Paul ADEPOJU

Jumia Nigeria's Great Gatsby Lagos Fashion Show

2013-07-14T13:39:00.000+01:00

It has always been my desire to attend fashion shows, so I was quite joyous when I received invitation to a Fashion Show/Cocktail Event hosted by Nigeria's leading online megastore, Jumia. The event that was held at the prestigious Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island in Lagos featured various designs created by local fashion designers. For the male designs, there weren't much surprises; but for the ladies, the designers went AWOL.

The first female model that appeared on the runway set the tone, a very hot one for the evening. Her dress was quite confusing. One on side, it looked like an attire that could be worn to work and on official duties. But on the other hand, the short nature of the skirt which placed the hem way above the knees, and the light nature of the material that could be easily blown by wind made it a bad choice to wear to work, except your boyfriend is also your boss, or you plan to seduce the boss.

Several other seductive clothes were on display which made me ask when did being naked become the new morally acceptable fashion statement?

However, with adjustments made here and there, especially in the length section plus choice of appropriate undergarments (many of the female models didn't wear much), several of the clothes on display could be made wearable to corporate events and by individuals like me who are not big fans of sheer nudity.

Several of the shoes looked nice only that most of the models wore them with the tags on; I even saw some clothes with the tags in place. It wasn't a pleasant site.

Anyway, I had fun and I took several pictures of some of the clothes on display, all of which are available for sale on Jumia. Check them out below

Who wears cardigans the other way round? This was a huge miss

But the model rocked it with great poise

I really argued with the lady that sat beside me on the front row over this dress. I wasn't feeling it but she said she loved it

But when she turned to face me, I saw the front view and I loved it too...We just have to close the window of opportunity at the back

This looked like the dress code for bodyguards at a Lagos club house

This looks quite nice but I don't see myself wearing such anytime soon

Though she walked the runaway with confidence, I'm not sure she would have same confidence when there is a strong wind

People wear this daily, nothing unique

And that's the end of the Great Gatsby Fashion Show held in Lagos and hosted by Nigeria's number one online retailer - Jumia.com.ng

We Have A Lot To Learn From African Lyrics - Chika Uwazie

2013-06-16T22:11:00.000+01:00

If adding her on Facebook and following each other on Twitter suggest friendship, then I can say we are friends. But I don't have her phone number (yet) nor her residential address. But I've been following her for quite a while and we worked together briefly on The Nigerian Eagle project.

I see Chika as resourceful, creative and focused. Of course you can't deny she's also visually appealing.

It didn't come as a surprise that she is interested in so many things and would readily transform anything on her plate into something worthwhile - including music lyrics which is the focus of her current project - Decoded.com.ng

We talked extensively and exclusively for HumanIPO.com and I would like to share the interesting story of the genesis of Decoded from the perspective of Chika who will not hide her love for Omawumi and Mr Incredible.

Paul: I've followed your various projects, what led to Decoded?

Chika: A friend named Julies Sea who is my current partner reached out to me to work on another project called Keejul. One day randomly we started talking about lyrics and how they are highly sought out on Google searches. We also thought the website called rap genius was really cool and knew that Africans could benefit from a similar website. So we did the research and saw that a lot of Africans are looking for lyrics to their favorite song and that is how we started working on decoded.

Where do you get the lyrics from?

Different methods we reach out to the artists and get lyrics directly from them We also have users that submit lyrics and we edit them to make sure they are correct.

Let's look at some specific African musicians such as Sarkodie who is very fast. How do you “decode” his lyrics?

We have not posted Sarkodie lyrics on the website yet. We have only posted songs in which he is featured. But in those instances we either reach out to the artists to get the direct lyrics or we write them out ourselves and then get the artists to verify that the lyrics are indeed correct.

What's your view about African music lyrics in general?

I believe a lot of culture is discussed through the lyrics of African songs. I also have seen how a lot of slang derived from African songs. I think it is important that we talk more about African lyrics because there is a lot of interesting things we can learn from the lyrics. I will say there are also complaints from fans that African artists have nonsensical lyrics and only care about the beat. I do hope that with time the will put more thoughts into their lyrics.

Why are African lyrics are not easily gotten like those of international superstars and other foreign artistes?

Well I believe that in the US there is a structure that is set in place for lyrics. There are agencies that copyright lyrics as well as a system of supporting song writers. Song writers in the US get huge recognition such as winning awards for their works as well as collecting royalties. In African we have not explored the use of song writers. I also feel that we have not really held artists accountable to create better lyrics. We enjoy the best and rarely analyze the lyrics behind the song. I feel that as the music industry continues to progress these changes will occur.

On the website, I saw Chinua Achebe's works. Are you also diversifying to literature?

Yes we also hope to post short stories, speeches, and poetry where our users can also decode these as well

What's the long term goal for the website?

To be a media platform that engages the music community. Also helps artists no matter big and small build a fan base that they continue to engage with, and fill gaps that our missing in the entertainment industry

What gaps have you identified so far?

Upcoming artists really do not have a platform to showcase their music and to be easily discovered. We are hoping to fill those gaps to aid in the discovery of music. Also we will like to provide the correct lyrics to songs as a lot of websites currently have the lyrics wrong

Any commercial plans?

Yes we do of course we hope to make money through advertisement and working with other organizations like telecom companies to make revenue

What’s the average daily hit?

We just launched in February so currently we have 1,500 hits on average with a continuous increase as we continue to improve the website

What is the strategy for expansion?

We want to create a website version of Decoded that will be friendly to feature phone users. We also plan to partner with other music companies to offer our services to use on our website

What of app development, anyone currently ongoing?

No we want to focus on creating a solid website. A lot of our traffic comes from Google searches so we want to work on optimizing that traffic. We also want to launch video interviews as well to talk more about lyrics

Which music companies have you approached so far?

I can not disclose that information because they have not launched yet. When they launch we will provide an update to the formal partnership. We also want to work with music blogs as we created an embdeed format of our lyrics that they can post to their blog

What should we expect from decoded very soon?

A revamp of the website in order to make it more user friendly and more lyrics from different countries. Also more content to the website including a blog that will have lyrics annotated and music reviews.

Who is your favorite African musician?

That is very difficult but right now I love Omawunmi

Why Omawunmi?

Has a lovely voice and her lyrics speak to me. I can listen to her all day in my car. I also love her infusion of afrobeats

What of the rising stars but are yet unpopular?

I like Blackmagic and Boj. Very cool unique voices

Which songs have the best lyrics?

There are a couple of songs that have good lyrics. Many of Rukus's songs like questions and stay fresh. Vector the Viper We Made Oh has some good catch phrases, and of course I love MI Chairman especially when he says “Have you eaten today then why are you hating?”

What is your favorite music genre?

Overall I like Afrobeats and R&B

What else would you like my readers to know about you and the Decoded project?

Decoded is a music platform that is filling the void of lyrics websites for African music the right way through accurate lyrics. We also are heavily endorsed by many artists who have shared our website on social media platforms like Banky W, MI, BEZ, Flavour, and the list goes on. We are excited for the future and have a lot of cool features that will be coming out in the new few months.

Thank you for your time

You're welcome thank you

As A Poet, I Just Want To Be Honest - David Fasanya

2013-06-05T20:06:00.000+01:00

For those that don't know him, David Fasanya is a Nigeria-born American poet who gave an awesome performance at the TEDxChange event put together by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I interviewed him exclusively for HumanIPO.com.

You have a Nigerian name but an American accent. So, tell me, do you still claim to be Nigerian?

I have a Nigerian passport and American passport

Have you ever been to Nigeria?

Yea I went to boarding school thee for about five years.

Which school specifically?

I attended Lifeforte International High School in Ibadan.

How did you start poetry?

Since I was 11, I used to write rap lyrics. But around 16/17, I found out about an organization called Urban World NYC. Basically they offer free writing workshops. I just really like the idea of writing something and having people pay attention to what I have to say; essentially having peoples’ undivided attention. I liked the idea, it intrigued me.

When did you go professional, and when did you start reciting your poems at events?

I wouldn’t say there is a particular point; I wouldn’t even say that I’m a professional now because I’m still trying to develop and expand more. I don’t think there is any particular point. Since I’ve found out about it, I’ve always been focused.

I’ve been blessed to have opportunities such as the recent one at TEDxChange. I wouldn’t say I’m professional just yet.

What inspires your poems?

I would say according to what is going on in my life. But at this point, I think it’s just about getting the dialogue that should be happening when people are engaging in an awkward silence. A lot of change has in convenient moments. If we can have the courage to say what’s on our mind in those moments without considering how someone is going to react, we can get a lot of truth out of that.

For the TEDxChange event, I was given a particular theme. They asked me to write on “Disrupting the pattern for positive change.” I ended up writing that piece on using social media to bring to the public conscience the conditions of various people around the world – people who don’t have those tools to let us know what is going on in their lives.

In terms of the types of messages emanating from nations, what do you think is still lacking because we often have serious issues that go unnoticed while comparatively ephemeral incidences such as the Oga at the top gaffe attract massive attention from within and outside the country. What do you think is responsible for this, and how can we re-route social media tools to beam the searchlight on the issues that truly and really matter?

