Category: Arts & Life

•Three retired directors become Special Copyright  Inspectors

They gave their best while in active service to Nigeria and the creative sector. When some thought the three directors were spent, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) honoured them as ‘Special Copyright Inspectors’ in retirement. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

That morning, the Lagos office of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) welcomed guests to its premises with a large banner.

They were greeted by the  enlarged picture of Mrs. Lovetta Chinwe Alero Ezichi (formerly Njoku) and the words celebrating her “meritorious service and contribution to copyright administration in Nigeria”.

Mrs. Ezichi, former Acting Director-General, was one of the three retired NCC directors decorated as Special Copyright Inspectors.

NCC Director-General Dr. John Asein said  the retirees were decorated as Special Copyright Inspectors by virtue of Section 38 of the Copyright Act.

They were Mrs. Ezichi; Mrs Doris Awele Osahon, former director, Personnel;  and Mr. Olatunji Babatunde Adetula, former director Enforcement.

But what made this woman of elegance stand out to the point of earning a special place of honour at the investiture and award of the three retired directors penultimate week?

“What made Mrs. Ezichi stand out is that she had worked, in a very sacrificial manner, giving her all at every point she was called upon to act as director-general,” began NCC Director-General. If I recall, she acted three or four times as DG. Not many people will act and go back to their desk and work as a director without grievances; act again, go back to their desk and still be willing to serve. I think that stands her out because most people when they act expect to be confirmed and when they are not confirmed take it out on the system. In her own case, she was able to bear it with all humility and accept that she was in the commission first and foremost to serve. And that is a lesson for us all, particularly the current staff of the commission,” Asein said.

During the latter period of her being in-charge of the NCC, she recorded tremendous success in the agency’s anti-piracy operations. She succeeded in bursting and sealing up two highly sophisticated piracy syndicates run by foreigners of Asian extraction behind two companies – Akina and Nassima Studios. The book industry also witnessed aggressive and efficiently coordinated anti-piracy raids leading to seizures of books worth over N30,000,000 as well as offending contrivances. She retired in May 2007 from the Nigerian Copyright Commission.

Congratulating the retirees for their meritorious service to the commission and to the society at large, he said the purpose of the celebration was to show love and appreciation for their commitment to the progress of the commission while in service. He urged all members of the staff in service to be passionate, committed and dedicated to their duties, so as to be remembered for their good and hard work when they leave service.

Asein said: “Like we always sing in the national anthem, one of the ways of reminding ourselves of that is  to acknowledge and remember those who were productive, resourceful and hardworking during their days in service, so they deserve to be recognised and honoured. For the ones that are fairly treated while in service, I use this medium to appeal for forgiveness of the past and thank God for the present and the future.”

Mrs. Ezichi, who was at the event with her husband, Mr. Tunde Ezichi, thanked the management of the commission for the farewell ceremony organised for her and her retired colleagues. She appreciated Asein for his efforts in ensuring progress, peace and stability in the commission and outside.

Mrs. Ezichi recounted her experience, saying: “Not only was this a surprise, I almost fainted when I entered the premises and saw my photograph. I wondered if I was going to contest for the post of governor or senator. I am truly happy; and  appreciate this award. Some of the things on my profile about my involvement in carrying out anti-piracy raids would not have been possible without active members of staff who supported me, such as Asein. And I am very happy that he was recognised early. In my own case, it’s a long story, but with what happened today, all sad/bitter memories of the past from some experiences in the commission while in service have been wiped away, “ she said.

Top members of the staff of NCC felicitated with her and other retired directors. They also appreciated their positive impact while in service. NCC  Director of Lagos office, Mr. Matthew Ojo, recalled that Mrs. Ezichi was instrumental to his success in the commission. A member of  NCC Governing Board, Mr. Bayo Awala, who represented the board’s chairperson, also praised Mrs. Ezichi’s dedication to duty, saying the award is well-desrved.

Assistant Director, Operations, Mr. Charles Amudipe, noted that Mrs. Ezichi was full of life while in active service.

“She is a workaholic, always everywhere to ensure that things were properly done while discharging her mandate for the commission.”

Mrs. Ezichi was given a 55 inches smart TV. 

