The Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATAN) has inaugurated a 10- man committee of experienced professionals and technocrats to drive the investiture activities and programmes of the Emir of Borgu as life patron of private sector regulator of water transportation in Nigeria.
Recently, the Emir of Borgu, Mai Borgu, Senator (Dr.) Haliru Dantoro, Kitoro III, had accepted the appointment as life patron of the association in a letter personally signed and dated April 26.
The committee members are Alhaji Nurudeen Muhammed; Tafideen Kaima (Chairman); Chika Balogun, DG, NIHOTOURS; Dr. Mubo Eniola, immediate former Permanent Secretary, Kogi State, Ministry of Tourism; Mallam Kabiru Mallan , President Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) ; Mr. Muazu Sambo of National Inland Water Ways Authority (NIWA); Mr. Sola Ilupeju; Mr. John Best, ATPN (Jos Branch); Mr. Richard and Mr. Frank Meke.
President, ATBOWATAN, Mr. Ganiyu Tarzan Balogun, while inaugurating the committee, stated that the investiture of the highly cerebral Emir of Borgu, a former Senator and FCT Minister as life Patron is not only a call to honour the revered royal father whose domain transcends the Kanji /Jebba water bodies, but also to showcase the tourism potential of River Niger discovered by Mungo Park.
‘ “This committee must help reinvent the benefits of Nigeria’s ocean economy and the employment windows therein, and also to put together a world-class event that would unveil the critical interventions of Mai Borgu in aqua-culture, agriculture, solid minerals, ecological and water tourism” Mr. Balogun said.
He charged the committee to be free to come up with activities and programmes that would make the Emir’s investiture a world-class event that would not be forgotten in the industry of water transportation business in Nigeria.
Already, the committee has announced the third week in July as a tentative date for the emir’s investiture.
La Palms Beach Hotel, Accra was probably used to having high profile guests from West Africa and other parts of the world, but it is not every day that private technocrats from aviation and core tourism gather to discuss ways of promoting cross border travels among the West African states.
The Accra Weizo attracted participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Benin and Togo. Outside West Africa, there were participants from South Africa and Ethiopia. The theme was “Seamless Travel in West African Region”.
The brains behind the event, Mr. Ikechi Uko, who also as the organiser of West Africa most consistent travel exhibition, Lagos Akwaaba, said the idea is to examine how to integrate fully the sub-region, most especially in the air transportation where the connectivity is relatively low.
The event was also an opportunity for Nigeria’s number-one tourist destination, Cross River, to market its prime product, the annual Carnival Calabar.
In her welcome address, the Ghanaian Minister of Tourism Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has advocated for sub-regional and even promoting Destination Africa through our international fairs and exhibitions.
According to her, “The latest UNWTO barometer on international tourism sees the sub- region as the least attracted destination within the Africa sub-region lagging behind the other regions in Africa. Africa itself gets just 53 million tourists out of over 1 billion global tourists. This is just a mere five per cent of the global receipt. This is poor for a continent of over 1 billion people
“We owe it a duty to use our comparative advantages to help shape the tourism industry in the sub region. So you can imagine how badly West Africa is doing compared to global standards.
“Regional tourism can help improve tourist arrivals and in effect create the necessary employment for the teeming youth in West Africa. With a population of over 300 million people, lovely beaches, rich culture and breathtaking destinations West Africa can drive continental growth in tourism and trade.
“I am very excited to be part of the maiden Weizo Accra conference to be held in Ghana. I will like to applaud the organizers for putting such an event together within a short time. The event seeks to bring tourism and aviation experts to discuss the development within the sub region. I like the presence here of the IATA representatives.The theme for the conference couldn’t have been better than ‘Seamless Travels in West Africa’.
“Refreshing news about the event is how the event is bringing the sub region tourism practitioners together especially the long standing Ghana-Nigeria relationship.Nigeria has been a steady supplier of Tourists to Ghana with annual visitors of over 100,000 people, but this is a small drop in the ocean. Nigeria with over 170 million people spent over $2.5 billion last year on flight tickets alone, but most of these trips were outside Africa. We hope that this event, Accra Weizo, and the Akwaaba Travel Market which we also attend in Nigeria will further deepen the fraternal relationship between our two countries and grow tourism between us.”
The first paper was presented by renowned aviation travel expert, Mr. Femi Adefope. Adefope said Africa had the fastest growing global population in the world and that the continent needed more resources and cross-border cooperation to meet its ever-increasing needs.
He said: “Africa is home to some of the most dynamic economies on earth. Even with the level of poverty and underdevelopment, the middle class in nearly every country continues to swell, thus driving unprecedented levels of demand and production.
“This phenomenon is most pronounced in the aviation industry in Africa which has seen significant growth in the past 20 years or so. Africa is massive 11.6 million square miles or over 30 million square kilometers. The vast distances between countries become quite real for those who travel regularly from one region to another. Road infrastructure is generally poor. Many are either unpaved or crumbling. Rail travel is not only unavailable, but uncomfortable for the average business traveller.
“With the aforementioned facts, travel by air is the only realistic option for Africa, except that in our continent, aviation is a deeply troubled industry. A recent World Bank report has it that ‘Africa has less than one per cent of the global air service market despite having more than 12 per cent of the world population’. I do see opportunities for growth in this assessment.
