In March, an artwork by a Nigerian artist Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale, also known as Olaolu Slawn, titled The Three Yoruba Brothers, was sold at one of the biggest auction houses in the UK, Sotheby’s Contemporary auction for £31,750 (N56million). The price was over 350 percent increase from the estimate, according to report. The artwork shows three hideous-looking monkeys with big lips named Alara, Ajero and Orangun. Until that auction, Akeredolu-Ale might not have recorded such earning from a single sale.
Equally, at the home front, there are a handful of auction houses that have influenced the market values of contemporary Nigerian art and artists over the years. Artworks such as Anyanwu and Negritude by Ben Enwonwu made record sales of N59,800,000 and N46,000,000 respectively at ArtHouse Contemporary Limited’s auction in 2018.
What is the relationship between sales at auctions and the market value of art and the artist? Speaking with The Nation on Gallery Talk, a Lagos based contemporary Nigerian artist, Mr. Michael Adigwe believed that strong auction results can influence future sales and contribute to an artist’s overall market value. He said that though auction can be quite competitive, he believes it offers valuable platform for artists to showcase their works and potentially reach a whole new level in their careers.
“Art auctions are interesting aspects of the art world. They create a unique space for established and emerging artists to gain signif-icant exposure. A successful auction sale can generate a lot of buzz and media attention, which can lead to gallery representation and opportunities to connect with a wider range of collectors. Beyond exposure, auctions can also establish benchmarks for an artist’s work. Strong auction results can influence future sales and contribute to an artist’s overall market value,” Adigwe said.
The Yaba College of Technology, Lagos trained fine artist is not shy of taking on any challenge as a studio artist. He said that build-ing a career as an artist is a challenge he truly enjoys. He believes that there is always a potential buyer for every piece he creates, and he is constantly exploring different channels to promote and sell his works. “It’s a hustle, but a rewarding one,” he added.
Adigwe who had his internship with the late Prof Abayomi Barber of the University of Lagos, whose style and unwavering profes-sionalism continue to inspire him deeply, described studio apprenticeship as an incredibly valuable tool for developing artistic skills. He said while formal education provides strong foundation, apprenticeship offers a unique chance to learn from an estab-lished practicing artist in a real-world studio setting. “This hands-on experience can be highly transformative. It allows you to gain valuable mentorship, exposure to professional practices, and potentially refine your artistic style. In my own experience, the manda-tory apprenticeship after my Ordinary National Diploma (OND) programme was under a seasoned artist, which proved to be a piv-otal point in my artistic journey,” he recalled.
On who shaped his artistic journey, he said: “I have been fortunate to draw inspiration from several talented individuals, but I would like to highlight the influence of two prominent artists: Abiodun Olaku and Gregg Kreutz. Mr. Olaku’s work, a true embodi-ment of impressionism, has greatly impacted my artistic development. His mastery of soft brushstrokes, mid-tone palettes, and sub-tle details continues to inspire me. Similarly, Gregg Kreutz’s expertise in impressionism resonates deeply with my artistic vision. His masterful use of light and shadow is a constant source of inspiration.”
Adigwe who held his first solo exhibition titled Nature in 2010, finds acrylics incredibly versatile, allowing for both delicate wash-es and expressive, textured applications thanks to their fast-drying time. But, oil paints hold a special place in his practice due to their rich colour and smooth blending capabilities.
According to him, building a career as an artist is a challenge he truly enjoys as he believes there is a potential buyer for every piece he creates. “So I’m constantly exploring different channels to promote and sell my works. It’s a hustle, but a rewarding one,” he added.
In the practice of law and in Christianity, the word ‘testimony’ (or its synonym) is top of mind stuff. It is at the center of their mission. Testimony is the compelling ingredient for advancing practice here. Savour the thoughts behind the following propositions: “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”- Arthur Conan Doyle “Faith is a response to evidence not a rejoicing in the absence of evidence”-John Lennox.
Joke Odumade presents evidence of God’s doings in her life in Wings of Grace. Unabashedly of the Christian faith Odumade chronicles her chilling experience from childhood to adulthood. It is a story of an “escape”, the type that cannot be described by any other word than miracle. By the force of nature water flows downstream and everything begets its kind. The story of a miracle begins when this natural order is breached. The tale of how a child changes faith from that into which she was born to a rival other will always command awe. The facts and circumstance of Odumade’s birth cemented her fate. Or so it seemed to humans. The superior being that formulates destinies executes His will even when it means standing nature on its head’. Here are some facts from the book without giving away too much. Her father, Kareem Olarewaju Sanni hails from Ilorin East local government in Kwara state. His father came from the Fulani lineage of Ilorin. Kareem was the last born of three siblings. Ilorin is predominantly Muslim community and so the Sanni clan were Muslims. This is the religion into which Joke Odumade was born and was exposed to. She practised the faith like she was expected to do with the extended family. Her tale continued with the marriage of her parents. “My dad got married to my mummy in 1971 at the age of 20years. My Mummy was 18 years old.” This was nature still taking its course as expected. Her father worked for Daily Times in their Sapele, Bendel state (now Delta State) office. Then, the seed of ‘reordering’ started taking roots as the days brought on new events. Joke was born in Sapele, evidently a more diversified and liberal community. Early in her life, couple quarrels between her parents sparked vicious fights. Then a separation was inevitable. These events weakened family bonds and tore away at commitment to puritanism and religious fervour. Her mum moved to Lagos. The journey to Lagos ended up in a crash. Joke and her mum were the only survivors of the fatal accident. They spent the next three years in Lagos, living apart from the father, in her paternal family house.
Later, the quarrel between her parents was settled. Economic changes were followed by geographical repositioning in the family. Exiting Daily Times pay roll in Sapele, Joke’s father moved to Abeokuta in search of greener pastures. Male siblings were born, expectedly, responsibilities were mounting. The search continued as the family moved from Abeokuta to Ijebu-Ode where Joke started schooling. She went to Sanni Luba Private School. She stayed there up to primary 2. At Sanni Luba seeds were sown which brought the harvests of deliverance and freedom ultimately. It was not just in the education. It was also in the people who were like guide boards on her life journey.