By Yekeen Olawale Wakeel

Egungun tradition is a unique way through which African society chooses to bring the spirits to become tangible, a medium that gives access to the spirit world. It is a tradition that best demonstrates Yoruba belief in immortality. An Egungun is believed to be the spirit of a dead person who has returned from the domain of the ancestors to visit the people; hence he is called “Ara orun kinkin”-spirits from the land of the dead.

In many parts of Africa, ancestors and dead family members are believed to continue to exercise control and influence on the lives of the living. Thus, Egungun tradition is therefore a religious act, which imagines the collective spirits of the ancestors and builds them out of overlapping segments of cloth. It is on the basis of this that egungun tradition evolved. Once a year, the spirits of the departed family members are made to return to earth in the guise of robed masqueraders in celebrated annual Egungun festival.

Some of the masquerades are clad in fabrics, palm fronds, raffia, palm feathers, wooden masks and head dresses. When they appear they may represent specific individuals who died or the generation of ancestors of the lineage.

The annual Egungun festival depicts a remarkable assemblage of masqueraders in the streets by day or night as the case may be leaping, dancing or walking grotesquely and uttering loud cries to astonish the viewers. Their croaky voices are unique as they relay prophetic messages to the audience as blessings from the spirit world.

The reincarnated spirits of the ancestors represented in Egungun is supposed to have come from the land of the dead to ascertain what is going on in the land of the living. Their main function is to pronounce blessings on the people, heal the people and their lands, correct as well as punish misdeeds.

Egungun tradition represents the collective spirits of the ancestors hence they are believed to possess supernatural powers capable of solving problems and challenges of life that had defied human solutions.Vows earlier made to Egungun in the preceding year are redeemed while new ones are being made during Egungun festival because of the efficacy of Egungun divine touch and pronouncements. The spirituality and esoteric capabilities of the Egungun as perceived by the Yoruba is awesome.  It is believed that the Egungun is spiritually empowered to cleanse the community of epidemic, evil spirits and abominable deeds, after which warnings and blessings are reeled out to the spectators.

The cult system of Yoruba masquerade is exclusively a male affair. It is a tradition meant to assert superiority over and above the women folk. Thus, women are forbidden to come out in the night during ceremonies when Egungun such as “Oro” comes out to perform. Such ceremonies are exoteric in nature and therefore the exclusive preserve of initiates of the Egungun cult. It is a taboo for an Egungun to fall or for anyone to raise his hand against egungun.

Also women are forbidden to laugh or speak despairingly of him or to identify the person behind the costume while it is regarded an unforgivable abomination to unmask an egungun in the public.

Masquerade costumes comprising of fabrics, palm fronds, raffia, palm, feathers and masks are believed to be sacred hence much care is exercised in their treatment and preservation. At times, libations and blood of goat, pigeon and cocks are poured or sprinkled on them to fortify and retain their ritual potency. They are believed to contain magical, medicinal and religious powers.

However, there are perceived fears as regards the prospects of Egungun tradition diminishing or disappearing going by what happened to other ancient traditional beliefs and cultural practices which had gone into extinction. The influence of civilization, western education and foreign religion has reduced considerably people’s participation, perception and belief in Egungun tradition. Nowadays, There is a steady conversion of erstwhile Egungun priests and adherents to Islam and Christianity. However, economic and social changes have caused a dislocation in cultural continuity which has forced people to turn away from traditional cultural practices, values, beliefs and indigenous worship. Here now is a clarion call for us to jealously preserve and protect this vibrant and important part of our cultural patrimony, a part to which our identities are tied as proud Yorubas with very rich and enviable culture. Irrespective of the change that is brought to bear in Egungun tradition, the concept and belief system will still be preserved for posterity.

By Dapo Adeniyi

Omolara Ige-Jacks is a well-known, long distance runner in the Nigerian visual arts industry who combines elegant draughtsman ship with truculent colouring.

I choose the term colouring deliberately over the more normative, painting. She has not only been a product of the Yaba School but a longstanding instructor in the college as well, in addition to being a practitioner of its fabled approach to visual execution.

Yaba approaches colouration with a rallying slogan: “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”. Colour is over toned and extravagant. Due attention to the inner capillaries of meaning where our lived experience is captured and treated to visceral depiction is the flip side of the Yaba art view.