“Expressed differently, Africa’s 12 per cent share of world population is serviced by only 3.9 per cent of all scheduled air service seats in the world. By contrast, the population of North America and Europe combined which is roughly equal to that of Africa, has access to approximately 54.6 per cent of global seat capacity.
“Cross-border/trans-border cooperation and investment therefore is imperative, if Africa must meet the immense challenges within the air travel industry and thus benefit from the huge gains and tremendous opportunities offered by our population and economic growth potential.
“In 1994, there were 1,088 routes flown within Africa. By May 2013, this had actually gone down to 719. Clearly, there has been a lot of consolidation on the African route network, as low-frequency, small aircraft routes have been abandoned. In 1994, on average a route served only every other day, with an average capacity of 91 seats per flight. Today, the average frequency has gone up to 1.3 flights per day and 103 seats per aircraft. In the process the total number of seats offered on intra-African routes has more than doubled from 35.4 million on 1994 to 71.8 million in 2012 – an average annual increase of 4.0.”
Adefope concluded by saying that Africa, with its huge population and ever growing demand for goods and services, presents and will always present tremendous investment opportunities for discerning investors, especially in the aviation sphere.”
Another paper presentation was by the founder of the popular herbal gin drink, Alomo Bitters, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, who reiterated the need for regional integration and also the need for Africans to learn to appreciate and do business within the continent.
Cross River State had a very strong showing with a mini carnival staged in the hotel complex. The Carnival Calabar train was led by Senator Ita-Giwa and the deputy governor of the state, Professor Ivera Esu.
The ancient city of Axum in Northern Ethiopia is an enchanting place to visit. It has many great sites and artefacts that point to an illustrious past. Among the top attractions are the stelae park, St. Mary of Zion Cathedral, Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s holiest site and Axum Rosetta Stone. OKORIE UGURU recently visited the place and reports.
As the door of the Bombadier plane was opened by Ethiopian Airlines’ cabin crew, the whiff of air that came in was relieving. One may not know whether the altitude of the town was higher than the ancient town of Lalibella (another town in Ethiopia) with its thin air that made breathing difficult for visitors.
Here, obviously the air was richer. Most tourists on the plane were coming from there. For many tourists from Lalibella, their lungs reacted positively, gulping in air rich in oxygen. This is the ancient city of Axum, northern Ethiopia, just about 150 kilometres away from Eritrea. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The ancient Kingdom of Axum has existed for thousands of years, but was at the peak of its power between 100AD and 10 century AD. Within this period, the Aksumite kingdom, as it is sometimes called, established an empire that covered the large part of northern Ethiopia, Eritrea and some places in the Arabian peninsula.
During this period, the empire controlled trade between the Greco-Roman empires and India, leading to its prosperity and wealth. With the wealth, kings of the kingdom built monuments that have become a source of study and interest.
Driving through the town, the topography is not different from what obtains in the far north Ethiopia, huge rocky hills jutting out and encompassing the space. In most cases the roads have to be literally hewn from the rocky hills.
Axum, though ancient, is somehow sleepy, most of the vehicles in use are buses. There are also carts being dragged by domestic animals. There are not many of individual luxury cars. Driving in, one could see some isolated houses pitched on top of hills. The tour guide, Mengistu, explained that these were monasteries.
Axum exudes the feeling of calmness. Here, life seems to be simple and devoid of the frenetic. Life has been on here unbroken for more than 2000 years and there is the sense that maybe 2000 years from now.
In Axum, the past and the present are intertwined in a continuous stretch of existence. Although modernity has crept in, yet the past is pervasively present in the day-to-day life of the people.
Axum has a kind of enchantment and myth. This was the city where King Haile Selassie had to come down to be crown king. It is also regarded at the holiest site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The St. Mary Cathedral complex is one place a lot of activities in Axum revolve around.
Having read so much about the town with its stelae and obelisk, it is a place any historical or adventure tourist would look forward to visiting.
They obelisks or stelae of Axum with their vague symbols and inscriptions mirror an enchanting past. It is ancient towns like Axum that have sustained Africa as a mythical land. The stelae are concrete facts to the sophistication of African civilization thousands of years ago. What one had so much read about and seen in pictures are standing and could even be touched.
The Axum stelae parks are located in the heart of town. Among the stelae, there is the great stele that is 33 metres tall and 520 tonnes. But it has broken into pieces. The belief is that it fell while being mounted. The others are of different and sizes.
The tour guide, Mengistu, gave the history of the stelae: “There are three kinds of stelae: the rough, smooth and richest decorations. The rough one is the simplest. They are the oldest ones. They were erected in 2nd century BC. When they started erecting stellae, the began from the simple ones. After they improve their skill to smooth ones and finally to the richest decorations.
“We have six richest decorations in this compound and the six stelae are arranged in order of size from North East to South West. They represent a chronological sequence. The fallen one, that is the tallest and the youngest one, is 33 metres high and 520 tonnes. They were made of stones from a quarry.
“There have been questions as to whether the decorations were done right there at quarry or here. They were finished here. We still have some unfinished stelae over there. That unfinished stelae show they were cut form the mother rock and transport roughly, using elephants and wooden rollers. Using the elephants to draw the wooden rollers, the finishing is then done here. We also wondered, granite is the hardest stone, what kind of tools did they use to cut the stones? Investigations and excavations are still on.”
