The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • Ake: Soyinka’s memoir hits the screen

    Ake: Soyinka’s memoir hits the screen

    Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka’s childhood memoir: Ake, The Years of Childhood, has hit the screen. The  film, a feature on Soyinka’s path to greatness, was shown at the MUSON Centre in Lagos. The “special” screening drew notable names in the Nigerian art scene, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

    Like one destined for great things, three-and-a-half-year- old Oyewole woke up that morning with the intention of going to school. Without a second thought for “the arm-reaching-your-ears” requirement needed for admission into school, he sought out the “most essential” item required – books.

    Not possessing any yet, he reached for his father’s big and advanced books; and then, to school, he proceeded. Behold, the son of the headmaster, “Essay”, and a civil rights advocate christened, “Wild Christian”, Mr Samuel Ayodele and Mrs Eniola Soyinka, who would later dazzle the world of art and literature. The rest is history.

    Sit at ease and watch as history comes alive in the childhood memories of the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka at Ake, Abeokuta, as captured by Back Page Production’s feature film, Ake, an adaptation of Soyinka’s memoir, Ake, The Years of Childhood.

    Watch his early adventures into the world of the surreal, culture, hunting, humour and literature brilliantly interpreted and rendered by the child-actors, who played “Soyinka” in the film – Oluwafunmbi Oladele (4), Mofiyinfoluwa Oladele (6), whose part was the longest, and Jedidiah Ogunremi (11). View as his love for scholarship, nature and reflection grow as the film takes you back to the times between 1935 and 1945.

    Discover the root of the symbolisms that embellish his works and you would be forced to read or revisit Ake, The Years of Childhood for scholarly guidance into Soyinka’s persona.

    Such was the ‘delicacy’ offered to the audience to relish when the feature film, Ake, premiered at the Agip Hall of the MUSON Centre, Lagos.

    Set in the 1930s and 1940s, the film seeks to recreate that period through restored locations and the automobiles of the era. It featured more than 300 cast.

    The screening of Ake at the MUSON Centre drew a robust crowd, especially from the Nigerian art scene. Watching were arts enthusiasts and aficionados, such as Prof Femi Osofisan and his wife, Prof Adenike; Odia Ofeimun; former Director-General, Centre for Black African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Prof Tunde Babawale; Mr Kunle Ajibade of The News and PM News; Director-General, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Ms Patricia Bala; Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Steve Ayorinde; former Association of Nigerian Author (ANA) President Remi Raji; former ANA Lagos Chair, Mr Chike Ofili and ace filmmaker, Mr Mahmood Ali-Balogun and Victor Olaotan of the TV sitcom, Tinsel.

    Former  Ogun State Commissioner of Health, Dr Olaokun Soyinka, represented the family and stood in for the Nobel Laureate.

     

    Watch the film, break

    the symbols

    The film aroused diverse emotions from the audience. Some said it gingered in them a fresh interest to read the book to see the modification introduced to story line.

    For others, it was interesting to watch the characters they first encountered in the book alive on screen. Ofeimun belonged to this class.

    Although, he agreed that a film is never an exact representation of a book, but in terms of providing the sense of folklore, he observed that the film presented him with the pictures of the key moments in the book. “I think the attempt to make a transition from childhood to adulthood and at the same time represent that women’s movement is precisely what offered a picture that you can say rounded up the book.

    “I am not too sure that we are having the story in the same manner it came out in the book – usually filmmakers do a shift of focus. But we have two kinds of things going on: a documentary approach and a storyteller’s approach,” he said.

    According to NFVCB’s D-G, “there is something about Soyinka’s books and plays,” after watching the film. “You need to think deeply to get out the meanings, because he uses a lot of symbols. Just watching it now, I can’t string it together, yet, I need to think deeply about it. It started with a young Wole growing up, then, being initiated, and the story shifts again to the women’s riot. I may need to revisit the book to under the symbols,” said Ms Bala.

    But for Dr Soyinka, it was pure delight watching his father being brought to life on the  big screen. He said:  “I am excited as you are to see the film. I haven’t been aware of the story when it started. It’s a film that needed to be made. I thank Dapo for the energy he put in and the labour of love. Thank you for making the project happen and bringing all our family members to life.”

     

    A cast of stars

    Guests had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with the cast, featuring  notable Nigerian actors and actresses, such as the elegantly- dressed Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, who played “Madam Amelia”, an outspoken Egba woman in the wake of the Egba women’s riots of 1945; music icon, Yinka Davies  as “Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti”, one of the lead characters reputed  for her involvement in the women’s riot; award-winning, writer and actor, Toyin Abiodun (Rev I.O. Ransome Kuti); former national technical director and head coach of the Super Eagles, who is currently a top ranking FIFA official, Chief Festus Onigbinde (who featured as Rev J.J. Ransome-Kuti, father of I.O. Kuti); Lanike Onimisi and Gbenga Ajiboye (young Wole’s parents); Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti who played “Mrs Odufuwa” Wale Adebayo of the Sango fame, who played the spirit man” and Jimi Solanke.

    Other cast included Joke Muyiwa as the old woman from Ago-Owu; Afeez Oyetoro (Saka) starred as “Mr Latinwo”, a guest who regularly gulped down Mr Soyinka’s meals and was regular at lunch times; Yemi Solade as “Broda Pupa” from Burma; Bayo Bankole (Boy Alinco) in Papa Ajasco TV series featured as Iku, the rascal pupil of Abeokuta Grammar; the current British Council Director, Alex Bratt and diplomats from the British Consulate and French schools, among others.