I see it as an individual responsibility to develop interest in what we ought to have interest in. it is also important to be open to everything. As individual users of Facebook and Twitter, we have a stake in social media. I think it’s our responsibility to make the people around us aware. In other words, we need to start educating ourselves on what is going on.

Also, social networking isn’t entirely digital in the real sense; it is people talking to one another. So I think we should also not be afraid to open up to people in our community. If you don’t talk to strangers, if you don’t communicate with other people, the world isn’t going to expand.

The people that may have the resources or influence those things that are going on in our lives or in the life of our native land may not help us if we don’t open up to them. If you stay in the same circle, you’re not going to bring anything new into the mix. I think it is important to network, not just in the sense of social media, but as people talking to one another.

As an African American who once lived in Africa, do you think the continent is being accurately portrayed in the media?

I think it’s just a portion, a small aspect of what is happening in Africa. I think it’s not the whole picture. When I was in Nigeria, I was privileged to be in the well off area so I didn’t really experience the country as a whole. You portray something according to your motive. I’m not sure exactly why these images of Africa we see in the western world are so perpetually portrayed in a very primitive like. But I’ve experienced something very different even though the things they portray are true, they don’t portray the whole story.

What message do you like to pass across in your poems?

Just being honest, that’s just the bottom-line. Openness is a sort of improvement and it’s not about what’s wrong or what’s right, it’s about what’s real. My main theme is to be honest first and foremost, and then to think about how you can improve yourself afterwards, and then move on from there.

Who are the people that inspire you?

Most of the people that inspire me are not poets, most are in other fields. It’s a large number of people. I feel inspired by people that I see and talk to on a regular basis. I’m inspired by people around me. I also appreciate people from around the world but I feel more inspired by people that are tangible to me.

How are you using social media to promote yourself and showcase your poems?

I never exclude myself when I write a poem or do a piece of work. I’m also talking to myself that I’ve not used social media enough like I should have.

Tell me briefly how you came up with TEDxChange poem (video inserted)

I had to write it a week before the event. Basically, it was something I felt that I was speaking to myself also. I thought about the things I see daily on Facebook and I think it exemplifies human nature – we want people to be aware of our hardships and achievements, and just basically living.

I just wanted people and myself also, to be conscious of people that are also living with hardships and triumphs that we don’t know about. Social media isn’t readily available in their environment talk less of essential things like water, food or resources they need daily. So I just wanted to paint the picture where we can connect human desires to be noticed by people that are not noticing but have the power to make more people notice the plight of others.

You don’t post much on your Facebook page. You also have a not fully updated LinkedIn profile page, which makes me wonder what your favorite social media tool is?

Facebook is the only functioning social media tool. I don’t have a twitter account or a blog. But I recently put up the LinkedIn profile. Right now I’m trying to be more active in my community and not be a robot who stays online everyday – even though it’s a good thing.

Who contacted who for the TEDxChange event?

I was told that they came across some of my footage online and they contacted the organization that I’ve been with for the past few years. Basically they sent me an email asking if I would like to be at the TEDxChange event. I was shocked.

What other major platforms have you been on apart from the TEDxChange?

I’ve been opportune to perform at the Apollo, on Broadway and other places. I never want to take for granted the people and places I’ve been opportune to perform in front of, especially people of young age. I always try to stay humble.

In the second part of the interview, I put David on the spot for a freestyle after he claimed he could rap too.

[FREE DOWNLOAD] 2Face Ft T-Pain - Rainbow RMX

2013-05-28T22:41:00.000+01:00

This track should be the closest to the global smash we all know as African Queen. I'm personally not sure 2Face wrote this song because it's quite a deep song with crazy hook. And T-Pain went all in on this one so I advise you download it straight away.

Click here to download

Governor Jang, I Feel Your Pain

2013-05-25T12:42:00.003+01:00

When the governor of Plateau state said he suspected foul play, one would expect he had a valid case of electoral malpractice in the conduct of the election that saw eschewed Rotimi Amaechi emerge as the re-elected chairman of the Nigerian Governors' Forum. He however sounded ridiculous when he said his argument was based on the promise he got from 18 out of the 35 state governors because statistically, he didn't select his confidence interval well and he clearly showed that despite his old age and vast political and professional experiences, the word "backstabbing" is still strange to him.

For many like him who don't know what backstabbing is all about, it is defined in real Nigerian terms as an unfortunate condition where an individual is cheered on by people who will later turnaround at the nick of time to renege on their earlier promise. If that definition still looks ambiguous, let me illustrate with the true life story that made me decide not to venture into politics.

It happened to a friend during our undergraduate years and he was vying for the Students' Representatives Council (SRC) slot for our class so we rallied around him to support him with the campaign. Prior to the day of the election, more than two-third of members of the class promised to vote for our candidate.

Armed with this impressive collective words of assurance, he went to roost like a chicken. He slept soundly and I helped him draft his victory/acceptance speech. In the morning, he wore his best T. M. Lewin shirt and was set for what could have been his first ever victory in politics.

Unlike the secret ballot style of the NGF election, ours was open ballot so that everyone would see who voted and who didn't vote. For the winner, it's an opportunity to know who your true supporters are, and those you will have to convince that you are qualified to lead. But for the loser, it's a disheartening moment to see those that gave you false hopes. My friend belonged to the later as only 5 of us voted for him. It took him years to have confidence to seek political office again.

It's therefore surprising that the 70-year old governor lacked such experience until yesterday when out-of-favor Rotimi Amaechi despite all odds emerged victorious. Thus becoming the first ever politician in PDP history to record success in spite of being on the president's blacklist.

The reason why many Nigerians rejoiced last night was that the saga that trailed the governor's flight cancellation and threats from all angles loyal to the president gave Nigerians and foreign observers the perfect scenario to understudy the maturity of our rule of law and democracy that the machinery set in motion to persecute Amaechi proved to be bastardizing.

Instead of crying foul play, and raising unnecessary dusts, the Jang team should just bury the hatchet and learn the lesson I learned as an undergraduate that until the results of an election are announced, assurances and promises are nothing to rely on because even when under oath, people can still change their minds when they get something better than what you plan to offer.

Amaechi has been outstanding in the way he has handled the forces from above and we expect him to handle his opponents smartly too. The house is currently divided which needs amendment but is also a good sign because there will be divergent opinions and an abrupt end would be put to the incessant wastage of state resources by governors who are united to swindle the system.

And for the Oga at the Top who Daily Trust said was receiving live update from Akpabio, I believe he should accept defeat in good fate and let Amaechi be. If Nigerians can rejoice on his victory, then Oga at the Top should know that further making things difficult for Amaechi using federal might will only complicate things come 2015 since many Nigerians are seeing a David Mark/Rotimi Amaechi ticket as a better option for PDP over the incumbent which is extensively touted as pusilanimous and clueless.

[Free Download] Wizkid Ft. Femi Kuti - Jaiye Jaiye

2013-05-04T09:04:00.000+01:00

This is a brand new one from Wizkid and he featured the legendary Femi Kuti. It's a nice tune and has my vote of confidence any day.

Click here for free download

Reuben Abati: The Perfect Depiction of The Plight of The Nigerian Journalist

2013-05-03T19:08:00.000+01:00

When Reuben Abati decided to pitch his tent with the PDP-led government he once abused in his column and other pieces he wrote as a journalist, the blogosphere extensively abused the legendary journalist and columnist. I did too; but as a writer who knows the plight of the average Nigerian journalist, how can I blame the man for making the best decision for his career – both in the present and in the future?

I remember covering the activities of a governor in the South West region for a week. There were so many unbelievable wrongdoings that His Excellency perpetrated right in the eyes of the pen pushers. But they didn’t publish the news because they feared the long arms of the governor would make sure their careers resulted in an abrupt end.

This also reminded me of the last gubernatorial election I covered in another South Western state. During the political campaigns, the incumbent governor wielded so much power to the extent that the Executive Director of a federal government-owned media house had to confirm from His Excellency’s media crew that the governor would allow the media house to broadcast the political adverts submitted by his opponents.

The head of the media house might have learnt some lessons from the plight of the staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) who were beaten and severely injured by political thugs for announcing the results of the local government elections during the trouble-laden tenure of Senator Rasheed Ladoja in Oyo state.

In Nigeria, it is unfortunate that virtually every non-political public servant is abandoned and left on his or her own to survive. It is therefore not surprising that no journalist in Nigeria (you can quote me anywhere) can confidently challenge Nigerian politicians to ask the questions that Nigerians want answers to. The monthly Presidential Media Chat is a good example.

The programme alone is strong enough to help the president to perfectly connect with the plights of the average Nigerian. Instead, it has become a family meeting or a monthly episode of Tales By Moonlight. At times, it becomes an AY Comedy Show where the journalists laugh to the president’s jokes while nodding in total agreement to every statement made by the president – even when such are short of facts.

But they dare not challenge the president or they will suffer the serious and grievous consequences like the fate of the OGTV journalist who smiled at a story that wasn’t in favor of the incumbent administration in the state. She was served with a query, demoted and banned from appearing on the screen.

Who wants that treatment?