You will find the proponents of the school maintaining  this duality oftentimes to admirable, astonishing effects. Even so, I personally think the outward garb of the art through the exuberance of colour is the more pronounced ensign of the movement

I have been struck again and again by the representation of ordinary daily existence by its scions, how the familiar and the mundane are rendered with elevation. Realism is as a result transcended. These artists do us the eternal service of calling our minds to elements we might have missed, challenging our assumptions over things we are falsely sure of. They often do this by drawing the circle around subtleties; where they please they place emphases which are strident on aspects of their depiction to press their points home, shocking us into taking good note.

Omolara Ige-Jacks trod this time-honoured path, takes the beaten roadpath yet again to her current exhibition of very recent paintings. Through frames of immense dimensions, she re-enacts scenes which explore themes dark in nature and meaning, and yet so beautiful. Usually we feed on the alluring beauty of the artifice before we are struck by a full awareness of their signification.

There is a depth of application that is solely and uniquely hers. There is that signature present that is almost impossible to describe which you will immediately come into a consciousness of, which crystalises as her artistic identity.

‘’I am talking now about the significant, existential departure of the artist from her philosophical nativity. A phenomenon that art critics, collectors and aficionados note in their encounter with each creator. Some think they can pin it down to the shades of the colour or scribal penchant here or there. It has been my conclusion that precisely describing this individual slant is futile and must be consigned purely to “we know it when we see it”.

She returns to the Nigerian exhibition circuit with the mastery she once exuded that earned her the title of an all-time empress of the painting profession across the genders, pan-Nigeria.

It is easy enough to see Ige-Jacks as a monolith among the female practitioners, and in spite of an unprecedented explosion of authentic new talent in the last decade or so and the advancement of craft by the long abiding denizens, the shoes she left by relocating to the UK two decades previous have remained solidly unfilled. She returns as the titan whom no one deems to challenge. Those who have grown mercurial in their practice by constant application and public staging of their work have only grown in their own strength and respect.

In the ongoing solo exhibition titled A Glipmse, the colours by Omolara Ige-Jacks this time give the appearance of a new incandescence and freshness. Whether this is so because her masquerade is hitting the road for the first time in a while or not will be evidenced and attested to by all who approach the works in the compact and immaculate white space of Didi Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos since December 3 opening.

Permit me to revisit briefly the issue of her theme in this show before concluding this brief introduction.

The works exhibited in the yester-years were never devoid of social concerns. In 2002 at this same museum, she exhibited, I recall, an energetic body of monochrome screen prints devoted to the cause of abused children. Currently she shows scenes of bucolic, suburban beautiful life we once knew too well and relished, which have assumed a most asphyxiating insecurity. Children wandered in innocence where they traversed grasslands and giant neighbourhood forests without a care. Some rowed in canoes and open boats conveying petty wares to the markets. The community sat under township irokos to lounge and play. She also samples symbols of the regal which were once upon a time the ultimate spectacles of collective endearment and veneration, not emblems and signage of oppression and collusion with oppressors who subvert the popular will. Our people had so little but cherished the simple life that belonged to them. These are the visions of our social life which Ige-Jacks chooses to remember and retain for us on her canvasses. A seemingly forgone society where no one was precluded from nursing robust hopes for the future.

The Nigeria that Omolara Ige-Jacks returns to is unfamiliar, far removed from the one she left behind. The artist talks about this reversal in our fortunes with a hint of tears in the corner of her eyes.

Former headmaster of Iyiatu LA Primary School, Kwale and ex-Chief Refugee Relief Officer for War Affected Areas during the Civil War, Chief Joseph Dike, the Okpala Uku and Iyasele Onowu of Onuaboh, 92, is again raising funds for flood victims in his community. Kingsley Dike reports.

The rain may have stopped in some parts of the country, but the negative impact of the floodings have refused to go. For comunnities in the Niger Delta areas, IDP camps have become alternative homes for many. Little wonder, Chief Joseph Dike, 92,  is leading the campaign to bring succour to the flood victims in his community, Onuaboh in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of  Delta State.