    As the film unfolded, one saw an audacious young Soyinka that was mischievous, yet eager to learn, one that was given to reading books. The deep understanding with which Oluwafunmbi and his brother, Mofiyinfoluwa interpreted their role as Soyinka added colour and enlivened the suspense and humour in the film.

     

    The filmmaker’s

    experiment

    The makers of the film made use of set replacement and extension by means of green screening, and combined child-view narrative technique with historic events, such as the Second World War as heard or imagined in Ake.

    For  the Executive Producer/Director, Dapo Adeniyi, after spending over a year putting the film together, the film screening gave the feeling of a cook who prepared a mouth-watering meal. “You put all the condiments, but still have to wait for the compliments of those who would eat the meal. The taste of the pudding is, as they say, in the eating! We have experimented a lot with innovative technologies in the effort to augment the supply of actual period props and set props,” he explained.

    There were divergent views on the success of Adeniyi’s experiment with the storyline and scenes. Some praised the filmmaker’s efforts in bringing to life outdated vehicles and monuments long forgotten; others observed that some scenes were not properly linked, adding that the costumes, especially those worn by the women looked modern.

    To these, Adeniyi explained further: “Scenes necessarily had to be axed or modified. Speeches – some affectionate speeches – are manicured in order to fit into frames of time and media propriety. But we pushed limits by ushering in a bit of verbosity bearing in mind that this was after all first, a Soyinka – as usual aesthetically overtoned with verbiage – on the one hand, and on the other a literary adaptation.

    “Through the use of green screens also known as chroma key, buildings can be added to a set or replaced. An automobile could run on the streets of Abeokuta and Lagos, but were actually driven at a corner of England. This is a case of what you see is not what you get. It is the world of make-believe, isn’t it? We have also deliberately privileged old architecture in this production. Many Brazilian and colonial-styled houses were brought into the feature film to celebrate aspects of our oral history that we are losing very fast,” he said.

    Nigeria history

    and monument

    Besides the story of a young Soyinka, the film presented today’s audience with a few lessons from history as it highlighted some historical events, such as the background of the Egba Women’s Riots of 1945, which climaxed with the famed deposition of the Alake of Egbaland, the abolition of the poll tax on Nigerian women, the institution of the universal adult suffrage and the Second World War.

    While capturing the sights and sounds of the period, the film also made a subtle case for the  preservation of monuments, architectural forms and landscapes, especially those involving renowned figures such as the WS. A 300-page coffee book, Ake: Great Moments of a Grand Production, were also on display at the venue.

    Other guests included Director, Lagos Film School; French Envoy, Pierre Cherrau; Eric Maydieu of Peugeot Nigeria; Segun Oyekunle of Abuja Film Village International; General Manager, FRCN’s Radio One, Funke Treasure-Durodola; Director, Radio  Continental, Richie Dayo Johnson; Samuel Ebohon and Segun Adejumo.

     

  • UI hosts FESTACC to celebrate Afro-Caribbean cultures

    UI hosts FESTACC to celebrate Afro-Caribbean cultures

    A group of young men in their traditional attires danced their way through the night, drawing loud ovation for their scintillating performances from the audience. The male dancers, who stormed the Arts Theatre stage, looked rather feminine while wriggling their waists and giving gestures that made the absence of female dancers hardly noticeable. It was the grand finale of the maiden edition of the Festival of African and Caribbean Cultures (FESTACC), which held penultimate Saturday at the University of Ibadan.

    The performance signalled a revival of the collaborative residency programme pioneered by the Department of Theatre Arts of the university, where many Nigeria’s leading theatre scholars and practitioners honed their skills.

    And so, the festival rekindled the spirit of the then School of Drama, which was established in 1962, but later transformed into Theatre Arts Department, having succeeded in promoting and sustaining an era of gainful interactions between the town and the gown.

    But as a slight modification of the residency tradition, the just concluded FESTACC focused more on the resuscitation and preservation of African and Caribbean cultural heritage. It was a dream come true for the Sani Abu Mohammed-led troupe, which travelled all the way from Canada to initiate a five-day workshop in the department and celebrate the two continents through dance, costumes, music and drama.

    Meanwhile, FESTACC also featured, among others, awards presentation, seminars, talk shows and a few solo performances. On the list of awardees were Professor Chris Ugolo; Muyiwa Osinaike; Princess Nike Apata; Ambassador Christopher Emmanuel Abdul and S.K Adewu Asepo. Also in attendance were Professor Hyginus Ekwuazi; Professor Dele Layiwola; Yomi Duro Ladipo and Dr Chuks Okoye (former Head of Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan). The final segment of the festival saw the Ijo Voodoo team dazzling the audience with their peculiar stagecraft. Each of the performances had a thematic link with the vision of the festival, which according to Dr Tunde Awosanmi, current Head of the Department, was inspired by the Second World Festival of Black African Arts and Culture (FESTAC) hosted by Nigeria in 1977.

    The master of ceremony, Ojo Babatunde, added his own stints to the show, doubling at intervals as performer and anchor. The curtain raiser was the Ijo Voodoo’s Psalm 32, a dance drama, which started and ended on a well choreographed, solemn and prayerful note. Following this was a solo dance by Wasiu, and a dance ensemble showcasing songs and costumes of Edo origin. The Panos also performed in quick successions, with Princess Apata leading the vocals. Coming on the heels of Panos was the Sikus, featuring an all-male dance group in Makossa, Soki and other popular dancesteps.

    Other highly creative dance pieces included Mangana, Honey (a romantic duet mimed by Apata and a male dancer), Efe (a contemporary dance form) and the seven-man team of dancers, which presented ‘Fela’. The latter expectedly re-enacted the late Afrobeat legend’s mannerisms and stagecraft, thus underscoring the musical essence of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, popularly called Abami Eda.

