Viewpoint (Nigeria @ 50): What it means to be Nigerian

Why are we Nigerians not vociferously proud of our nationality?

I suppose patriotism is not the sort of thing that excites a lot of us. In fact any talk of patriotism is likely to induce a yawn or suspicion about the motive of the person raising it.

But that is not the same as saying that Nigerians have no sense of pride.

To understand patriotism's uneasy place in Nigeria, you have to go back to 1914 when the Southern and Northern protectorates and Lagos Colony were brought together to form a single country.

But I am always proud as a Nigerian when at a gathering, everyone joins in rendering the national anthem without the aid of a recording. And when you go abroad you can always tell the Nigerian from other Africans judging by his self-confident, some would say cocky, way.

The biggest mistake a non-Nigerian can make is to try to criticise the country or to even innocently join the Nigerian pastime of self-condemnation. That is when you see that, in spite of all the negativity, Nigerians care for their country and still believe that one day its much talked about potential will be realised.

Read more from BBC's website 

Asa is Back!

Aṣa Is Back With Second Album - Beautiful Imperfection

The sultry songstress Aṣa (Asha) is back!
The title of the sophomore album is Beautiful Imperfection.
The album is billed to be launched Monday, October 25, 2010.


Click below to watch Beautiful Imperfection preview

How Indonesia overtook Nigeria

When Indonesia's second president, Haji Muhammad Suharto, took power in 1967 the number of people living in poverty was the same as in Nigeria; around six out of ten. Three decades later, it had fallen from six to two. In Nigeria it had risen from six to seven.


Not only Indonesia, but also Malaysia. If not on the same level of development considering economic indicators, Nigeria was ahead of Malaysia in the early 1960s even though Malaysia got independence from the same former colonial master with Nigeria two years earlier. In terms of population Nigeria had and still has five times that of Malaysia. So also natural resources. No wonder former Prime Minister Tuanko Abdulrahman imported palm kernel seedlings from Nigeria in the 1960s possibly because of his close relationship with the late Sardauna.

But, thats not the story today, both nations, Malaysia and Indonesia are far ahead of Nigeria even though we are blessed with rich human and natural resources. Read More

some texts culled from allafrica.com

Nobel laureate Soyinka starts political party

Wole Soyinka won the Nobel literature prize in 1986

Nobel literature laureate Wole Soyinka has launched a political party in Nigeria, months before the presidential election. He was elected chairman of The Democratic Front for a People's Federation at an event in Lagos.

The new party says it aims to tackle corruption and improve health and education in Nigeria.

He was the first African to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1986. State, presidential and legislative elections are due to take place next year but it is unclear whether Mr Soyinka intends to be a candidate.

BBC

CNN - Babangida: Why I'm seeking election

Ex-military leader Ibrahim Babangida on why he annulled '93 elections and why he's running for Nigeria's presidency.

Nigerian academics seek to elevate humble Pidgin

logo of a Nigerian Pidgin English Dictionary

It may share many of its words and basic grammar with English, but a perplexed look descends across the face of most newcomers to Nigeria the first time they are addressed in Pidgin.

"How you dey?" comes the question, or "How body?" (both meaning "how are you?")

A World Cup blunder by Nigerian player Sani Kaita briefly spawned the word "Kaitalistic" to mean catastrophic and the frequent acts of kidnapping in Nigeria has popularized the term "Colombia people" to describe the perpetrators on Nigeria's first pidgin station Wazobia 95.1 FM.

"American Presido say time don reach to comot im troop for Iraq," announced the newscaster on a recent lunchtime bulletin, after U.S. President Barack Obama announced a formal end to the U.S. military's combat mission in Iraq last month.

Goodluck Jonathan’s Declaration

Since I support Jonathan 2011, I hope no one gets offended with more posts of him

Crowd at the Goodluck Jonathan's Declareration.

pics from pmnewsnigeria.com

Nigeria doesn’t need contaminated leaders — Jonathan.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said Nigeria was on the threshold of a new era, adding that it needed a leadership that was uncontaminated by prejudices of the past.

Jonathan, who stated this at the public declaration of his candidacy at the Eagle Square, Abuja said he was the kind of leader the country needed. 

The President said he had come to transform the country, adding that he would never let Nigerians down.

9ice & Seriki – (Rugged Man Diss) Talk I’m Listening

The diss track stems from the leaked phone conversation between 9ice and Rugged Man that was secretly recorded by Rugged Man, which we posted a few months back

According to 9ice via his twitter page (@real9ice), his album which he calls “The best birthday present ever…” drops on Sept 20th, which happens to be Ruggedy’s day of birt

JAY-Z BUYS BEYONCE AN ISLAND!

Jay-Z really knows how to show how much he appreciates Beyonce. The rap star reportedly purchased a 20-million dollar private island located in the Florida Keys for Mrs. Carter's 29th birthday. A source explained to MediaTakeOut.com, “The island is 12.5 acres and about 2.5 miles offshore . . . it’s a tropical paradise.” The insider continued, “Jay Z and Beyonce had been looking at the island in the past, and now Jay Z decided to buy it.” Must be nice!