Chief  Dike who doubles as the Okpala Uku and Iyasele Onowu of his Onuaboh community was very proud of his modest home at Onuaboh. He had personally supervised the architectural drawings to reflect his love for Brazilian style edifice, building a 10-room bungalow with its prized courtyard where he holds community conferences and meetings.

Thus, when the building was among the over 1000 homes affected in the recent flooding of the entire Onuaboh town and other neighbouring communities in Ndokwa East local government area of Delta State, one had thought he would be crushed. But that was not the case. When his children rallied to respond to his distress, he dismissed them in his typical great humor. “I am 92 years old, if I die, nobody can say I have not lived. So don’t worry about roof over my head when young families with innocent children have nowhere to call home. Please direct your efforts to where it really matters, the farmers who can’t farm nor feed their families, the many in my community now displaced and in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across Delta State”. Thus began the “Okpala Uku Joseph Dike flood relief project for Onuaboh community”. Chief Dike urged both the Federal and State governments to solve the perennial flood disasters in not only Onuaboh but the Ndosimili areas of Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State arguing that this is the time to use the ecology funds to rescue the riverine communities from the untold hardship from this year’s floods.

The flooding started in May to October 2022 across the country. But in communities like Onuaboh, the flood waters have refused to recede.  As at today, most families are still in IDP camps in the uplands in Delta State. The state government made general effort to support IDP camps but nothing to individual towns and communities because of the grand scale of the flood disaster.

According to reports, this year’s flood floods affected many parts of the country as it displaced over 1.4 million people and killed over 603 people and injuring more than 2,400 persons. About 82,035 houses had been damaged, and 332,327 hectares of land had also been affected. As at October, over 200,000 homes were completely or partially destroyed by the floods.

According to Mr Harrison Dike, coordinator for the flood relief effort, the short-term goal is to raise about N5 million about $10,000 to assist the over 10,000 families in Onuaboh displaced from their homes by the floods with food items such as rice, beans, yam, noodles, garri and personal hygiene supplies. The effort in the long run would encourage displaced Onuaboh farmers to come back to their community as the flood recedes and start preparing for the next planting season. To this extent, arrangements are in top gear to secure cassava stems, improved yam seedlings, okra, egusi and corn seeds indigenous to the area for those farmers able to return home. We are mobilising and pulling resources together first as a family to honor our father’s wish to help our community and leveraging our contacts, friends, and professional colleagues to help our community recover quickly from this terrible flood disaster. Thus, we are appealing to all men and women of goodwill to assist by donating to the “Chief Joseph Dike Flood Relief Project for Onuaboh GoFundMe account:” https://gofund.me/859e18ad “or pay to Nigerian local account FCMB:1904900011, Mr. Dike said.

The fund-raising effort is already gathering steam. Mr. Festus Dike, an accountant and graduate of University of Lagos (UNILAG) is using his alumni network both in UNILAG and Federal Government College (FGC), Warri to canvass support for the Onuaboh flood relief project and made a personal donation of  N100,000. His classmate at FGC, Warri, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan doled out N100,000 to support the effort. Chick’n Cone, Emory Point, Atlanta, a fast-food restaurant owned and operated by one of Chief Dike’s sons Kingsley Dike is supporting the effort with $1000 as part of its community support programME.  “My Uncle Chief Joseph Dike’s life of community service is very inspiring. He is my hero and if at over 90 years old he still bears not his personal or family burdens but that of the entire Onuaboh and Ndosimili area then who am I to stand on the fence? “Festus Dike said.      He argued that why it is fashionable to begin to assail the government for the plight of the people, the Dike family ethos teach that we do something no matter how little to attempt to salvage the situation and bring a little cheer to people who otherwise have nothing to cheer about during the yuletide season. Christmas is a period of goodwill, and I am asking all men and women of goodwill to help us reach our goal by supporting the effort.

Chief  Dike had always considered himself a humble servant of Onuaboh in Ndokwa East Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State and not their royal father. That is why he used the occasion of his ascension to the throne as the Okpala Uku of Onuaboh community four years ago to advocate for better living conditions for the people.

He had called on the Government to look closely to the living conditions of riverine communities and change the current trajectory of their difficult living conditions of no passable roads, bridges and electricity.

From a very early age, he had served as English interpreter and translator for the elders in their interactions with visiting colonial officials in the 1940s.

