The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • Lagos Global on TV to make its debut soon

    Lagos Global on TV to make its debut soon

    Lagos Global on TV, a new television programme designed to promote Lagos investment opportunities in development and emerging economies, will soon hit the television screen. It will run for 26 weeks. The programme, which is expected to make its debut on Lagos Television (LTV)) and Television Continental (TVC), is also to inform the people on the state’s drive for investment. At the recording, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode speaks on the content of the programme, how to improve on the ease of doing business and the relevance of Lagos Global to driving investments to the state. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME, who was there writes.

    What is the administration’s vision in the state’s drive for foreign investment?

    First, Lagos State has received more foreign direct investment in the last 16 months than in the last 10 years. And the vision of the administration is to make Lagos safer, cleaner and more prosperous for doing business. We are putting in place a 24/7 one-stop investment structure. We are running on a tripod of security, job creation and infrastructural renewal.

    If Lagos is safe, more businessmen will do business and more investments will come to Lagos, thereby creating more jobs and growing our Gross Domestic Products (GDP).

    What is the relevance of Lagos Global to all of these?

    When I won the election, one of my priorities was to see how to improve on the ease of doing business in Lagos and I also believe that we need to carry out some kind of public sector reforms to drive the vision, which we had actually set for ourselves and we needed to also have a kind of structure and institutional framework that would drive the vision.

    But we decided to come up with the Office of Oversees Affairs and Investment, otherwise known as Lagos Global. It is designed to serve as one-stop shop to facilitate local and international investments.

    How is the administration handling issues of credibility, transparency and use of technology to provide access to government?

    The state is willing to partner any investor that would add value to the people. Primarily, our business is to create enabling environment for business to thrive. We can sometimes waive some charges like land charges, depending on how impactful the investment is to the people of the state. This administration has deployed technology to bring about seamless service delivery while scaling up the identity card scheme for data, economic and financial planning.

    But, we need infrastructure to make it happen. We are limited by resources and we cannot increase taxes, but with more funds from taxes, we can do better. The N25billion Empowerment Trust Fund is not for big investors but SMEs and the youth.  Our ID card project will be for planning and accessing government services. The contract has been awarded. However, we need to know the real census figure of the state as well as those going in and out of the state.

    There is no government money anywhere. What we get as tax is what we use to create services. The more efficiently we collect the taxes, and the more willingness of the people to pay, the better for us. I urge investors to see Lagos is on the rise and the future of Nigeria rests in her commercial capital, which is Lagos.

     

    What are the reforms in transport and judicial sectors?

    Reforms in the transport sector have reduced travel time, thereby making Lagosians more productive. Again, our civil service has been very responsible. Our judicial sector reform has been effective with the rule of law respected. Investors are coming in droves and what we have put in the last 16 months is more than what has been done in the last 10 years.

    What is your energy security?

    We need energy security to protect the investment. We are in talk with the DISCOs to come up with a new roadmap. But I don’t want to pre-empt the advisory committee report on that. Energy security of our economy is the way to go.

     

  • Shattered revisits girl-child abuse

    Shattered revisits girl-child abuse

    To mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, the Performing Arts Workshop and Studios (PawStudios) and the Festival Director of the Lagos Theatre Festival, Kenneth Uphopho, supported by Temple Production Foundation and Eko Hotel, staged Shattered. The play is meant to revisit the social menace – rape.

    Starring Jide Kosoko, Bola Haastrup, AMVCA award-winning actress Bikiya Graham-Douglas, Goodness Emmanuel, Tomi Odunsi and Patrick Diabuah Shattered portrays the pressures from the family, institution and peers that triggers the culture of silence in the aftermath of rape and sexual assault, particularly on women and girls.

    The six-man cast in the play were symbolic. Each character represented the key participants in a typical rape scenario. The play centres around a young lady, “Lovette”, who was raped by Uncle Dave, played by Kosoko.

    “Lovette” was played by Emmanuel, a lawyer. In the play, Uncle Dave was the husband of her mother’s friend, “Nneka” played by Graham- Douglas. Uncle Dave became their benefactor after her father died. Her mother, named “Folake” and “Mama Lovette” in the play, was played by Haastrup. Patrick Diabuah acted “Pastor”, while “Nancy”, Lovette friend, was played by “Odunsi”.

    The play, which was staged at the Presidential Suite of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, questions the culture of silence and the society’s complacency on rape. The venue for the two-day performance gave it its uniqueness.

    The play, which accommodated 40 people per performance, incorporated the audience in the show. One got the feel of being part of the performance as the cast went about their business around the suites.

    “This was deliberate,” the producer, Brenda Uphopho, said. “We wanted people to get the feel of being part of the performance – as if it was happening around them.”

    While examining series of events that happen after a rape occurred, it forces society to re-examine the issue, and urges victims of sexual assault to break the silence.

    According to the producers, ‘combined statistics from the Mirabel Centre, Amnesty International and the United Nations show an increase (21.7 per cent) in both reported and non-reported cases of rape’. “This must not continue. It is in this light that we decided to propagate breaking the silence on this scourge.”

    Shattered is based on a story written by Bode Asiyanbi that was entered into the story writing competition for the BBC, and adapted into a play by the critically acclaimed theatre director Mr Uphopho.

    This award-winning play was first premiered at the British Council, Lagos Theatre Festival in 2013, and again last year with a question and answer session afterwards that provoked widespread advocacy leading to the hash tag #BreakTheSilence both on social media and other news platforms.