Who will blame the Nigerian journalist when he knows his family will suffer the consequences if he decides to really carry out his duties like his contemporaries working with the CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and other channels known for extraordinary journalism?

I can never forget the experience I had when I was to appear live on NTA AM Express. The journalist gave me a clear warning. According to her, I must not blame the government or say anything that could make her lose her job. I simply obliged because she’s a wife and mother with kids looking up to her for their daily bread. I will never forgive myself for jeopardizing that.

The Nigerian journalists are endangered species. They are poorly paid and are not assured of job and life security so they are playing it safe. Instead of carrying out investigative journalism to unveil the sponsors of the various crises in Nigeria, they prefer to shoot documentaries on the healing power of the honey. Instead of telling the president pointblank his various wrong steps, they’d rather nod in unison and laugh in one accord because they are sure to get a fat envelope when they act well.

Like our nation, Nigeria’s fourth estate lay in comatose much to the delight of politicians who have skeletons in their cupboards and can easily “deal with” any poor journalist like the one who once lived in my neighborhood and was notorious for his ancient once dark now light blue slim tie and oversized flowing shirts.

While the focus of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebrations is on security, the Nigerian press’ dilemma isn’t just about security, it’s about freedom. Journalists here are oppressed and suppressed. They are stuffed right in the pockets of politicians and they dare not complain because the repercussion would be too grave to bear.

Like Reuben Abati, they patiently and assiduously go about their duties and lurk around for rare opportunities that would guarantee financial security and will give them appreciable freedom to do what they were taught in school about journalism.

But till such opportunity comes, an average Nigerian journalist would rather sit quietly in the fully air-conditioned shuttle bus provided by the governor for the press corps, cover the governor’s courtesy visits, ignore his shady deals and alcoholism which could mean more trouble that may add sand to his garri when His Excellency decides to flex executive muscles with the emaciated and famished pen pusher.

So, next time you feel like insulting Reuben Abati, remember to put yourself in his shoes and choose what you’ll do – keep annoying the government and bear the consequence, or join the government and enjoy eternal bliss.

Interview With Toyosi Akerele, Founder Of RISE Networks

2013-04-23T15:43:00.000+01:00

Recently, I chatted with Toyosi Akerele, founder of RISE Networks exclusively for HumanIPO and we spoke extensively on the current status of education in Nigeria. She talked about how her network is piquing the interest of Nigerian students in education via a new free online community - Passnownow. In the interview, she revealed that Java and Symbian apps for Passnownow will be launched next month (May).

Here I'm posting the interview in its entirety.

Paul: At the Social Media and Education session held at the SMWLagos, Toyosi Akerele spoke extensively on the precarious situation of the nation's education sector. So, let's start with the question "who is to blame?"

Toyosi: The Nigerian education sector has undergone many changes since the attainment of independence about 53 years ago. The period shortly after independence, marked the glorious years in the sector. The prevalent indices then, pointed to a bright future for the country, which produced well-rounded and skilled manpower on which the country’s socio-economic and technological advancement relied on.

The period witnessed a strong public school system, adequate funding of the few secondary and post-secondary institutions, conducive work environment for teachers, well equipped science laboratories and libraries, among others. The system equally enjoyed non interrupted academic calendar across tiers. Higher institutions, on their part, enjoyed some levels of academic freedom and robust students’ unionism.

The decade that followed the first intervention of military rule signaled the beginning of the decay in the sector. It also marked one of the deciding factors that led to the destruction of the legacies of the independence years.

The policy inconsistency and disregard for intellectualism by the successive regimes, especially during the military era, led largely to such ills as brain drain, decaying infrastructures, bastardisation of the teaching profession, destruction of the public school system, workers’ strikes, frequent closures of schools, students’ laziness, cultism, among others.

All that have brought us to where we are now. Haven laid this background; I would say the genesis of the poor state of Nigerian education system is largely political. The bad news is; the situation keeps getting worse and the government seems clueless – or maybe not doing enough to solve the various obvious problems.

How was the idea for Passnownow hatched?

As a Nigerian - especially someone with so much passion for the youth, I realized that the best way to stimulate the interest of Nigerian students in education is to engage them through the means they are already used to, what we describe as familiar channels of delivery. An average Nigerian teenager today, owns a browser enabled phone. And what does he/she do with it? Connect with friends on social media, and probably play games.

The initiative was born out of the desire to help improve the learning culture of young Nigerians and at the same time providing a platform to develop their social skills. In this case, merging education with social interaction by providing a platform that offers knowledge based interaction amongst young people. Some of the reasons identified for this are the incessant abysmal failure of students at WASSCE (West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination) and JAMB (Joint Admission Matriculation Board) examinations which has raised a big question on the quality of education being received by students in our secondary schools.

The idea is to provide free access to self paced academic materials for students preparing and studying for examinations, for it to serve as a rallying point for knowledge seekers and students needing help with their studies.

Of course, those are the main essence. But then, the site is much more than only academics; my craving indeed was to develop truly educated Nigerian youths who are academically sound, emotionally balanced and socially responsive and responsible.

Who are the founding partners?

I conceived the idea and its framework; wrote the concept note and shared it with my Team at Rise Networks and we started to work it and kept it open for feedback and reviews by young Nigerians. Months after, here it is. I will therefore, not be tempted to ascribe the glory to myself as Team work has played a very key role in the development of the Idea.

How does the project fit in to RISE Networks' objectives?

As you may well know, RISE Networks is a Leading Social Enterprise with a deliberate interest in Technology and its relevance to Youth and Education Development across Africa. Our Vision is to be the ultimate reference point in Africa and the World as a hub of relevant knowledge resource and a Facilitator of opportunities and platforms that improve the lives and livelihoods of Nigeria's Youth, with an affirming commitment to empower and prepare them to restore the dignity of Nigeria's Democracy and her steady Economic Growth. Part of our core objectives is to “revitalize values by inculcating positive behavior in the representatives of the future” and also to “build a new generation of responsible leaders…” In this regard, Passnownow serves as a ‘catch and empower them young’ initiative whereby the values and attributes that are certain to make for a greater Nigeria are being inculcated in our youth right from their early teen years. We also believe that only an educated citizenry can demand mandatory accountability from Government and also make the right choices and decisions. Beyond that, our in-house Tutors are young and ambitious Star Teachers who have now moved out of their comfort zone to embrace new trends and techniques in delivering class content. All Passnownow.com Tutors work full time with us and we find their contributions very rewarding to the entire process. It is refreshing to see Nigerian Teachers in a new light as they become beacons of hope in this generation as Edu-Technologists and Expert Online Tutors.

What are you trying to achieve with the website?

More than being a website, Passnownow.com is a Community. Our aim is to give students the power to take responsibility for their learning, and not just the educational system. Education has taken a new dimension in the 21^st century whereby you can learn and educate yourself at your own pace. Information and invariably Knowledge dissemination is at an unprecedented level in the world and we have to take advantage of that in developing our man power as a country.

Obviously, technology is a key tool in making this possible and that informed our participation at the social media week and also the theme for our event. Creativity has been identified as a potential tool for progress and thus education should focus on developing the creative potential of students rather than “educating them out of their creativity” because Education that tolerates Ignorance is no Education at all.

Our aim is to set young people up for excellent results in Tests and Exams, foster real time useful learning and discussions as a lifelong habit and restore the glory of Nigerian Education.

We realize that in developed climes, instructional radio, Internet intervention and interactive Television have constituted major paradigm shifts and re-invigorated the system of Education. We have therefore employed this 3 prong approach in ensuring that we can attain the goal of improving the quality of education and interactions amongst Nigerian Youth.

Given that the web is the new Teacher, Passnownow contains an online study platform which provides Secondary / High School Students with upbeat, on-the-go solutions to all Subjects in the simplest ways. Our intention is to gainfully engage PASSNOWNOW users in the most excellent conditions using fun and interactive methods and tools with which they can learn effectively.

With Passnownow.com, we are catering to the needs of Nigerian Young People as we equip them to become better informed, more knowledgeable, vast and well educated. This is because there is a direct relationship between the level of socio-economic growth and development in a country and the quality of education in that country. The Exciting part of all these is that the content on the Site is All FREE to use.

A major issue in Nigeria is data size. For the site to achieve its set goals, Nigerian students need to be active on it. But there are several pictures on it, even on the mobile platform, how are you ensuring that visiting the site doesn't cost much?

We have just overhauled the site and built a new version with the latest Tech Applications that make it adaptable for any mobile browser to navigate with ease and speed. We have compressed the sizes of images and even removed some where necessary. Technically, at the moment, the site is very responsive and pretty quick to browse. We are in the process of securing strategic partnerships with stakeholders in the IT and Telecoms Industry who value the need to support Education. This will make Passnownow.com Users can have very subsidized data rate, or even at no charge at all.

An Android app has been developed for the site. When did you realize that an Android app is necessary?

The Android app had been in our plan from the inception of the project. We realize that majority of our target audience are mobile internet users and thus our aim is to develop apps for most of the widely used phone technology in Nigeria. We will launch the JAVA and SYMBIAN Applications for the Site in May of 2013. We are currently testing to be sure that all the relevant features of passnownow.com and more education pieces are integrated into them so that they are truly useful and of great impact on Nigeria’s Education when we embark on our monitoring and evaluation exercises at the year end.

