Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

La Campagne Tropicana founder, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye is set to make history as he recreates his La Campagne Tropicana Rainforest and Beach Resort on the Caribbean Islands of Antigua and Barbuda. He speaks on the attractions of the project, which is the first African Tourism Free Trade Zone, its Pan-African nature, how it will bring the continent to the world, and economic benefits. Assistant Editor Arts, OZOLUA UHAKHEME, reports.

After 16 years of countless meetings, the management of La Campagne Tropicana has gotten the nod of the government of Antigua and Barbuda to recreate its La Campagne Tropicana Rainforest and Beach Resort on the famed Caribbean Islands. The project, which is in partnership with the government of the islands, is to establish an historic enclave on the islands for Africans and the world to interact.

According to the management of La Campagne, the resort will be located on a 100-hectare of land at Willoughby Bay Saint Philip, which is one of the most popular and economically viable bays of the island.This historic resort project is coming almost four decades after La Campagne, founded by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, debuted on Nigerian scene at the Ikegun Village in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

Akinboboye disclosed that the project is a step towards bringing Africa to the world as it is time for ‘us to stretch our hands to our brothers in the Diaspora. To connect with the entire continent of Africa from those in Diaspora, from those in the Caribbean to Americans, to United States of America and of course, to Brazil.’

‘‘It would be the first ever African Tourism Free Trade Zone in the world where anyone can come and experience Africa as a stepping stone to connecting with the continent. From the West, South, East, North and Central Africa,’’ he stated, adding that the entire continent of Africa will be represented.

Akinboboye explained that ‘it is to give an opportunity to people of African descent and lovers of African throughout the world to come to a safe Africa where all the cultures can be showcased to the world. Where the world and all children of African descent that are born in the Diaspora can come, for example to learn about Yata, Camp Africa and get connected to Africa first before they then  now move on to the continent.’

He recalled that it wasn’t an easy ride as it took 16 years and countless meetings. “It took us 16 years, meeting with parliament and different people. I have gone through two different prime ministers. It wasn’t easy because at first they did not understand the concept but now they do and they are more aggressive now than me because they gave a time limit that it must be done as quickly as possible,” he added.

On how the project will expand the economic base of Africa, Akinboboye said it would open doors to the different aspects of Africa to be developed and promoted, starting with expanding the economic base of the continent.  ‘‘We believe very strongly that out of the 1.1 billion people of African descent in the Diaspora; in Brazil, Americans others, minimum 10 per cent would want to patronise an African themed resort and when they do that what happens to our exports?

‘‘If we build 1, 000 chalets for example, because if you are expecting five million people, then 1,000 chalets is a drop in the bucket. For 1, 000 chalets you need about 15 million mats. What happens to the mat weavers? You need talking drums. What happens to that market?

‘‘Therefore, Nigerians and Africans can now go abroad and take advantage and become expatriates. We believe very strongly that once the tourism free trade zone in Antigua and Barbuda is built, other islands in the Caribbean (there are 36 islands), the other 35 islands maybe interested in replicating it for their people, for their children and for the future of their children.

‘‘I will not be surprised that Europeans, Asians, Americans and others may want it in their respective countries because that will give them a monopoly of having a base where people can connect with the continent of Africa without visiting Africa and as they do this, it is expanding the export capability of Africa,” he said.

In terms of its offerings, Akinboboye maintained that the project will be African centric, with African music, arts and crafts served in a unique palate for the visitors. 

‘‘When we do this we create endless jobs for our people because it is African themed concept. Our focus is going to be very pan – African presentation. Our focus is purely going to be African.

Africa music, Africa folklore, Africa storytelling, and Africa dances. When we do our launch, we are looking at the middle of the month of May, we are going to present the best of African music, the authentic African music and that is what I have groomed Atunda Entertainment all these years for,” he added.

Title: The Sun Shall Soon Shine

Author: Adejoke Ajibade- Bakare

Adejoke Ajibade-Bakare’s The Sun Shall Soon Shine examines the intricate cycle of life from conception to adulthood, particularly as a Nigerian. The book explores a number of thought-provoking and alluring themes, including those that honour fatherhood, celebrate femininity and motherhood, and mourn those who have struggled with insecurity and death. These themes are expressed in clear imagery, rhythmic variations and a compelling language that awakens the mind to the possibility of change through hope and action.

The poems are organised into five themed sections, Womb Tales, Childhood Dreams, Woes of a Nation, Soul Talk, and Life’s Palaver. Each section further includes a number of other poems sharing a common theme. The poems first concentrate on the difficulties of motherhood and birth, the nostalgia of childhood excitements and spells of time forgone. They later center on more inciting issues of the hardship, uncertainties and trauma that grapple most proletariat in the Nigerian society. They resonate, establishing new connections between life, adversity, the passage of time, and hope.