    According to the director, the two-day performance was kick-starting a national tour in the six geo-political zones.

    “It is also part of the launch of the Friendship programme for the is a rape centre based in Lagos State.”

     

  • Celebrating 50 years of Joop Berkhout in Nigeria

    Celebrating 50 years of Joop Berkhout in Nigeria

    He came to Nigeria in his 30s. He stayed on for scholarship and publishing sakes and became known as the ‘publisher of publishers’. The Chairman, Safari Books Ltd., Chief Joop Berkhout is 50 years in Nigeria. Intellectuals gathered to celebrate his golden feat at the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Lagos. EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

    It was a day of reminiscences and tributes. A day Nigeria’s highbrow thronged the Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Lagos to celebrate Chief Joop Berkhout,  chairman of Safari Books Ltd.

    Tagged: Encounter with Joop Berkhout, the high-profile event was attended by many dignitaries. Many praised his passion for Nigeria, the education and publishing sectors.

    He is a man with a wealth of wonderful memories, which guests attested to.

    To former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Chief Berkhout is a rich repertoire of knowledge about Nigeria.

    To the wife of the late Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, he was her “husband’s surety during her traditional ‘’wine carrying” ceremony.

    Latter Rain Church founder Pastor Tunde Bakare, called him a “grand old man who you can count on his words”.

    The event’s convener, Prof Anthony Kila, said Berkhout’s attainment of  the milestone of 50 years in Nigeria’s publishing sector was a feat worth celebrating. The event was part of a series of events themed: The creatives, initiated by the centre, in contributing to building a society that appreciates and celebrates its creative minds.

    He said: “As “The Creatives” , we have a story to tell. I feel we are here today to be part of history. There is no better way to start than with the person we are starting with today – Chief Berkhout. Here is someone who started publishing in Nigeria 50 years ago, who has shaped the idea of writing and writers.

    “He is someone, who has set a standard. He also someone who has done what many people cannot do, which is to move very fluidly from one company to the other (Evans, Spectrum Books to Safari Books), and to be consistent. He stayed when others left. He is the doyen of publishing in Nigeria, a chief of Ife, the Okun Borode of of Ile-Ife, the great mentor, welcome Chief Joop Berkhout.”

    Born in Amsterdam, Berkhout, 86, is a naturalised Nigerian, who has been christened the “doyen in the publishing world “, because he gave Nigeria’s publishing a new direction.

    He has headed Evans, Spectrum and now Safari Books. He was the founding Managing Director of Evans Brothers in 1967, established Spectrum Books Ltd. in 1978 and retired in 2008, and now chairs Safari Books Ltd.

    Having spent 50 years in Nigeria’s publishing sector, giving his best to the development of scholarship and the book industry, Berkhout has remained an inspiration to many. Berkhout, who has many publications to his credit, has trained several publishers who are doing well in the industry.

    Spectrum Books Executive Chairman, Chief Soladayo Ogunniyi, is one. The event, according to Ogunniyi, was apt. He stressed that the celebrator was also well-deserving of the accolades. He recalled that Berkhout mentored and guided him not only into publishing the first book on social sciences in Nigeria, but into the world of publishing as well.

    He said: “Out of the 50 years that Berkhout has spent in Nigeria, 45 years out of it, we were together. I was teaching Social Studies at the Government College, Ibadan when, as a publisher, he encouraged me to write. I wrote the first Social Studies textbook and it became successful. The first salary I earned was bigger than my annual salary.

    “He is a workaholic, he has proved to me that the stronger you are, the more energy you put in your work, the longer you live. This is the most interesting man to work with. He trains you to be yourself and for the future, he trains you to work hard. He is a man to learn from.”

    Berkhout has since received several awards for his contributions to the promotion of the  publishing and educational sectors, including a national honour, Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and the Silverbird Lifetime Achievement Award.

     

    Reminiscences and tributes

    With this in mind, it was no surprise that guests, made up of his close friends and well-wishers, spoke fondly of him. It was, indeed, a day of reckoning for the “doyen of publishing”. He was there with his son, Mr George Berkhout, Safari Books Executive Director.

    Berkhout, the celebrator, was all smiles, but maintained a business stance, as he fielded questions from guests and  seasoned journalist Bode Modupe who steered the conversations.

    Berkhout seemed excited to share from his many nuggets of wisdom, which young bright the minds would find particularly useful. His modest personality and confidence paved way for the smooth conversation that followed.

    Expectedly, Berkhout spoke about how  many things have changed from the Nigeria he came into in the 60s. He was particular about the educational system and reading culture,  lamenting the decline in general knowledge and standards. He blamed the downward trend in the education sector on the failure of leadership and commitment of educators and students He called for more support for the publishing and education sectors.

    He said: “When I came here in 1966, Nigeria was a country known for reading and writing. The primary students in my days were employable, they knew the sum, they could write, read, but now the primary school students are illiterates; even the secondary school students are illiterates.”

    Praising Berkhout’s efforts and commitment to scholarship, guests named him a “pacesetter”, “rich reservoir of knowledge”, “successful and savvy businessman”, and “motivator, mentor”.

    According to Chief Anyaoku, Nigeria owes it to Berkhout to recognise his contributions to intellectualism, urging leaders to do more in encouraging reading and writing.