Then he was just a brilliant primary school pupil in the Native Authority (NA) Primary School in Onuaboh. He was to emerge a fierce defender and protagonists for the Onuaboh community and the Ndosimili people as a war affected area during the Nigerian Civil War in the 70s. It would be recalled that the Ndokwa area was the scene of intense fighting between the Biafran rebel forces and the Nigerian Army causing widespread devastation, destruction, and displacement of entire communities.

At the height of the conflict with the killing of AGIP foreign oil workers in Okpai and the Biafran invasion of the Midwest region, plans were made to relocate and settle displaced communities from the Ndokwa area in faraway places in Urhobo and Benin division.

Chief Dike led a one-man protest campaigning that the displaced families should not be taken away too far from their ancestral homeland. Through contribution of opinion articles in the lead newspapers of that era, his point of view got the attention of the General Gowon led Federal Military Government and families already taken as far as Ughelli, Benin, Auchi, Uzairue etc were brought back and resettled in Ndokwa town of Obiarukwu. This victory energized the then young schoolteacher who was the Headmaster of Iyiatu LA Primary School in Kwale and led to his appointment as the Chief Refugee Relief Officer for war affected areas. He mobilized public opinion to call for the provision of relief materials particularly food and water for the displaced communities. He contributed to the then ongoing dialogue to prevent starvation that was ravaging the Eastern region from permeating the war affected areas in Midwestern region, particularly the Ndokwa area.

That is why the present plight of his people rankles, it’s like history repeating itself in a way, albeit in a different way. But it is the same issues he confronted and dealt with as refugee relief officer for war affected areas almost 50 years ago (hunger, displace persons, relief supplies, community devastation and refugee crisis and camps) that are still dominating the headlines today.

There is a haunting, eerie, sad, and disappointing feeling about this, Chief Dike said. But, he is quick to add, “I am grateful that this time we are not waiting on the government, I am proud of my own children coming together with their friends and colleagues to rescue a whole community. That they are doing this is a testament that my own life has not been in vain and for this I thank God”.

Dike is a retired United States Army Military Intelligence Analyst. He wrote from Atlanta, USA.

Belief came the way of market women and traders in four markets in Ibadan Oyo State capital as global sports betting and casino brand, 22Bet.ng, inaugurates new borehole and renovates public toilet facilities last week. The markets are Ojoo meat market/Ojoo Lagos Park, Bodija, Bodija Market Iwo Park Garage, Agbowo Park/ University of Ibadan (UI) Student Residential Area, and Apete Market, close to Apete.

The provision of the facilities which was done in partnership with Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board, is part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of 22Bet.ng whose portfolio includes Esports, 22Bet Casino, 22Games among others, to ensure its betting services caters for all punters.

The facilities will, no doubt, provide the needed succour for both the market men and women as well as residents of the communities.

Last September, the sporting firm also provided functional water borehole facilities to two key regions of Ibadan – Moniya Market and Gbagi International Market, a popular market in the heart of state capital, respectively.

Inaugurating the facilities which included brand new generators (one for each of the four facilities), the Director General, Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board, Hon. Olajide Boladuro, commended 22Bet for the facilities, adding that it is something that they’ve always wanted.

“Oyo State Gaming Board is the agency of Oyo State Government, Nigeria, charged with the responsibility of regulating betting, lottery, pools and all gaming activities for the purpose of accountability, improve transparency in the industry, stakeholder’s confidence, revenue generation, and utilising proceeds earned towards good causes and community development. And 22Bet.ng happens to be one of those that are licensed to operate betting or lottery activities in the state.

“22Bet.ng has been different, they have really separated themselves in the sense that in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the community and to Oyo State, it has been doing its utmost. This is not the first project – water borehole and toilets – in Oyo State we are commissioning this year. We have earlier done it in Moniya Market and Gbagi International Market, respectively, and they continue to do it. So when they came and told us that they want to provide more water boreholes and renovate more toilet facilities, it is a welcome development for us.

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“A government cannot always do everything; so as a form of support, it is a laudable and commendable project,”Boladuro said.

He noted that provision of the facilities to the market is very significant because of the environment and sanitisation of the market communities.

“They identified markets that have water borehole and toilet facilities challenges. This project is very significant to the market communities.