Like every other tale that seeks to unearth hidden curiosities and explore exciting narratives, “Womb tales” conveys the trials of childbirth and glorifies the role of parents in raising their offspring. In reiterated images and metaphors Womb tales mirrors the traumatic experience of childbirth and how it strengthens a mother’s instinct to dote on her baby. Equally, it alludes to the gallantry of fathers in protecting and cherishing their children as well as the sacrifices of mothers for their children’s success. The joy of becoming a parent, however, is suspended by the tragic note of the unborn “that never came to be.”

The theme of childhood spills over into the second section of the book, where the occasion of the poems becomes more nostalgic and personal.“Childhood dreams” relives the excitement of being a child yearning for those experiences.Embracing the realities of the present in solitude, these childhood memories of the past are mourned and cherished.

“On an empathic note, Woe of a Nation bemoans the nation’s insecurity, reflects the adversities of life and sympathises for the loss of lives and hope. In a set of antithetical expressions, “A tomorrow that was yet to come, A tomorrow that never will come,” The poems echo the death of hope or the longing of positive change in face of hunger, poverty, mishap, terror, trauma and death that engulfs the nation, “Naija.” While they mourn the possibility of change, they serve as a call to action for Nigerians to facilitate the change they once hoped for.

“Sshh… and listen,” Soul talk provides a therapeutic ambiance that cleanses the soul and prepares the mind for tricks to navigate through life. The poems warn against the ephemerality of time, emphasise the importance of spirituality, require individuals to embrace and project love, and stimulate the mind to action and progress.

The final section of the book, Life’s Palaver, illustrates the paradoxes of life and the hard reality that proletarians must contend with. The poems reject defeat but sympathise with all the realities of being a “pauper” as opposed to a “prince.” The poems portray these realities in vivid imagery through metaphors of hunger, agony, and despair, but also challenge acquiescence to such truths. “Life’s palaver” is a tribute to the suffering of the pauper, a dirge that laments the acceptance of their reality, and a call to never give up and strive.

The Sun Shall Soon Shine is a sombre poetry collection that explores the dynamics of life in different phases, including the longing for childhood, the transience of time, the rivalry of adversities and hope, resilience and the acceptance of God in face of harsh realities.

Director-General Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr John Asein has described copyright as the oil that makes the creation, distribution and exploitation of music frictionless and sustainable. He said copyright guarantees the necessary inflow that makes it worth the while on a scale that makes impact.

“Culture and music are intertwined. While music is one of the vehicles for the dissemination of culture, it is also an expression and an integral part of the culture of any people. Like our art, literature audiovisual works, Nigeria has excelled in the use of this cultural resource to express itself to the world and stamp the richness of its culture on the international stage,” he said.

Dr Asein spoke at a conference held as part of the side events lined up for the Vis A Vis Music Festival organised by the Embassy of Spain, in Lagos, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) and Music Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN). The roundtable was held at the Nigerian Music House, in Chevron Lekki, Lagos, at the weekend with the theme Maximising the International Dimension of Music as a Vehicle of Culture.

The objectives of the gathering, which featured speakers drawn from music and tourism experts in Nigeria and Spain, included to identify and draw attention to the issues militating against delivery of optimal value addition by the Nigerian music industry, proffer practicable solutions to optimise the performance of the industry, provide a platform for practitioners in the Nigerian music sector to share experience with subject matter experts from Spain and exchange ideas on existing and future collaborations.

While calling on stakeholders, partners and lovers of music to support the sustainable growth of the industry, Dr. Asein said he believed strongly that the future is good for the music industry.

“I again call on stakeholders, partners and lovers of music to support the sustainable growth of the music industry join hands with the Nigerian Copyright Commission as we introduce necessary regulatory frameworks and initiatives to address all forms of copyright infringement and abuse, particularly in the online environment.

He used the occasion to formally inform the gathering that President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the Copyright Bill, 2022. According to him, the new Act provides for the protection of copyright and neighbouring rights, prescribes appropriate exceptions and improves the effective administration, regulation and enforcement of copyright in the digital environment in Nigeria.’ This, he said, is a clear testimony of the commitment of this administration to galvanise Nigeria’s creative economy towards enabling it to become more globally competitive in the digital age.