    “My tribute to Chief Berkhout is to affirm and stress his huge contributions to the intellectual life of our country. I realised how very knowledgeable Berkhout is in the affairs of this country The name Joop Berkhout came up after my memoir was published by Evans Brothers, while I was in England. When I returned, we had a common friend, Pius Okigbo, and it was at his burial in Anambra that I realised how very knowledgeable Berkhout is in the affairs of this country, and his deep interest in education. We’ve read many books published by Safari Book,” Chief Anyaoku: said.

    While commending Berkhout’s passion for Nigeria, Pastor Bakare observed that unlike most natural-born Nigerians, Nigeria was actually “born inside Berkhout and this has made his passion glow more that many born Nigerians”.

    He said: “The first time I set my eyes on him was in my home. He came to review Accidental Public Servant with my brother and Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai. I missed narrowly your 85th birthday. It is a joy to be here, to see you going on and waxing strong after 50 years of what could be a frustrating work environment. You have a made a different.

    “When Chief called me last night, but again, he said, “bring along your manuscript”. I said, “I am not bringing you any manuscript when you are celebrating your golden Jubilee of pioneering publishing.

    “Like many said, being born in a country does not make you love that country. A nation that is not married by our sons and daughters will be raped by outsiders. Thank you for being a Nigerian by choice.”

    Mrs Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted : “So many young people today read because of him.” She praised Berkhout’s commitment, recalling that her late husband referred to him as a “detribalised Nigerians”.

    “My own experience: I was in the living room with my husband when one of the aides brought a piece of paper to inform him that a guest was there to see him…That was my first introduction to Berkhout, who I was to find out, became through our 21 years, a very devouted friend. As a matter of fact, he was there at my wedding. At my traditional “wine carrying” ceremony, he was my husband’s surety, a mixture of best man and father. So, if anything was to happen to me, he was to be held responsible.

    “When my husband was sick, he visited him in the hospital four good times. He would sit there for hours. When my father died, he was there with us every step of the way. He flew in, spent three days or more with us. Also, when my mother died, he was engaged but still managed to find time to come down to Enugu to commiserate with me and stayed throughout the ceremony.

    “I appreciate so many things and the fact that whenever I worked into my husband’s study, there were so many things in the study that point to the relationship he had with you. I remember you always tried to ask him about what you called the book. All the time, you would ask. And my husband would say to me, if Joop doesn’t publish my book, it would probably never be published because I won’t write it. I would just like to say, you have displayed very rare type of commitment not just to him but to Nigeria. Thank you for choosing to stay with us; for being with us through thick and thin.”

    The A-list guests included Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, represented by former Ekiti State, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Eniola Ajayi; The News, PM News  Executive Editor, Mr Kunle Ajibade; founder, Chrisland Schools, Dr Winifred Adefolahan Awosika; Prof Charles Aworh; Chief Gladys Ani and  Mr Chudi Offodile.

    Others were MUSON Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Gboyega Banjo, a former Executive Director of Spectrum Books; Dr Awosika; Prof Hauwa Imam; Elder Nathaniel Okoro, and Dr Umar Farouk.

     

  • Women, vessels and power

    Women, vessels and power

    Heard of the clause, ‘Playing in the big waters?’ This captures the story of Nigerian female ship owners, who are beating down all barriers to make an impact in an otherwise turbulent terrain. Yetunde Oladeinde and Omolara Akintoye profile the exploits of four amazons in Nigeria’s maritime industry.

    You need perseverance to succeed in export business

    Barrister Margaret Onyema Orakwusi is a big player in the sector and is currently at the helm of affairs at the Ship Owners Forum, which comprises two organisations: the Ship owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) and NISA came together early this year and collectively agreed to form a common umbrella. They comprised ship owning companies with proven track records of activities recognised by upstream and downstream sectors of the industry.

    The forum was therefore set up to facilitate participation of Nigerian ship owners in international fora on shipping matters through effective representation. It also works and strategises to maintain good relations with the government and Maritime authorities by contributing expertise in formulating policies and regulations on national and maritime activities.

    Even though Orakwusi has seen and conquered all there is in the sector, she believes that the challenges are enormous. “I wanted a new vessel that I can name after my mother, Queen Odoh. I wanted something special to keep her memory alive; I started by getting the deal done and monitoring everything personally. I went through all the processes and ended up having a vessel, a vessel that is sheer beauty from bottom to top. It is a new vessel, I didn’t buy second-hand and it took me two years to do this. I built it in the United States and the vessel came to Nigeria this January. Now, over six months after, I am yet to send that vessel to sea.”

    The Amazon continues: “It took us months to register from the Transport Ministry. It took months and until I walked into a conference where I saw the the minister and asked questions before things began to move. I told him how long we had been at it and he sprung into action. Fortunately, the registrar of ships was there and he said to him, ‘Did you hear what Madam Margaret is saying?’ When they call me Madam Margaret like that, then you know war has started. He gave them 48 hours to register that vessel and get back to him. I won’t tell you the rest of the story.”

    Having crossed that hurdle, Orakwusi says that what other ship owners are doing is to register the vessels in other countries in Europe and even Liberia.  “In other countries, it is done within 24 hours; maximum 48 hours. This is not a second-hand vessel and there should not be a problem. So, what have I done wrong?”

    And then she faced another hurdle. “I now needed to have a fishing license, and they kept giving excuses; but I just didn’t want to talk to the minister again. When I fight, everybody fights along. I am telling you all this, to let you know that you have to persevere if you want to go into export business. It also took one another while, but let me not bother you with the details. Then I wanted something to do with the Ministry of Finance and I called my sister and she broke down the hurdle. In less than 48 hours, the minister approved it and we were happy but the director sat on it. He was not even going to confirm the approval to us and after one month, we went in search. It took some intervention before I got it out.”