    Perhaps the highpoint of the show was the explosive drum ensemble by the Ijo Voodoo team. This segment, which rounded off the festival, featured a unique display of African percussions in rhythmic patterns to the delight of the audience.

    Explaining how the theatre workshop transformed into a festival, Dr Awosanmi hinted that the Theatre Arts Department teamed up with Ijo Voodoo mainly to sustain a healthy collaboration between professionals and students. Recalling how the late dramatist, Kola Ogunmola, became the department’s first student on residency programme in the early 1960s, Awosanmi stressed the need for cross fertilisation of ideas and practice between core theatre professionals and students, who are still being trained. Said Awosanmi: “Theatre Arts is a practice-based profession, which requires constant rejuvenation by bringing established artistes in contact with those who are still learning. In 1962/63, the Late Kola Ogunmola, who was already an established professional, was invited as a resident artiste and he produced Palm Wine Drinkard. Other prominent artistes like Ulli Beier, Duro Ladipo were equally invited for the same purpose at one time or the other.”

    In the same way, Awosanmi recalled how, during his tenure as Head, the department hosted Professor Segun Ojewuyi, the US-based Nigerian theatre scholar/director as visiting trainer.  During his three-month stay, Ojewuyi brought seasoned artistes such as Ben Tomoloju, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Taiwo Ajai-Lycett to interact with students and ostensibly enrich the various programmes in the department.

    Moreover, Awosanmi said he looks forward to FESTACC graduating into a bigger international event that would rally Africans and their kinsmen in the Diaspora (Especially in Caribbean) together in unity. In the same vein, Sani Abu Mohammed looks forward to 2017 when his team plans to celebrate FESTACC on a high profile note. He disclosed that FESTACC was launched last year in Canada as a creative effort towards promoting cultural values between Africa and North America. According to him, the year 2017 would mark 40 years of FESTAC and that a commemorative event would be held during which a lot of people from the Caribbean would reconnect with their roots and culture in Africa.

     

    • Balogun writes from Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
  • ‘My music must send a message’

    ‘My music must send a message’

    His job is to inform, educate and entertain the public – a job he has been doing very well. But, his passion for entertainment appears to be strongest. Ike Uche is a practicing journalist with a national daily, but his love and passion for music is so strong that he believes it should not lie fallow.

    Already with a few tracks to his name and collaborations with artistes such as Iceboxx, Mikolo (Rasta Boy), Mr Jerry Enclap, and Joker, Uche has promises of bringing something refreshing to the musical scene of the country, which has blossomed in the past few years.

    Uche aka B-Lyrics, describes himself as a rapper, who believes in tackling issues with his songs by ensuring that there is a message in every work he does, depending on whoever the target audience is. “B-Lyrics was from the movie 8 Mile. There the B meant Bleed. For me, it stands for Baba. So, you can call me Baba Lyrics,” he said.

    A graduate of Mass Communication from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, where he majored in print journalism said: “I believe music should be entertaining, but more importantly address issues from politics, economy, social-cultural to ethnic bias and many more.”

    His influences include the likes of NAS, Eminem, Mode 9, IllBliss and Tuface Idibia. “I listen a lot to them and presently, I also listen to Drake, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Jesse Jags and Sarkodie,” he said noting that he is currently working on his mix tape with Kenny EXY and Dr Ritzy all in Calabar.”

    On how he started his career in music, he reminisced: “I started with a group called K-ZONE back in the higher institution, although we had to do different things at that time. While I ventured into journalism others went into business, production, comedy and so on.

    “If I was not practicing journalism music business would have been my mainstay. My greatest challenge is time to record songs. And I have stopped writing lyrics, but I do all my songs on the spot as long as the beat is appealing to my soul.”

    “I want to make music not just for people to dance, but music that will make them think and decide positively and make right choice.

    “Anytime I hear a song or beat, I believe I can do something with it. I don’t believe a musician has to have a particular look like dreadlocks, Mohawks, earrings or any other kind of queer dressing. I believe in the content of what one has to offer.

    “My music consists of several genres for various kinds of audiences. I don’t use any kind of vulgar language. I may use hard words though, if for instance I am angry. My mood affects my delivery. I am a spontaneous kind of musician. I don’t have to think about it, or wait till any particular time for to produce something. It comes to me anytime and anywhere. That is why I feel I don’t need to get high to get inspiration. This is my style and I believe it is unique. I create my own space.

    “I don’t believe music is just entertainment. It is also business. Right now the Nigerian market just seems to be about dance music. We should also have music that would make people think. After dancing and partying, you have to come back to reality.”

    He says he is doing music on part-time basis, but has plans to go into it full time when the time is right.

    B-Lyrics hopes to work with heavyweights in the Nigerian music industry, such as Tuface Idiba, Mode 9, Ill Bliss and Phyno.

     

     

  • Studio of Modé holds Nostalgia

    Studio of Modé holds Nostalgia

    Modé Aderinokun unveiled her third solo art exhibition, Nostalgia on Sunday at Studio of Modé, Ikoyi.

    The exhibition explores the derivation of Nostalgia, the sentimental value of how pain affects one and it will run for six weeks.

    “Nostalgia is a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact, to a former time in one’s life, and is often triggered by memories of home, family, and friends. The expression evokes a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time; however happiness is not the artist’s focus for this exhibition,” she says.

    The artist delves into the ache and sadness of Nostalgia. Relying on intense self-reflection, she presents art pieces that explore perceptions of beauty, equality and self-liberation.

