be inspired by as curtains close on a half-decade and open for a new one. It is not the end of an era but the commemoration of an epoch in which we have illuminated Lagos and in turn have been invigorated repeatedly by the energy, the dynamism & the essence of the city.

    “In our short history, we have experienced change, we have witnessed progress and we have grown. Social media has become indispensable and as we use its power and reach in our activities, we are modifying the traditional and re-enforcing our commitment to adopting the organic.

    In a year fraught with race problems, migratory issues and resurgent fundamentalism, there is reason to acknowledge the problems and yet celebrate the human spirit and resilience – the courage to strive, the capacity to thrive. It is our world and we are the world’s future. The present is far from ideal but true to the resilient human spirit we will forge forward.

    Excited and hopeful for the future, this year also marks a turning point for the Lights, Camera, Africa!!! Film Festival as it gathers stories from its own journey over the last few years and projects into another phase in its growth,” it added.

    This year’s event will include workshops, panel discussions, talks and family-friendly sessions. It will also feature visual, literature and musical showcases, fun after-parties and the very popular festival bazaar during our five-day fiesta.

    More importantly, the film programme at the festival will continue to partner the African Film Festival New York during this year. This partnership has at its core a mission to expose African and global audiences to good quality independent African cinema to stimulate discourse on issues and experiences rooted in the African experience. We are also proud to be partners of the Ford Foundation and to receive their financial and strategic support. We continue to thrive and delight in the longstanding relationships with a number of organisations including Goethe Institut, the Royal African Society (RAS) London, Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), British Council, Alliance Française, VAN Lagos and The New Black Film Collective.

    Our alliances are with scholars, directors and personalities, such as Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Tunde Kelani, Toni Kan, Ed Keazor, Chika Anadu, Sandra Krampelhuber, Ebele Okoye, Shaibu Husseini, O.C Ukeje, and Jahman Anikulapo.

  • ‘Strengthen criminal justice systems against illicit drug traffickers’

    ‘Strengthen criminal justice systems against illicit drug traffickers’

    To fight the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called for the strengthening of criminal justice systems. It unveiled the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) in Abuja, Evelyn Osagie reports.

    •UNODC unveils Drug Control Master Plan

    Worried by the danger posed by the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is leading a campaign titled: “Let’s develop our lives, our communities, our identities without drugs.”

    With nearly 200,000 drug-related deaths and 1.65 million infected with HIV in 2013, it is calling for the prevalence of science and evidence-based practices in the delivery of prevention and treatment of drug use.

    Against this backdrop, UNODC Country Representative Mr Koli Kouame has called for sustained concerted efforts in the war against drugs and related organised crimes in Nigeria, noting that access to evidence based prevention and treatment can sometimes be the difference between life and death. He added that these approaches are the foundation for all our efforts.

    “Robust action is needed to strengthen criminal justice systems, break-up the criminal networks who deal in misery and suffering, and to nurture health and human rights-based responses.

    “At present, only one in six people who use drugs globally has access to treatment. Women face numerous barriers to treatment–while one in three drug users globally are women, only one in five drug users in treatment are women.

    Africa, particularly West and East Africa, also remains vulnerable to the trafficking and the consumption of illicit drugs,” he said.

    These trends, he noted, are part of organised crime’s attack on the security, health and development of an already-fragile region, saying; “The nexus of organised crime and terrorism—including the apparent role of drug trafficking—is a serious threat”.

    To commemorate this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the agency unveiled the National Drug Control Master Plan, 2015 to 2019 in Abuja. It had in attendance the Chairman of NDLEA, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, the Programme Management, Polleak OK Seei, who represented UNODC Country Representative, among others.

    This year’s commemoration was peculiar because, according to Kouame, it coincided with the official unveiling of Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP), “the formulation of which was supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the framework of a European-Union funded project, Response to Drugs and Related Organised Crime in Nigeria”. The unveiling, according to him, will officially signify the commencement of its implementation by the relevant stakeholders including ministries departments and agencies of government, faith-based organisations, educational and professional institutions, and civil society organisations.

    Kouame said: “The Master Plan was endorsed last May 22 by the former President Goodluck Jonathan. UNODC is particularly proud to be associated with the formulation of the Master Plan which was led by the Inter-Ministerial Drug Control Committee of Nigeria. As we congratulate the government and people of Nigeria for this important achievement, we use the opportunity of the global focus on the drug problem to reiterate the call for sustained concerted efforts in the war against drugs and related organised crime in Nigeria.

    “The launch of the Master Plan would not have been possible without the invaluable support of the European Union which has fully funded not only its formulation but remains committed to supporting its implementation in partnership with the government of Nigeria over the next five years.”