Singer Nneka tells world of love and injustice in Nigeria

Singer Nneka

CNN- Nneka is a Nigerian singer songwriter who is making her name on the world stage and earlier this year released her debut album and tour in the U.S.

At 28, Nneka is a relative newcomer to music. She has only been singing for around five years, but has wasted no time in winning over both fans and critics.

Last year, she won a prestigious MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award in the UK for Best African Act.

Her work combines soul, hip hop, reggae and African music, but the lyrics have an unashamedly Nigerian tone, covering -- among her themes -- injustice in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

Click the link below to watch her CNN interview

Nigerian Experts Handle First Kidney Transplant Successfully

The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), in collaboration with the Bayero University Teaching Hospital, Kano and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has successfully conducted a kidney transplant on a 31-year old Suleiman Usman. The kidney was donated by his brother, Abubakar Usman at the university’s Kidney Centre.

According to the university’s authorities, the transplant was the first of its kind handled in the institution without the assistance of any foreign surgeons, since the Kidney Centre was established in 1993.

Announcing the successful transplant yesterday at a press briefing at the teaching hospital, the Chief Medical Director of UMTH, Prof. Othman Kyari, said “first ever in the history of Maiduguri Kidney Centre, a team of doctors and surgeons from this hospital and others from Ile-Ife and Kano performed a very successful kidney transplant on Suleiman Usman without the intervention of any foreign doctors and surgeons.

50 Best Dressed Men In Nigeria… Mode Men Magazine Cover

The latest cover of Mode Men magazine features the 50 Best dressed men in Nigeria. Included in that list is Dbanj, Banky W Darey, Stan Mukoro, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), Jim Iyke, Dayo “D1″ Adeneye, Chiwetelu Umeadi “Chiwetel” Ejiofor and a host of others. 
spotted @ jaguda.com

Dean Foster's Top Five Tips For Doing Business in Nigeria.

1. Agreeing with people is considered to be a sign of respect. Nigerians generally say "yes" to a request because their respect for you does not allow them to say "no."

2. Among traditional Nigerian business people, an appointment is rarely private. Try not to be irritated if your meeting is interrupted by phone calls and/or visits from your client's friends and family.

3. Do not eat everything on your plate; leaving some food is a signal that you have had enough. If you clean your plate, you are indicating that you want more food.

4. Nigerians tend to stand close to each other while speaking. If you are uncomfortable conversing at this distance, try to refrain from backing up.

5. Nigerians are good bargainers, and you should expect to bargain and compromise in the marketplace and at the negotiating table.


Dean Foster is the author of "The Global Etiquette Guide to Africa"

6ft 9 teenager who cannot fit on the school bus

Fourteen-year-old Elisany Silva, who measures 2.06 meters tall,
plays with her sisters and a friend Photo: REUTERS

Elisany Silva is believed to be suffering from a rare disease which has caused her extreme height.

She hopes to use her height to her advantage however, and is interested in modelling – she will reportedly make her debut on the runway at a bridal show in Belem, Brazil, according to the Huffington Post website.

Nigeria's Motorcycle Taxis

Motorcycle taxis popularly called Okada in Nigeria

Drivers of motorcycle taxis wait for passengers on a sidewalk along the outer marina road in Lagos August 31, 2010. Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos is trying to bring order to hundreds of thousands of chaotic motorcycle taxis, banning them from major roads and from carrying pregnant women or riding on the pavement. The bikes, known as "okadas", swarm like mosquitoes around sub-Saharan Africa's most populous city, swerving to avoid bribe-hungry traffic police, often mounting the kerb and frequently carrying entire families on their tired frames. 


- Reuters.

Nigeria Close To Population Disaster – British Council

NIGERIA could become the fifth most populous country in the world, teetering on the edge of a “demographic disaster” unless its stagnant economy rapidly

expands to support its teeming youth population, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Estimates in the report by the British Council showed Nigeria’s population of 150 million people will swell by another 63 million people by 2050.

Nigeria will have a ready supply of workers into the future with more than 40 per cent of the West African nation’s population younger than 14.

Nine Most Polluted Places In The World

1. Linfen, Chian

Linfen, China is the most polluted city on earth. According to Mother Nature Network, if one puts laundry out to dry, it will turn black before finishing drying. Located in China's coal belt, spending one day in Linfen is equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes. 3 million people are affected by Linfen's coal and particulates pollution, which is residue from automobile and industrial emissions.

KOKO Mobile from D’Banj is set to hit the streets in October 2010

KOKO Mobile

It has been confirmed that D’Banj will be releasing the Koko Mobile in October 2010. The first batch of the phones will be available in 3 colours namely Black, Silver and Pink. The phone will come pre-loaded with D’Banj’s songs and video plus other exciting features and programs.


They will be launching with Nigeria @ 50.
Kokomobile is a phone for the youths. Some of the functions include: Yahoo Messenger, Msn, GTalk, Google Search, Twitter app, Facebook app, GPS, 1st Bank Online banking app, Koko Chat.
More details will be revealed soon.