    Orakwusi is therefore of the opinion that making the business environment more friendly and effective would go a long way in making life better for everyone. “My question is why all the stress? Why the entire hurdle? Why do I have to bring a ship and wait for so long? At a point, I had to tell the American crew that brought the ship to go back to their country. They were here for seven months and the ship had not started earning income. I was busy paying and it didn’t make sense. It is important for everyone to come together and break all the hurdles. Things do not happen like this in other countries. You cannot just sit down there saying that you want diversification and people are building blocks you cannot penetrate.”

    The grave consequence of experiencing uncertainty in the sector, like every other sector, is unemployment of the young ones across the country. “You cannot even employ and because of the lack of employment for our children, you can see the rate of crime. The hearts of many are bleeding; you spend so much money on the education of children; you expect them to come back to Nigeria and you have nothing to offer them. It is you and I that should create employment. By the time you start your business and it is successful, it would have a multiplier effect. I have friends today who have employed more than 2000 people, they are like you and I.”

  • ANA: A conclave of many tongues

    ANA: A conclave of many tongues

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has just turned 35years.  Formed in 1981, ANA has come to remain the highest intellectual writers’ group in Nigeria.  During its just concluded international convention held in Abuja, a lot of new issues were discussed.  Edozie Udeze reports.

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has indeed come of age.  That was what this year’s International Convention of the association set to establish during the just concluded 35th anniversary gathering of its members in Abuja, the nation’s capital.  Formed in 1981 by the first generation of Nigerian writers in led by Chinua Achebe, and the like, the idea was basically to have an intellectual body whose role is to establish a voice for all Nigerian writers.  In the main, ANA has been up to this ideal in terms of attracting and nurturing writers in all the genres of literature in Nigeria and beyond.

    Today, as it celebrated its 35th anniversary, emphasis was placed on ensuring that the spirit of ANA does not die and that writers must continue to look inwards at the socio political and other problems of the nation for their sources, plots, stories and criticisms.

    This was why the keynote lecture this year which was delivered by Professor Isidore Diala of the Imo State University dwelt on re-contextualizing African literature for the African renaissance with close attention on emergent realities, trends and strategies for the 21st century.  Beyond praising those who raised the bar for Nigerian writings to thrive, Diala, a renowned critic and academic, insisted that ANA must exist to write profound stories to help the society.  “It is the responsibility of every committed writer to see his role as corrective.  We have to rise to the occasion.  We have to tackle issues of our immediate environment as they unfold.  This is why owe it to ourselves to continue to engage in discourse on myriad of problems that beset the society.  A writer’s work often depends on his temperament.  We have stories of our traditional elements and other issues.  In all, literature can influence all we do depending on how we handle our works.  Elsewhere, it is used to correct political imbalance.  It is an anathema of some sort”, he said.

    He therefore called on writers to continue to write to immortalize their progenitors, those who lived to see these glorious moments for Nigerian literature.  “The names of the founding fathers cannot be allowed to disappear.  It is our duty now to hold strongly to the doctrines of writing which they laboured so much to entrench”.  His lecture gave insight into what must be done to improve the literary issues to make them more relevant and strategic for the 21st century needs of the society.

    The special guest of honour, Mrs. Nneoma Okorocha, wife of the Imo State governor, drew applause when she empathically announced that she did not only attend as a special guest, but as a member of ANA, Imo State chapter.  An author of many books, Okorocha, said “Yes the theme of this conference is apt and relevant to the present economic and political situations we face today.  For us, literature is part of life, it is an embodiment of our whole existence.  As Africans we have to tackle all the issues that pertain to us.  And it is the role of writers to bring these issues to limelight.  It is through the messages we convey that both the leaders and the led will understand what obtains in our midst.  The past has to be properly documented through our efforts as writers.  With time, our leaders will have to refer to our works as reference points”.

    She, nonetheless, berated some leaders whom she said no longer have time to read.  “Time was when leaders had books in their homes.  These books helped them to read to know more about those they lead.  But then we also owe it to ourselves and to the people to write books that have substance; books that have values to help us move forward.  In this way, we will ensure that history does not die.  Therefore, this conference is a step in the right direction.  We should not then be discouraged from doing the right thing to continue to promote literature in the 21st century and beyond”, she said, as she read excerpts from two of her poems.

    For Senator Shehu Sani, representing Kaduna Central in the Upper Chamber and who was also the chief host of the conference, it was good to have the conference in the capital city of Nigeria so that people would be offered the opportunity to savour the aura of authors and what they project.  He said, “I am delighted to be the host.  It is a memorable occasion, very important indeed to honour and promote the dreams of the founding fathers of ANA.   The ideals of ANA are sound and penetrating.  We know that times are hard but it is when times are like this that the writer is at his best.  We know it is not easy in times of recession to bring people together like this.  But to show how resilient you have become you still made efforts to attend,” Sani said, in a way of encouragement.

    A human rights activist and writer of immense proportion, he went on further, “we should know and realize that writers are always important components of our history.  Today the name ANA is a household name.  It is therefore time for us to leverage on that name and importance to move forward and add more values to our society.  Our writings have to place emphasis on what we live with, who we are and much more.  It is the role of writers to take positions and then make submissions that can enhance the lots of the people and government.”