    NDCMP, he said, outlines activities that will help reduce the incidences of illicit cultivation, production, use, and trafficking of narcotic substances under four main pillars, which include law enforcement, drug demand reduction, access and control of narcotics and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes, and coordination.

    “The Master Plan provides an integrated and comprehensive roadmap for multi-sectoral interventions to address a wide array of drug related issues in Nigeria, in line with international drug control conventions. It outlines activities that will help reduce significantly the incidences of illicit cultivation, production, use, and trafficking of narcotic substances in Nigeria and indeed the sub-region,” Mr Kouame said.

  • Succour for Boko Haram victims

    Succour for Boko Haram victims

    SUCCOUR came the way of victims of Boko Haram insurgents who received some relief materials from Vitafoam Nigeria Plc. The company, in fulfillment of its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR), donated 100 mattresses and 100 pillows to the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in Borno State through an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), The Oasis Association.
    Speaking during the donation held at the Borno State Liaison Office on Victoria Island, Lagos, the Group Managing Director, Vitafoam Nigeria Plc, Mr Taiwo Adeniyi, said the gesture was a token to make life more meaningful for those displaced by the insurgents and alleviate their sufferings.
    He noted that the donation was particularly for the victims in Borno State, which he described as Vitafoam’s way of giving back to the society.
    He said that Oasis contacted Vitafoam to partner them by assisting in this regard. “We believe that we are just contributing our part. We have been supporting the victims of many disasters over the years and we have consistently spent millions of Naira annually.”
    He said that for any human being to think of doing anything in life, the first step is to have a place to rest and that is why mattresses and pillows are very symbolic. He added that the significance of the donation is better appreciated against the essence of comfortable sleep as a necessary condition for thinking better.
    Adeniyi noted that the company has being highly involved in the area of CSR because the company is a good corporate citizen. “We have been of help during the crisis of flood in Nigeria, during health challenges and other series of circumstance that threatened human lives. Today is a consonance to our policy in ensuring that human being live a worthy life.
    “On annual basis, we spend an average of 100 million on CSR and we would continue to support people that have challenges,” he said.
    Adeniyi who pledged the firm’s continual support to the needy as good corporate citizens, noted that Vitafoam’s operations in the Northern part was affected by the activities of Boko Haram thus leading to some loss of revenues. “But then, the government could not address the level of destruction caused by the insurgents alone because the damages are so much. Other corporate bodies therefore have an obligation to to assist the Internally Displaced People without further delay. This is why Vitafoam has been involved by today’s donation.
    While he thanked Borno State government for giving Vitafoam the opportunity to assist the victims, Adeniyi assured the shareholders of increased value saying that all the company’s activities are aimed at increasing shareholder value ultimately.
    The President, The Oasis Association, Air Vice Marshal Olufemi Soewu (rtd) said that the NGO comprises of professionals from various backgrounds driven by selfless desire to assist humanity. “We are driven by the desire to help humanity and not for any material gain. Our material benefit is spiritual. We believe that whatsoever we do would be rewarded by God and that has being our driving force,” he said.
    According to him, the NGO has being involved in diverse disaster internetions in the past. ”We have supported victims of bumb explosion at the Ikeja cantonment in Lagos some years ago and annually, we design a specific programme that we want to focus on to render assistance.
    “Last year, our focus was on health. We assisted victims of tuberculosis, hepataitis and other related ailments. This year, the focus is on internally displaced people,” he said.
    Soewu commended Vitafoam’s management for the quick response to the request to assist victims of the insurgency in Borno State.
    He pledged the NGO’s commitment to ensure that human beings are supported whenever there is crisis.
    The Head, Borno State Liason Office, Lagos, Mrs Racheal Dunama-Balami, who recieved the items donated on behalf of the Boko Haram victims in Borno State, thanked the management of Vitafoam and Oasis for the wonderful support, saying it has confirmed that we are all our brothers keepers. She promised to deliver the items to Borno State government.

  • Women Award calls for entries

    TREK African Women Awards (TAWA) is inviting nominations for women achievers in diverse fields in the 2015 edition.

    TAWA, which is in its 2nd edition, seeks to recognise achievements of women in the continent in the fields of media, entertainment, fashion, politics, brands, business, management and charities. It is billed for Friday 18th September, 2015 at MUSON Centre, Lagos.

    According to the organisers, individuals, corporate organisations and personalities can nominate themselves, adding that the public can also vote for as many persons or corporate brands as possible provided they have solid information(s) to back up their choice.

    “TAWA is a continental showpiece to acknowledge and celebrates various African women, First Ladies, women corporate brands, personalities and the media who have surpassed several levels of excellence and set an example of being a role models and exemplary personalities.

    TAWA’s criteria, the organisers say, are focused on the personality, creative ability, successes and how her work impacts the society.