For some unexplained reasons, Joke was sent back to Jodomo, a little settlement near Ilorin in central Nigeria. She made the journey in the company of cousins with whom she ended up living with their father in Jodomo. Another school and another life. While she was now the strange girl, her cousins had returned to the fold of their parents. This uncle who was a maintenance staff of the Nigeria Railway Corporation had two wives. Though Joke’s mother had left her father in Ijebu Ode, she stayed in Ilorin instead of Jodomo. Coming from a more enlightened background, Joke gained some respect for speaking better English than the village school pupils at Jodomo. Joke’s uncle was a very good man, but his wives were discriminatory in their treatment of the children in his care. It was shocking to Joke who was used to a much fairer standard of treatment. As unpleasant as her stay in Jodomo was, she made gains in how to handle local chores in a village, like grinding pepper on a mill stone, pounding yam with mortar and pestle, petty farming and other domestic chores. But her mother did not think doing these chores village style was gainful experience for her daughter.
And she made a point to protest to her husband, Joke’s father. Her protest paid off eventually when Joke had reached Primary five at Jodomo. She left Jodomo for Ilorin where she was admitted to school on afternoon shift. That offered her a chance to learn to be street wise and of course be exposed to the vagaries of unguided street urchins. In the morning hours she did ‘alabaru’ load bearers in the market, before going to school in the afternoon. She did that under the not too watchful eyes of her mother who had protested the impact of village life on Joke a little while before. Joke had more freedom in Ilorin than was good for her. Predictably she got mixed up with bad friends who introduced her to boyfriends even as a primary school pupil. Education was not really her priority because that was not in the trajectory for anyone in her world. She had been accepted to primary four at Isale Moliki Primary School. Her coming to Ilorin was gainful to her mother, she hawked her mother’s cooked food. That brought the family some stipend. Joke also made some money by working as messenger for orange wholesalers at Ipata Market in Ilorin. She thought the tips she got from their customers after helping to carry their purchases across the road to their parked vehicles was a windfall. “They paid me some token which I spent on fried chicken and fish as a teenager” she recalled. For her, life was at its lowest, in Ilorin. But that was where the journey to signifi-cance commenced. It is when you hit the bottom that changing course becomes possible. It is not always inevitable though. Joke be-lieves God set off the chain of events, encounters and intervention that thrust her on the path of progress and a meaningful life. Her maternal grandfather pulled over Joke’s father for a hard talk. He objected sternly to how he conducted his life. Why was he living in a separate town apart from his wife? Joke believed it was God straightening things out for her. “I know it was God’s intervention in my case, because after the talk, we reunited with daddy in Ijebu-Ode again”. Time was running out. At fourteen she was still in primary school. But they returned to Ijebu Ode only to find out that another woman had moved into their father’s apartment. It was the same aunty Jumoke who had been introduced to Joke while at Sanni Luba. The woman was very nice but she was a disciplinarian. She was staying alone with Joke’s father but they had no child between them. For even the most sceptical reader, the introduction of this ”an-gel” into Joke’s life will be the high point of the narrative. How she completed the reformation of a life that was already beyond re-demption is a masterful twist and the redeeming light in an otherwise gloomy setting. Her name is Jumoke. She was not the classical rival (orogun). Even as the second wife, she was not hostile to the first daughter in the family, especially when she did not have one of her own. She took her step daughter under her wings and performed the unexpected, giving and accomplishing the turnaround that Joke most needed. The story of Joke from there on becomes most inspiring. Once she was sold on education and a life different from being condemned to servitude and a chattel in a man’s house, there was no looking back. With speed and grace, Joke ate up the miles climbing the academic ladder with superior grades. At tertiary level, she had two admissions: one to be an engineer and the other to be a computer scientist. More destiny helpers and mentors showed up as she climbed until she became the owner of a budding manufac-turing enterprise in Lagos. Who could have believed that a confirmed candidate for “iyawo saraa” would become mentor to many and a shining light of possibilities to those who may plead their background or birth as reason for their failure in life? The book offers great hopes on how to resolve many social and societal questions. Parenting standards, male domination and worship, overbearing family members and their intrusion in the homes of their sons, religious conservatism, as well as mentorship and guidance by teachers, man-agers, churches and religious leaders. This book is a seminar on how to escape from the life of dysfunction to one of hope and strong significance. Everyone should read the auto biography of the girl of Fulani heritage who evolved into a power house of modern, liber-ated, and inspiring figure for all young people across religions.
The expansive lawn of Terra Kulture on Victoria Island, Lagos will transform into a big stage for the hosting of The Human Angle, a new play, this month, except on May 4th and 12th. The new production, which is a 65-minute play, written and produced by Ozi Okoli, and directed by Ifeanyi Eziukwu, is a theatrical piece loaded with strong socio-cultural messages with the infusion of comic relief.
The play is all about what happens in a family, what we experience daily in homes and those issues that border on how to keep the name of family name. In particular, the story delves into the journey of a couple whose profound love is tested by the agonizing ordeal of infertility, which is a recurring challenge in most homes.
As they navigate through the tumultuous landscape of family expectations, societal pressures, and personal setbacks over the course of seven grueling years, their bond is put to the ultimate test.
Despite their unwavering love for each other, the couples find themselves grappling with doubts and insecurities, questioning whether love alone can conquer the formidable challenges they face. Amidst the facade of outward appearances, they confront the harsh reality that things are not always as they appear, forcing them to confront their deepest fears and reevaluate their perceptions of themselves and each other.
The cast for the play includes Richie Patrick, Mercy Emordi, Pere Ere Sampson, Seyisola Ogbonna, May Efe Okanigbe, Uche Chiekwe and Awesome Duru.
Speaking at a command performance/media interaction in Lagos, Okoli, an award-winning presenter of Morning Show on Arise TV Lagos, said playwright as conscience of the society has a duty to keep telling the people what is happening in the society, especially on cultural issue of first son’s responsibility in a family and the pressure to make him extraordinary in all he does. “Interestingly, there are God and human angles to most of the issues in attempt to resolving them,” he said.
Okoli described the playlet as a mother and son play and a must-watch as it mirrors the society while revealing who we are as a people. He disclosed that immediately after the show, he will publish the play into a book. “I have sent the manuscript to a publisher to start working on the editing,” he added.
Okoli noted that the play is one of the products of his creative juices inspired during a residency programme, hence it is worth watching. He recalled that he started working on the play around 2009 at the Royal Court, but pressure of work didn’t allow it to be performed ever since. But, the command performance of The Human Angle will hold at Alliance Francaise, Ikoyi, Lagos on June 8.
Ten years ago, Nigeria made history, as Port Harcourt assumed its tenure as UNESCO World Book Capital, beating 8 cities, including Oxford. Project managers of Port Harcourt World Book Capital programme, the Rainbow Book Club, last week. launched two exciting initiatives; Talking Books Africa, a monthly, virtual, live conversation with authors, and made its debut with award-winning Chibundu Onuzo as guest and R.O.A.R. Africa series (biographies of notable Africans for young readers), beginning with Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, who turns 90 this year.