    Sani, known for his unambiguous stand on issues of racial segregation of all kinds, said, “We should not diminish the interest of literature, but what then do we do to revive the interest of the younger generation of Nigerians in this regard?  It is our responsibility first and foremost, to revive this interest.  It is time to stop their total reliance on social media.  We have to show them that it is what you have acquired that you feed into the computer.  If you are empty, of course, your knowledge is totally limited.  Even our past leaders spoke eloquently and made references to writers because they were knowledgeable about them.  But what do we have these days,” he asked, noting, “often our leaders contract people to write their works for them.  Yet most of them do not know what are contained in those books.  This is not good enough,” he said.

    Leaders who want to lead well, Sani warned, should have well-stocked libraries at home.  Not only that, they should have time to read, study and understand the people well.  “It is no longer moments to launch books which were not necessarily written by those whose names appear on them.  It is time to be serious.  Ghost authorship should be discouraged so that people would know that the issue of authorship is a serious affair.  Therefore let us not feel that doing the right things is no longer the proper way to go,” he admonished all, as he relished in his traditional smiles.

    The large turnout of members and participants this year was unprecedented.  The auditorium of the Women Development Centre, Abuja, venue of the conference was indeed a beehive of activities as writers defied the economic hardship of the nation to honour ANA at 35.  This was why in his welcome address, the ANA president, Mallam Denja Abdullahi enthused thus, “We are happy today that the ideas espoused by our progenitors in this association are still intact.  ANA was established to curry for an egalitarian society by the likes of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka.  The dreams are still on as we can witness today”.

    As writers, Abdullahi reiterated the need for members to write to defend the oppressed and the downtrodden.  “We have therefore a role to play here both collectively and individually.  When we do this, we’ll help to move the society on and make more progress.  As writers we have to re-examine ourselves, the role we play, to see if we are on the right track.  It is our resolve in joining hands to build a better society”, he said.

    Those present included Jerry Agada, Femi Osofisan, Wale Okediran, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Camillus Ukah and many more from different strata of the society.  The three day event saw writers hobnobbing and exchanging ideas for further discourse.  A lot of new books which were on display should the vibrancy of the sector.  Even as publishers now make publishing a lot more herculean, authors still device their own means of publishing their books thereby keeping the book and literary sector ever aglow.

  • Post Office: Dead and buried?

    Post Office: Dead and buried?

    Esther Njoku  asks: ‘What next for the Post Office,’ as she reminisces on the good old institution and how technology has literally robbed it of all its responsibilities.

    Once upon a time, the world could not do without the post office. Then it was a beehive of activities and a great player in the socio-economic life of nations. Virtually all forms of communications (outside TV, radio and newspapers) were done via the post office. Whether you wanted to send a business letter, job application letter, love letter to one’s sweetheart; even short quick messages, such as telegrams, telex or faxes; locally or internationally, the post office was always the place to go. Even some radio and television messages and greetings were done indirectly via post offices.

    Some newspapers and magazines (subscription) also got distributed via the post offices. Same for distant and international retail purchases, where products were ordered via mail correspondences and received via post  pretty much like the current day online purchasing.  Students in schools also received money from their parents and benefactors, through post offices.  Post offices also serve as retail points for examinations forms such as JAMB etc.

    Yes, back then the importance of the post office could not be over-emphasised.

    But things are different now. With all the inventions and technological  advancements, which have led to newer, faster and more efficient ways of communication and messaging, the post office seems to have become a mere relic of those days, or an institution fast racing into extinction. It has almost totally been replaced by the internet, with its various forms of messaging such as emails, text messages (SMS), facebook, twitter, whatsapp, linkedin, Instagram…; such that the buildings now lie fallow and the workers now go there to loaf.  In fact, for children born just before the turn of this millennium or right after, the above narratives may well read like some folk tales.

    It is for this reason that The Nation visited some post offices. What exactly still goes on in these (post) offices? Is it true that the workers now have nothing to do? If not, what activities or patronages do they still get?

    Isolo NIPOST

    The Isolo Post Office is tucked away in a corner beside the Mushin-Isolo fly-over, not too far from the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway by Iyana-Isolo Bus Stop, Lagos. But you ordinarily wouldn’t notice it – except if you’ve always known or happen on it by some dint of luck. The building itself looked worn-out and not exactly welcoming. The space, which housed the post office, also housed an eatery and a cybercafé.

    For a moment, it was a bit difficult to determine if the post office itself had any staff of its own because its section looked desolate and did not appear busy in any way. Almost stranded, this reporter eventually located a security man, who showed her into the post office’s office, where she learnt that the manager was busy and wouldn’t be able to speak with her. Another official however agreed to talk, albeit, reluctantly.

    The official, who pleaded for anonymity, insisted that the post office was surviving and thriving well despite the advancement in technology and the various instant messaging methods. If not, she argued that they (post office staff) would not be there.

    When asked how busy they were on a normal day, she insisted that they’re always very busy. It must however be said that this reporter, throughout her visit to this post office didn’t notice any customer come in or leave. In fact, the atmosphere did not signal any kind of activity.

    Ironically, she insisted that “people still post lots of letters every day, so much so that it is difficult to keep track of them.”

    Interestingly, when asked if she had any suggestions on how to increase patronage and get young people to use the post office, she promptly suggested that young people, especially students could use the post office by sending and receiving their school transcripts. She added that should they cultivate the habit of posting letters once in a while, things would be a lot better for the post offices.