 “The new Act is the first major overhaul of the nation’s copyright system in over three decades and the first intellectual property legislation to be passed under a democratic regime in Nigeria. Essentially, the new Act among others, expands the rights of music authors, raises the sanctions for criminal infringements of musical works, criminalises circumvention of technological protection measures, domesticates all international treaty obligations Nigeria is signatory, and more adequately addresses the challenges posed by digital and online use of musical works.

“With the new law, the Commission is poised to frontally confront online piracy, facilitate equitable exploitation and distribution of music in the digital environment in a manner that benefit music authors and our economy. Already, the Commission has established a Unit dedicated to investigation of online copyright piracy and is working to upscale the skills of officers manning the Unit,” he added.

Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. Juan Ignacio Sell said the objectives of the Vis A Vis Music Festival include, to help internationalised the African music, to offer young Nigerian professional musicians professional exposures and contacts with festival organisers in Spain, exchange ideas with Nigerian musicians and foster collaborations. The Ambassador assured that Spain Embassy in Lagos is ready to support any initiative that comes out of this collaboration.

PMAN President Mr. Pretty Okafor called for improved collecting management system and effective synergy between stakeholders in order to monetise the abundant talents in the industry. According to him, the big task is how to generate the relevant structures and strategies to monitor collection, improve the collecting system to achieve economic goals. 

For CEO MCSN, Mr. Mayo Ayilaran, the relationship between music and culture must be maximised as music carries with it to the global scene many aspects of Nigerian culture. He said Nigerian food, dress, and hair style are some of our cultures music takes across the globe. 

Other speakers included Director, SGAE, Mr. Vincente Sanchis, representative of Sin Sal Festival Mr. Julio Gomez, representative of Nigerian Tourism Development Authority Mrs. Funebi Umondak and Mr. Mike Akpan of Nigerian Copyright Commission. 

They are women in the frontlines. Their forte is in defence of law and order. They are those the Federal Road Safety Corps dubs: Women in Uniform (WIU) which is also the title of the yearly event by the Corps to mark the International Women’s Day. With the theme: DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for gender equality, this year’s edition was held in honour of the first woman Rear Admiral, Itunu Hotonu, and other WIU breaking stereotypes. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.  

Nigerian women are constantly breaking new grounds and changing the narratives in their careers. This is particularly evident in their achievements in the fields of endeavour – whether in the military, government or private sector. Rear Admiral Itunu Hotonu (rtd) stands out as one of those leading the pack in breaking such stereotypes that have kept them from soaring to higher heights.

This Nigerian Navy first woman two-star general was the toast of the Federal Road Safety Corps’ annual event dubbed: Women in Uniform (WIU) that has since become a yearly event to mark the International Women’s Day.

The event, which was first held on March 8, 2021 at Alausa, Ikeja and in its third edition, had as keynote speaker the Group Head, W Initiative, Access Bank Plc, Mrs. Abiodun Olubitan, and CEO, Cornerstone of Beddings, Temidayo Ogunleke, as guest speakers.

She is an uncommon woman in the frontlines. You could call her a trailblazer who for decades held the fort on the seas in defence of law and order. She was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in December 2012, becoming the first woman admiral in Africa. Hotonu is married to Mr. Abayomi Hotonu, and architect. Her ability to marry her career and a successful family life was highlighted and celebrated at the FRSC’s event that brought together women in the force and the private sector.

Famed for advocating true gender equality in the force, Hotonu often preached that to achieve true gender equality, laws and practices which held women back should be done away with.

As one calling for more enriched empowerment strategies for an improved trajectory particularly for women in the force, Hotonu, who was featured on a Zoom panel, challenged the participants to rise above stereotypes that keep them from soaring. She had often listed the strategies as: “early and focused education, role model and mentorship programme, provision of enabling environment and building women for roles to meet challenges of dynamic leadership”.

“Women are naturally endowed with unique leadership skills, which if harnessed, would further strengthen the maritime environment. Research has shown that economies thrive when there is good gender balance and women are often dynamic leaders of change. Beautiful women in uniform are women of virtue, honour and excellence.”

In the same vein, she advised that they pay keen attention to their personal and family life, while stating: “Remember it’s just a job and you will not be there forever. You need to have tolerance.”

In addition to maintaining a happy home, the retired Rear Admiral linked her success to the love and support of her hubby, who was featured alongside her on the panel. In her view, the freedom she enjoyed at home propelled and gave her the courage to compete, achieve and excel in her career. That encouragement became a big boost to her to a higher pedestal. That is the magic that made Hotonu the woman she became.

“You as a woman should always respect him and forget your post or uniform at the entrance of the house. We worked as a team: we worked and we rose together.”