The rock obelisks are tall and huge, making one wonder how they were erected. The guide explained: “They also used the elephants to pull and erect it, using a system known as the rolling and pulling system. Generally, we have more 200 stelae registered by the UNESCO. The Scot traveller, James Bruce, came here in 1769. During that time, the city had more than 300 stelae. From that ancient period, the number of stelae became less and less because the local people were using the stelae as stones for building because they did not then recognize the historical value.”
Mengistu explained that the rock stelae were a king of significance as they showed the splendour and affluence of the royalty then: “Generally, those stelae were erected above the tombs for kings and members of the royal families. Those stelae were erected like pagan statues. On top of the stelae is the shape of the crescent, half moon. The holes on the body represent sun. Both represent gods of sun and moon.
“On the body of the richest of the stelae, we have the symbols. At the bottom, we have the symbol of dog and above we have the storey. This is like a skyscraper. Members of the royal families are buried underneath.
“The door symbols are used to create access for their spirits. They go through that to heaven. Every stelae has holes at the base. Those holes are used to offer animal sacrifices to the moon and sun gods. The oldest stelae is about 2200 years.”
The tallest and the newest of the cluster of stelae in the park was the fallen one. It fell during the erection time because at 33 metres high and 520 tonnes of granite, the base was too short. It was not deep enough.
He said: “ So, they were not successful in the process of erection and it fell. That was about 7th century AD. But the local tradition has a different version. It was successfully erected and standing up till 9th century AD when the Aksumite civilization collapsed because internal and external conflicts.
“The internal conflict was the civil war between the Christians and Jewish settlers. The external conflict was the rise of Islam. Because of this, the Aksumite civilization collapsed and shifted to Lallibela.”
The stelae are not the only attraction at the park. Just below the fallen great stelae is one of the royal tombs that the stelae was built upon. Walking down, close to 10 feet deep to enter the tomb was a bit spooky. The tomb is not like the rock hewn tombs that are common.
It is a purpose constructed tomb. It has different chambers. The chambers are facing one another with a kind of walkway in between.
According the guide, there may be other tombs yet to be excavated, considering the number of stelae at the park. Beside the park is the museum. This museum houses some the day-to-day utensils sued in ancient Axum.
They range from the crude to some highest level of craftsmanship. They are from the stone down to the metal age.
•St. Mary of Zion Cathedral built by Emperor Haile Selassie
St. Mary of Zion Cathedral complex
The stelae complex is separate from the famous St. Mary of Zion Cathedral. The church is the holiest site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The church was built in 1665 AD by Emperor Falisides.
This old church was replaced by a new cathedral built by Emperor Haile Salesie in thankfulness to Mary for helping him defeat the Italian imperialists.
In between the old and the new cathedrals is the small house said to house the Ark of the Covenant.
According to Ethiopian history, the ark was brought to Ethiopia by the Menelik, the son born to King Solomon, by the legendary Queen of Sheba believed to be from Aksum.
No one is permitted to enter the house where the ark is, except the guardian priest. On this particular day, coming out from a trip of the old church and heading for the new, we saw the guardian of the Ark just by the fence of the church.
The tour guide confirmed it was him. He was holding a discussion with another individual like a priest. But while the guardian of the Ark was inside, the individual was standing outside. They were separated by the fence. According to the guide, the visitor can never go beyond that point to think of entering inside.
The old cathedral could only be entered by men as women are forbidden from entering.
By nature of worship, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church engages so much in chants and singing. The Bible used in the cathedral is made of goat skin and about 1000 years old.
Just outside the old orthodox church is a stone slap said to be the place where Emperor Haile Selasie was crowned king of Ethiopia.
On a normal day at the church, hundreds of worshippers, men and women, flock there for worship. They come in, clutching wooden sticks that are used to support the body and for chants. There is a kind of totem at the door that worshippers pray in front of before heading for the main auditorium of the church.
The complex also houses a monastery for monks who stay there giving themselves to worship of God and work in the cathedrals.
The Rosetta Stone and Queen of Sheba Palace.
Leaving the cathedral and the stelae park, we are heading for what looks like the eastern part of the town. It is up hill. The bus laboured upwards. The first stop was at a house that contains the what has been dubbed the Ethiopian Rosetta Stone.
The Rosetta Stone of Axum was caused to be written by King Ezana of Axum. It is like the original Rosetta stone, written in three languages: Sabean, Ge’ez and ancient Greek. In the stone, King Ezana ruled from 330 to 356 AD.
He ruled for 26 years. In the stone, Ezana recorded his war and victories over Nubians and against the Kush kingdom.
Leaving there and further up, there is another site. It is an excavation of a an expansive house. This, according to Mengistu, our tour guide, was the palace of the Biblical Queen of Sheba based on findings from the excavation.
Leaving Axum, one was thankful for the memories and so much information about African past. Axum is a town that is opening up to become a modern city, but in doing that, they are mindful and proud of the past. To a large extent, modernity has comfortably blended with the past and are existing comfortably.
Okoroji House in Ujari, Arochukwu, is one of the richest monument sites in the country, yet not much is written about it. With such rich artefacts from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade era, the house is invaluable for tourists and researchers. OKORIE UGURU recently visited the place and writes.