    Although the art pieces reveal raw emotions and pain, Modé hopes that exposing parts of her vulnerable self will enhances her connection with viewers of her work. She gives the viewers a bit of herself, to create a context in which people can share their feelings and deeply think about themselves in ways they ordinarily would not. The artist hopes that her work will stir up a wistful desire for healing.

     

  • ‘At 60 I’m renewing my resolve to touch lives’

    ‘At 60 I’m renewing my resolve to touch lives’

    The National President of the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON) and founder of Little Saints Orphanage, Rev Dele George, has renewed her resolve to  improve on care giving services in orphanage and homes across the country as well as put the menace of baby factories in check.

    Rev George, who spoke in Lagos in a briefing to celebrate her 60th birthday, said she is renewing her vow made 21 years ago when she was inspired to start the Little Saints Orphanages to take care of abandoned and orphaned children in Lagos.

    “When I look back at what we have achieved so far, I am encouraged to dedicate the rest of my life to serving humanity and improving on the welfare of orphanages and homes in Nigeria through ASOHON, so that Nigeria will become a model country where others can learn from,” she said.

    She reiterated that with the combined synergy existing between law enforcement agents and the association, the issue of baby factories would soon be adequately curtailed in the country.

    “Today the relationship between the government and orphanages in Lagos State is very cordial. Government is meant to supervise and checkmate orphanage activitie, but in most of the states in Nigeria control and supervision are lacking as so many fake orphanages and baby factories are blooming illegally. This is what necessitated the formation of the ASOHON, to bring sanity to the industry.  Many state chapters are now trying to strengthen their relationship with the government by uniting against unregistered and fake orphanages. The public on the other hand has been very supportive,” she said.

    Speaking on attaining 60, she said she was full of gratitude to God for the grace, adding that being 60 years did not mean feeling old.

    “It feels fantastic. I am thankful, joyful, fruitful and grateful. I have so much to thank God for. There are no words or space enough to express my gratitude.   It feels wonderful,” she said. Asked if there was a special feeling attached to reaching the landmark age and what feeling would she say was hers?

    She said: “When I was in my 20s I use to see 60 year-old people as very old, but I don’t see myself as old. It’s strange.  I feel so young within me.  At this point I am evaluating the advantages of old age, the first one is people tend to consider your feelings more, they want to take care of you.  They arrogate all your mistakes or errors to old age.  My feeling, therefore, is not of anxiety or fear, but of peace and faith in God to make the rest of my years pleasant and prosperous in every way.”

    While disclosing that her family and friends will celebrate her in a private dinner on Saturday, some of her goals, she said, is to establish an orphanage in Edo State, eradicate the baby factory menace and unite all homes and orphanages in the country.

    “I will love to set up an orphanage in my home town Benin City.  I am looking to God to perfect the dream. Children are still being abandoned and more orphanages are springing up so more funding is needed.  Like Jesus said the poor will always be amongst us so we can never stop giving as a nation. The needy will always be there.  Our priority as a giving nation is to do everything in our power the remove children from the streets,” she said.

  • Mare Festival holds Dec 18,19

    Major activities of this year annual Mare Festival will hold on  Friday and Saturday December 18 and 19.

    Young music star, Olamide will lead a pack of artistes for the event.

    Mare Festival is an annual festival organised by Ondo state government to celebrate and promote the cultural heritage and showcase the tourism potentials  of the sunshine state

    In a an interactive session  with members of Guild of Tourism  Journalists in Akure  at the weekend the State Commissioner for  Information and Civic Orientation  Mr Kayode Akinmade said “ the budget for the annual event is affected by the economic situation in the country”

    “Although the current economic situation in the  country is not encouraging but we have to do it because it is part of our policy in Ondo State to ensure proper promotion of cultural and tourism events  in the state.  This, we have been doing in a new dimension since Dr Mimiko assumed office as the governor of the state

    Akinmade  disclosed that both local and foreign mountaineers and athletes are expected to perform in the competitions.

     

  • FG to partner British Council on cultural development

    FG to partner British Council on cultural development

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Monday expressed his ministry’s readiness to partner with the British Council on cultural orientation and development in the country.

    Mohammed said this when the Country Director of the council, Mrs Connie Price, led a delegation on a visit to his office in Abuja.

    He said the ministry wanted the council to assist in area of cultural orientation to positively change people’s attitude towards discouraging corruption, impunity and indiscipline.

    He minister requested the council to also assist in areas of capacity building, infrastructure development, digitization programme, women empowerment through cottage industries and revival of dead cultural industries.

    According to him, the ministry needs the council to stem piracy in the film industry.

    Mohammed said the partnership was imperative but it should be done in a cooperative manner.

    Earlier, Price said that the UK Government had sustained its cordial relationship with the Federal Government.

    She said the purpose of the visit was to discuss with the ministry and identify programmes that required the council’s intervention.

  • HIV&AIDS: Infected Nigerians raise voice against new payment regime

    HIV&AIDS: Infected Nigerians raise voice against new payment regime

    Working with the theme ‘Getting to Zero,’ the world penultimate week commemorated this year’s World  AIDS Day with a lot of fanfare. The weeklong event however leaves a sour taste in the mouth of people living with the virus in Nigeria, as they continue to battle the newly introduced charges. Gboyega Alaka x-rays the situation.

    No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.” – George Jean Nathan

    The above quote by the late George Jean Nathan, one-time leading American critic and publisher, best describes Tina Nnamdi (not real name), a Nigerian HIV positive patient’s recent resolve to go haywire and grant as many men as ask her for sex, free express sex without recourse to condom. Put more directly, Tina has resolved to spread the deadly virus in her bloodstream to as many men as make overtures to her, and her reason is frustration; basic animal frustration. Tina can no longer access her regular dosage of anti-retroviral drugs (ARV), with which she keeps the virus at bay, and by implication she is staring death in the face. Her frustration has grown increasingly since October 2014, when the Nigerian health authorities unilaterally took the damning decision to compel HIV positive patients to pay a certain amount of money for their regular bi-annual tests, known among patients as ‘bleeding’.