The initiative is a partnership with UNESCO Paris.
Last Tuesday, Strasbourg, France assumed the World Book Capital title. The Get Nigeria Reading again campaign, which the Rainbow Book Club, kicked off with Chimamanda Adichie in 2005, played a significant role in Port Harcourt’s nomination as World Book Capital 2014.
From 2008, the Garden City Literary Festival (later named the Port Harcourt Book Festival) drew writers, artists, book lovers, other creatives and culture connoisseurs from across Nigeria, Africa and other continents to the city of Port Harcourt. The festival, which was described by This Day newspaper as ‘arguably the biggest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa’ was sponsored by the Rivers State Government and hosted by the Rainbow Book Club.
At the opening ceremony of Port Harcourt’s year-long World Book Capital tenure, Soyinka, in his keynote address, spotlighted the important of the book in national development and the threat to education, highlighting the plight of the Chibok girls who had been kidnapped from their school two weeks earlier. Obi Ezekwesili, former education minister, made the call to bring back the girls, sparking off an international campaign for education. Nigeria’s musicians (now Grammy award winner Burna Boy, Timi Dakolu, MI, Waje, Yemi Alade and Nosa) lent their voices to the reading campaign as they rendered the PH World Book Capital theme song.
The dozen programmes of the World Book Capital year included 200 book clubs set up in schools, establishment of a 350-seater library sponsored by SHELL, as well as stories written by children from the 23 local government areas of Rivers State and the 36 states of Nigeria, about their communities and published in books. Hay Festival and Rainbow Book Club collaborated on the ‘Africa 39’ project that selected and celebrated 39 of Africa’s most promising writers under the age of 40. Other international partners on this project included the Caine Prize and PEN International. In that year, Port Harcourt World Book Capital exhibited at the Cape Town Book Fair, the London Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Other partners, who are working with Rainbow to spread the joy of reading include Nigeria LNG and Total Energies.
The Rainbow Book Club pioneered getting notable people to read to children to stimulate their interest in books. Readers have included former Vice President Osinbajo, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Soyinka, former Governors Fashola and Amaechi, ex-Ministers Dora Akunyili, Ajumogobia, Emeka Anyaoku, Burna Boy etc.
The creative and passionate Rainbow Book Club team is led by its founder, Koko Kalango, whose work in social development, earned her a national award in 2014.
Considering various studies linking excessive salt intake to heightened risks of severe health conditions such as heart disease and stroke, too much salt consumption has become a pressing public health concern. CHINYERE OKOROAFOR examines the nuanced question of how to define the threshold of “too much” salt in one’s diet.
Baba Yusuf (pseudonym) was healthy on Thursday. On Friday morning, he went to work, and in the evening when he returned from work, he started feeling unease. He was feeling dizzy and so much thirsty, his feet and hands were swollen and his blood pressure shot above the normal systolic pressure of at least 130 mmHg was 157mmHg, while the diastolic pressure of at least 80 mmHg was more than 90mmHg.
His wife, Bisi and his first son, Ola, rushed him to the family hospital. The doctor on duty, Fatima, examined Baba Yusuf to discover that there is so much salt in his body system. Dr Fatima had to place Baba Yusuf on medication so that the symptoms would be taken care of. He was discharged after two weeks of hospitalisation.
Another patient, Mama Kunle, 65, was also off health. She was feeling nausea, vomiting and dizziness.
Her husband, Gbenga rushed her to the hospital where the doctor carried out some diagnosis. It was discovered that she was suffering from hyponatremia which experts describe as a condition that occurs when the sodium in one’s blood falls below the normal range of 135–145 milliequivalents. (mEq). Experts say that such health issue is more common in older adults because they’re more likely to take medicines or have medical problems that put them at risk of the disorder, even as they contend that “low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Eventually, lack of salt can lead to shock, coma and death.”
Health experts have said that intake of too much salt and low intake of salt could be dangerous to health.
This is a dilemma which health authorities say is dicey. So, how does individuals approach intake of salt, since too much of it leads to hazardous health situation? Caution and moderation, they advise, should be the watchword.
Salt is a necessary ingredient in our daily meals, even as it is useful in flavour enhancement and food preservation. The body also needs some salt; it is necessary for nerve and muscle function and helps to regulate bodily fluids.
However, numerous studies have indicated that consuming too much salt can increase the risk of severe health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney-related diseases, heart disease and stomach cancer.
In the circumstances, therefore, it is taxing to state exactly how much salt a person eats in one day without knowing the precise salt content of each food and measuring the exact quantities eaten. To worsen this problem, many individuals underestimate their rate of salt consumption. This has resulted in a significant health issue in Nigeria, leading to calls for a reduced salt intake.
Recommended salt intake
Due to these concerns, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 2000mg of sodium per day, which is equivalent to less than five grams per day of salt (just under a level teaspoon).
For children aged 2–15 years, the recommended sodium intake should be adjusted downwards based on their energy requirements. Unsurprisingly, many individuals exceed this limit in their home-cooked meals, often unknowingly. Additionally, processed and restaurant-prepared foods tend to also contain high levels of hidden salt.
With its recommendation, the WHO aims for a 30 per cent reduction in global sodium intake by 2025. How feasible is this target which is just a year away?
Salt represents the primary source of sodium in our diets. Nonetheless, the question remains: how much salt is deemed “excessive” for consumption?
According to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Alliance, a global civil society network uniting 2,000 federation associations, civil society organisations, scientific and professional associations, and academic and research institutions to improve NCD prevention and control worldwide.
It noted that NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases are the primary cause of death and disability worldwide.
In Nigeria, hypertension, mainly caused by increased intake of salt and sodium accounts for 12 per cent of deaths.
This could be why the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) is leading a campaign to reduce salt consumption.
According to its Executive Director, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, Nigeria currently records an estimated daily salt consumption of up to 5.8 grams per day, which exceeds the WHO recommended limit. He spoke at a one-day journalism training on salt reduction in Lagos.
He said: “Our role as a health-focused civil society organisation is to help the public understand the dangers of their choices, especially when consumption is driven by a gap in knowledge when it comes to food.” Oluwafemi advised Nigerians to understand the gimmicks of the food production industry that promote unhealthy foods as the norm.
The Programme Officer for Salt Reduction and Cardiovascular Health, Bukola Olukemi-Odele emphasised the significance of ensuring that Nigerians have the knowledge needed to embrace salt reduction policies, advocate for salt reduction, and monitor industry practices.