It was like a throwback to Okonkwo’s era in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The old man pushed the chalk-like ball towards me to touch and rub as a sign of welcome.
Then, the kola was brought. After the initial passing around, he applied pressure and the kolanut disintegrated into pieces. He carefully looked at the pieces of kola and nodded his head. “The pieces are ok,” he said.
He took one, threw it into his mouth and passed the rest to the other family membes around. He then took the bottle of local gin in front of him, brought out a small glass cup, took a tot and started praying that the visit to the place would be for good and not for bad.
After that, he took the glass cup outside and poured it at the threshold of the ancient house. He came, helped himself to another tot which he gulped. He grimaced as he drank.
He cleared his throat and passed the drink to other family members who had come to join him. The others took turn to measure the local gin in the class cup and gulped. It was after this that the discussion on the Okoroji Monument site began.
The Okoroji House in Ujara, Arochukwu is one of the preserved monument sites in Abia State. The place becomes of even greater importance when, under the watch of the National Commission of Museum and Monuments, an important site like the Obu Ndi Ananga Monument Site in the same state could be allowed to collapse.
The Okoroji House Monument Site is located at the heart of Arochukwu where most of the activities at the height of the town’s prowess in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries took place.
A few metres from the site is the place where the house of the Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, used to have her house. It is equally not far from the river though which she entered Arochukwu at the beginning of the 20th century when the British punitive expedition had been completed and it was the time the Christian missionaries moved in.
The fruit of the Christian missionaries’ activities is the Presbyterian Church, Obinkita. The site was said to be an evil forest where corpses of twins and others whose deaths were considered a taboo were dumped.
To many, the import of this monument site is not the story of the exploit of Okoroji, a very successful and powerful merchant in those days, but it is the ancient artifacts at the site that give vivid information about life about 300 years ago, most especially in the early days of contacts and trade between local merchants and the white men.
The legendary Okoroji of Arochukwu was said to be stubborn as a youth. At a stage, he decided to run away from his father’s house to his maternal family. After much pleading, he later returned to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful merchants in Arochukwu.
He sent out his agents and apprentices on trading missions to different parts of Igboland and even further. He engaged in slave trading with merchants from Europe. He became so wealthy and famous that people were bringing their children to him. Some used their children as collateral to borrow money.
The children would remain and work for him as apprentices or slaves. Such individuals, after carrying out his own findings, he would decide whether to use them as his domestic slaves or sell them.
The Okoroji House is one monument site that has rich artifacts. At the outer section of the house, there are sowem artefacts: old pots, bundles of wooden sticks, chains, handcuffs and so on.
The seats were built from clay. They were built in such a way that they face each other. On the left of the door, leading to the inner chambers, is also a clay seat with a metal chain that hangs from the roof to the floor.
According to the curator, that was where Okoroji used to sit to hold court. He sent out different signals by the way he would draw the chain. His acolytes knew what to do once he did that.
On the right hand side of the door is another chain with cuffs obviously used to hold prisoners. Farther on the left, by the wall, is what looks like a shrine.
On the top is a human skull. It looks old. There is a crack on one side of the skull. This shows how the person died. Up on the ceiling, there is a carved wooden images of leopard. There are also old calabashes and skulls of wild animals held together in bunch and hung on the wall. There are about three wooden drums, a broom and many other artefacts.
On the left of the house, there is a bunch of sticks of same length tied together. According to the curator, this was used by Okoroji to keep tap of his debtors and who and when they were supposed to pay. There is a huge metal pot said to have been used for cooking for the slaves.
There is a huge wooden door painted black and white. According to the curator, the wooden door was taken as war loot from the king of Orumba in the current Anambra State.
The curator said: “Okoroji had two other bothers, Otti Orji and another person. Okoroji was the last born child of his mother. Otti was a trader and migrated to Orumba to trade. He settled at the place. The people waged a war against him and sent a message to his younger brother, Okoroji.
“Okoroji sent his men to Orumba to fight for his brother. As a sign that they actually conquered the people, Okoroji’s soldiers came back with the door of the king’s palace. Our people settled there and became indigenes of the place. But up till now, they still have their roots here.
“A former chairman of the national electoral body has his ancestral root here. Our people also spread to other places like Okija, Owerrinta and so many other places. They are all originally from here, Ujari.”
He went on to explain other artefacts: “Those animals’ horns and jugs were used for drinking palm wine. These are plates used for eating. If you go inside, you will see so many things. If you go inside the chamber, you will see so many other things.
“The skulls of animals you see there were those of games killed by Okoroji’s slaves and brought to him. Usually, when they killed big games, as a sign of respect and homage, they would bring the head to their master, Okoroji.”
The artifacts at the outer chamber was a child’s play compared to the ones inside, but one would have looked beyond the shrine that is very close to the door.
On the shrine are very old swords with an elaborately designed handle, a gun and so many other items. Behind the shrine are ancient bush lamps and many other artefacts. These were likely some of the items Okoroji gathered in the course of his trading with the merchant ships.
The artefacts and ancient items are too numerous. The inner chamber is like a store where ancient artefacts, both local and European, are kept.
The Okoroji House has both touristic and scholarly value. Unfortunately, the terrible road to Arochukwu has totally made it difficult for many to visit the place.