“Also, in this administration, one of the things that we are promoting is discouraging open defecation. If we have public toilets where people can use as convenience,it will reduce the menace of open defecation. That is one of the reasons why I am happy to see that they have also renovated toilets here, and they are doing it in other places as well.”

On maintenance, he urged market leaders to promote maintenance culture in their respective markets.

Abdulazeez Musibaudeen Ojasope, who represented the Babaloja of Ojoo Market, Alhaji Abdullai Akanbi, said:

“We thank 22Bet for providing this water borehole facility and brand new generator. We also thank our able governor of Oyo State for this laudable and important project.God will continue to bless them abundantly,”

Iyaloja of Ojoo, Alhaja Fausat Oluwakemi; Akowe Oja, Deaconness Olaide Nureni, and other market leaders, were full of praises and prayers for 22Bet.ng, saying that 22Bet has shown that it is committed to the socio-economic development and well-being of the people and the communities.

Chief Executive Officer, Multiple Hems World Accessories Henry Chekwube Okafor, has been appointed Global Ambassador for Peace under the United Nations Social Development Goals (SDG) Programme and Africa Relief Emergency in Lagos. He was recognised for his contributions to peace keeping and philanthropic act to the less privileged in the society.

According to International Peace Ambassador Kingsley Amafibe, ‘’we are honouring a man whom we believe has shown capacity, strength, courage and  has liberated people and contributed to the development of the society.’

“When his name was sent to United Nations, we did our investigations and discovered that he is an individual who loves to see young people grow. He always wanted to put smiles on the faces of people. We encourage him to do more and people like him with the capacity to help the less privileged in the society should not hesitate to do so because life is for the living and life is for people,” he said.

United Nations representative Prince Uchenna Simon added that the new ambassador has encouraged a lot of people and urged him to do more. He implored the inductee not to rest  on his oars.

Okafor expressed gratitude while he reiterated his dedication to peace keeping duties and philanthropies.  “We are all here today because today is a day that I was given the title Ambassador of Peace, United Nations World-wide. Being a Peace Ambassador, it is all about the world organising for peace. It stands for peace and those who believe in peace and the world recognises that person. Today, United Nations has recognised me as one of their ambassadors in Nigeria and I give glory to God. I accept the award and I am so honoured and grateful to God because it is by His grace that everything has become possible,” he added.

Nollywood filmmaker, Ifeoma Okeke disclosed that the new Ambassador is a friend of the industry and a lover of entertainment who has touched the lives of over 1000 widows positively in her foundation and am happy for his induction as an ambassador of peace. “As individuals, we all need peace and when we have peace, we will give peace out because peace rules the world. He has done a lot of things that has brought development and progress in the society,” he said.

“The idea is to co-opt government more intensely into book matters and get greater input from those in power, so they see the need to invest more in education, particularly books which is believed by many to be grossly inadequate for students and others alike, a situation that has degenerated into what many in the sector call ‘Book Famine’ in the land which they also say must be fought aggressively to avert a major national educational disaster.”

The just-concluded Sterling Leadership Series was marked with several highpoints, chief of which was Africa’s nexus to the global civilisation. The event headlined by United States scholar Prof. Howard French of Columbia University took guests on a journey of how Africa has impacted the success of the Western world. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

The just-concluded Sterling Leadership Series was marked with several highpoints. From Africa’s nexus to the global civilisation to rethinking the future of Africa in the era of the new normal and the unveiling of “A Possible Future”, a book by 46 literary authors on Nigeria – past, present and the future.

Prof. French, who was a guest speaker at the hybrid 4th edition of the Sterling Leadership Series with the theme: Born in Blackness: Truth, Lies and X; over the weekend in Lagos, contended that it was gold from Ghana and slaves from the rest of Africa that served as cheap labour for three and half centuries during the slave trade that made the difference in terms of Europe’s economic prosperity compared to other parts of the world.

The Sterling Leadership Series, which highlighted Africa’s iconic past marked by Westerners discovery of its rich treasurers to what the future holds for Africa.

The leadership series, which is in its fourth edition, has featured notable speakers in past such as Nobel Laureate and poet; Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Minister of Communication and Technology; Dr. Omobola Johnson, and Yaw Sarkoh, former Managing Director and CEO of Unilever Nigeria Plc.

