Engaging Africa

“I’d rather you not engage [with Africa] than engage in a patronising way. It comes from a sense of superiority; an ignorance that refuses to acknowledge itself”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Marriages, Parents & Their Religious Obsession

(Chioma Nnani)--How Can You Love Your Religion More Than Your Child?

Wedding ceremonies have a tendency to be stressful.

Oh-so-many decisions to be made.

Cake. Five-tier or a single cake? Vanilla or red devil? Butter icing or whatever else there is?

Food. Mediterranean or Chinese? Sit-down or buffet?

Wedding gown. Designer or high street? Blinding white or pale pink?

Guest list. Does ‘small’ mean 200 or 1200? Does my father’s distant cousin have to attend?

Seating arrangements to cater to warring family members.

Breathing exercises … and remembering that killing family members is still classed as a crime.

Venue. Beach front or church?

How much of the groom’s wishes to ignore (all he has to do is fork out cash on demand and show up on the day, right?)

Budget. Yes, you want a Siberian tiger, but your bank account is looking more like house-cat that purrs. If you want more excitement, hope that an alley-cat screeches in.

Like I said before – stressful!

No Africa Magic For My Child

(Chi-Chi Nnani)--NO child of mine is allowed to watch Africa Magic.

Until they clear up their CRAP programming. No. Not happening.

Some people don't realise those things they watch, aren't real. Apart from that, they can't happen. I said it the other day, that Nigerians engage with organised religion out of FEAR. That is the basis of a lot of their activities, including those ridiculous "fall down and die" prayers. I don't know how any sane person can put themselves in such a situation.

Yes! Magazine Celebrates 5th Anniversary in Grand Style

L-R: Bisi Olatilo, Azuh Arinze and wife, Nkoli, & Gabriel Ogbechie

(Yes)--Defying the early morning showers of Monday, June 20, 2016 as well as the gridlock that gripped Third Mainland Bridge and Ikorodu Road for hours on that day, some of Nigeria’s best and brightest still converged to celebrate with YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine at 5.

The high profile event which held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), on Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, in fact, was packed-full – and with quality guests.

Nigeria, The Arts, And The Critic

(Temidayo Ahanmisi)--A significant number of us would agree that the Arts are altogether not serving Nigeria beyond momentary entertainment.

If we only knew a bit of history we would be appalled and indignant at how much our artists have taken from us in terms of human development and social evolution. This aside the money.

Many Nigerians, by the unfortunate virtue of not having grown up in a critical culture as most now in their late 30s and beyond did, are hampered in understanding that art is a veritable tool for cultural disruption and the motivation of the critical aspects of the zeitgeist culture necessary to force social change for sociocultural emancipation in any society.

When you grow up watching art imitate the worst of life, you think art should serve only one function - to validate mutual perfidies, and to pay homage to brigandage while the artist dances for his supper.

This is partly why a lot of Nigerians tend to become hostile at the whiff of criticism especially of an artist they prefer. It's a kind of indulgent patronage bestowed on a favourite pet.

If your fare is Nollywood movies like Azonto babes, Blackberry babes, (Nigerian) Spider Girl, you would of course bristle when you hear such atrocities being dissected for the immoral socioeconomic criminality they honestly are.

To the average Nigerian, you cannot criticise or critique a movie unless:

Yes! Magazine Counts Down to 5th Annual Lecture

The Centre of Excellence as well as the City of Aquatic Splendor (Lagos) has been thrown into ecstasy – thanks to the 5TH ANNUAL YES INTERNATIONAL! MAGAZINE LECTURE/COCKTAIL PARTY slated for Monday, June 20, 2016.

Below are details of the high profile event which has so far attracted the likes of Biodun Shobanjo of Insight Communications, Udeme Ufot of SO&U, Lolu Akinwunmi of Prima Garnet, Steve Omojafor of STB McCann, Taiwo Adeoluwa of Ogun State Government, Pat Utomi of CVL, Ausbeth Ajagu of AES, Leo Stan Ekeh of Zinox Computers, Dele Momodu of Ovation, Kunle Bakare of Encomium, Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase of Complete Sports, Simon Kolawole of TheCable,  Anselm Madubuko of Revival Assembly, Femi Adesina, Media Adviser to President Buhari,

Voices: Nigerian Women and Nollywood Films

Bewaji

(Joy Isi Bewaji)--Trying to survive a long flight, I got adventurous and clicked on a Nollywood movie.

Emirate flights from Dubai to New York have Nollywood movies, yes. There was the popular Fifty- the movie, and others on my list.

Fifty is not a movie you watch a second time. That is not an insult, there are many things we will not do a second time. It takes overpowering genius to make movies that people want to appreciate more than once.

It is why we have movies like The Godfather or The Sound of Music or Titanic.

PS: I do not want to see a Kevin Hart movie, not even once. Comedy has to be about wit, not people acting stupid. So if I am not laughing when you keep a straight face and act/tell a joke, then I'm not going to even patronize funny gestures with a smile.

PSS: I will watch those Falz's skits more than once.

Daylight Newspaper Honors Nollywood Stars

Monalisa Chinda-Coker (L) & Stephanie Okereke-Linus

At its inaugural Daylight Annual Leadership Awards, #DALA2016, held recently in Lagos, leading online newspaper Daylight honored Nollywood A-list stars and prominent Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their various fields.