Arochukwu is blessed to have a cluster of rich tourism sites: the Okoroji House, the Ibini Ukpabi Shrine, old Presbyterian churches that are more than 100 years old and Mary Slessor route are some of the sites.
With an effective tourism policy by Abia State, Arochukwu will become a viable tourist destination and the state and its people would be the beneficiaries.
Lufthansa has designated Lagos as the centre and regional headquarters of its Sub-Saharan sales, station and administration organization, leading marketing and sales for the airline across the continent, including East African and Southern Africa countries.
“Nigeria has always played a key role in Lufthansa’s intercontinental network and now we are creating a new organization that will benefit from the country’s economical size and business prospects as a leading regional business hub,” said Claus Becker, Managing Director, Sub-Sahara Africa, who will head the new organization.
Lagos boasts three Lufthansa destinations (Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt).It has been served by the German carrier since 1962 and is a pillar in the burgeoning economic relationship between Germany and Nigeria as well as businesses in both countries.
Speaking to media in Lagos, Becker was joined by Tamur Goudarzi Pour, Lufthansa Vice President Sales and Services for the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Europe.
To discuss the aviation group’s upcoming plans for the African continent, including the new and revamped cabins of services to be offered on all flights from Nigera as well as other key African gateways.
A delegation of tourism and culture experts and leaders will visit in August the Brooklyn Museum of African History and Culture in Port Harcourt. They will also pay a courtesy call on the Rivers State Governor Nysom Wike.
The historic visit is at the instance of the President, Brooklyn Group of Companies, tourism elder and investor, Alabo Mike Amachree. The delegation would be led by the a royal father and promoter of new yam cultural festival, Igwe Martin Eze, the Idu of Igbokwu.
Other members are Dr. Paul Dike, former Director General National Gallery of Art (NGA); Mallam Kabir Mallan, President, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN); Mr. Nkerewem Onung, President, National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP); Otunba Wale Akinboboye of La Campagne Tropicana Resort and Dr. Mubo Eniola, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Kogi State.
On the team are also Mr. Adamu Atta, Chairman, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC); top Nollywood actor and Board Chairman, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Studies (NIHOTOUR), Kanayo O. Kanayo; Mr. John Best; Mr. Akin Liasu, a former curator, Jos Museum, NTDC DG, Sally Mbanefo; Mr. Jimi Alade, Curator, Port Harcourt Museum; Professors Alagoa and Direfaka, both top lecturers in culture and history at the University of Port Harcourt.
In a release, the President of Brooklyn Group, Alabo Amachree, stated that the visit would enable the visitors to evaluate the museum complex and its contents, so as to advise in any area where there may be improvement to meet with local and global expectations.
Alabo Amachee noted that the two-day visit will help in fast tracking preparations for the official commissioning of the museum complex which is expected to showcase monuments of African leaders and kings such as Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Shehu of Borno, King Jaja of Opobo, Nana of Itsekiri, King Prempe of Ashanti, Zulu of South Africa, Ooni of Ife, Alaafin of Oyo, Eze Arochukwu, Sultan of Sokoto and many others.
The African culture section will comprise African fashion and ceremonial costumes, festivals and the symbol of the great Igbokwu Kingdom.
The Nigerian Evolutionary History Hall would showcase political actors from Lord Lugard in 1914 to the era of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Operating a zoological garden in Nigeria can be akin to the Biblical camel going through the eye of a needle. The CEO Q-Brat Zoo, Oko-Afo, Lagos, Prince Sakiru Adesina Raji, shares with ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA problems associated with a business regarded as “uncommon” in Nigeria
It is nearly three years since Q-Brat Zoological Garden, Oko-Afo, Lagos began operation. Yet its Chief Executive Officer, Prince Sakiru Adesina Raji, said “venturing into a business regarded as uncommon in this part of the world is simply taxing”.
Prince Raji (middle in white top) with a child seated on a donkey.
Raji’s friends and family members have rained condemnation rather than praises for going into a terrain government once dared but failed.
“One of my uncles once called me and said: “Raji, you are mad”. I said: “Uncle why?” He then asked: “Why are you venturing into a terrain that both federal and state governments went into only to be liquidated?”
And that simply explains the multiple headaches associated with running a zoological garden in Nigeria. The site where Q-Brat currently occupies was once used for same purpose during Lateef Jakande’s administration, but successive administrations could neither maintain the animals nor the facilities of the zoo. It became extinct.
But for Raji, that was a challenge to re-ignite his childhood fantasy-running a zoological garden and reviving the once bubbling and bustling concern.
“I would describe myself as someone who does not like sports, but loving and keeping animals have always been my passion,” Raji told our reporter as they sat adjacent to the main entrance of the zoo.
“I remember as a child, I used to visit the Biney Zoological Garden in Yaba to watch animals. There, I developed the passion,” he said.
Although Raji secured the site from the Lagos State Government in January 2010, activities could not begin until two years later. He had to battle with initial challenges, ranging from starting a venture on a large scale due to financial constraints, resulting in suspicion from government that he wanted to use the site for something else; and having to battle and chase away miners and grazers that had encroached on the land for years, among others.
“I had wanted to start on a very large scale, but after two years and I could not start due to financial challenges, a friend then advised me to start small,” he said.