Toyosi at SMWLagos2013 said the goal of the project is to ensure that there is a drastic slash in the incidence of failures recorded at exams. Specifically, she said she wants about 80% reduction in failure. But a larger percentage of the students that fall into this category can't even afford a mobile phone talk less of an Android enabled device. What's the plan to reach this category of students who even need Passnownow more?

That will not be utterly true. Millions of children in public schools have mobile phones, not matter how cheap they may be, so our responsibility with passnownow.com is to refocus their interests and show them how to turn their mobile phones into learning aids. Like I said earlier, we have plans to develop apps for all the major Operating Systems. Before Children’s day 2013, our Symbian app will be released. Most people in the group you referred to use Symbian enables phones. With our symbian app and other innovative measures, I believe that concern would have been greatly dealt with. More so, remember I put a timeline of 6years to it as it will be somewhat ludicrous for me to think that we can clear this rot within a year or two.

We are also looking to deliver our content via SMS. Users with phones without internet access can subscribe to our SMS service with options to choose what content they want delivered to them on their phones. We are also remodeling our content to fit into an offline framework deliverable to students in the simplest forms.

Partnering with government - federal, state and local, has been proven to be an effective means of reaching more end-users. What have you done in this regard?

We had considered this position and are working on achieving such possible partnerships in the nearest future. Certain State Governments who are embarking on serious IT intervention in their Education Sectors have requested for our content. PC Manufacturers and enablers are also opening discussions with us along this line. The flipside is for the Government to see the need to partner with us. In Nigeria today, Teachers are ill equipped and there are more unqualified Teachers than the qualified one. Teachers do not cover the scheme of work and there is no monitoring and evaluation process in our education system to separate the wheat from the chaff. The Governments at levels in Nigeria should also see the need to ensure that all Public Schools across the country are fully set up with Computers and free internet access for the students and Teachers.

How are you publicizing the project to ensure that more students are accessing the website?

We adopted a three prong approach to publicizing this project; first, we are creating awareness using new media platforms and ads on websites with considerable traffic from our target audience. Due to our efforts so far, Pasnownow.com is fast becoming a reference point on matters pertaining to youth and education within Nigeria’s tech space. Secondly, we engage directly with our target audience by visiting secondary schools and carrying out on ground activations and awareness campaigns on Passnownow.com. For example, we were present at GTBank Heritage cup and introduced Passnownow.com to thousands of students during the Heritage cup quarter final matches. We have also started visiting Schools to engage with Teachers and inform them that the content on Passnownow.com is complimentary to theirs and as such, encourage their students to study with it. Thirdly, we intend to also publicize this project through adverts to be aired on major TV stations in the country. It is also worthy to mention that several media companies have been very supportive.

What is the average daily hit, which category of students visit more often?

For certain confidential reasons, we cannot discuss this in specifics but for now but we have a high registration rate on the site daily and this has reinforced our orientation that edu-technology is the future of learning in the world and we are glad to be pioneers of this initiative that will make Nigerian Students globally competitive.

At this period, which is the examination period for students writing their final examinations and also JAMB/ UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination) is around the corner so we have more students in this category visiting the site.

On the Hotstuff/Latest News page, news such as the story of a 15-year-old boy that bagged 35 years jail sentence for shooting his fellow students was shared. Do you think this is appropriate? And how do you ensure that the target audience (students) is protected against bad news like the one I just mentioned?

Our editorial policy places more emphasis on morals in this light. Granted, the news item you referred to is a bad news. But what is the moral lesson behind it? I’m sure you already know – it is bad to harm people, and if you do, there is punishment for it. This is our message, and not an emphasis on the act itself.

What are the short term and long term plans for Passnownow.com?

In the short term, we are working to ensure our users get value adding content on Passnownow.com. We want to ensure we provide them with simplified, easy to comprehend academic content based on Nigeria’s educational curriculum. We want to be able to reach our target audience irrespective of their choice of device whether Desktop computers, laptops, mobile devices etc

In the long term, we intend to scale up our medium of delivery to include traditional media. Basically, we should be going on to set up a 24hr TV Station specially dedicated to Teaching and we will be deploying all our resources to achieve our target of about 80% reduction in failure rate at National examinations in the coming years.

What is the public response to the initiative?

The response has been awesome as it has been challenging. Challenging in terms of the expectations that students now have of us to do more as we already set the pace and raised the stakes plus we continue to push the envelope in terms of innovative ideas and how to apply good use of technology and a skilled and highly motivated team to solve the social problems around us.

No Nation that experienced development was transformed by cheap talk, chatter or complaints; we need to start putting our money where our mouths are and create long lasting solutions to Nigeria’s problems. We continue to receive tremendous positive feedback and commendations from Nigerians and it is obvious we are on the right track with Passnownow.com.

In time to come, I strongly believe Passnownow.com will be the home school for Nigerian students; the only element they may miss are the physical school buildings which we will replace in their minds with our online Tutors who will be available to interact with them online/offline all the time via our free chat service.

Interview With Kunle Ogungbamila, CEO of African Gaming Site (Kuluya.com)

2013-04-08T21:49:00.001+01:00

Without much doubt, Oga at the Top gaffe appears to be the gaffe that attracted the biggest social media reaction in Nigeria. It is therefore not surprising that many capitalized on the NSCDC official's regrettable mistakes to make money and have fun at the same. Kunle Ogungbamila is one of such individuals. His fast growing online gaming website, kuluya.com, rapidly launched an Oga at the Top game.
In this interview I did exclusively for HumanIPO, Kunle spoke extensively on the Oga at the Top game and other projects currently underway at Kuluya.com.

Can we get to know you?

I'm Olakunle Ogungbamila, the CEO Kuluya Ltd owners of kuluya.com

The speed with which the Oga at the Top game was developed was quite phenomenal. So I'm wondering is this a calculated move?

It wasn't calculated; it was “spur of the moment” thing. It was an impulse. Oga at the top was a top trend in Nigeria's web space that we just wanted to see what we can do around it. We've seen people do songs and t-shirts around it. It just made sense to create a game around it. We have skill sets to develop games within 24 hours. We just did it!

So far, what has the response been? How many people are currently playing the game?

A lot of people have been to our site to play the game so far, but I can’t give you the exact number right now. But since we put it on our site last week Friday, quite a lot of interesting things have happened concerning the game in particular. One of such is that people are playing the game and posting the scores on Twitter.

From your personal perspective, who do you blame more – the journalist or the NSCDC official, because there are several strong insinuations that the journalists weren’t professional. Were they right, or did he deserve it?

Stuffs like this happen every time; it’s nothing new – journalist interviewing somebody and the person saying something wrong or doesn’t respond properly. It happens. Just that this time, it just turned into a mess. It happens all the time, only that the internet noticed this time

Apart from the oga at the top game, what else is kuluya.com into?

Kuluya.com was launched in the middle of October last year (2012) and we launched with a few games. Our games are mostly concentrated around Africa hence they are Africa-themed. They are all casual games that you can play on your browser at any time. So far, on the website we have over 55 games that are playable on the website. We are currently developing a new website which will be launched by the end of March.

A lot of people are interested in producing lots of games. We’ve had top brands requesting that we develop some games for them.

What’s the plan for expansion, especially in 2013?

We have good plans, some of which we’ll be rolling out very soon. By the end of March, we’ll be releasing a new website that will put into focus how we can generate revenue from the games. And once we do that, our actions and plans would be brought to focus.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Interview With Joe Falter, Founder of Hellofood

2013-04-02T16:27:00.001+01:00

I recently interviewed Joe Falter, the Founder and CEO of Hellofood exclusively for HumanIPO. During the interview, he described how the company which currently has more than 50 restaurants is making it possible for people to order food online in Nigeria. This is the full interview, enjoy.

Paul Adepoju: The first thing that came to my mind after checking your profile on LinkedIn was “what caught the interest of this London School of Economics and Political Science graduate in African foods”? So I’m asking, "How did you come about African food in the first place, and how did you realize it is something you can build a good business on?"

Joe Falter: All over the world, people order food from restaurants online, saving time and expanding their food options. In Nigeria, and much of Africa, this was not possible until Hellofood arrived on the scene. Nigeria is an example of a huge market with very high internet penetration and a population that seeks out new technology, but which has very limited e-commerce options. That’s why I wanted to come out to Lagos – because I feel there’s a huge untapped opportunity here and in Hellofood’s 5 other African markets.

Paul: From the website, I could see that you operate in various African countries. How and where did you start from?

Joe: We started in Lagos, but very quickly launched Morocco, with Senegal, Kenya, Ghana, and Ivory Coast joining within 2 months.

Paul: Where have you extended your services to, and which other African nations are you covering soon?

Joe: Our goal is to be the first place people think of when they’re hungry – across the continent. So our goal is to be operational in literally every large city in Africa, and we have an aggressive expansion plan to match that goal.

Paul: You’ve been operating in Africa for some time now. How does the online food business vary from one African country to another?