On his part, her hubby urged men, particularly spouses of women in the force, not to feel intimidated by the wives’ career choice or achievement, while citing himself and his wife’s example. Hear him, “Her achievement is for the whole family not for her alone. As I was making progress at work, she was making progress at work and at home.”

And to her younger colleagues, Itunu urged: “Keep keeping on, raise the standards higher. The sky is your limit.”

Celebrating women achievers in force like Hotonu as signposts of excellence worthy of emulation by those still in active services was the motivation behind the yearly event, said  FRSC Sector Commander Babatunde Farinloye.

Praising Hotonu’s efforts and that of Major Gen. Aderonke Kale (rtd.), the first female Major General and the first army psychiatrist, he called to remembrance other women achievers in the force, such as Mrs. Patience Ibekwe and Mrs. Ivy Uche Okoronkwo (both were the first set of women who rose to the ranks of Deputy Inspector General of Police; and late Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, contributed significantly to combat operations against insecurity in the Northern states.

In highlighting the positive contributions of retired and serving women in the force towards nation building, Farinloye observed that they have often suffered less coverage and reporting.

With the theme: “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for gender equality”, the Sector Commander called for more inclusion and empowerment of WIU, while urging women not to be afraid of competing with the male counterparts or embracing new things like technology.

Farinloye, who was represented by his deputy, Lucas Oguntade, said: “It is no secret that the future is female and giving more opportunities to women, besides being a matter of rights, is also a manifestation of good economic sense.

“In a spirit of celebration, we recognise the manifestly beneficial and vital achievements and contributions of our great country’s inspirational women, especially the ones in uniform who sacrifice their comforts, families and ultimately risking their lives in the line of duty to ensure the security and safety of our dear brothers and sister, fathers and mothers and the general citizens.

“To appreciate the inclusiveness of women in nation building, let us go down memory lane to recognise the contributions of some of our amazing women both living and dead who have left their mark on the sands of time through amazing things that they have done. Women have also broken the barrier of stereotype in FRSC today as it has a record of three females to rise to the rank of a Deputy Corps Marshal including DCM Ojeme Ewhrudjakpor (rtd), DCM Ann Marjah (rtd) and DCM Susan Ajenge.”

Speaking on the theme, Access Bank Plc W Initiative Group Head, urged women not to be afraid to break barriers. Decrying the underrepresentation and maginalisation of women in time past, she called for gender equity. She noted that one way to break the stereotypes is through technological skills.

“Gender Equality means giving everyone the shoes that fit. But we must strive to achieve gender equity. It is high time women were given a voice and platform to thrive as much as their male counterparts. God has planted a lot in women if only we can unlock our full potentials, the sky would be our limit. In addition, we should renew our commitment in technology and also break barriers as women. And that is why as a female friendly bank; one of our core values at Access Bank is inspiring and empowering women in all walks through our W Initiative. We are not preaching SHE-economy but global economy that is all inclusive,” she said.

Also focusing on the theme, the CEO of Cornerstone Beddings, Temidayo, popularly called “theBeddingsMadam”,  encouraged participants to take advantage of the social media, noting that it’s a tool that has helped her in expanding her business to larger audience.

Wondering why women often shied away from technology and the digital space, she challenged them to acquire new tech skills,  recounting how being tech savvy helped her build her business from zero to a multi-million naira company.

She said: “Don’t be afraid to take online course and digital marketing courses to help expand your careers and businesses. Technology is not cheap but it’s worth it. It’s taking over business in present day. I used to give my phone to someone to operate for me before; but I later decided to learn and enrolled for different courses and today my story is different. Digital marketing helps to sell over the world. Women, all you need is to be open to learn and you’d discover it’s not hard.”

In her goodwill message, Celebrity Marshal Julie Chi-Nwaoha, whose mother was a police officer, charged women to reinvent themselves using technology, observing that tech is key to a successful business on present days. She educated guests on some traffic safety, urging them to pay more attention while on the road. “Also, use social media to groom yourself and your career, including your businesses and try to open up more to technology.”

The event also had in attendance representatives of Police Officers Wives Association ( NOWA).  

By Cyan Frank-Hanachor

Propped on scrawny legs with scabby knees, rivulets dribbled on the blanched slate,hunched shoulders still smarting from swats from the stern teacher.

Heart thumping loudly,she willed numb fingers round tightly-whorled doodles  the “meanie” had scribbled on the board;terror churning blurred images of the jumbled script of the spelling bee.

Scrawling,head lowered, the stout heart gnawed on trembling lips; shielding hesitant fingers from prying eyes that scorned at her “pretend” seriousness!

Darting a piercing look at imaginary rivals, the cocky :

“Don’t spy on my work!” tremulous in the daguerreotype of “Infant One”.