    Patients say the test is crucial to accessing the drugs, which they admit are still free, but conditioned upon paying for and first going through the test. Tina’s situation is further aggravated by the fact that she has no helper – no husband, no job, and she literally survives on society’s benevolence. Meeting up with the compulsory pittance fee of N12,000 a year is therefore an uphill task, the concession that she can pay twice notwithstanding.

    Hers is a typical case of an angry being, desperate to survive, who has lost all sense of clear reasoning. In her angst, she can be likened to a boko haram suicide bomber, willing to take as many people as cross her way down the abyss with her.

    Threat to the Zero target.

    The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day commemoration, which was observed globally, penultimate week, was: Getting to Zero. It was marked with all seriousness and fervour by the relevant government agencies, various networking associations of people living with HIV and civil society organisations in Nigeria. With all intents and purposes, this target may not be an impossible one afterall, considering the level of success recorded against the virus across the world in recent years. The reality of attaining the zero target is further underlined by the declaration by the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) last week, that Nigeria has been able to reduce the spread of the virus by up to 35 per cent. Even as many stakeholders have disputed this statistics long before it came out as a deception, the truth is that people like Tina, who probably run into tens of thousands, if not millions, stand as a threat to this target, and to any level of progress being recorded against the spread of the virus.

    For a country sincere and willing to tackle the spread of the virus head-long, many have argued that rather than introduce any kind of fees whatsoever, the government should have endeavoured to get rid of other existing encumbrances in the way of the patients and their drugs. For years, most HIV-positive patients accessed the ARV drugs free of any kind of charge, and this was responsible for stemming the astronomical rise in the number of infections and a seeming demystification of the virus, as it seems to have taken off its toga of a death sentence in the eye of the people.

    Grimmer than NACA

    In July 2015, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) declared in a report that the global spread of HIV/AIDS has reduced. The report coincided with the organisation’s Nigerian Country Director, Bilali Camara’s statement that Nigeria is amongst the countries that have been able to reverse their HIV trend. Exactly a year before, the organisation had painted a grim picture of the state of affairs in the country, sending jitters through the spine. That report presented Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda as the countries with the highest rate of infection/spread in sub-Saharan Africa, with cumulative growth rate put at about 48%. That report also showed Nigeria as the country with the highest HIV/AIDS mortality rate, as well as the country with the unenviable burden of one third of all new infections amongst children in the 20 worst hit countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

    While it may also appear that Nigeria does not lead from the rear, since South Africa is the unwilling occupant of that unenviable saddle, with a whopping 12.2% portion of its population to Nigeria’s 3.2 percent, the huge difference in population strength (S.A is 52.98 million, while Nigeria is over 170 million), means that Nigeria and not South Africa, has more to worry about.

    The big question activist, Steve Borishade therefore asked in his essay, ‘A Tale Of Anguish: The True Story Of The HIV/AIDS Situation In Nigeria’ is, “what measures (that) were put in place that could and had ensured that Nigeria is able to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS in just one year like Bilali asserted? And when Nigerian officials go to town claiming that the country has met some MDG goals, especially pointing at successes in HIV/AIDS, should we not ask how and what those are?”

    If the country recorded marginal success when all People Living with HIV/AIDs (PLWHAs) had access to free treatment in all government facilities in the country, does it not then defeat logic that it would record significant success in just one year after fees were introduced?

    Evelyn, one of the attendants at a press conference organised by the Lagos Network Forum on HIV And AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to intimate the public about the predicament of people living with HIV said the whole 35% reduction success rate being bandied is a ploy to douse the noise the networks have been making and make mincemeat of their complaints.

    Others have also argued that it is to justify the huge funds and investment that the government have expended on the project till date.

    A long way to go

    Fred Adegboye, a journalist with The Nation newspaper, argued that as insignificant as the amount being charged may seem, the reality is that many of the people living with HIV are not able to afford the fees. “In my centre at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, they say the drugs remain free, but we have to pay N6,000 for each chemistry test before we get them. We do two chemistry tests per year, so the fee amounts to N12,000; but the reality is that many people cannot afford it and that is our agitation. To make matters worse, some people always have to travel long distance to access their drugs, because they fear that they could be stigmatised if they chose a dispensing centre near their homes. So we have lots of people who travel from Lagos to University College Hospital UCH, Ibadan, where I access my drugs on a regular basis to collect their drugs; and by the time you add their transport fare to it, you find that it becomes way too high for most of us. I for one can afford it because I have a job, but many do not have a job and rely on goodwill of people around them, which is not guaranteed. In fact the last time I went for my bleeding, even I could not afford the N6,000 but I went anyway and gave them the N5,000 that I had on me. To tell the truth, I was ready to raise all hell should they reject it, but thankfully they collected it. So, if I who has a job could run into such difficulty, then you may begin to understand the problem other people are facing.

    Azeez Aladeyelu, an HIV/AIDS activist, state co-ordinator of CISHAN (Civil Society Consultative Network on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (CiSHAN) said although the authorities have explained that the fees is a running cost, he said the networks have been protesting the decision, going as far as South Africa to embarrass the then health minister last year, in order to force the government to rescind the decision. He said the donor agencies are still supplying the drugs and have only pulled out partly in the area of funding of running costs, and wondered why the Nigerian government cannot shoulder that responsibility for her people. He said those having problems accessing their drugs should endeavour to reach-out to their support groups, so they could know their problems and how to help them.