Olukemi-Odele noted the importance of ensuring that processed and packaged foods adhere to specific sodium limits to protect the health of Nigerians.
“Research has shown that high salt consumption causes hypertension and hypertension is the major risk factor for stroke, kidney disease and several other non-communicable diseases. A way to maintain normal pressure is by reducing salt/sodium intake,” she said.
She further explained that salt reduction is a cost-effective public health intervention that can help to bring down the burden of NCDs in Nigeria as well as help Nigerians live free of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Olukemi-Odele, who called on policymakers to take action and set mandatory salt targets for all processed and packaged foods in Nigeria in 2024, also charged the public to be aware of the public health consequences of high salt consumption, take responsibility and make health choices that will be beneficial for the future.
The Director of Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) and Technical Adviser, Salt Reduction Campaign, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, said the Nigeria salt reduction target coalition includes non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, academia, and international organisations that have come together to track and promote the campaign around salt reduction and diet in Nigeria. Mafeni added that the coalition is working to ensure that NAFDAC takes responsibility to ensure that existing food regulations are in line with the salt targets for commercially produced foods to reduce the amount of salt that the public consumes knowingly or unknowingly. He explained that the coalition is also working with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that proposed regulations will also provide guides on how food products are labelled and ensure that the public is aware of foods that are of very high salt content and injurious to health.
On her part, Assistant Project Manager, Cardiovascular Research Unit at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Ms. Vanessa Alfa, said: “We need to engage in widespread awareness, telling people to learn how to eat healthily, to reduce the amount of salt in their food; snack and conventional foods. One of the primary actions that are expected is for food products to have less salt; we are talking about products manufactured in Nigeria because we don’t have control over imported products.”
“There is a need for restricting the appearance of these adverts on contents that children watch. Involving children in the adverts is not good enough as it ruins our public health as a nation. It’s high time that our regulatory agencies restricted the promotion of such products.”
She also encouraged the public to make a conscious decision to reduce the amount of salt in the food they consume. The National Salt Reduction Campaign project was implemented by CAPPA funded by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator and the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) as an implementing partner.
Nigeria’s salt consumption statistics and health trends
Nigeria is experiencing a rapid epidemiological transition, shifting from a predominance of infectious diseases to an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension and cardiovascular disorders.
It was also noted that the age-standardised prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria stands at a staggering 38.1%, indicating a widespread health challenge affecting a significant portion of the population.
In 2017 alone, an estimated 100,000 deaths in Nigeria were attributed to cardiovascular diseases, highlighting the grave impact of NCDs on public health. For CAPPA, these statistics underscore the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address the growing burden of lifestyle-related diseases, including initiatives to reduce excessive salt consumption and promote heart-healthy habits among Nigerians.
Frequently consumed foods
Nigerian cuisine encompasses a variety of flavourful dishes, but it’s important to be aware of certain foods that contribute significantly to sodium intake. According to Nigeria Sodium Study Findings titled “Nigerian Sodium/Salt consumption patterns and Nigerian Perspectives on Salt,” foods high in sodium/salt that Nigerians consumes include salted fish and meats and stock fish. Additionally, processed meats like kilishi (spiced dried meat) or suya (skewered meat) often undergo seasoning with salt, further increasing their sodium content. Another food is bread and baked goods such as bread rolls, pastries, and snacks. Others include cheese, dairy products, sauces, condiments, Instant Noodles and pickled foods.
Dietary habits, cultural preferences, processed and packaged foods, lack of awareness, socioeconomic factors and marketing and advertisement. The effect of high salt consumption on public health include high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, kidney damage, stroke, osteoporosis, gastric, cancer and public health burden.
According to experts, a single slice of bread typically contains between 80 and 230 milligrams of sodium. Additionally, certain breakfast cereals can contain as much as 300 milligrams of sodium before adding milk. Salt in the diet could come from processed foods, including processed meats like bacon, ham and instant noodles or because they are consumed frequently in large amounts. Salt is also added to food during cooking in the form of bouillon cubes or at the table. If sodium is listed on the label’s nutritional information instead of salt, the amount on the label should be multiplied by 2.5 to get the equivalent salt content. For example, if a portion of food contains a gram of sodium per 100gm, such contains 2.5 grams of salt per 100 grams.
Top officials from Alliance Française de Lagos and Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) were among the dignitaries that graced the entertaining celebration of the 2024 International Dance Day.
The event, which held at the Mike Adenuga Centre in Ikoyi, on April 28, witnessed various energetic displays of talents by Nigerian youths who mesmerized the audience with unique dance steps.
Leticia Bertrand, Chairperson of Artificial Intelligence for Africa Empowerment Foundation, stated that the occasion was a testament to the power of dance in uniting people, cultures and generations.
“Dance is more than just movement. It is a language, a form of expression and a way of life. It has the ability to evoke emotions, tell stories, and bring people together like nothing else can.
“In Nigeria, we are blessed with a rich cultural heritage, and dance plays a significant role in our traditions and customs. Our dances are a reflection of our history, our people and our resilience,” she noted.
Bertrand, on behalf of SPAN Founder Sarah Boulous, urged the participants, dancers, choreographers and instructors to use dance as a tool for artistic expression, social change and cultural exchange.
Precious Naador, Marketing Executive at Alliance de Française de Lagos, said the partnership with SPAN, and the support from the French Embassy, provided a podium for upcoming dancers to showcase their skills to a wider audience.
“This platform puts them in a position where they can be invited to perform at different events. We all know dancing is no longer only a hobby, it has become a thriving industry where dancers can make a living.
“We have the contacts to help them grow; there are competitions and cultural exchanges through residences. I encouraged other dancers to use this opportunity to project themselves to the world,” Naador added.
The event featured energetic Afro Hip Hop moves of the Starkids and captivating ballet presentations by Brian & Andrea, and Monica & Elijah. The SPAN Dance Group and Samuel Betel performed Locking, Contemporary and Afro House.
Hilary Jackson paid tribute to Michael Jackson by enacting the late pop star’s bops. Faculty of Breaks, Space Unlimited, OFUOBI, Footprints of David took turns to showcase an array of Nigerian and international dance forms.
In attendance were AF Lagos Director, Marc Brebant; Board Member, Austin Aimankhu; Cultural Coordinator, Ladunni Lambo; Chijindu Chize, Head of Dance, SPAN; Temitayo Ajiboye, Communications Manager; Andre Okafor, Private Sector Engagement Manager, USAID Youth-Powered Ecosystem to Advance Urban Adolescent Health, among others.