    Aspamda NIPOST

    At the Aspamda post office along Badagry Expressway, Lagos, there was a bit of activity. Located in the heart of the busy market, one could say that this post office was slightly busy on the occasion of this reporter’s visit. She also got a warm welcome from the manager, who insisted that she addressed her as Mrs. Akpan, as against the officious ‘madam’.

    She revealed that the crop of people who use the post office these days are mostly businessmen. She said, “We have the private box, business box and company box; but the most actively used are the business boxes.”

    She explained that this is so because businessmen do business on a daily basis with their business partners overseas and hence cannot do without the post office, as they use it to send and receive goods from states within Nigeria and abroad.

    Unlike in the past, she explained that the Private Mail Box (PMB), meant for individuals is now rarely used and hence no longer as active.

    Speaking on how busy a normal day can get and how much the instant messaging technologies have affected the (post office) business, she said, “We are still busy and active regardless of whatsapp, yahoo and other instant messaging technologies, because it is not all documents that can be sent through phones.” She conceded though that people don’t post much letters these days like in the past. “Most young people do not use the post office because they feel it is too slow, but we do have the fast way like EMS Speed and it could be suitable and adequate for young people.”

    FESTAC NIPOST

    The manager at FESTAC post office however thinks there are lots of misconceptions about the post office.

    Mr Raymond, as he introduced himself, said, “People have the wrong idea about post offices. It is not just for sending letters; it is for a whole lot of other things. There are so many things that cannot be sent over your phone or online, such as hard copies of documents.”

    He insisted that the post office remains a facility for everyone.

    But on how busy they get on a normal day, the manager smiled and said, “We are busy but not that busy.”

    On why young people of today don’t seem to reckon with the post office that much anymore, he said “When I was younger, there was no young person who didn’t know about the post office. It was extremely important because it was an avenue to purchase JAMB forms and the likes, but it is not like that anymore.

    “Now, the banks have taken over. They sell the various exam forms and people even prefer to go to the banks because they are more efficient and accountable.”

    He also revealed that the post office once had a section, where people sent emails when it first surfaced. “But then the rights were sold out to everyone and it became less lucrative, hence we had to drop it.”

     On business efficiency, he said there were other avenues the post office could delve into to make it more profitable and lucrative, but which are yet to be explored due to bureaucracy and red-tapism. For instance, he said the post office could delve into cybercafé business.

    About the stamp duty regime introduced by the federal government recently, he disagreed that it is a way of creating revenue generation for the post office. He said: “The stamp duty is a source of revenue to the government and it was not introduced because the post offices are not making money, because for every transaction that we make – whether home or abroad, we make our money. Post offices don’t just send letters; they also send goods to and from the country.

    Mr Raymond is however optimistic that the post office may yet return to its glory days, with proper and effective planning.

    The proposed NIPOST Bank

    Recently the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu made a proposal to the president about creating a NIPOST Bank. The bank, he said, will serve the banking needs of those residing in the rural areas.

    Should this be accepted, it means the post office will soon return to its busy days and prosperous days, as it will no longer serve as just a post office but also as a bank.

    The idea of a post office doubling as a bank is however not strange. The Nation can authoritatively reveal that in Japan, the biggest bank happens to be a post office bank; hence this might just be the much needed turn-around Nigerian post offices need.

  • Guild of Dancers inaugurates new EXCO

    The Guild of Nigerian Dancers, GOND, has inaugurated its new executive members.

    The new executive, with ace dancer, Dayo Liadi as president was elected last June.

    Speaking on the occasion, Liadi, who was beside himself with joy, promised to chart a new and prosperous course for the guild.

    He therefore impressed on members of the guild to see the power of unity among them as a force, which can only make the new executive members serve them better during their tenure.

    Ijo Dee, as he is fondly called, said the executive members will establish stronger governance and set a policy to improve the working condition of dancers in the country.

    He promised that the new administration under his watch would create a functional decentralised structure to accommodate all dancers and different style of dancing steps represented in Nigeria.

    He paid compliment to the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Professionals (NANTAP), which he described as GOND’s parent body and whose president, Adeniran Makinde was also present, for its support and for standing by GOND during the election.

    He said: “We are delighted that for the very first time after a long time, all dancers in Nigeria are sitting together under one roof for a meeting.”

     He assured the members of plans to a set foundation for the welfare and earning standard of dancers, so that the dancing profession can also become lucrative in Nigeria.

    He said the efforts of dancers represent the growing fame of the musical sector of the entertainment industry in Nigeria, stating that ‘without us, they are nothing’.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the president of NANTAP, Makinde Adeniran, who described the event as ‘inauguration of a new beginning’, tasked all art practitioners in Nigeria to keep rebuilding.

  • Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink

    Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink

    Title: Lagos Water Crisis: Alternative roadmap for public water sector
    Author: Akinbode Oluwafemi, etc
    Publishers: Environmental Rights Action/Friends
    of the Earth-Nigeria
    Date: October 2016
    Pages: 56
    Reviewer: Chido Onumah

    Favour, 15, and her four siblings live with their parents in a two-room apartment in Bariga, a suburb formerly under Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos State, but now a Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of its own. Like in other places, the taps in the building have gone dry for years, and so is the public tap down the street erected by the government to meet the water needs of the people in the area. So they are forced to buy water from mai ruwa, the ubiquitous water vendors who have become a permanent feature of life serving the needs of the people in virtually every community in the State.