    He carpeted a situation whereby the private sector is standing aloof, while things are going wrong, forgetting that when the population is depleted the labour force that it depends on will also be affected. “Even if these corporations pull their meagre donations together or commit a part of their CSR budget to the service of our people, it would go a long way. But if you approach them, their excuses have always been ‘we have our workplace policy; we can only attend to people in our organization.’ They may even tell you that you should have approached them before and that they have mapped out their spending for the year. Meanwhile, when Ebola came, nobody prepared for it yet, we saw how everybody, the government and private sectors, pulled their resources together. Nobody made excuses.”

    Aladeyelu however said the network has resolved to continue crying out about their predicament until somebody listens. He also expressed optimism that the new government would be a listening one that would help ameliorate their problem.

    A spurning government

    One of the panellists at the press conference and a representative of NEPHWAN said it is amazing that the government is no longer serious about HIV/AIDS issues, suggesting that the networks look the way of the private organizations. He said NEPHWAN has taken it upon itself to encourage strict adherence to the drug, adding that sometimes, the organization goes as far as raising money for those who cannot afford the charges. He said the organization and other networks are not relenting in their efforts to draw attention to their situation and that they’ve organised rallies and demonstrations at major city centres and offices to draw government and public attention to the new problem. He said it is just unfortunate that the government doesn’t seem to want to hear anything about HIV/AIDS anymore.

    He said, “There was a place we went to last year to create awareness on the newly introduced fee; but while we were at it, somebody from the government office came out and started shouting us down and asking, ‘Is HIV the only disease we have in the country? What about tuberculosis? What about malaria? Why are they not coming out to make so much noise?’ She said there are thousands of people who suffer from cancer and who are not making as much noise as we’re making. But we replied her that that may be because they don’t have organisations articulating and channelling their case like ours. Now that we have come out, we need help, please help us.”

    He said former President Obasanjo helped people living with HIV/AIDS by providing free treatment for them, but the current situation spells danger as the country may be retrogressing to the pre-Obasanjo years.

    Evelyn said it is a shame that Nigeria still records high rate of infection and AIDS-related deaths. Citing how Kenya was able to turn around a precarious situation, she said it is a sign of unseriousness on the part of the nation’s policymakers. “The authorities there realised that the infection rate was rising because their men were not using condoms at brothels, so they made a law that any man who goes to a brothel and refuses to use a condom should be penalised. From that moment, they started adhering to the new rule and the rate dropped from 12% to 4%.

    Victoria Mba also echoed the efforts being put in to impress on the government to take off the new charges and said there has been no positive response yet.  But when asked if indeed casualties are being recorded in the case of people who are not able to afford the charges and access the drugs, she said, “Though we have always had AIDS-related deaths, we have not been able to gather information to that effect in Lagos, although we hear of such cases outside Lagos.

     

  • Solar Energy to the rescue

    Solar Energy to the rescue

    Although, the sun has been in existence since man- or even before him, if we’re to follow the Bible and the Qur’an; it wasn’t until recently that scientists began inventing devices that can be powered by solar (Sun) energy. Medinat Kanabe, in this report, looks at the solar energy and how Nigerians can benefit from it.

    As the world continues to evolve, scientists have continued to come up with alternative and easier ways of doing things, one of which is inventing devices that can be powered by solar.

    Nigeria is a country beleaguered by very poor power supply, which has culminated in the people spending so much on alternative energy sources such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.  With the recent scientific developments, many Nigerian homes, organisations and individuals are fast embracing the solar options.

    Fortunately, the common man is not left out in this development, as solar energy-powered equipment now come even in small lanterns, lamps and torch-lights, that can be carried around in replacements of the traditional fire lanterns and candles. Recall that fire lanterns and candles have contributed to disastrous fire incidents, claiming lives and property. With solar-powered home items, that problem appears totally eradicated.

    Solar-powered items also come as mini-chargers for phone devices, and very affordable too. Many of them have the capacity to provide up to 60 hours of lighting, while also charging your phones. And as for the environmentalists, it is green-house energy compliant.

    Prices for solar energy equipment ranges from as little as N1, 500 to millions of Naira, depending on what you’re subscribing to. This also depends on whether the user wishes to compliment it with the electricity provided by power stations or solely run the home or organisation on it.

    The Enterprise Development Centre EDC of Pan Atlantic University, PAU, Ajah, Lagos campus, is a good example of a centre that runs solely on solar energy. Describing the building as a true example of environmental sustainable building in Nigeria and West Africa, the Director, EDC, Peter Bankole told The Nation that they invested heavily on alternate energy to power the building.

    “The 2, 000 square meters EDC building, with three floors is significant in many ways. The first is that this building is a green building; as you walk into the main foyer of the building, there is an instant sense of light. We harvest at least 12 hours of natural light everyday; from the design stage, we wanted to save at least 40 per cent of energy usage when compared with similar buildings in Nigeria and across the continent; so we invested heavily in alternate energy.

    “Embedded in the roof is 96 double length solar panel that produce enough energy to power all the streets and perimeter lighting, all the access control, CCTV, internet, IP phones, the lighting in the main foyer, the general office and 50 per cent of the air conditioning in the general office.

    “Every floor is equipped with an online inverter system that carries other sensitive training equipment, from 5pm to 8pm everyday. On weekends and indeed at off peak periods, we run only on clean energy,” he said.

    Matthew Oshomogho is a family man who lives in his solar-powered house with his wife and four children. He told The Nation that he stopped buying touch lights, fire lanterns and candles since he discovered solar energy.