But no sooner had Raji overcome those teething problems than new ones began. According to him, the recent establishment of the National Association of Zoological Gardens (NAZG) with its headquarters at the University of Ibadan, now makes procurement of animals a lot easier through synergy among operators. But that was not until Raji and a few of his colleagues had suffered several setbacks.
“Q-Brat has lost two camels, two donkeys, one crocodile, two ostriches, two flamingoes and one civet cat,” Raji lamented.
Continuing, he said: “Until the recent founding of the NAZG, there was no organised way of procuring animals. We majorly depended on hunters who used various, but sometimes dangerous tactics to get their games. Some of these animals suffer serious injuries in the process, but they look healthy when they bring them here only for them to die a few days or weeks after.”
It also takes a whole lot of effort keeping animals outside their natural habitat, Raji further explained.
“When these animals are ill in the jungle, they know the leaves or roots to eat to get well, but keeping them outside their natural habitat takes a lot of work. Let’s look at voracious animals like elephants, for instance.
“On the average, elephants walk about 45 kilometres a day, but if you have to confine them, there must be a large place to keep them, so that they can be a bit free to take walk, otherwise they are killed gradually. Though we have vet doctors, some of these animals are funny that once they fall sick, they die a few hours before the vet doctor arrives,” he added.
Another challenge is the competition the operators of zoological gardens now contend with some moneybags who have formed the habit of domesticating wild animals as pets.
“These Nigerians are very rich and can, therefore, afford to pay double the amount of money we operators pay to acquire wild animals. I think this is becoming a fad among some of our very rich Nigerians to now turn these animals to pets simply because they want to show off.
“I know a man in the Ojodu area of Lagos who keeps a panther, a python, a wild eagle and a crocodile in his premises. We had to alert the government, leading to the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, raidng the place, relocated the family and evacuated the animals.
“Some of these people even keep ostrich which can kill. Unfortunately, some do not know that except you are licensed, it is illegal to keep wild animals. What if such animal escapes? Because of our experience as operators, we know that when you keep wild or voracious animals, you don’t delay their food, otherwise you create the tendency in them to attack,” Raji said.
The outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease last year also dealt a devastating blow to Q-Brat Zoological Garden.
“People suddenly stopped coming. This place nearly became extinct. Even after Nigeria was declared Ebola free, people were reluctant to come.
“One of the utmost challenges are marketing as well as convincing potential sponsors to invest in animals.
“We have approached banks, but they just look at us as if we were from Mars. Their own idea of tourism is like building a hotel. So, my own idea seems absurd to them,” Raji said.
Currently, Q-Brat charges N500 per individual as gate fee, yet people feel the fee should be less, especially considering its location along Mile 2/Badagry Expressway.
“Some are even willing to pay N50 or N100, but we politely turn them down because we have a benchmark.
“We have written to many individuals, requesting them to either endow an animal here or pay for its acquisition and follow it up by dedicating some amount of money for its upkeep every year,”he said.
Despite the setbacks, Raji said he is already reaping the fruits of his labour. The purpose for which he set up the zoo is now crystalizing.
Some children dancing at the zoo during Children’s Day celebration
“Seeing children come around to enjoy and catch fun give me a lot of joy,” Raji said.
“I received a letter from a university undergraduate, saying he wants to come and do his Industrial Training (IT) here. That also gladdens me because one of the purposes for establishing here is to conduct a research in wildlife education.
“It is regrettable that we teach a lot of abstract. I remember when we started, I wrote to one of the universities in Lagos here to be sending their zoology undergraduates for IT. I later learnt the letter was shabbily treated.
“I want to say that there is a big difference between studying Zoology and handling animals. How could a student claim to have studied Zoology in a university, yet had no single physical contact with animals? How will such graduate defend their certificates in future?” Raji said.
Q-Brat, according to him, is also to demystify the over-bloated impression children and adults have about wild animals. This is in addition to reuniting families and teaching adults a new way of recreation rather than the usual habit of partying or going to beer parlours.
Nonetheless, to improve recreation and shore up its huge financial responsibilities, Q-Brat is now planning a swimming pool, a restaurant and bar. Its guest house is also nearing completion.
“When income improves, we tie it to one old debt or the other,” Raji stated.
Plans to bring more games such as elephants and lions into Q-Brat are also underway, including ensuring the uninterrupted power supply through bio-fuel.
“There is a notice form in which guests and visitors are given to write about their impression after leaving this place. Many have praised us for what we are doing. But I know I’m not there yet. I still have a long way to go. Where we are currently doing is far less from where we want to be,” he said.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has introduced Sheraton 2020, a comprehensive 10-point plan designed to put Sheraton Hotels and Resorts firmly back into the global spotlight. Sheraton 2020, a nod to the plan’s clear five year vision, includes a new $100 million Sheraton-focused marketing campaign; the launch of the new premier tier,Sheraton Grand; continuous innovation of the Sheraton guest experience; an unwavering commitment to service excellence; the implementation of revenue and profit-driving initiatives to benefit owners and developers; and a goal of opening more than 150 new Sheraton hotels worldwide by 2020.