London-based multidisciplinary artist, Tejumola Adenuga evokes an African utopia with elements from his past in a new exhibition, “Future, Past”. The opening of the exhibition was held at Art Twenty One, in Lagos on Friday, April 19, 2024.
Comprising of portraits and minimalist design elements, the exhibition is inspired by a mythology about a small river in his ancestry in Ijebu Ode and the characters that framed its existence, looking to it as a source of creativity and life. It conjures a place that is alive and vibrant with a revered divine entity within Yoruba mythology. Some of the sub-themes include a longing for expression, the possibilities of the human mind, and the psyche – internal and external struggles – that the process of creativity necessitates.
Adenuga’s visually intricate ink drawings, characterised by elements of middle-class family life in Nigeria, solemn melancholic figures, curves and minimalist framing, present intimate and multi-layered imaginative scenes, creating what the artist refers to as ‘memories, present reality and future hopes from the perspective of a child that grew up near the river.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the exhibition, Tejumola Adenuga said, “As an artist, I am often curious about the dichotomy of what is allowed to exist and what is possible to exist – and how to navigate the tension between remembering and daydreaming. I come from a family of blacksmiths and many years ago I left Nigeria, carrying with me the weight of possibilities, dreams and creativity. These three factors have shaped my identity both as an artist and an occupant of the world. Growing up, I was surrounded by creativity by way of the artisans who marked the particulars of my life – the cobblers, the welders, the weavers, and this exhibition plays with the idea of a nearby communal river as the source of creativity. I am so delighted to return to Nigeria – the place in which I took form artistically and be able to investigate what that means through this exhibition”.
From ink drawings to furniture inspired by his lineage of blacksmiths, Tejumola’s exhibition injects mythology into the mundane and elevates its characters with purpose, technicality and minimalism, offering a place in Africa where everything is possible, which in many ways is a prayer for both the artist and the viewer.
Caline Chagoury Moudaber, founder, Art Twenty One, remarked, “Tejumola’s work evokes different meanings to different people and its quiet, intelligent simplicity is at once the power and triumph. It’s so important for us to celebrate Nigerian culture and history, even while creating alternate worlds in which everyone is free to negotiate their capabilities outside of restrictive structures designed in service to a single narrative of a place. And that is what Tejumola does brilliantly, by exploring the re-making of a time and place through the real and imagined, his personal journey and shared, public experience, altogether inviting the viewer to a place devoid of limitations. “
The exhibition “Future, Past” is now showing at Art Twenty One. gallery..
In a situation where literature is often considered in many governmental circles as a poor cousin to other creative arts within the creative economy, Denja Abdullahi debunks that and points out the real status of literature as the fountain to the creative economy while working hand in hand with culture.
The global economic downturn of the 1980s necessitated the search for alternative drivers of the economy of most nations. Hitherto, the culture sector from which the buzz of the creative economy has evolved was portrayed as secondary to any economy as it is dependent mostly on public subsidy and never considered as a domain of mainstream economic activity. Most nations in Africa and in other developing economies in the world are largely dependent on commodities and mineral resources to generate wealth and earn income for the sustenance of governance. However, in the last two decades, a broader appreciation of the sector emerged as emphasis shifted to a renewed interest in concepts like the cultural industries and creative industries as part of the emerging field of the creative economy. This was a time when traditional cultural activities of the creative hue were reconsidered beyond their normal aesthetics dimensions to their potentials to fulfill economic expectations.
The need to graft cultural practices into the lane of tangibility of economic gains gave rise to the evolvement of buzzwords such as creative economy, cultural industries and creative industries which are used differently and interchangeably in different situations. Cultural industries refer to forms of cultural production and consumption that have at their core a symbolic and expressive element and now embraces a wide range of fields, such as music, art, writing, fashion and design, and media industries, e.g. radio, publishing, film and television production. The term creative industries is applied to a much wider productive set, including goods and services produced by the cultural industries and those that depend on innovation, including many types of research and software development.
The creative economy can thus be characterised as the sum of all the parts of the creative industry and has been identified as an economy that promotes social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development. The discourse around the cultural and creative industries (CCI) and the creative economy has evolved over the years to accommodate a new term called the orange economy, which is often used now interchangeably with the creative economy. Whatever is the referential signifier of the economy under discourse, they all have common denominators and attributes which are: creativity is involved, talent is of importance, it is knowledge-based, it evolves from the culture of the society and is shaped by it, it can be enhanced with technology like every other thing and it is becoming world-wide the inexhaustible pool for job and wealth creation.
The talk about the creative economy foregrounds the necessity of moving away from the intangibility of service or existence to commodification of cultural products or services that can be traded for income generation and wealth creation. Literature as we know it starts from the realm of the intangible; from the creative pedestal involving mostly the individual with no primary inkling of commerce but expression being the guiding principle. It is when this creative expression manifests in written words on paper or the screen of digital devices and is frozen into a form for transmission to others that we have the book or text which is a major product of the publishing industry. Thus, if we are to find the place of literature in the creative economy, the fortunes will largely be tied to books and the publishing industry. Though Africa is largely an oral culture before the coming of the colonialists from the East and West, the book and the publishing industry in Africa has come a long way and has been there all along as a medium of general societal re-orientation and education. The book and the publishing industry has for long been consigned to the realm of the provision of social services with profit not often intended. In the beginnings of the publishing industry in Africa, we find colonial enterprise at the helms with big time publishing houses with ties to foreign capitals being the big players. As expected, whatever economic profits made from these early days of publishing were repatriated away from the continent to foreign capitals. However, in the sphere of literary arts or literature as we may call it, there was an attendant collateral benefits to these colonial publishing enterprise with the discovery of indigenous African literary minds whose writings went ahead to shape African thoughts for many years ahead. The commercial and intellectual success story of the African Writers Series (AWS), published by Heinemann is a supreme example of what the book industry was in that early period of African political independence from Western colonialism. The AWS’s example ensured two things and those were the establishment of a continental wide economically thriving book industry and the cross pollination of ideas across Africa.