    But most of the time the family can’t afford the vendors, so she and her brother, Tomi, 13, would pick up the jerrycans to go search for water for the use of the household before they go to school. To get enough water every morning, they have to do three trips each. And when they return from school, after homework, the other major preoccupation is to go look for water.

    Almost on a daily basis, they live with the stress of pounding the streets with adults and early teens like themselves who are routinely roused from sleep before dawn by their parents to go and fetch water, not just for drinking and cooking, but also for other domestic needs for which the commodity is required. This is the depressing spectacle that is common in the coastal city of Lagos, a dreamy landscape of over 21 million residents

    Snuggled in the caressing coolness of the lagoon and the Gulf of Guinea, Lagos is the fabled city of water; water everywhere, yet in a disarming twist of cruel irony, its residents, especially low-income earners that form the bulk of the population, have no access to water. Thank God for mai ruwa. What would have happened without the intervention of this itinerant group of resilient economic hustlers whose main source of water supply are the boreholes and water tankers? Of course, this acute water shortage has severe consequences, including compromised sanitation and the impoverishment of Lagosians.

    It is this embarrassing dilemma bedeviling the city that the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria seeks to address in its latest audacious report entitled, Lagos Water Crisis: Alternative Roadmap for Efficient Water Sector. A tour de force of no mean reckoning, the 56-page report (including references) is at once an eye-opener—a sobering, reflective and penetrating excursion into the stark profile of public water utility in Africa’s most populous city. Thankfully, while it paints an ugly picture of this sector, this document also offers a ray of hope.

    The content page has seven sub-headings and kicks off with the executive summary that outlines the aim of the report, which includes charting a pathway out of the Lagos water problem, highlighting the impact and reasons why the current water system is not working, offering blueprints from around the world that would suit the Lagos situation and making concrete proposals that can be exploited in the interim, as well as continuously by the Lagos State government and the Lagos State Water Corporation.

    According to the report, Lagos is responsible for more than 60 percent of industrial and commercial activities in Nigeria. The Lagos State Water Supply Master plan estimates daily water demand in the city at 540 million gallons per day (MGD) and production by the Lagos State Water Corporation at 210 MGD. It says, however, that the Corporation’s website lists total production capacity at only 163 MGD. By 2020, water demand is expected to reach 733 GMD.

    The report opens a rare insight into the health and economic implications of the Lagos water crisis. It notes that since water and sanitation are crucial factors in public health, the impact of water crisis on public health is grave. “Indeed, it puts the State’s booming population at risk of diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhea and salmonellosis, in addition to escalating cases of typhoid and malaria fever,” the report observes gravely.

    Quoting Dr. Jide Idris, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, it recalls that in February 2016, 25 children in Otodo Gbame, in Ikate Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the State died after drinking the community’s pathogen-infected water. Unfortunately, many houses are currently serviced by boreholes. The dangers of drinking such water, it is says, include long-term exposure to toxins. Also quoting a 2012 report published in Resources and Environment, the report says some borehole water samples examined in Lagos contained high concentration of the heavy metals lead and cadmium at levels above the World Health Organisation (WHO) maximum acceptable concentration (MAC). It warns that only adequate water treatment could help control heavy metal exposure.

    On the economic consequences of water shortage, the report notes that the high cost of sourcing water has made Lagos residents poorer. It notes, “The average family could use up to seven or eight jerrycans daily, which translates to N10,000 to N17,000 monthly in a nation where the middle class average family income is N75,000-N100,000. This high price threatens the availability of water, which improves the quality of life and makes citizens healthier for economic activities and development.”

    Faced with such high human and economic cost as a result of water crisis, it is pertinent to examine how Lagos found itself in this awkward position. For starters, the report observes that the root of Lagos water crisis is not traceable to a single cause, but to a number of causes which includes, first and foremost, the fact that for decades expansion of the public water system has not corresponded with the rapid growth of the metropolis.

    Other reasons include ageing and insufficient water infrastructure, decades of policies that did not work, failure to ensure meaningful public participation, poor labour practices, regulatory failures, and, of course, inadequate budget allocation. For example, though the governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, described the State’s 2016 budget as the “people’s budget,” it falls short on water, with only N17.6billion or 2.7 percent for the State’s Water Corporation. In spite of this, the report notes that with the right financial and social policies, Lagos can fund the water structure required to ensure all Lagosians have affordable access to safe water.

    If there’s one significant achievement of this report it is the fact that it brings to the fore the problem of access to water as a human rights issue. It clearly underscores this notion through interviews with a cross section of Lagos residents which show that the public desires a system that sustains their right to water and allows the people to participate in making decisions about their water needs.

    However, to fulfil the human right to water, the report says governments must ensure water is available, physically accessible, affordable, safe, and acceptable in odour, colour and other qualities. The concept of water privatization being canvassed in some quarters is unanimously rejected by all individuals and groups featured in the interviews.

    The report examines public water successes, citing examples and models from around the world which Lagos could draw from if it is committed to re-inventing its public water system. It reminds those who are angling for the privatization of water that the most prominent examples of efficiency are located in the public sector, not the private sector. “For example, public operator Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) increased coverage from 20% to 90% in less than 20 years,” the report says.

    Perhaps as a way of driving home the importance of water, it is just as fitting that the authors summoned the immortal words of Leonardo Da Vinci to wrap up this excellent report: “Water is the driving force of all nature.”