“Sheraton is Starwood’s largest, and most global brand, with a nearly 80-year history as a pioneer and true beacon of hospitality around the world,” said Adam Aron, Starwood CEO on an interim basis. “With Sheraton 2020, we are marshalling the formidable might, muscle and creativity of our organization, which has famously distinguished itself as the industry’s premier brand builder and innovator. This is a top priority and we will act boldly to put Sheraton back on its rightful pedestal as a global hotel brand of choice, everywhere.”
According to Dave Marr, Global Brand Leader for Sheraton, work is well underway on Sheraton 2020 with initiatives scheduled to roll out as soon as June and a new brand positioning and global advertising campaign launching in September of this year. “Sheraton 2020 was created with an eye toward maximizing value for owners’ assets, and we thought it was important to share our plans first with them while at the NYU Hospitality Conference,” said Marr. “Our teams around the world are already hard at work to swiftly and consistently execute against this action plan.”
Luxury boutique homes have been added to the Nigerian hospitality space. Port Harcourt, the Garden City and capital of Rivers State, is the first city to play host to this new brand of luxury services.
It is the Bristow Estate located in the Elelewo area of the city which is now branded as La Campagne Boutique Homes under the management of La Campagne Beach Tropicana Resort in Ikegun Village.
It is noted as an African themed resort and celebrated by the world for its rich blend of sophisticated facilities and a touch of African tones underlining the resort which seats atop a sprawling natural enclave and nestled against the Atlantic Ocean.
Walking into the premises of the four bedroom homes which were promoted as the poster homes on the night of the opening ceremony, you are totally serenaded by almost the same rich artistic and aesthetic ambience as well as the overwhelming signature aura of La Campagne.
Perhaps the only difference on this night was the fact that here is a mini – La Campagne uprooted from its natural enclave and planted soul and body in a somewhat plastic environment. You can still see a tinge of nature as represented by the well-kept garden with its beautiful outlay and trees swaying to the rhythm of nature.
Interestingly, here you would never be denied the creative and unique offerings that La Campagne locations are noted for as these luxuriating boutique homes would among others feature a rich blend of entertainment, ranging from music, dance and drama, while you can also savour a rich dose of bonding exercises.
It is also a home for corporate getaway, honeymooners, lovebirds, conferences, lectures, seminars and workshops as well private weddings and unique events. But beyond that, it is a home for the family and individuals seeking home away from home because of its homely aura.
Those who loathe the hotel environment will certainly feel welcomed, safe and secured here because your privacy is guaranteed as you are far away from the motley crowd and preening eyes.
Also included in the bargain is a private membership club while users of La Campagne Beach Tropicana Resort are welcomed to the homes while in Port Harcourt and vice versa. You couldn’t have wished for more and they all come at a premium rate which is quite affordable given the exclusive princely treats.
The facilities available include four bedroom poster home with two living rooms, one downstairs and one located upstairs. Both are lavishly fitted and furnished with a rich taste of opulence. There is an entertainment centre (music and video), a flat screen TV, snooker board, dining, a private bar, art works, ranging from paintings, sculpture and bronze lining the wall and available space and guest toilet while the bedrooms are fittingly furnished with comfy bed, flat screen TV, work desk and chair and a cushion among others. The master bedroom has a private balcony upstairs.
Then there is also a lush garden with canopied sit–out and a bar section, while it can host private parties and outdoor games such as badminton, card games, monopoly, scramble, table tennis, ludo, ayo, dart and board games as well as cycling among others.
Also, each home enjoys a wholly furnished kitchenette with the services of a chef, butler, housekeeper, laundry and a chauffeur driven luxury car.
The first to notice is the rugged nature of the terrain. Looking at the terrain from the aircraft, the only noticeable thing is the rocky nature of the terrain.
The land does not look fertile, except for patches of shrubs that dot the rocky hill. On ground, the perception does not change.
There is a simple, yet very functional airport. The Bombadier twin propeller aircraft was filled to the brim with tourists.
There were tour operators with their buses waiting to convey their guests to the ancient town of Lalibella which is about seven to 10 kilometres from the airport.
The bus negotiated through the single -lane road. While on one side, there was the comfort of being protected by the hill, and while on the other side, it was sharp descent.
As the vehicle climbed, the road became more steep. It was as if at any moment, the vehicle would come crashing down what seemed an unprotected road side with small boulders as the only wage.
The driver, obviously used to the road, did not seem to feel any trepidation. Looking outside, some gazelles were jumping smartly from one jutting rock to the other. They balanced on the rocks without falling. Also, donkeys lazily grazed, snapping at the shrubs that their leaves seemed to have dried up.
It was after one of the snake turnings, winding precariously round the rocks that Lalibella came into view. There was nothing spectacular. As the bus drove up the rocky hills, the mild cold one felt at the airport was gradually turning icy.
For many, it was as if a huge stone had been placed on the chest making breathing difficult. It was later the reason became clear. Sitting at about 2600 metres above the sea level, Lalibella, located in the heart of Ethiopia in the Amhara region, is one of the highest points in the world. The air was thin with little oxygen. For those coming from places with lower altitude, breathing would become difficult.
The terrain seems uninhabitable. The land is mostly rocks. The farming is not a very attractive venture. There is little or no flat land to build on. Yet this is one of the most important towns in Ethiopia, and every year, thousands of visitors stream to the town for adventure and religious tourism.