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Sterling Bank, Dapo Martins said: “The Sterling Leadership Series is a platform to bring together a diverse group of opinion leaders and global thinkers to share their views and experiences to shape perspectives on key issues, and inspire others to contribute to the reimagining of a more stable socio-political environment in Nigeria in particular, and the African continent in general.”

Speaking on the inspiration for this year’s theme, Martins said: “As a people, we tend to focus on today as our major challenge,” noting that, “Most Gen X, Millennials and Gen Zs are out of sync with history because the few that are informed have an easy tendency to neglect the actual reasons behind today’s actions, and are conditioned to quickly forget the past. This creates a worrisome loop in which we are set to repeat history’s mistakes, time and time again.”

Prof. French is an author of five books, photographer, former foreign correspondent for the New York Times, a Professor of Journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and has been an instructor since 2008.

He took guests through how Nigerians/Africans, got to where they are, their thinking; and the shift in thinking required to kick-start a better tomorrow today.

Prior to re-entering the ivory towers, Prof. French was an instructor in Cote D’Ivoire in the 1980s before becoming a reporter and international correspondent for the New York Times, where he wrote extensively on West and Central Africa.

According to Prof. French, who first visited Nigeria in 1977 and in the ’80s, Africa provided gold and cheap labour, in the form of slaves, for the transformation of Europe into a prosperous and economic zone in the 19th century. He focused his speech on what Africa has given to the world, especially the Western world.

He argued that it was Africa’s wealth and labour that enabled the settlement of the Western Hemisphere and ensured the transformation of that part of the world into a prosperous economic zone. In addition, he contended that it was gold from Ghana and slaves from the rest of Africa that served as cheap labour for three and half centuries during the slave trade that made the difference in terms of Europe’s economic prosperity compared to other parts of the world, adding that remarked that the enslavement of Africans was the basis of economic life in Barbados, which the British took over in 1630.

“Without Africans, the prosperity of Europe would never have happened on the scale it is today. Europe would have been a minor player in the history of the modern world. It is Africa and its people that made the difference for Europe. Recently, I was working on my book so I decided to do some research on the 15th century and I discovered how the Europeans, Portuguese especially, have spent a lot of that century on engaging the Africans and trying to build a relationship with them.  The Portuguese interest in Africa began when they were struggling economically and they sailed through the sea and discovered Africa. They were the first to discover gold in Africa before they moved to Brazil because they were the earliest explorers. They were followed by the Spanish while the British were late comers to territorial expansion in Africa.

“The French, looking at the English, would say we can’t let the English run away with all of this black wealth. We have to do this too. And so the French came looking for what’s left in the Caribbean and this is how they got hold of Martinique and Guadeloupe, which are also known today as the Eastern Caribbean. England couldn’t challenge Spain directly in naval terms because it didn’t have the wealth and power that Spain had but it caught up with the other countries with the help of Africans that were taken as slaves to grow sugar in Brazil,” French, who had worked with the New York Times as a foreign correspondent, said.

Expressing his love for the nation, he admitted that there are a lot of changes since his first visit in 1977 and in the ’80s, and noted that to change the people’s mindset bothers on how we tell our story and how our people connect with the story. According to him, Nigerians have to invest more in educating their people than religion. Education of high quality will make people take religion seriously without force. “Every young person without a quality education is a liability for the country in the future. Nigeria has large numbers of smart, intelligent youths that the leaders need to invest in to attain that height they crave.” he said.

The 411-page book: A Possible Future, which covers the period from 1789 to 2018, was curated to preserve the gems of Nigeria’s literary history, promote a reading culture in the country, according to the organsers. It features some of the best works of 46 Nigerian literary authors, including Olaudah Equiano, D.O. Fagunwa, Gabriel Okara, Cyprian Ekwensi, Obotunde Ijimere, Chinua Achebe, Duro Ladipo, Chukwuemeka Ike, Christopher Okigbo, Elechi Amadi, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, J.P. Clark-Bekederemo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Isidore Okpewho, Mobolaji Adenubi, Buchi Emecheta, Femi Osofisan, Niyi Osundare, Tanure Ojaide, Odia Ofeimun and Ben Okri, among others.