Joe: We operate in six incredibly different markets, but funnily enough, our business model is pretty similar in each one. What we’re doing is totally new to each market, so in each city we’re tempting people to do something in a different way to the status quo. And the way we do it is very simple and very uniform. Connect people to their favourite restaurants, and give them a platform that makes it fast, easy and even fun to order from them.

Paul: Which nation is currently your largest market?

Joe: Nigeria was our first market, and is our largest at the moment, but the other countries are catching up quickly. In Nigeria we have a very high order volume – people really get Hellofood here, and now we have launched iPhone and Android apps, and have a Blackberry app on the way too, it’s never been easier to order food.

Paul: Hellofood recently launched some apps for android devices. Can you briefly tell us about them?

Joe: We have Android and iPhone apps now. I actually find them even easier to use than our main webpage. Mobile is absolutely central to our strategy – the vast majority of Africans with internet access are getting it from their mobile devices, so it’s our mission to make it incredibly easy to use Hellofood from a smartphone. It literally takes 45 seconds to find a restaurant and order food from the app. And there’s no need to make a call – all of the hassle is managed by our customer service team.

Paul: What is the size of your workforce?

Joe: We have close to 65 employees across Africa and in Europe. All but two of our employees in Africa are local nationals, and I’m very proud of that.

Paul: You’ve worked with several internationally acclaimed corporate organizations such as Rocket Internet GmbH, Cogn8, McKinsey & Company. What gave you the confidence to leave their fat pays (I guess) and decide to venture into food business in Africa?

Joe: Africa is the most exciting e-commerce market in the world, and the internet opportunities out here are very attractive. I’m very grateful for the experience I’ve gained at fantastic organisations, but I’m very excited to be a part of the growth story of African e-commerce. It’s not a question of ‘if’ this market will explode, it’s a question of ‘when’ and ‘who’. In my opinion the time is now.

Paul: Briefly, how do I get food on my table using Hellofood?

Joe: Very simple. Click on www.hellofood.com, or access one of our mobile apps. Tell us which area you’re in, and the site then shows you all of the restaurants that will deliver to you in that area. You select the food you want from the menu that is already displayed on our site, and we take it from there. We work with the restaurant to get food delivered to homes and offices, and can also organize corporate catering for meetings and events.

Paul: Who does the cooking? The apps or real people?

Joe: The restaurants! It’s exactly the same as if you ordered directly from the restaurant, just much much easier, and with much greater selection.

Paul: I know you’ll say your prices are affordable, but you will agree with me that your services will cost more than what local eateries and restaurants charge. But comparatively, how will you rate your costs, and which demography is your target clientele?

Joe: For this to work, we need to have something for everyone. We have well over 150 restaurants in Lagos, ranging from the trendiest spots, to the local buka serving cheap Nigerian food. Also, it’s never more expensive to order from Hellofood than it is to order from the restaurant directly, so I have to disagree with you – it’s the same price as going to your local eatery, because as a Hellofood customer you are going to your local eatery, you’re just ordering online.

Paul: What are your operating hours, how long does it take between the time I order and when my order arrives? And What are the challenges you are facing in the various countries where you currently offer your services?

Joe: We’re open from 10am to 10pm, and delivery times range from 20 minutes upwards, depending on your location.

Paul: What is your goal for 2013 with Hellofood?

Joe: I want to be in many more markets, and I want us to be the first port of call for anyone who’s feeling puckish at home or in the office.

Paul: Since you are into African food business, which is your favorite delicacy?

Joe: Where do I start?! I have really warmed to Nigerian food, it’s very tasty. Ofada stew, Moin Moin, even just classic chicken rice and plantain – I eat it pretty much every day.

Paul: If I order any of them, will I get discount?

Joe: Maybe, if you ask nicely ;)

Last Flight To Johannesburg

2013-02-09T14:51:00.001+01:00

Just two days after Nigeria's first match at the 2013 Orange African Cup of Nations currently underway in South Africa, my travel agent approached me with a mouthwatering too-good-to-be-true travel package to the finals.
For just 200,000 naira, she said I could be on a good flight with nice accommodation and ticket to the final match. But in annoyance, I rejected the offer because judging from the team's performance during the first match, I didn't see Nigeria making it all the way to the finals. But I was wrong, and I wasn't the only one.
I can say no one (maybe except the coaching crew and Prophet T. B. Joshua) could say they saw Nigeria making it to the finals and our cynicism and skepticism weren't based on some sheer pessimism, but on the team's rich history of disappointing Nigerians when it mattered most. So Nigerians have come to perfect a psychological defense mechanism of not expecting anything positive from the team. Little wonder no broadcasting organization was confident enough to pay $35 million for the license to broadcast the matches live while the ongoing English Premier League (EPL) is shown live.
But something unusual happened and tomorrow, Nigeria will be playing Burkina Faso in the finals much to the delight of everyone and in defiance of all permutations, computations and in-depth expert analyses that put Ivory Coast as the country to beat for the trophy. Well, we did beat them.
Since the outset of the transformation of the Super Chickens to the Super Eagles of Nigeria, it's been an unalloyed show of support for the team. Nigerians irrespective of racial, ethnic and religious divisions are so proud of the nation once again. Even the so-called pessimists who rarely see anything positive with the happenings in the nation are using the national flag and the Super Eagles' logo as their profile pictures on Facebook and other social media platforms.
Even people who rarely talk sports are showing support for the national team. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read Pastor E. A. Adeboye's status update when Nigeria convincingly defeated Mali, booking a ticket to the finals; the first time since year 2000!
The lesson the government should learn from this is that Nigerians are not pessimists; they are just tired of sugarcoated statements and over-packaging from the likes of Reuben Abati, Labaran Maku and Doyin Okupe. Instead of believing what is said, they just want to see what has been done.
I'm therefore not surprised that Nigerians have resurrected the spirit of Tunisia '94 (the last time Nigeria won the competition); they've become resolute in their support of the national team and so defiant that they are even allowing some suspicious moves sly. One of such is the presidential delegation to the final ceremony, the 6 state governors who saw Nigeria's match with Mali and many more that will be in the stadium tomorrow.
On a good day, Pius Adesanmi would have published an article and Nasir El-Rufai would have tweeted while Oby Ezekwesili would have told us how wasteful the spending would be for the nation's economy.
We would also have heard lots about the exorbitant match bonuses the players got and Mikel Obi would have been tongue-lashed for publicly admitting to betting $5,000 with Ivorian striker, Salomon Kalou.
But so far, the result has been good and Nigerians are happy; even Abuja prostitutes that the government wants to fight with 5 billion naira have promised to give the victorious players expletive explosive sessions of hard-earned inguinal explorations.
In church tomorrow and at any of the 5-times daily prayers in mosques, Nigerians will ask God to help the Super Eagles win the trophy we last held in 1994. They will also ask Him to guide players like Victor Moses who lost both missionary parents to religious killings in Kaduna in 2000 but still have the large heart to forgive the nation and those who snuffed life out of his parents but will be watching him play on Sunday in the national colors of Nigeria.
On my own, I will be praying that Nigeria should have more happy times like this, times when they can proudly tell their neighbors, colleagues and even cell mates across the world that they are Proudly Nigerian, instead of having to explain the rationale behind the stupid judiciary decision to let thieves pay 750,000 naira after stealing 53 billion naira Police pension funds.
After the Ivory Coast match, I called my agent to inquire about the availability of the South African trip package but she said the price has doubled due to surge in demand. So, like fellow millions of Nigerians, I will be watching Kokomaster D'banj and Super Eagles' performances at the final that we hope will end in Nigeria's favor.
But no matter the outcome, the Super Eagles team and coaching crew have proven that nothing is wrong with Nigeria and Nigerians. We still have the talents, the wits and the passion; we just need the right motivation such as the national team's last flight to Johannesburg.

Sent via my Blackberry device from MTN.