    “She has been able to influence people to achieve set goals; due to her past achievement and influence she has earned; she has helped the less privileges, community, associates, colleague, to grow and achieved goals; he or she has set a pace of being seen and called a role model for others to learn from; must have shown a level of determination to her set goals and ability to achieve them; driven by values, beliefs and principles that shape the future for the better; and she has used her visibility and position to influence policy that advance and promote advocacy on issues affecting the wellbeing of women, children/youth and the community,” TAWA organiser say.

    Submissions, comprising updated profile, achievements and individual or corporate social responsibility(s) in the society, should be forwarded online to the TAWA website: http://www.trekng.com, or email to Trekmagzine@gmail.com, according to TAWA team. They added each completed entry form must be accompanied by all relevant supporting materials, stating that the deadline for submissions is July 30, and only achievements or CSR carried out between May 1, 2014 and May 30, 2015 are eligible for consideration.  

  • In support of textile designs

    In support of textile designs

    At a time the fortunes of textile industries in Nigeria are dwindling, Dr Rita Doris Ubah of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka has demonstrated the entrepreneurial potential of textile art.

    Ubah has staged a solo exhibition at the Senior Staff club of the University of Nigeria, decorating the Club with art works principally made with fabrics.

    The exhibition, titled: TJANTING Lives On had on display over 100 woven and knitted designs: knitted blankets, batik prints and shirts, appliquéd, quilted wall hangings produced in panels of geometric shapes and dyed by means of exploring secondary and tertiary colours; and knitted dolls.

    Equally engaging at the show were various types of duvet, functional textile materials suitable for bed spreads, knitted hand and travelling bags, winter cold protective cloths and knitted kitchen towels.

    The exhibition was creatively spiced with decorative pots called Aso-ebi series. The pots were painted with acrylic colours, fibres, pliable and supportive materials that gave them feeling of monumentality.

    There were also sampled office chairs made with colourful fabrics.   The artist said the skeletal parts of the chairs were abandoned by stockfish sellers. Sitting on the chairs were slippers designed with fabrics with high durability quotient.

    “This work is an infusion of culture and modernity, the university is happy with Dr Ubah’s academic and artistic development,” the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Prof Edwin Igbokwe said on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor.

    He described the works as commercially viable products, and expressed the willingness of the administration to interface between the artist and the textile industry.

    Prof Igbokwe announced a donation of N50, 000 as part of the university administration’s contributions to encourage hard work and creative excellence among its staff.

    “This show has made me reminiscent scholarship and artistry that the University of Nigeria was known for. Dr Ubah has brought us back to life,” Prof. Polycarp Chigbu, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) added.

    “What Mrs Ubah has done today is to reawaken our consciousness in textile industry, the young ones should learn from her and create job for themselves,” Mazi Okoro Ijeoma, Chairman of the exhibition said.

    Mazi Ijeoma lamented the neglect of the textile industry which used to be one of the largest employers of labour in the country. He said the exhibition should serve as wake-up call on the government to resuscitate the textile industry to provide employment to teaming Nigerian youth.

    Director of Africa Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, (ACCAI-UNN) Prof. (Mrs) Antonia Achike observed that the fabrics were climate sensitive, “we need them to cope with changes in climatic condition”, the Director said.

    Ubah mounted the exhibition barely one year after she joined UNN.

    But that was not her first. She had staged similar shows, eight times in Lagos, under the Green Spring School.  Uba said her interest in THE arts grew out of her love for aesthetics and the desire to be different.

    “I believe in creating things different from what other people have, and I love colours and fabrics”, she said

    She recalled that her interest in arts started at the age of three when she won handwriting scholarship at Regina Mundi Nursery School, Asaba. She further developed her talent by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts, Master of Arts (M.A) in Fine Arts, and a Ph.D in Artistry and Textile.

  • Foundation pledges support for education

    Founder and chairman, GEMS Education and the Varkey Foundation, Mr Sunny Varkey, has to give more than half of his wealth to charity to support teachers across the world provide a quality education for all children.

    The Varkey Foundation has pioneered an ambitious programme to train 250,000 teachers across Africa that is winning plaudits from government and non-government leaders across the region. The aim is to impact 10 million children. Already, 12,000 teachers have been trained in Uganda in the last two years.

    The foundation also runs Ghana’s first interactive distance-learning project – Making Ghanaian Girls Great! (MGCubed). The project will impact more than 4000 marginalised girls (aged 9-14 years) in 72 schools within two regions in Ghana (Greater Accra and Volta) and offer them an enhanced quality of education to improve their lives and transform their future.

    He signed the Giving Pledge, the initiative founded by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropic or charitable causes.

    Varkey said: “Fifteen years on from the Millennium Development Goals, huge global education challenges remain unmet. Around 250 million children of primary school age cannot read and write and, at current rates of progress, it will take until 2072 to eradicate youth illiteracy.