However, a recent search for current data on the general contribution of the creative industries subsectors to the GDP of Nigeria revealed a set of “creative industry factsheet” derived from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics which revealed that between 2011 and 2020, the publishing industry showed a gradual progress in its contribution to the nation’s GDP from the year 2011 and attained its all-time high in the year 2014 with a contribution of 10.28%. The subsector remains the only sector that posted a massive contribution of 6.79% to the nation’s GDP during the covid outbreak. (National Bureau of Statistics, 2011-202) .According to the said “creative industry factsheet,” the publishing industry contributed the highest to the GDP within the cultural and creative industries (CCI) sectors in the years under review and while other subsectors nosedived during the 2020 pandemic year, it maintained a kind of resilience as its contribution rose further. This set of current data which contrasted sharply and positively for the publishing industry against the earlier data referred to and the negative widespread perception of the industry’s contribution to the national economy within and without, has therefore made it imperative for the importance of the industry to the economy to be properly reappraised.
As a member of Council of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust (NIBF) , an organization comprising of all the major stakeholders in the Nigerian book iindustry years , between 2015-2019, i can surmise that the book industry has been one that has not received the required attention from the government, in spite of its contributions to the knowledge and creative economies. NIBF has been organising the Nigerian International Book Fair, touted as “the biggest book fair in Africa” annually in Lagos for over 20 years running, and in spite of the successes recorded by this fair in creating local and international markets and network of engagements for the players of the book industry, it is still hankering after non-existent, lukewarm and rather indifferent government participation. Every year, the Trust tries its best to draw the attention of the relevant government authorities and agencies to its activities without success. This situation led the board of the Trust to think of commissioning a study of the contributions of its annual book fair to the creative economy of the hosting State and the income it generates yearly for the participating authors, publishers, book sellers and advertisers, who attend from different parts of the world. In essence, it came to a point in which there was the need to prove the relevance of the book business in factual economic terms to the creative economy in order to be taken seriously by government and policy makers. Governmental and political neglect of the book and publishing industry within the creative industries as understood by policy makers surfaced during the covid 19 pandemic period when the government initiated discussions with the stakeholders in the industry with a view to give them palliatives but left out associations and guilds within the industry. It took a collective reminder letter from the associations within the book and publishing sector before they were accommodated in the discussions, which at the end never manifested in any measure . The overlooking of the sector by government at all levels when the talk is about engaging or giving assistance to the subsectors within the creative economy is a recurrent feature in the Nigerian public space.
Taking a close look at the publishing industry and the book market in Nigeria, it would be discovered that beyond the commodification of its products, it has consistently been connected to the building of the cultural capital and advancement of education in Nigeria. The publishing industry and the book market cannot be divorced from the huge education industry spanning the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Servicing of the education industry with required books has given rise to a crop of educational publishers who are mainly devoted to the publication of texts for the schools curricula. This set of publishers with their strategic connections to the educational regulatory authorities, who prescribe texts for schools, have been able to remain profitably in business, employing many and keeping the wheel of their publishing economy running. Other kinds of publishers focusing on general interest books have risen which each capturing its targeted slice of the market in line with identified publishing predilections. Thus we have in Nigeria now, like we may have elsewhere, publishers of children books, religious texts, academic texts, literary texts, aesthetically packaged texts, biographies and political books etc. Each of the major publishing houses has found their niche and has maintained their peculiar competitive advantages.
The book sector remains one of the most resilient sectors of the creative economy of African nations because of its ties to educational development. However, its real contributions to economic growth of nations has been taken for granted and undervalued because of the lack of empirical data and due to the perception of the sector as belonging to the realm of social service rather than that of economic activity. With the imperative for the diversification of most economies of nations in the continent, the sector has grown enough in status for a thorough self-appraisal towards tracking its economic potentials and enhancing its capabilities as a major contributor to general economic well-being of nations within the continent.
Title: Boko Haram and other Security Challenges in Nigeria
Author: Abdullahi Y. Shehu
Reviewer: Bukar Usman
Pagination: 669
Publisher: National Open University of Nigeria
Year of Publication: 2024
A reading of Chapter 13, being the concluding chapter of this book reveals that it was virtually finalised after the February 2023 general elections in Nigeria, but before the new administration assumed office later in May of the same year. However, the issues discussed in the book remain vividly topical.
The book was written while the author was serving at a diplomatic post as Nigeria’s Ambassador. In spite of the demanding nature of the job, he said that he made time on weekends and during holidays to write the book. And even though he lost the original manuscript, he remained determined and started writing afresh. This kind of determination is a good lesson for public officers who are interested in writing.
Motivations
The author stated his motivations for writing the book in its first few pages. One of the motives was that he was driven by patriotic zeal to contribute to knowledge about the security problems facing his country. He further elaborated on this at p.34 where he said that he wanted to help in boosting better understanding of the phenomenon of Boko Haram and related security issues of banditry and kidnappings, especially in Northern Nigeria with information. In discussing these issues, he focuses on the origins, causes and spread of the insurgency; and assessed Nigeria’s response to the threat of terrorism and analysed the efficiency of Nigeria’s defense and security framework. He then proceeded and made informed recommendations towards improving Nigeria’s security situation and putting an end to the current state of insecurity as well as checking future occurrences.
Certainly, monetary considerations are not among the motives as he has declared in his letter inviting me to review this book that the proceeds from this event would be used by his Foundation ‘towards humanitarian assistance to victims of Boko Haram and other violent conflicts in Nigeria.’
He also dedicated the book to military, law-enforcement and security personnel who lost their lives in the course of fighting terrorism and other security breaches and threats in Nigeria. Civilian victims of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria are no less remembered.
The author notes that Boko Haram was formed in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf, although other accounts suggested that it was formed earlier by other persons. However, it was Boko Haram of Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri, Borno State, North-eastern Nigeria, that took to terrorism gradually and eventually launched an armed insurgency in 2009. It was in 2014 that the Government proscribed the organization along with Ansaru as they engaged in activities that were manifestly terroristic in nature.
And although government declared in 2018 that Boko Haram had been ‘technically defeated’, unfortunately up to the year 2024 when this book was published, we are sadly witnessing its atrocities, albeit on a much lower scale, and living with the aftermath of the impact of its atrocities and methodologies.
To help the reader understand the issues involved, the author devoted Chapter Two of the book to definitions and explanations of the differences between ‘terrorism’ and ‘insurgency.’ He discussed the incidences and manifestations of the two phenomena in Chapter Three.
As it is well known that, terrorists and insurgents need money to sustain themselves and for their heinous operations, the author discussed ‘terrorist financing’, ‘money laundering’ and several other means through which they raise funds locally and from outside the country in Chapter Six. It is my firm opinion that these should be areas of particular interest to the academia and more especially the security-intelligence operatives. A clear understanding of the terminologies and their manifestations will greatly be of guidance to operatives in evolving an effective system of monitoring and disrupting financial flows to perpetrators of violence and save members of the public from the wicked activities of the criminal gangs.