BSc Marketing

2012-11-22T13:49:00.000+01:00

Apart from the scorching sun that raised the ambient temperature within the rickety typical Ibadan commercial transport bus to about 45oC, it was a blissful sunny afternoon and a quiet ride with a serendipity that was only interrupted every time the driver dished out prayerful curses on any private car driver that attempted to overtake his road-unworthy thick smoke-oozing bus.
Things however got interesting when three youths – two young men and a lady boarded the bus. From their impressive diction and literary proficiency, it wasn't hard to infer that they are university graduates. And from the heavy Bagco super sacks that made their cubital veins more prominent, soothsayers aren't needed to accurately conclude that they are marketers.
Just like their contemporaries who know no one in government, nor have parents or uncles with businesses, companies or empires they could inherit, the only guaranteed way that they can practice their profession is by marketing goods for indigenous corporate companies or foreign (usually Chinese) technology manufacturers.
Without even asking any question, the three youths said all that was needed to know about how they make ends meet.
"I really tried today, I was able to drop four product samples at a shopping complex in Iwo road and another two at that new generation bank near the roundabout," said the lady.
Before she could enjoy her "success", one of the young men literarily clipped her wings when he said he was able to sell more products although he was told to come the following week for the money.
They went back and forth arguing over whose method is better while the third (and eldest) sat motionless, quiet and apparently sad.
In my mind, I wanted to ask what was wrong but I took a closer look at the fourth finger on his left hand.
"Oh he's married," I said to myself.
There and then I understood his dilemma. He has bigger responsibilities but with limited resources.
At first, you'd want to criticize him for walking a lady down the aisle when he obviously couldn't boast of a reliable, stable and consistent source of income with which he could make ends meet.
You can even blame the parents of the bride for lowering the bride price (typical of Yorubas you may say) or even vent your anger on the wife who was blinded by love, future potentials or the man's dexterity at inguinal explorations. But you cannot blame the young man whose white shirt had the collar region stained from sweat and wore a facial expression that depicted a man doing his best but with little or nothing to show.
The only time he talked was when he reminisced about the promotion a company had the previous year in which every marketer got a product for every product sold in addition to the usual 10 percent commission.
According to him, that was the best moment unlike today when companies are so stingy, reluctant to increase their marketers' bonuses or reward their hard work, not minding the harsh weather.
The field of marketing, according to the course curriculum being used at Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye (school where the three had their undergraduate training) is a highly promising field that has churned out successful individuals across the globe. The curriculum also recognised the highly competitive nature of the profession, especially the fact that unlike medicine, law and other professional courses that require special training, you don't have to hold a degree in marketing before you can market a product. Mary Kay didn't study marketing; neither did the able-bodied young men at Aba market.
However, a degree in marketing is expected to expose the student to latest ideas and marketing innovations and solutions that would allow the student to stand out in the field that is currently filled with an unlettered demography. But it is quite disheartening that none of the institutional faculties offering marketing as a course that were contacted expose students to Google Trader, GNBO's cheap websites and other latest tools which could improve their packaging and connect them to the corporate world.
For instance, instead of dashing from one point to another like the illiterate septuagenarian selling Wonder Rat Killer at the market square, the three marketers could have obtained or compiled a list of potential target customers who would be thoroughly studied and they would have prepared presentations that would peak the interest of their customers in the product they are trying to market.
Furthermore, they were three in number, and the lady hinted that her boyfriend is also a marketer. So, how come they couldn't come together and go as a team, instead of the one-man-for-himself business model that I saw?
The answer is simple; they acted like typical Nigerians who believe in popular on-your-own slogan. And it isn't restricted to marketing alone. No. As a matter of fact, the situation is the same across every demography, age group, social class and religious delineations. One would have expected the educational institutions to properly tackle this aberrant misdemeanour. But it is also groaning under the impacts of a myriad of problems that had characterised this nation.
The dwindling fortune of the education system here in Nigeria is obviously an issue of utmost concern (forget online JAMB examinations, all na wash) but it's not as strong as the pusillanimous attitudes of the graduates.
While there is the need for the course curricula of Nigerian institutions to be revised to equip students with knowledge required to combat contemporary challenges, sticking to false stereotypes, running away from risks, jumping into hasty conclusions, taking illogical actions, serial wrong steps, and the sheer desperation to start fending for themselves are issues that are squarely on the shoulders of the students themselves vis-à-vis the society in general.
The current status of the economy and the non-availability of well paying jobs make every graduate – over baked or half baked – to grab whatever offer comes their way. But it's expected that in the middle of the crisis, education ought to empower the educated with the necessary information to hijack the situation, ideate solutions and become successful through their innovations, even in the midst of the innuendos that abound.
While this is not an attempt to belittle marketing, or any course for that matter, it has become expedient to re-echo the general rule that career counsellors do give students who are undecided about career path – do what you love!
But how many students of marketing are studying the course just because they love it? Few I must say.
A larger proportion belongs to the demography whose destiny is extensively altered, battered and reshaped by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) through its UTME examination. These students are the ones that will fill Medicine and Surgery (University of Ibadan) as first choice and Dentistry (Obafemi Awolowo University) as second choice during their first UME attempt.
After getting 'JAMBed', they often change their first choice to Physiology (University of Lagos) and Anatomy (Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomosho).
If they still fail at the second attempt, they often go drastic with their choices because desperation would have set in. Hence it is not unusual to see choices such as Yoruba Education (JABU) and Sign Language (TASUED).
Through the stress-laden labyrinthine process of getting admission into universities, very few Nigerian youths often get what they desired in the first place. The rest are often compensated with something entirely different. But as typical Nigerians that they are, they are often optimistic and take solace in the popular notion that "degree is degree, success is what is different."
They start such programmes and endure longer-than-usual educational sessions where they are further oppressed, suppressed, embittered and frustrated. It is therefore not unexpected to note that when such students graduate from their respective Ivory Towers, there might not be much difference between them and those that didn't get in in the first place because they are the ones that studied marketing, but know nothing about what marketing actually entails.

Sent via my Blackberry device from MTN.

[Photonews) First Lady Patience Jonathan Arrives Abuja After Weeks In Germany

2012-10-17T16:33:00.000+01:00

In what appeared as an affirmation of her rumoured arrival as hinted by Sahara Reporters, the first lady of the federal republic of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan, has arrived Abuja.
In her short speech, she thanked all Nigerians that supported her with prayers and enjoined every Nigerian to continue to support the incumbent administration.
(Pictures courtesy saharareporters.com)

Fathers Of Murdered Students Speak

2012-10-10T17:17:00.001+01:00

In a emotion-laden interview with the World Have Your Host of the World Service of the BBC, the fathers of two out of the 4 slain students of University of Portharcourt narrated their ordeals since the incidence.
They also talked about their dead sons, ALUU community in Rivers state, the roles of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and their hope for the country.
The parents are in unison in their call for the full wrath of the law on the perpetrators of the act.
Listen to the interview by clicking this link http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/whys/whys_20121009-1900a.mp3

Saudi Authority Arrests Two Nigerian Pilgrims With Banned Drugs, Face Death Sentence [Developing Story]

2012-10-09T19:09:00.000+01:00

Two Nigerian pilgrims have been arrested in Saudi Arabia for allegedly being in possession of banned drugs.
The pilgrims were among the thousands currently undergoing the hajj operation in Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia and comprise a male and female.
The two pilgrims could face death penalty for carrying banned drugs. In Saudi Arabia, the punishment for carrying banned drugs is death when convicted by the laws of the land.
P.M.NEWS gathered from a source currently undergoing the hajj operation in Saudi Arabia that the two pilgrims were from Lagos State, but the Lagos State Government said the pilgrims were from Kwara and Ekiti states. The banned drugs were said to be hidden in garri. This has made the Saudi authorities to ban carrying of foodstuff to the holy land by Nigerian pilgrims.
The Nigerian female was said to have been nabbed by vigilant Saudi security operatives at the King Abdullaziz International Airport on Thursday for being in possession of banned drugs. The other culprit was reported to have been arrested on Sunday after being found with substance suspected to be cocaine.
The names of the pilgrims could not be ascertained by our source as at press time. It was gathered that the pilgrims, if found guilty according to Saudi law, would be executed.
Chairman, Lagos Hajj Ad-hoc Committee, Alhaji Abdullateef Abdulhakeem, confirmed that two pilgrims were arrested by the Saudi Authorities but denied that the arrested pilgrims were from Lagos, saying they were from Kwara and Ekiti States.
As a result of the development, the Lagos State Government has barred the remaining pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia from carrying foodstuffs.
Over 3, 000 Lagos pilgrims have so far been airlifted to Saudi Arabia out of the 3,885 pilgrims from the state, while airlifting of the pilgrims may be concluded this week.
The Lagos State Government has vowed to deal with any pilgrim who misbehaved in Saudi Arabia during next month's hajj. To ensure hitch-free hajj, the Lagos State Government said it had set up a special taskforce made up of officials of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Chief Security Officer, CSO of the state and Governor's Monitoring Team officials, among others to monitor Lagos pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and deal with erring ones.
Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Alhaji Oyinlomo Danmole said government would not tolerate any form of indiscipline from any Lagos pilgrim.
"Any pilgrim who misbehaves will be dealt with. We also have a tribunal in place to try erring pilgrims in Saudi Arabia," he said, adding that during the last hajj, a pilgrim who misbehaved was prosecuted after the hajj in Lagos."
Chairman, Hajj Ad-hoc Committee, Abdulhakeem said government had adequately prepared to ensure hitch-free hajj as it had organised seminar to enlighten the intending pilgrims on the basic rules of hajj. "We have engaged the services of a separate airline to convey our pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. We will not be using the same airline with other pilgrims in the Southwest. We have also decided not to keep our pilgrims longer in Saudi Arabia after the hajj.
SOURCE: P.M. NEWS