  • Ifeyinwa Phillip Anazonwa Akerele Not a vocation for mediocres

    Ifeyinwa Phillip Anazonwa Akerele Not a vocation for mediocres

    Ifeyinwa Phillip Anazonwa Akerele is another female ship owner with remarkable strides in the sector. She was the first Director General of the Nigerian Chambers of Shipping (NCS), a platform that is being used for advocacy in the maritime sector and co-participation. As a sector that is predominantly male, the challenges are there, but Mrs. Ifeyinwa Akerele by virtue of her position has to ensure that people who have no knowledge of what goes on in the sector are not left in the dark.

    Looking back today, she recounts how those skills she had acquired contributed tremendously to her success as the pioneer DG of NCS. This started with the transforming of the chamber from a one-room office, into a key player in the maritime industry.

    Scroll down memory lane and the story begins with how she was saddled with the responsibilities of setting up an organisation that would facilitate indigenous participation in the Nigerian Maritime industry, following the passage of the Cabotage law and for her to be able to perform excellently well. Happily, Akerele recalled how she had gone to study International Relations and Corporate Administration after obtaining a degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos to be able to overcome the challenges.

    “I love challenges; I love pioneering things; I’m one of such people who set up things, leave them and move on without looking back; knowing that they are growing well.”

     Her capacity, she explained, was mainly that of an administrative co-ordinator. “My work is to put together all the different areas of specialisation within the sector and explain it in a better way to the society. She goes on to cite the case of a bill on Cabotage law, which entails advocacy. “We have to educate the public on what the law is all about, the local content and the advantage therein for them as stakeholders. “

    Speaking further, Akerele revealed that her role then was to report, co-ordinate experts’ advice and organise workshops for professionals.

    The Maritime sector in her words is not a terrain for mediocrity but for people who are determined, focused and dedicated to national development. “What helped me was my networking skill because I am a very sociable person. So I got a group of dedicated hands to be on board and that set the ball rolling, and today it is a success story.”

    Akerele singled out listening as a major factor for her success in the industry.  “I cannot negate the fact that I learnt better by listening to the men, since they are the ones practically involved in the business. I am more of an administrator; I have no regret working with them because they are easy to work with.”

    Men according to Akerele are ready to work with you the moment they know that you want to work and not compete with them. “I have learnt a lot from them. They took me in as one of their own and I did not regret working with them. However, when it comes to situations where I have to put my foot down, I do so.”

    The female population in the sector, she said, is gradually increasing. “There is a lot for women to gain in the sector.”

    Speaking on what government can do to revive the sector, the Amazon adds, “The sector is very vast; it is a huge area that is almost second, if not at par, with oil; considering the kind of money that leaves the country: servicing of oil fields, importation of product, among others.

    She however lamented that government is losing money on a daily basis, because policies are not properly implemented and the implementation of Cabotage law is also poor. “There is still a lot of disparity. We are not treated as equals outside the shores of this country because we lack competitive capacity.”

    Though no longer the Director General, NCS, Akerele is currently making forays into politics; and if elected, she intends to use advocacy as a powerful tool to move the maritime sector forward. “If elected into the National House of Assembly through my Constituency in Anambra State, I’ll ensure that my knowledge as a former DG Maritime is brought to fore. I will be able to contribute meaningfully to the maritime sector and the society at large.

  • Amy Jadesimi Blazing the trail for local capacity development

    Amy Jadesimi Blazing the trail for local capacity development

    Though a medical doctor, Amy Jadesimi is managing director at Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL), a high value industrial free-zone and privately-owned state-of-the-art logistics and engineering facility in Lagos, where she controls vessels. LADOL is a one-stop shop and premier investment destination for multinational industrial and oil & gas companies. It offers a conducive business environment and the companies presently operating at LADOL are engaged in ship building, Engineering, procurement and construction; deepwater offshore exploration and production; oil & gas services; pipe coating; steel construction, mooring services, vessel and rig repairs, and training.

    LADOL was specifically designed to provide logistics, engineering and other support services to offshore oil & gas exploration and production companies operating in and around West Africa. Services include personnel management, catering & hospitality, facilities for the supply of bulk materials, warehousing, berthing and vessel handling, rig repair, logistics and construction equipment, personnel transportation, a helicopter base, open and close storage facilities, sewage and waste treatment, potable water and medical services.

    Amy Jadesimi’s passion is to develop strategic infrastructure that will enable African countries to become leading global economies. “LADOL is blazing the trail in the quest for local capacity development in the country as it advanced with the construction of the world-class Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.  The implementation of our projects has helped to boost capacity, create employment, as well as aid the national economy.”

    Even though the location of the infrastructure is in Lagos, it has helped to create jobs for many, as well as help discover the potentials of many. “What we were trying to do was to move across Nigeria and in order to do that, we had to locate facilities. In order to do that, we had to build facilities that will attract people to work in Nigeria. Our facility is located in Lagos because that is the ultimate location for our facility. The reason is that bringing in large vessels and by large vessels, I am talking about 300 metre long, 50 centimetre wide is easier in Lagos. There is a channel for them to traverse. It is safe, it is reliable and if we are to attract those vessels to Nigeria, we have to recognise that we are not competing among ourselves but we are competing with our neighbours, and secondly, the international locations where those vessels are from.”

    In 2012, Jadesimi was honoured and named an Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow. Also in 2013, the enterprising lady clinched a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and in 2014 emerged as one of Forbes’ “Youngest Power Women in Africa.”