Category: Sports

In line with its tradition, the Centre for Black and African Arts and Cilvilisation (CBAAC) recently held its annual festival of culture celebrating children and as has become customary, the event featured an exhibition of artworks from schools across Lagos State.

Beaming light on the important role of children in sustainable development in the country the event integrates Nigerian children with the cultural heritage of the country while simultaneously showcasing the artistic ingenuity of the children via the exhibition.

The art exhibition, which was unveiled by CBAAC’s Director, Professor Tunde Babawale, spoke the voices of school children as regards the current state of events in the country. Touching on everything from security challenges, religion to cultural associations down to human anatomy, the exhibition portrays the Nigerian child as aware of the happenings in his surroundings, a far cry from the notion that the ivory towers are falling.

The Politics of Religious Terrorism, a painting by Ayeni Emmanuel, a student of Navy School, Ojo captures the battle for survival the average Nigerian experiences. It has been argued that religion is a tool used by politicians to perpetuate themselves in office while throwing the attention of the masses away from fundamental issues. Ayeni lends his voice to this argument with the work done with poster colour.

Aptly titled, he captures four politicians from different ethnicity, based on their dress code, united in crucifying an already emaciated looking Nigerian. On the sideline, the painting also portrays a crop of politicians united in fleecing the country of its wealth while ethnic division flourishes at the grassroots.

In a similar vein, Abioye Benita Adeola, also of Nigerian Navy School, Ojo reflects on the security challenge especially in the in the Northern part of the country via the artwork, Fearful Worship. She comes up with a burning house of worship with littered corpses and frightened people. In her own way, she tells the story of a people who can no longer seek peace where it is found. Other artworks on display include Bata Drummers, Human Kidney, One Nation; Many Problems as well as Egun Ngbachi (Moon Dance)

Chaired by Chief (Mrs) Opral Benson and themed Beauty in Diversity, Celebrating Creativity, the event was held at the Exhibition Hall of the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. Speaking at the event, Professor Tunde Babawale said the programme was organised yearly to facilitate interaction between children from diverse socio-cultural and economic backgrounds. “Our choice of this time of the year to bring children together for this celebration is our unique way of giving thanks to the Almighty, our creator, for his mercies and benevolence during this year that is gradually winding up. At this programme today, we are here not only to celebrate and enjoy the various compliments this season brings, we are also here to imbue and inculcate in our children the values inherent in and the beauty of African culture.”

With productions like Iya ile and Man talk, Woman Talk to its credit, Beeta Universal Arts Foundation, affiliates of Fela in Lagos is bringing, for the second time on stage, Castles in the Air by Barclays Ayakoroma. This, according to Bikiya Graham-Douglas,Chief Operating Officer Beeta Universal Arts Foundation, is in its continued effort to strengthen the different spheres of theatre and make professional theatrical performances accessible to the general public in Nigeria.

With the Amphitheatre of the Mediterranean Recreation Centre 1141 Kwame Nkrumah Crescent Asokoro Abuja as its venue, the production which started showing on Friday, December 14 wraps up today, December 16.

Castles in the Air is set in Nigeria. A story of conflict, a Muslim couple desires for their son Aminu to get married and become a more responsible adult. They fail to succeed with their bid until they receive a letter from a great uncle offering a huge amount of money to the family with conditions that Aminu must marry and father a child within a year.

All seems okay and preparations begin on how the money would be spent to upgrade the family lifestyle, until Aminu decides to marry the girl of his dreams, Stella, who is from Southern Nigeria. The conflicts begin between both families as to why the lovebirds cannot marry and caught up in the chaos they fail to realise that they are building Castles in the Air.

A satirical story, the production highlights the need for unity in Nigeria and why our diversity should be our strength and not a weakness. BUAF produced this play last year in Lagos. This would be its first production in Abuja.

Cast of the drama production include Patrick Diabuah, Inna Erizia, Ikponmwosa Gold, Omololu Sodiya, Bola Edwards, Paul Alumona and Chioma Onwusika.

Spelling is the bedrock of literacy. In this report, Rotimi Eyitayo, initiator of the Teammasters Spelling Bee competition, speaks to Joe Agbro Jr. on the need for good spellers among students 

In existence for four years, the Teammasters Spelling Bee is an English Spelling Competition that has been designed for students between the ages of 7 and 17 years across primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools. And this year’s edition, the fifth in the series, will feature in 10 states in Nigeria as well as three countries.

The Initiator of the programme is Rotimi Eyitayo, a business consultant, skewed towards Project Management and Process Improvement and who has worked with corporate organisations, religious bodies, schools as well as individuals. With a passion for education, he has facilitated programmes within and outside Nigeria, one of which is the just concluded Gemstone Global Reading Festival that happened in 17 cities in Nigeria and 17 countries across the world simultaneously. Others include the Nigerian Schools Conference which brings together school heads across the nation, the Student Enrichment Seminar and of course, The Teammasters Spelling Bee.

Expressing concern over the nation’s reading culture, Eyitayo said, ‘I really believe that Nigerian students and adults as well have problems with spelling. This can be attributed to the fact that the reading culture has gone very low and with the emergence of abbreviations and code words. The average Nigerian student would rather use shorthand and abbreviations to express himself.’

According to Eyitayo who registered Teammasters Limited in 2006 to create and add value to schools, students, teachers, and parents, ‘the competition has been structured to help promote literacy in Nigeria but most of all to develop students’ use of the English vocabulary and spelling skills. Each stage of the competition (District level – State Finals – National Finals and Awards) has been observed to help build spellers’ confidence and competitive skills as well.

Over 500 schools had participated in previous editions of the spelling bee, but, for this edition, Eyitayo said he expects 2, 000 schools to participate in the competition.

And the star prize winner of the spelling bee gets an opportunity to be the US Consul General for a day.

Coordinators of winning students as well as their schools will also receive prizes and all participating students and coordinators will also get certificates of participation.

He said, “over the years, feedbacks from participated schools were that an incredible difference was noticed in the academic performance of spellers who participated in the competition.”

On what motivates him , Eyitayo says: “The desire to engage students in a unique way and simultaneously develop the educational sector, thereby creating leverage for both primary and secondary schools (private and public) to build confidence, improve on their vocabulary and thereby acquiring life skills.”

Obviously, the magnitude of the programme does not intimidate Eyitayo as he said, “our team has been able to position the competition for better participation and acceptance by the general public.” Appealing to sponsors, he, however said: “We still seek for sponsors and organisations that are willing to support this cause.”

Apart from helping students “to build confidence, improve on their vocabulary and thereby acquiring life skills,” Eyitayo says it is the desire of Teammasters to “showcase the best we have and win in every endeavour at all cost.”