UNIPORT Murderers, Jungle Justice And National Insanity

2012-10-08T08:48:00.000+01:00

If you've not seen the video that showed how four male students of the University of Portharcourt were killed for stealing an iPad, don't bother because you will never remain the same again after watching it. This is the summary of what happened. The boys were caught with the electronic device, stripped naked, beaten severally with logs of wood and sticks, a hefty guy mashed the head of one of the suspected thieves with a rocky stone. At a particular point, one of the guys wanted to roll out of the tire on his neck but an evidently heftier aggrieved onlooker prevented him. Petrol was brought, and the young men were set on fire alive, right in the presence of hundreds of residents of Aluu in the beautiful city of Portharcourt.
This is not the first case of jungle justice that got national attention, and it may not even be the last because setting captured suspected criminals on fire seems to have become an acceptable norm in Nigeria. Those in support of the action often state the pusillanimous attitude of the law enforcement agencies coupled with complacencies and attending bureaucratic bottlenecks as discouraging people from taking suspected criminals to police stations.
It is rather saddening that having "connections" to those that control state power or at the helms of affairs at any level of government portend superiority to the rule of law, hence aggrieved citizens often decide to adjudicate on their own. It didn't just start, it's been a while; possibly with the introduction of night watch groups popularly known as 'vigilante'.
Vigilante groups have come to stay in Nigeria although its constitution is unconstitutional, yet they are seen as complimenting the efforts of the police in keeping the streets safe. Sanely speaking, it would be expected that when the vigilante groups notice any unusual movements in the neighborhood at odd times, they would alert the police. This however is no longer the case. I've heard cases where a doctor was forced to hawk bean cakes made out of stones because he was going home at 1am; an undergraduate student going for night class in the south east was mistakenly shot; and a man whose wife was in labor got detained overnight by the overambitious vigilante operatives who despite finding shawls, gloves, baby products and other harmless things on him failed to allow him to dash to the hospital before the woman delivered the bundle of joy.
Following the societal acceptance of the arrest, detention and punishment of night crawlers by the vigilante groups, groups like OPC sprung up. Now we've lost count of the number of local security operatives in the various communities which obviously seem to have given citizens the notion that they can do as they like to perpetrators of dastard acts.
I remember the first case of public burning of criminals that I heard; it was so ridiculous to be true, and shame on any learned fellow who believed and participated in it. It was during the period when rumors spread about people losing their penises after being merely touched by someone. During this period, you couldn't talk to strangers who might say you are responsible for the loss of their manhood. In some areas in the south west, residents made several arrests and the unlucky manhood thieves were dragged to the middle of the express road, stripped naked and torched. Similar incidence repeated itself during the period when kidnapping was rampant. Many people were also set on fire.
Throughout these periods of national insanity, law enforcement officers rarely made arrests of perpetrators of such dastard acts especially the illegal executioners, a silence that also suggested the force is not actively against the act.
The jungle judiciary system still went on with allegations of criminals shot dead by the police officers. I remember serving in a secondary hospital. Almost on a daily basis, police vans brought corpses of suspected criminals who were caught and shot by the police. Yet no one raised eyebrows. It has even reached a celebrated crescendo since it is now acceptable for state police commissioners and district police officers to parade corpses of suspected criminals who were shot during gun duels with officers of the force.
This act could also be said to be the origin of the series of killings being made by the Boko Haram sect after their leader was arrested and reportedly killed while in the detention of security operatives. It is therefore not a strange incidence in Nigeria.
What is disheartening is that while illiteracy or non-comprehension of law statutes by police recruits, thugs and miscreants in the society could be said to be responsible for previous jungle justice and killings, the murder of the four students of UNIPORT in the full glare of hundreds of the so-called leaders of tomorrow is an attestation to the fact that the future of this great nation is so doomed. Pardon my cynicism.
The incidence would have taken a minimum of one hour because a larger part of the footage I saw was when the perpetrators went to get petrol. If this was the case, how come no one in the neighborhood that saw what was going on was able to call the police to intervene? What I found more disheartening were the onlookers, especially the young students who would be in their teens and early twenties and were delighted to watch human beings like them being maimed and killed over an ordinary, maybe fairly used ipad.
It brought to mind an almost similar experience I had about two years ago in Owerri. I was in the city to make arrangements for my credentials so I decided to stay with a friend who had a room in one of the private hostels. Around four in the evening, two ladies knocked on the door severally. When they entered the room, they said one of their boyfriends was angry and wanted to beat them up. So they begged to stay in the room. We agreed but few minutes later, pandemonium ensued in the hostel; it was so strong that we had to ask them to leave. Thank God we did that.
Less than 5 minutes later, a room-to-room search for the ladies was conducted. When they got to our room, the door was almost pulled down. Then I asked the angriest guy in the search team what was happening? He said the ladies stole his phone and money. He suspected they were hiding in one of the guys' rooms and he'll decisively deal with any guy in whose room the ladies were found. My heart skipped as they searched the wardrobe, bathroom….everywhere.
Then I asked myself "what if we didn't ask the ladies to leave?" We would have been well beaten, maybe set on fire just like the unlucky four UNIPORT students. This is therefore not a UNIPORT or Rivers state issue, it's a national tragedy; a colossal travesty that should be addressed right from the top to the bottom. This case is so simple to solve and may God, Sango, Obatala, Amadioha and other gods decisively deal with anyone who tries to meddle with this particular case or sweep it under the carpet.
Unlike hunger, poor health system and other conditions that exclusively affect the poor and down trodden Nigerians, jungle justice is not a respecter of anyone, the angry mobs could set anyone on fire. I learned the hard way.
Despite the fact that I was Vanguard Newspaper's Young Nigerian Making The Difference, had El-Rufai write the foreword for my book, and, for Christ sakes, I was even on national TV! Yet my fate rested in the hands of hope and hos.
While it will be difficult for the Nigerian Police Force to solve all the various cases of jungle justice, the one in Aluu is too simple to miss. Let the perpetrators be fished out and made to face the full course of law. It is only when this is done that future cases could be prevented since angry mobs would be aware of the fact that jungle justice is unacceptable. I also believe that the presidency should also be interested in this case.
It is now simple to get people killed in this country, all you need is someone shouting "thief, thief" and a dozen of gullible angry fools running in pursuit. They know how to get fuel and tires for that cause and are never feel remorse because as far they are concerned, there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.
The response to this case is also disheartening. A lady wrote "this will be a lesson to other thieves" another said "I hope these thieves go to hell". These show there are lots of people with like criminal minds. And if we don't tackle this issue now, I pity the children of Nigerian politician who knowingly or unknowingly find themselves in the midst of such bloodthirsty insane vanguards of jungle justice.

PS: Think you are man (or woman) enough? Check the video here http://t.co/xPN3Rie

UNIPORT Murderers, Jungle Justice And National Insanity

2012-10-07T20:30:00.000+01:00

PS: Think you are man (or woman) enough? Check the video here http://t.co/xPN3Rie

Fresh New 2Pac Album [Free Download]

2012-09-28T12:45:00.000+01:00

A new 2pac album was recently released, click here to download the 42-track album.

Study Links Marijuana Smoking To Low IQ In Teenagers

2012-09-20T19:56:00.001+01:00

A new study has shown that teenagers who smoke marijuana frequently are pre-disposing themselves to declines in intelligence and mental function that persist well into adulthood.

According to the results of a ten-year study conducted in New Zealand and involving more than 1,000 volunteers, researchers found that adolescents who smoked marijuana at least four days per week lost an average of eight IQ points between the ages of 13 and 38, a pattern not seen among people who began smoking heavily only in adulthood.

"Heavy pot smokers tend to show deficits in memory, concentration, and overall brainpower in relation to their peers, but these problems were more pronounced - and seemingly more lasting - among those who picked up the habit as teens," said the researchers in the study report.

According to the study, individuals who smoked heavily in adolescence had consistently lower IQs at age 38, even if they'd cut back in the previous year. By contrast, the IQ of the relative latecomers to marijuana was more closely linked with how much pot they'd smoked recently.

"The effect of persistent cannabis use on intellectual functioning is really confined to adolescents, (which) suggests that adolescents, in particular, are vulnerable to the effect of cannabis," says lead author Madeline H. Meier, a psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

An eight-point decline in IQ isn't negligible, the authors say. Previous research suggests a drop in intelligence of that magnitude could, for instance, affect a person's long-term career prospects, job performance and income.
It's reasonable to suspect that still-growing teen brains might be especially sensitive to the cumulative effects of marijuana, says Dr. Jeffrey Brosco, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

"In the developing brain, neurons are growing and changing, synapses are forming," says Brosco, who was not involved in the study. "When there's a lot of change in any part of the body, particularly the brain, that usually means it's more vulnerable to environmental influences."
(CNN)

UN Condemns Goodluck Jonathan's Economic Policy

2012-09-19T13:55:00.000+01:00

A recent United Nations report on Nigeria has noted an increase in Nigeria's unemployment rate in the last two years under Mr. Jonathan's watch. According to the UN, unemployment rate in Nigeria has risen from 21.1 per cent in 2010 to 23.9 per cent currently.

The report shows that about one in four Nigerians are currently unemployed. It also added that Nigeria has one of the worst youth unemployment rates in sub-Saharan Africa as two in five (about 38 per cent) of Nigerian youths are unemployed.

These were stated in a 291-page publication titled 'The African Economic Outlook 2012', and jointly published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNECA; the United Nations Development Population, UNDP; the African Development Bank Group; and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

The publication, launched on Thursday in Addis Ababa, was presented by the Director, Economic Department, NEPAD division of UNECA, Emmanuel Nnadozie. The publication, which is the 11th edition, however, described Nigeria's economic growth in 2011 as "robust."