It should be borne in mind that for the generality of members of the public all they want from operatives and the authorities is to be able to go about their leisure or pursue their legitimate means of livelihood anywhere and anytime unperturbed.
The Issues
Boko Haram is the main subject of the book. This is highlighted boldly in white colour in the title of the book. However, much of the book is based on a review of literature and general discussions on insurgency and terrorism as global phenomena; the factors responsible for their emergence, growth and spread as well as the types of responses and approaches deployed to stop and prevent them.
The author made copious references to local and external sources backed by staggering statistics, though some of the statistics are questionable because their bases were suspect; particularly, those rendered in percentages are liable to abuse. He also draws from statements of the principal leaders of the insurgents as well as debriefings of captured insurgents.
According to his findings, Boko Haram was ‘homegrown’. It grew out of the fertile ground of Borno State as the epicentre before spreading to other parts of the country. In his view, the phenomenon could have been nipped in the bud if only the government had heeded intelligence reports and advice of well-meaning individuals and recommendations of committees set up by the government at the initial stages. However, elements of disbelief and concocted ‘conspiracy theories’ fouled the air, leading to a tragic miscomprehension of the Boko Haram phenomenon and failure to face the situation squarely. Government was somewhat hesitant in entertaining dialogue and looking into their grievances with an open mind. Initially the military was ill-equipped to face the insurgents’ guerrilla and unconventional mode of operations.
Even when the phenomenon of Boko Haram spreads, dialogues and deals entered into by lower tiers of government could not hold because of multiplicity of bandits and other insurgency groups. The military is deployed virtually to every part of the country in order to bring respite at great cost to the country. There were allegations of misappropriation of colossal amounts of funds voted for logistics and welfare of personnel.
The author noted accurately that several other security challenges, namely kidnappings, banditry, communal clashes and violent separatist tendencies, existed before the emergence of Boko Haram. The nation has been grappling with them to this day. However, sadly, these crises assumed greater and sinister complexities after the manifestation of the Boko Haram terrorism which turned into an insurgency.
The author identifies the components of the security challenges nationwide as the products of bad governance; some of the challenges date back to the colonial times and lack of proper appreciation of the problems and addressing their root causes. Bad governance is manifested in acts of corruption such as outright embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds. There were allegations that through diversion of public funds many members of the governing class acquired properties abroad and fleet of private jets.
Other causative and factors leading to and fueling terrorism, insurgency and kidnapping include: drugs, indoctrination, fundamentalism, guns and human trafficking, hate culture, religion, revenge, ideology, poverty arising mainly from lack of job opportunities, illiteracy, corruption characterised by bad governance and lack of political will to deal with it and associated problems, foreign dimensions
The author acknowledged that poverty cannot be the sole push factor for engaging in acts of terrorism. He cited ample examples in other parts of the world where people got involved in terrorism to promote some causes or ideological beliefs. However, poverty, unemployment and illiteracy worsened by unbearable living conditions, may generate protests and render individuals to be easily recruited into terror and kidnapping cells. A few terror operatives of course could be conscripted against their will as demonstrated by Boko Haram in its operations.
Foreign Dimensions
Foreign dimensions to the activities of Boko Haram were discussed by the author from two broad perspectives: the perspective of Boko Haram and the perspective of the Nigerian Government. From the perspective of Boko Haram, there were sufficient evidence from the pronouncements of the leading personalities, video recordings and debriefings to show that Boko Haram forged alliances with like -minded outside groups that offered logistics, personnel, finance and training facilities. Logos and designation of certain places of operation with foreign names were clear signatures of foreign connections and involvement.
From the Nigerian government perspective, outside supports was varied. Soothing resolutions were passed by the United Nations Organisation and regional organizations, including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States with reference to acts of terrorism in Nigeria and other parts of the world. External humanitarian supports were received from the United Nations Organisation, several aid organizations, foundations and individuals. Government had misgivings that some of the supports were being used as a cover for some sinister motives. Some international organizations focused more on condemning the mode of operation of the Nigerian military to the total exclusion of the horrendous atrocities committed by the insurgents. When it comes to military hardware, there were some reluctances to sell to Nigeria and undue insistence on payments in advance. And even after meeting these conditions, delivery of equipment paid for were inexplicably delayed in what amounted to sabotaging the military campaign against the terror groups. In some cases, there were outright refusal to deliver the hardware and influencing others not to sell weapons to Nigeria. Yet the countries treating Nigeria in that way in her hours of national needs are supposed to be friendly, or even allies. The same pattern of behaviour was manifested by more or less the same set of countries during the Nigerian war of national unity.
At this juncture, I wish to strongly advocate that, for Nigeria to ensure and guarantee its existential survival as a sovereign nation state, and end reliance on unreliable outwardly friendly, but double-faced nations, Nigeria should take the path to the development of a national defence industry. It is simply essential. It should be rigorously pursued. Immediately, purposefully. The country has what it takes to do that. Countries facing long-standing multiple sanctions have looked inward and successfully developed defence capabilities that deter predator nations from threatening their existence. Nigeria can do the same and that should be done without delay.
The author observed, perhaps correctly, that the Nigerian Government did not press hard for international support from outside the immediate neighboring countries bordering the theatre of the war against the insurgency. From the experience of the Nigerian Civil War or war of unity, it was good to keep them out. However, given the era of globlisation with no respect to sovereignty and territorial integrity, one needs not invite outside powers. They could have gate-crashed; and in fact they were somehow indirectly involved remotely: they don’t need to be physically on the ground. After all, current warfare is not fought by military hardware alone. The author gathered that when trouble broke out somewhere in Europe, their attention was diverted to where their hegemonic interests were at more perilous stake.
The author concludes that while government efforts have not successfully addressed the problems from their roots, international support has fallen short of expectations in terms of promises and measurable results; and that Boko Haram and other security challenges facing Nigeria are products of bad governance as earlier adverted to.
Solutions
The author in a nut shell strongly recommends that solutions to Nigeria’s terrorism and insurgency problems squarely lie in the ‘home front’ and on Government addressing the problems from their roots. While external support may not be entirely discounted, he advocates that Government must have a sustainable agenda for the youth population; combating corruption, ensuring accountability, and providing transparent and fair justice to all, must take their true place in our national life. All this are predicated on demonstrable and observable ‘political will’, however defined, and conducting credible elections. He underscored the point made in our National Defence Policy that, security is the cornerstone of development and progress as well as guarantor for the well-being of citizens and stability of the state. Furthermore, it is emphasized in the Nigerian Constitution that ‘security and welfare’ of the citizens are the primary functions of government.