    “My sister, I built this house with all the money I had at the time and I have not recovered from it. I don’t want a situation where one day due to carelessness, my house will be burnt down. If I try to be very careful, what about my wife and children?

    “When I first stopped candles and fire lanterns, I began to buy battery touch lights but they don’t last. So I discovered the rechargeable touch lights; but when we don’t have steady power supply, how do I charge them? Solar energy don’t need electricity to work; all I do is make sure the panel is outside during the day and by night I can use them in the house. Rain cannot spoil the panels, so I am not scared when it rains and there’s nobody at home to bring the panels in.”

    Oshomogho is therefore of the opinion that very soon, Nigerians will be able to do without electricity, as there are solar energy panels that can power a complete building. He actually hopes to purchase one as soon as he can afford it, he revealed.

    Oshomogho is not left alone in his conviction; stakeholders in the power sector recently called on Nigeria and other African countries to look inwards in order to overcome barriers confronting implementation of renewable energy across the continent.

    The stakeholders who met at the 2015 Power-Gen Africa Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa agreed that Africa, especially the Sub-Saharan region, needs reliable and constant energy to develop.

    Presenting his paper titled: “Overcoming barriers to solar and wind renewable energy development in Sub-Saharan Africa: A new perspective,” at the POWER-Gen Africa 2015 conference held in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa in July, Dr. Maurice Ngwaba of University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, United States, explained that other nations are developing reliable, sustainable and cost-effective energy sources because renewable improves business processes, reduces operational costs and green house emissions.

    “Renewable energy development provides employment and improves quality of life. In the next 15 years, Africa will need $300 billion to have access to electricity. But the challenges that have been identified as constraints to adequate power supply in Africa include lack of infrastructure, present condition of existing infrastructure capacity and transmission limitations. All these make solar and other renewable energy development attractive,” he said.

    Ngwaba further posited that Africa remains a great opportunity area with young and growing population, especially growing middle class. He quoted U.S Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets, Arun Kumar, as saying, “the time is now to invest in Africa.”

    On how to break the barriers against full utilisation of renewable’s potential in Africa, he advised African leaders to adhere to key values and orientations through trust, respect, accountability, responsibility, courage, transparency, collaboration and understanding the true state of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) culture.

    “There is also the need to develop renewable energy policy that is integrated, clear and consistent with the economy, social and environment. Communication and dissemination of renewable energy policy to the citizens and to invest in renewable energy research and development,” he said.

    He said the governments of African nations must, as a matter of urgency, provide regulatory standards, environment that supports investment, develop innovative and implement renewable energy project finance mechanism through tradable renewable energy certificates, bonds, credit assistance, cloud financing and solar leasing.

    Specifically, Dr Ngwaba urged the Federal Government and Nigerians as a whole to explore a lot of potential and alternatives, which will enhance solar and renewable development.

    “Solar leasing is just one of the various aspects where the Nigerian government and other investors can make it affordable to people who have the credit, the capacity to have solar system installed in their houses, and by so doing they can be paying the investors or the government that installed them the actual electricity produced in those areas. By so doing, they will be able to expand the number of people that have access to electricity.

    “Privatisation of the power sector makes it possible for people to decide whether to stay on the grid or not. Knowing who Nigerians are, they would prefer to have their own system and control their units. By so doing, they are not affected by price increases that may come from the Distribution Companies (DISCOS).

    “For instance, at Maryland University, in 2010, I installed the first 2.2MW system at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore of the United States where I got very good rate (9cents per kilowatt/hour) and was commissioned in 2011. Now, I’m developing a new firm called Green Power Developers Ltd that will focus on helping people especially Nigerians to develop solar renewable energy.

    “The Federal Government has to create an enabling environment that includes incentive, tax credit. It can also support states to actually come up with bonds that can be used to create such infrastructures. You can sell municipal-backed bonds to create such infrastructure and it will go a long way to help develop the power sector,” he said.

    For governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, solar is the key to power access in Nigeria.

    The governor who spoke when he accompanied the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to a solar power agreement signed between Nigeria and the United Kingdom in London, said the application of solar technology in the provision of electricity in Nigeria would democratise power access to the rural poor.

    El-Rufaí said the agreement was an opportunity for the country to acquire the latest technology in the sector.

    “This is a great opportunity for Nigeria to leapfrog from where we are, to the latest state-of-the-art technology to provide electricity to the poor.

    “Many people think that the only way to get electricity to everyone is through building huge power stations with transmission lines and distribution infrastructure. But in the last three to four years, there has been advancement in solar technology that has made it possible to democratise electricity in a way that you would have your own power plant in your own home to serve your needs instead of connecting to a centralised network.

    “I think it is a great step; just as we leapfrogged from having half a million land lines to 150 million mobile phones. There is an opportunity here to leapfrog from having centralised power stations and transmission lines to 60 million Nigerians having electricity that they generate from solar energy in their own homes and paying for it on a pay-as-you-go basis.

    “It is a great initiative and if we are able to follow it through, we will be able to take electricity to the poorest parts of Nigeria without having to do huge investments that we have sank in NEPA and PHCN without results,” he added.

    To underline his conviction, the governor revealed that his state, Kadun,a is already funding the use of solar power in 40 primary healthcare centres.

    “What we want to do when we go back to Kaduna state is to send a team to Tanzania and Kenya to see where this model has worked and immediately begin to deploy it because it is low cost, it can be done very quickly, you don’t need to spend three years building a power station.