The robust growth recorded in Nigeria's economy, according to the publication, was driven mainly by the non-oil sector, and in particular, telecommunications, construction, wholesale/retail trade, hotel and restaurant services, manufacturing, and agriculture. (Via Premium Times)

Pastor Chris Okotie Set To Marry [Again] In December

2012-09-19T07:33:00.000+01:00

The senior pastor of Household of God and former presidential flag bearer of Fresh Party, Pastor Chris Okotie, on Tuesday announced his readiness to marry a new wife in December.

"God told me to marry again because it is not good for a man to be alone," said Pastor Chris Okotie.

Concerning his last marriage to Stephanie which hit stumbling blocks just after four years, he said he fell for her beauty without considering other important virtues.

It would be recalled that he had earlier parted ways with his first wife after 17 years of marriage thus making it his second divorce in 6 years.

But despite widespread criticism about his break-ups, the pastor is confident he heard clearly from God.

Critics are also alluding to the fact that he told everyone during the 2003 general elections that God told him he'll be Nigeria's next president. He however lost the election to the late president Umar Musa Yar'adua.

At the time of going to press, no official press statement has been released on the matter but experts are of the opinion that details about the pastor's newly found love will soon appear in tabloids.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

US 2012 Elections War of Words - Mitt Romney Versus Barack Obama

2012-09-18T21:08:00.000+01:00

As the November US Presidential Election draws near, one thing that has been an indispensable weapon in the arsenal of both candidates is oratory. I've tried on my own to decide who speaks better. I know a lot of people (including my humble self) believe Obama is a better speaker; it is however worthy to note that Mitt isn't bad either.

Below are the videos of the speeches both candidates made at their respective party convention. It's always good to watch them argue and trade blames all in the name of politics.

Here is RNC candidate Mitt Romney's speech at the RNC Convention held in Tampa

And here is President Barack Obama's speech at the DNC Convention that was held in Charlotte.

Download Cruel Summer By G.O.O.D. Music Free

2012-09-18T17:29:00.000+01:00

I just got the link to download the latest work from Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music gang free of charge. Click here

Cruel Summers G.O.O.D. Music Album Review

2012-09-18T12:20:00.002+01:00

After numerous delays, Kanye West‘s highly-anticipated G.O.O.D. Music compilation ‘Cruel Summer’ is finally here. On second thought, with just days away before the summer season being over, you could call this album ‘Cruel Autumn’ — but we digress. The fact that we have some new music from Yeezy and the gang is joyous enough.

G.O.O.D. Music’s ‘Cruel Summer’ is an introductory of sorts for his formidable crew — Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Kid Cudi, CyHi da Prynce, D’banj, Common, Q-Tip, John Legend and (affiliated member) 2 Chainz. The collection also boasts guest appearances from R. Kelly, Jay-Z, Ma$e, The-Dream, Marsha Ambrosius and Wu-Tang Clan alums Ghosface Killah and Raekwon the Chef.
Kanye is still the master of bringing unique sounds and samples to hip-hop’s musical soundscape. On ‘Cruel Summer,’ he co-produces a handful of head-nodding beats with Hit-Boy, Pop & Oak, Lifted, IllMind, Mannie Fresh, Young Chop and others. Standout tracks on the album include ‘To the World,’ ‘The One,’ ‘Higher, ‘Bliss’ and ‘I Don’t Like’ (Remix).
The only downside is that five of the 12 tracks on ‘Cruel Summer’ have been already released (‘Mercy,’ ‘Cold,’ ‘New God Flow’ and ‘Clique’ all have graced the Billboard Singles chart). While the newer songs are indeed good, they are not great. Simply put, there album lacks that “Wow” factor.
But that’s not to say ‘Cruel Summer’ isn’t an enjoyable listen. It’s starts off grandiose and loses steam near the latter half of the album. Overall, ‘Cruel Summer’ is dope, but we’d suggest you go to iTunes and pick out your favorite rewindable tracks.
1. ‘To The World’ (Feat. Kanye West and R. Kelly)
Kanye West kicks the album off with a triumphant song that will make the most-depressed person in the world break out of their slumber and put their middle fingers up in the air. Over marching drums, plucking violins and a charging piano, R. Kelly’s yearning vocals is the big stand out here. Oh, and it includes Kanye’s political shout-out of the year: “Mitt Romney don’t pay no tax! Mitt Romney don’t pay no tax!” [Listen Here]
2. ‘Clique’ (Feat. Big Sean, Kanye West and Jay-Z)
Produced by Hit-Boy, this is another infectious track that features an incredible verse from Hova. “Yeah, I’m talking ‘Ye / Yeah, I’m talking Rih / Yeah, I’m talking B / Nigga, I’m talking me / Yeah, I’m talking bossy, I ain’t talking Kelis / Your money too short, you can’t be talking to me,” he spits. Big Sean is right, no one is f—ing with this clique. [Listen Here]
3. ‘Mercy’ (Feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, Kanye West and 2 Chainz)
Everyone should be familiar with this song so there’s nothing much to say about it. Undoubtedly, ‘Mercy’ is one of the hottest songs of the summer along with the equally impressive video. Serve. [Watch the 'Mercy' Video]
4. ‘New God Flow’ (Feat. Pusha T, Kanye West and Ghostface Killah)
Another previously released track, but this one features a guest verse from Ghostface Killah, which, ironically, the song samples his 2000 track ‘Mighty Healthy.’ It’s a mean track with a menacing piano groove and sampled breakbeat. Pusha T had the standout verse on the original, but Ghostface bodies this song at the end. Call the police, this is a murder rap. [Listen Here]
5. ‘The Morning’ (Feat. Raekwon, Common, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, CyHi da Prynce, Kid Cudi, Kanye West and D’banj)
Over a minimalist, computer-blipping beat, the posse track features Raekwon detailing a picturesque drug tale, while Com, Pusha, Deuce, CyHi, and Yeezy spit gritty one-liners of black excellence. It’s a big standout on the album with Kanye providing the best verses on the track. “I treat the label like money from my shows / G.O.O.D. would’ve been G.O.D. except I added more o’s,” he raps. [Listen Here]
6. ‘Cold’ (Feat. Kanye West and DJ Khaled)
The infamous track in which Kanye professed his love for Kim Kardashian and threw Kris Humphries under the bus. There’s some extras on the track (sound effects, echoes, screams) and DJ Pharris shouting out Chicago street blocks. [Watch the Video]
7. ‘Higher’ (Featuring Pusha T, The-Dream, Ma$e and Cocaine 80s)
Produced by Hit-Boy, this haunting song features a surprise appearance from former Bad Boy rapper Ma$e. Although he’s been absent from the rap game for a couple of years, his monotone flow is still intact. “Uh, one-two one-two guess who back again / Harlem in this — what? Yeezy let Manhattan in,” he spits, adding, “I’m like a drug overlord, my jewelry’s overboard / It’s hard to believe dollar-sign E even know the Lord.” It looks like Ma$e is making a comeback …again? [Listen Here]
8. ‘Sin City’ (Feat. John Legend, Teyana Taylor, CyHi The Prynce, Malik Yusef and Travi$ Scott)
This is where the album takes a detour. This is not our favorite song, as it sounds like a throwaway track from Kanye’s ’808s & Heartbreak’ album. It’s a cautionary tale about the dangers of engaging in the street life. “Sex, drugs, and playin’ dices, those are our favorite vices,” raps CyHi. “But this life will take a toll on ya / Well I guess you gotta pay the prices.” We are not going to gamble on this — skip. [Listen Here]
9. ‘The One’ (Feat. Kanye West, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Marsha Ambrosius and Cocaine 80s)
A standout on the album — Kanye, Big Sean and 2 Chainz rap celebratory rhymes about being rich and mindful of the “snakes in the grass.” Yeezy has the best verse on the song: “I’m the one, baby / Yeah, I’m the one, baby / Since God gave his only begotten son, baby / It’s hard preachin’ the gospel to the slums lately / So I had to put the church on the drums, baby.” [Listen Here]
10. ‘Creepers’ (Feat. Kid Cudi)
This dark song is tailor-made for Kid Cudi, as he is the only one who could deliver lyrics bemoaning about depression, drugs and paranoia. A creepy song, indeed. [Listen Here]
11. ‘Bliss’ (Feat. John Legend & Teyana Taylor)
The only R&B-flavored tune on the album. It’s an empowering song about overcoming obstacles to achieve your dreams. Legend and Teyana sound great together. Hopefully, we will hear more soulful duets from these two artists. [Listen Here]
12. ‘Don’t Like (Remix)’ (Feat. Pusha T, Kanye West, Big Sean, Chief Keef and Jadakiss)
The album ends with a “bang-bang” — a remix of Chicago spitfire Chief Keef’s ‘I Don’t Like.’ The sextet of rappers each offer a laundry list of things that they don’t including, two-faced n—as, copycats, snitches, clingy b—-es and fake Gucci. “They ain’t about that life, they ain’t about that life / We hanging out that window it’s about to be a Suge night,” raps Kanye. [Listen Here]

P-Square – Chop My Money ft AKON & May D [Watch, Listen and Download]

2012-02-23T23:30:00.001+01:00

The song is hot, fresh and nice. Awesome hook by Akon. This song lived to its expectations after all.

Here is the top quality video:

Listen to it below:

For free download, click here