Lalibella is the second holy site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church after Axum, in the Tigray region. The reason is the existence of the monolithic churches. These monolithic churches were hewn out of rocks.
In building these gigantic structure, what the founder of the town, St. Labilella, a former king of the town, simply carved out the church from the rocks. They are spectacular structures built in 11th century by the ancient king of Ethiopia, King Lalibella.
To understand the importance of this holy site of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one has to understand the romance between Christianity and Ethiopia right from the recorded conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch in the Bible (Acts 8:26-40) when he was converted by Philip, one of Jesus Christ’s disciples. The Queen of Sheba mentioned also in the Bible (1Kings 10:13-) who came to visit Israel’s King Solomon was said to have come from Ethiopia.
The town was named after him. His goal was to create a new Jerusalem after it had become difficult for Ethiopians to visit Jerusalem due to war. This led to his hewing 11 churches from the rocks. These churches, referred to as monolithic churches because they were hewn from a single rock, have lasted more than 1000 years. Even by modern standard architecture, they are spectacular.
Worship still goes on in them. For the Orthodox Ethiopian Christians and Egyptian Coptics, Labilella churches are holy sites and millions annually visit there for worship. They have become a UNESCO Heritage Site.The churches are divided into two groups, the northen and eastern churches.
The first point of call was to the biggest of the rock churches which is Bieta Medhane Alem (House of the Redeemer). To protect the structure, the UNESCO has built a shelter over it to reduce the effect of weather.
There is a small bridge that links up the space between the rock it was hewn from and the church. The rock leaves one with amazement as to the ingenuity of the builder with crude technology that was available in 11th century.
The pillars were finely hewn out. The building is about 12 metres high. It has intricate symbols on the walls and pillars each with the meaning of their own. Inside the church, it is cold and well ventilated. No one enters with shoes. The inside was designed in Byzantine style architecture.
There were worshippers inside. Around the compound are tombs of monks and priests that lived there in the past. Among the eleven were also Biete Maryam (House of Mary), Bieta Maskal), Biete Denagel (House of Virgins) and others.
The most spectacular of this ancient monolithic churches is Bieta Giyorgis (House of St. George). According to history, it was the last of the rock churches built by King Labilella. From the top of the rock, there is a design of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church cross.
The walkway into the church was also carved out from the rock. The finishing is superb. It has about four floors. Around the rocks within the tombs around the church are bones of monks that died many years ago. They did not decay, but simply dried up.
They are still inside one of the tombs for people to see with the simple net used to shield the remains that had dried up leaving on bones and parches of flesh clinging to the bones.
The tour guide that took this reporter and some others around the churches, Mr. Gaitana, talked about the lifestyles of the people and the practice in the churches.
“We build mostly stone houses. Some construct wooden houses because of cheap labour. It is completed within two or three days, but the rock houses take at least two months. But most prefer rock houses.”
At the entrance of the each of the churches are wooden staffs. He said they are for chants: “The staffs symbolise the cross of Jesus Christ and each movement during chants has its own symbolic imitation. When they move up and down, it is the symbol of descending and ascending of Jesus Christ. The priests when they are chanting, they put it on their shoulders and move front and back . Jesus carried his cross to climb up Mount Calvary. He fell down on the way. The movement of the priests reminds us of the pains of Jesus Christ . The staff is one of the instruments of the chanters. The chanters are trained. They learn the chants in the monasteries. Of course, if I know how to chant, I can chant it.
“ Among the church staff are the Pope who is based in Addis. There are monks; there are administrators; there are priests, deacons and other church workers.”
The religious activities in these churches involve a lot of chants. There were even some Egyptian Coptic priests on a visit to the churches who engaged in the chants.
Gaitana said: “The chant is different from that of the Egyptian Coptic Christians. The belief is the same, but the chant is different.”
Unlike the modern day pentecostal churches, women play prominent roles at the Lalibella churches. The activities are male dominated.
“The nuns have some roles in the church, preparing bread, fetching water and some other activities, but they don’t conduct service. It is only the priests and the men.
“ The bishops and monks cannot marry. There are two kinds of monks: the first are those since their birth are virgins. The second are those, for example, persons who lost their wives and decided to become monks and other categories of people. After becoming a monk, you can’t give birth to children again. The priest can marry, but it has to be only one wife throughout his life. If he marries another woman, he loses his priesthood,”he said.
On the presence of the ancient monolithic churches in Lalibella, Gaitana said: “It has affected us positively. Majority of the people living in the town earn their income from tourism. Outside the town, majority are farmers. But a large number of the people living in the town are also into agriculture. Basically, most people here are into agriculture and tourism.
“The church servants, guides, hotel owners, workers are souvenir shops are the direct beneficiaries. You know all these people. When they get money from tourism, they would go to market and buy things. This way, the money trickles down.”
The practice of Christianity in the monolithic churches is distinct from what obtains in today’s churches. The monks and priests, having giving their lives to their maker, have little or no concern for material things. There were no cars packed by the leaders of the church, rather they looked austere, wearing their simple attire with slippers on.
Some of them slept on bare rocks and tombs with simple clothing to wade off the inclement weather. Despite the huge wealth around them that could be acquired from those who travel far and near to get to Lalibella, material things seem to be of little interest to them. The modern church with all the glitz that goes with Christianity seems like something from a distant land.