According to Daylight reporter Chika Chimezie, “it was truly the gathering of eminent Nigerians, stars, celebrities and achievers from all walks of life at the historic maiden edition of Daylight Annual Leadership Awards (#DALA2016).

The talk-of-the-town awards ceremony held elaborately at the posh Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, amid glitz, glamour, and grandeur.

Numbing Religion in Nigeria's Public Schools

(Temidayo Ahanmisi)--I used to worry constantly that Religion was destroying Nigerian schools.

I wondered how as a society we could promote Rationalism and scientific methods of inquiry when we teach children from the outset that a being called Satan could make them forget what they have read in an examination hall.

I actually heard a woman say this of her son who failed his common entrance exams.

I have a multi-religion background. I didn't want too much religion for my own kids.

Scratch that. I'd rather my kids jettison Religion in totality.

The problem however was that I saw religion being taught right from the schools. I don't know how IRK is presented these days, but the pentecostals are doing mayhem in their usual fashion in the christian realm. A lot of schools are introducing texts to children which makes CRK a more practical design.

It is no longer bland story telling. They now actively proselytize children and ask them to ''save souls for Christ''.

The irritations of the pentecostal pulpits from sunday services are creeping into schools.

The Nigerian Christian Mocks Their God

Ahanmisi

(Temidayo Ahanmisi)--Auntie the only problem wey we get for Nigeria be say, we are too bogus.

Na only for Nigeria person go build one small ‘’tachere’’ kiosk, e go call am group of stores. Short time hotel wey no reach 10 room sef, dem go say na group of hotels…

See, I go Ghana. Me and my friend go one shopping complex like dat. The person wey we go see say their vice president go come deliver lecture for one hall there very soon. I tell my friend say ‘’guy abeg make we cut out from here quick quick, before police and army go block everywhere. We get plenty things wey we want do that day.

Everybody jus’ dey laugh me for there. Dem say weda I think say dis na Naija?’’

My young friend Chima went to tell me that the VP came to the area while they were still there, delivered a one-hour lecture, and left. His motorcade was just 2 cars.

I told Chima that he had saved my life, but that he would never know just how.

About 3 months after that encounter with Chima, I had completely liquidated my supermarket business which wasn’t going anywhere and was costing me more money to run than I was making from it. I sold off the few assets left and never looked back. I got immense pleasure from pulling down the ‘’x x x x Plaza’’ signage in front of the building.

I have gone on to do other things since then to save myself in several other areas of my life. From relationships with people, to my marriage, my home, my other businesses.

Ikenga: The Strength of the Right Hand

The Reel and Real Women of Nollywood

(Tam Fiofori)--In the early 90s, when Nollywood was less than a decade old, I had in a three-part study characterised it as “providing instant fame for the girl and boy next door and instant fortune for a hybrid of producers.” Nollywood was a phenomenon which in its development had minimal links; technically, professionally and ethically with the older Nigerian Television and Celluloid-film industries. It set its own standards, which sadly, were based on the business ethics of its principal financiers, electronic equipment traders turned producers/marketers. These basically uncultured traders with limited education shaped and called the shots in Nollywood, driven by the desire for huge profits from little financial, aesthetic and cultural investments.

Kate Henshaw: Revisiting Nollywood Journey

(Funmi Johnson, Vanguard)--Since making her Nollywood debut on the set of 'The Sun Sets' in 1994, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal has come a long way to becoming a popular brand in the Nigeria movie industry…. She shares her experience in the movie industry, married life and of course, sexual harassment in the movie industry. 

You look great, what is the secret?

(Laughs) I just try to work as hard as I can. And when ever I find time between six and nine o'clock in the morning, I'm in the gym for my massage and facials. As a women who is eye of the society, it's important I do this because, my body is my workshop.

7 Reasons African Female Directors Rock

(Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN)--African cinema is booming. The continent is awash with creative minds with a flair for storytelling who are bringing life to local stories and sharing them across the globe -- from gripping thrillers and intensely-emotional dramas to celebrations of musical heritage and biopics.

We spoke to seven great female directors from Africa to ask them what they love most about their work -- and why you should too.

Imagining Jesus' Obituary 2000 Years Ago

(Sam Roberts)--Sam Roberts, an obituary writer for The New York Times, imagines how, given the facts available then, his predecessors might have reported the aftermath of an execution in the Middle East one Friday two millennia ago.

Jesus of Nazareth, a Galilean carpenter turned itinerant minister whose appeals to piety and whose repute as a healer had galvanized a growing contingent of believers, died on Friday after being crucified that morning just outside Jerusalem, only days after his followers had welcomed him triumphantly to the city as “the anointed one” and “the Son of David.” He was about 33.

For a man who had lived the first three decades of his life in virtual obscurity, he attracted a remarkable following in only a few years.

His reputation reflected a persuasive coupling of message, personal magnetism, and avowed miracles. But it also resonated in the current moment of spiritual and economic discontent and popular resentment of authority and privilege, whether wielded by foreigners from Rome or by the Jewish priests in Jerusalem and their confederates.

Still, Jesus had been preceded in recent years by a litany of false messiahs. He followed a roster of self-styled prophets who promised salvation and, with their ragtag followers from separatist sects, cults, and fractious rebel groups, were branded as bandits by the governing Romans, ostracized by the ruling priests as heretics in a period of pessimistic apocalyptic expectation, and already lost to history.