  • I began to write at ten – Chris Abani

    I began to write at ten – Chris Abani

    Chris Abani is a Nigerian – born author, with a multiple citizenship.  He is an American and British citizen, although he now resides in the United States of America where he writes, publishes and teaches literature.  He is the author of the following books: The Secret History of Las Vegas, There Are No Names for Red, Song for Night, The Virgin Flames, Hands Washing Water, Becoming Abigail, Graceland, Dog Woman, Daphne’s Lot, Kalakuta Republic, Feed me the Sun, Masters of the Board and lots more.  Edozie Udeze encountered him in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during this year’s Ake Book and Arts Festival

    Chris Abani left the shores of Nigeria about 30 years ago.  He was being hunted by the military because of the urgency of some of his works which did not spare the cabal.  This being his first visit since then, Abani has not lost any of his glamour, grandeur and vibrancy as a writer, critic and commentator.

    Today, he is not only a world citizen, his works and ideas are daily being sought by those who know his worth.  He began to write when he was just ten years old.  “Yes, at that time, not even my father could trust me enough to allow or encourage me to be a writer.  But then at 16 years, I had just written and published my first book of literature titled Masters of the Board.  By then Dilibe Onyeama had just returned to Nigeria to become a publisher.  He was based in Enugu and it was he who first published my book.”

    He related how his early exposure to education lured him on to become a writer.  “Yes, education, my upbringing, everything fired me on to become a story–teller, a lover of fiction.  Even demographically, most novelists in Nigeria tend to be Igbo while most poets are Yoruba.  And I think it has to do with the fact that the Igbo have this socialist system, based on age-grade system and stuffs like that.  That tends to give room for stories, for there, everything, everybody comes together.  But then in Yoruba tradition you have the Oriki, the praise songs and stuffs.  This as you know is spectacular in the West.  This is basically why the story-telling thing became a big part of me way back”, he said.

    Born in Afikpo, Ebonyi State of a Nigerian father and a British mother, the early contacts with missionaries in Afikpo thus became a huge plus for him.  “The environment itself exposed me to stories, local stories of my own age-grade, my playmates both at home and in schools.  And having to speak two languages fluently does not hurt or does it?” he asked, grinning effusively.  The stories told by his grandmother and other elderly people, stories of warriors, of brave people who fought to keep his people together, all fired his imagination.

    From Afikpo where his father was a teacher, they were transferred to Nsukka.  “Yes, most of the time, I was in the rural areas and in those days people had plenty of stories to tell.  You’d even encounter so much yourself with the rural people.  I was a curious person naturally and this helped me to gather a lot of ideas in my head.”

    With his father’s profession as a school principal and his closeness to the people, Abani could not help but be a repository of stories.  Too many people to encounter, a lot of ideas to share with his mates and those who came close to his folks – all these combined to give him an edge over his contemporaries.  His father was also at a point a parliamentarian, a superintendent of education and therefore generally traversed the nook and crannies of Igboland.  The more they moved from place to place, the more Abani was exposed to new and fresh ideas.  Gradually, these materials began to build and cluster in his head.  And when they got matured, Abani then began to piece them together to have his fictions and other forms of the written word.

    Today, he is not only an acclaimed author, Abani’s most recent novel The Secret History of Las Vegas is a brave book on certain strange themes in his immediate society.  A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the PEN/Hemingway Award, he also received the PEN Beyond the Margins Award, the Hurstan Wright Award and a Lannan Literary Fellowship, among other numerous honours and recognitions.  He is at the moment a board member of trustees of Professor of English at the Northwestern University, Chicago, USA.

    Back to his cradle in the 1970s, Abani gave credit to great people like the Late Dr. Akanu Ibiam who braved all odds to give early exposure to Afikpo.  “You know we are close to the Cross River areas which had early contacts with the Europeans.  Ibiam had his own vision for the Afikpo people, just like Awolowo and Zik had for their own people.  All these played their own role to shape our ideas and contacts.”

    Even though Abani comes from a very minute ethnic group in the Afikpo area, he was nostalgic about his people and how they were almost exterminated by their more powerful and numerical neighbours.  His great grandfather was almost the last remnant of this group.  He married into the Aro people, known for their vastness in commerce.  The Aro then gave him all that he needed in terms of protection and recognition for, in Igboland, your in-law is your brother.

    “Oh, in Afikpo we were already a displaced people and we needed some of our powerful neighbours to survive.  All these indeed affected the direction of my novels and the ferocity imbued in them.” he explained.  Abani’s parents met at the Oxford University in the 1950s where his father went to have his first degree.  “Oh yes, both my parents loved the way I took to books that early.  They were proud of me and wished me the best of luck.”

    He explained that the existing scenario of writing in Nigeria long begun by the likes of Cyprian Ekwensi, John Munonye, Gabriel Okara, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and others, has made it easier for the younger ones to key in.  “Today a whole generation of Nigerian authors, those who came after them, has disappeared.  Now, we need to fill that yawning gap; that vacuum and that is why the likes of Chimamanda Adichie and others have to come in to continue to write.  Now, we are the visible link between the disappearing generation and what we have at the moment.”

    In his career, Abani said he has been pro-works.  He hardly attaches himself to controversies around individuals but to their works.  This is why I’d say that the works of Wole Soyinka have had more impact on me than those of Chinua Achebe.  Both the Igbo and Yoruba came out of the Nok culture.  You see, Igboukwu and Ife are so similar in terms of culture and traditions.  Today, even how I write, how I see the world, have been pre-recorded in my head here before I left.  So it cannot be erased, it cannot go away from my memory.  While I was growing up in Afikpo there was nothing like you are Igbo or Hausa or Yoruba.  We all grew up as kids and that still remains in my mind up till today.  The motor park in Afikpo where we watched those Indian and Chinese movies were peopled by Nigerians from different parts.  And we loved it so, yet I am Igbo whether I come in American or British accent.”