Flow of ideas
I recall that some years back a lady, Maria Sokenu of blessed memory, came from Wema Bank and met Chief SO Falae, then Secretary to the Government of the Federation in his office at the presidency, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. The meeting took place in my presence. She came purposely to sell the idea of the establishment in Nigeria of a bank similar to ‘grameen bank’ in Bangladesh. The proposal received instant approval from higher quarters. The name, ‘bank of the poor’ was rejected in favour of “peoples’ bank”. In no time the first bank with that name was established in Ajegunle and subsequently spread to other parts of Nigeria; it later metamorphosed to what is now called ‘community bank’ or ‘microfinance bank’. The point to bear in mind here is that ideas could flow to the public service from anywhere. The author has devoted a lot of time to write this well-researched book, and his antecedents indicate that he knows what he is talking about; the public service should therefore do well to look into the points he has made and see what use could be made of them for the betterment of Nigeria’s security situation.
Mentorship
AY Shehu, the author, graciously credits me as being his mentor. It is true we were together in the federal public service and interacted very closely. The interaction continued to date. He may well have gathered some ideas in the course of our interactions. Beyond that, he was on his own. He followed his religious injunction that says one should seek knowledge even unto Siam (China). And so, he went not quite to China but to the then Hong Kong, that later was returned to China, to acquire a PhD. degree. I did not read up to PhD level. He went into teaching and became a professor. I didn’t. He became an international public servant of repute, interacting with various leaders in the West African sub-region. I wasn’t so privileged. He represented Nigeria as a top diplomat at Ambassadorial level, and was accredited to one of the most powerful nations of the world. In the process, he garnered a great deal of exposure and experience. Aside from the two books being presented today, one of which he asked me to review, he had written several other books in the past. The two books being presented today may not be the last from him. He has set the pace for fellow public officers, both serving and former and indeed every Nigerian, to emulate. By so doing, ideas are contributed to help advance our dear country to a stage we and succeeding generations would all be proud of.
And so, here is a mentee who has outperformed a mentor in many respects. I thank him very much for the kind compliments and wish that God gives him long life in good health and the wisdom to further consolidate and share more of his worthy ideas for the betterment of Nigeria and humanity at large.
I thank you all.
· Bukar Usman, OON, former Permanent Secretary in the Presidency and current President of the Nigerian Folklore Society.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Shina Peller, has been appointed as a member of the event board for the Global Entrepreneurship Festival holding from November 11-13, 2024 at Entrepreneurship Village, Akure, Ondo State.
Peller’s appointment was communicated in an official letter by the Chief Executive Officer of the Entrepreneurship Village, Sunil Santanam, who listed Peller’s background, exposure, commitment to the values of entrepreneurship, women and youth empowerment as some of the traits that qualified him for the position.
Also on the board with the former federal lawmaker are E-Village CEO, Sunil Santanam; President of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs Dr. Summy Smart Francis; Executive Director on Innovation & Partnership, Dr. Joy Smart Francis; Director of Strategic Alliances at the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Professor Emeritus Stephen Read; Author and professional journalist, Dustin Plantholt; Executive/Leadership Development Consultant, Nancy Taiye Aragbaye; President of Omnichannel Global, Jim Jurewicz and American producer, Chloe Arnold.
Others are remarkable entrepreneur Sylvia Maseko; Member of IFBIC, Aloke Sharma; a Nigerian Culture and Tourism icon, Wanle Akinboboye; Founder, Lacampgne TropicanaCEO MJF Travel & Tour, Bukky Enuha; Development Consultant, Arif Kazanci; Global thought leader, Louisa Akaiso;CEO Agile Communications Rufai Ladipo; Career Expert, Janice Coleman and others.
Peller, who is the Ayedero of Yorubaland, said he is delighted to get involved in the E-Village project, and appointed as a member of the Event Board for the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Festival.
He added that E Village, which is often regarded as Africa’s Silicon Valley, is designed to revolutionize the entire education system and establish a comprehensive ecosystem for young talents, creativity, startups, technologists, artists and the Nigerian youth.
He expressed gratitude for the management of the E Village for finding him worthy of the new role and promise to work harmoniously with other members of the board to make the event a success.
The Global Entrepreneurship Festival, which will be hosted by the E-Village, is an integral component of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2024, a period where the brightest minds in business, technology and creative industries come together to share their insights and foster collaboration.
GEW is designed to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs in every country and community around the world, particularly those individuals who face structural barriers or may have never considered the idea of launching a startup.
The GEW, founded in 2008 by the Global Entrepreneurship Network, is an annual worldwide event which ignites a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship each November, and spreads across many countries, inspiring millions to embark on entrepreneurial ventures.
The Global Entrepreneurship Festival is an initiative of Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (AYE), and it is said to be one of the most significant Entrepreneurship events in the world with 12 events holding concurrently.
According to the organizers of the event, GWF represents the pinnacle of entrepreneurial spirit and ingenuity. The monumental occasion will witness 12 curated events such as Conference, Trade Fair, Bootcamp, Business Pitch, Networking and collaboration, Innovation and Robotic Expo, Hackathon, Arts and Creative Exhibition, Fashion Show, Leadeship Forum, Women’s Congress and Concert.
Also, the event is expected to witness electric selection of various industries to celebrate, catalyze, and foster a thriving global entrepreneurial ecosystem and engage in meaningful exchange that will change the future of Global Enterprise.
Furthermore, the business-oriented festival will have the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija as Special Guests of Honour.
Some of the proposed speakers at the event are former United States of America President, Barrack Obama, Cherie Blair
former United Kingdom first lady, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General, World Trade Organization, and Melinda Gates, Chairperson of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Others include Sir Robert Grant, founder and CEO of Crown Sterling Limited, Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Femi Otedola, businessman and philanthropist, Mohammed Bin Tarjim, CEO, Vital Signs Damman, Saudi Arabia, and Indra Nooyi, former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.
Also expected as speakers are Vusi Thembekwayo, Entrepreneur, Author, Public Speaker, Aliaune D. B. Akon Thiam, Senegalese-American singer, Dr. Christina Rahm, Scientist, Artist, Author, Marc Randolph, former CEO, Netflix, Joseph William Foster, Founder of Reebok, Joseph William Foster, fouder, Reebok, Sir Gabriel P Andreoili, President, Institute for Advanced Studies and Cooperation, among others.