    “New 2030 targets on education are being drawn up and I hope Governments around the world will sign up to them.  But the hard truth is, that without a rapid deployment of major resources, we won’t make a real difference to the lives of the millions of children that cannot access a good quality teacher and a good quality education.

    “This is the greatest challenge of our time by which we will be judged by future generations. Time is running out for so many that could contribute so much.

    “The giving pledge community is a group of exceptional individuals, and I hope to rally them and others to this vital cause”.

    Varkey will join 136 billionaire individuals and couples who have signed the pledge. These include Mark Zuckerberg, co founder, chairman and chief executive of Facebook, Richard Branson, chairman and founder of Virgin Group and Ted Turner, founder of CNN.

    The goal behind the pledge is to talk about giving in an open way and create an atmosphere that can draw more people into philanthropy. He will become a signatory of the giving pledge at an annual event where those who take the pledge will come together to share ideas and learn from one another and outside experts about how to give most effectively in order to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.   “I am delighted to sign the Giving Pledge. I was fortunate that I grew up in a family where charity was ingrained in us from a very early age. Even when my father earned a small amount, a large portion was shared with the community we lived in, sometimes at the cost of our own comfort.

    “To this day, our underlying philosophy remains that good giving ‘pinches’, meaning that the sacrifice you make has to be felt. Therein lies the appeal of the Giving Pledge to my family.

    “I have also always believed that education is key to fixing so many of the world’s greatest problems: violence, poverty and health. These two pillars of charity and education have always guided me, and out of them came the Varkey Foundation, which focuses on capacity building interventions for teachers and school leaders, and championing their work through initiatives such as the Global Teacher Prize. “Through the Giving Pledge we hope to shine a spotlight on the millions of children that do not have access to a quality teacher and quality education,” he added.

    Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said: “When we started the Giving Pledge five years ago, we had no idea we’d get this many people to come together. It has really grown, first in the U.S. but more recently all over the world.

    “We hope to intensify philanthropy and encourage people to get started younger. It’s exciting to see people becoming bolder and more thoughtful in their giving. This is about building on a wonderful tradition of philanthropy that will ultimately help the world become a much better place.”

    The Varkey Foundation’s projects include teacher training and pupil education programmes in Africa, which has trained 12,000 teachers to date, and aims to impact upon the lives of 10 million children. It also produces original research such as the Global Teacher Status Index.

    Last year, the Varkey Foundation launched the Global Teacher Prize. Widely referred to as the Nobel Prize for teaching, the US$1 millionaward is the largest prize of its kind. It was set up to recognise one exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession as well as shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society. By unearthing thousands of stories of heroes that have transformed young people’s lives, the prize hopes to bring to life the exceptional work of millions of teachers all over the world.

  • Church holds exhibition

    Thirty colourful works created by children and teens will be on display between July 11and 12, at the St Andrews Anglican Church Gallery, Ojota, Ogudu, Lagos.

    The exhibition tagged What colour is God, is organised as part of the church’s 2015 Harvest of Increase celebration to be hosted by the Apostle of Peace (AOP) society.

    The Chair/Programme Director of the Harvest 2015,  Eze Afieroho, made this known at abriefing organised last week at the church office in Lagos.

    Afieroho said “this exhibition align with our vision as a society and is an important opportunity to showcase who God is to the community, kindling the creativity of our children and to provide the flavor of what the church intend to achieved when the proposed children and teen church is completed.”

    He noted that “AOP inaugurated in 2013 is one of the rapidly growing societies in the church that is committed to spreading the good news and reaching out to the community through various social welfare program; like the Food Bank during festive periods, Health/Wellbeing program and the Water project to the Ogudu community.

    Afieroho stressed that the programme encourages curiosity, critical thinking and ongoing collaborative investigation with the main objective of bringing the society back to God.

    “The project is beyond being a part of the church’s 2011 harvest programme,” according to the Vicar of the church, Ven Kelvin Tope-Tapere  said that it will also teach our young people the power of creative thinking as a medium to reflect the quality God imputed in them. Every human mind is imputed with God’s kind of capacity for creativity; a blessing when used rightly and a curse when wrongly used.”

    He said that the the children developed art works around the theme of God’s nature as love, purity, kindness and mercy with support from professional artists and the Sunday school teachers.

    The consulting artist, Adubi Mydaz Makinde, said that the exhibition will serve as a medium of reach and big inspiration to the immediate church community and society at large.

    ’What Colour Is God’ art project[1]  has already exposed the participating children/teens to a world of creativity and the beauty of teamwork. “As the facilitator, my main goal is to help discover and unlock hidden talents amongst them as well as show to the world that when and if led well in the way of God, children are indeed the greatest part of our future”, he said.