Agbadonia 😆

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"The earliest maize plants grew only small, 25-millimetre-long (1 in) corn ears, and only one per plant." - Wikipedia/Maize

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A Timbuktu Chronicle // West African History // The Songhai Empire - Africa's Age of Gold

Today, the Songhai Empire is all but forgotten by history. But this medieval kingdom was once the most powerful force in Africa.  Find out how this civilization grew up on the fringes of the Sahara Desert, among some of the most extreme conditions that nature can throw at us. Discover how it grew and flourished, passing through a process known as the imperial cycle, and learn about what ultimately caused its sudden and dramatic collapse. 

  by Fall Of Civilizations podcast 

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Foodie Foodie To The Max!

W/ever u r going through in this life, eat! The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." So he got up and ate... #amala #norights #Thursday pic.twitter.com/wvXrHxEpRH

— Uduakobong A. (@UddyAnny) November 24, 2022

Nigeria Food Industry: Developing the Gastronomy Sector  

I don wake ooo 😹😹@Zlatan_Ibile @sydneytalker1 #amala pic.twitter.com/0rEoriwBa6

— Olawalemiaremu (@okoiyamosun03) November 17, 2022

There is something enduring about Yoruba culture. Consider that slaves were taken from all over Africa, but only Yoruba slaves kept their culture intact. In Cuba and Brazil, they speak flawless Yoruba. They eat ewa ati rice pelu dodo. And still dobale to parents!#RenosNuggets

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) June 4, 2022

DJ🐝JORDAN
Dodo ati rice song HOUSED😂
Song by MIKE OKRI "wisdom "
E N J O Y ! ! ! ! pic.twitter.com/IBdacB5nMx

— DJ BEE-JORDAN (@djbeejordan) March 18, 2017

Proudly Ekiti
Iyan lounje
Oka logun pic.twitter.com/25KE5LMk2h

— Phoenix (@QueenMandla_) January 1, 2022

“The Milkmaid” is inspired by the striking image of two Fulani milkmaids depicted on the Nigerian Ten Naira bill. This image shows the empowered women who are a significant part of dairy production in their regions. #themilkmaidmovie https://t.co/h0ec8zAZhW pic.twitter.com/QL0QdCJmpR

— Imam Anas (@itz_imaam) August 13, 2019

Suya inside foil paper. God forbid bad thing. Shey Guardian abi Thisday newspaper don finish ni?
Very soon, they will be putting suya inside bowl. Eko ti gbagbakugba 😡

— Lola Okunrin (@lollypeezle) November 12, 2021

Hahahahaha, when they start to bastardize the foood.

Eating pounded yam with fork and knife etc etc 

Another commandment in my mind sha, is that just as women were 'empowered' to do all the work and nobody disturbed them, let women be empowered to collect the money in the updated food (abi na gastronomique) industry. That's all.

Ok, let's talk about food.  

Periwinkle.  Okhazi.  

Eba.  Banga.  Tuwo.  Garri, straight up.  

Mango.  Pineapple past, present, and future.  

Small chops.  Fried rice.  ...  Aadun.  Gurudi.  Agbalumo.  

... everything nice. 

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Glass ceilings broken and ROADS WIDE OPEN #2022

12 #AfricanCountries You Didn’t Realize You Had To Go To https://t.co/FD8cnWB1NB #travelmore pic.twitter.com/leaEEIsgvc

— UTB 2004 Ltd (@UTB2004Ltd) July 1, 2016

Africa Is A Dream Destination For Nature Lovers — Here Are 14 Countries That Are Especially Worth Exploring 💖 https://t.co/sihFBQWsxU pic.twitter.com/yE6GH7DQ9k

— SeasonedBF (@seasonedbf) August 26, 2021

Nigeria is famous for its warming, flavourful cuisine – and for good reason! If you haven’t tried them already, here’s 23 Nigerian foods to try asap: https://t.co/LpM2pEcxht #nigeria #nigeriancuisine #africa #food #musttry #culture #jollofrice #akara #suya #pottage

— Project Girl Foundation (@ProjectGF1) January 16, 2019

And here are the links again, because the months-long twitter ban has not yet been lifted in Nigeria:

• 12 African Countries You Didn’t Realize You Wanted To Go To
• Africa Is A Dream Destination For Nature Lovers — Here Are 14 Countries That Are Especially Worth Exploring
• 23 Nigerian Foods The Whole World Should Know And Love

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Naija 7 Wonders

African Travel Quarterly recently launched a search for the Seven Wonders of Nigeria. They now have a shortlist of twenty-five attractions. I wish I could visit all of them.
Vote for your winners by SMS CODE to 33120 or on the Seven Wonders facebook page

SMS Code - Establishment
Naija7*1 - National War Museum, Abia State
Naija7*2 - Sukur Kingdom, Adamawa State
Naija7*3 - Ogbunike Cave, Anambra State
Naija7*4 - Yankari Reserve, Bauchi State
Naija7*5 - Carnival Calabar, Cross River State
Naija7*6 - The Monoliths (Alok & Ikom), Cross River State
Naija7*7 - Obudu Mountain Resort, Cross River State
Naija7*8 - National Museum, Cross River State
Naija7*9 - Nana of Koko Museum, Delta State
Naija7*10 - Benin Heritage Sites (Moat & Palace), Edo State
Naija7*11 - Ikosogi Spring, Ekiti State
Naija7*12 - Abuja Mosque, Federal Capital Territory
Naija7*13 - Kano Heritage Sites (Walls & Palace) & Durbar Festival, Kano State
Naija7*14 - Confluence/Mount Patti, Kogi State
Naija7*15 - Owu falls, kwara State
Naija7*16 - Badagry Colonial Sites (Slave Relics & First Story Building), Lagos State
Naija7*17 - Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State
Naija7*18 - Farin Ruwa- Nassarawa State
Naija7*19 - Gurara falls, Niger State
Naija7*20 - Kainji Dam, Niger State
Naija7*21 - Winners Chapel, Ogun State
Naija7*22 - Idanre, Ondo State
Naija7*23 - Osun grove, Osun State
Naija7*24 - IITA, Oyo State
Naija7*25 - Gashaka Gumti/Mambilla Plateau, Taraba State

By March they will be narrowed down to fifteen, and the top 7 will be presented in July. I promise to at least visit the final seven. Props to Ikechi Uko of ATQ for the dogged hardwork it's taken to get Seven Wonders this far.

The Seven Wonders of Nigeria (reloaded)

(Thanks to travel writer extraordinaire, Pelu Awofeso, for publicity, and the all-important IMPLEMENTATION of this daydream)

You've been reading about Dora Akunyili's charge to rebrand Nigeria. "Good people, Great Nation," goes the slogan. What if we had a list to direct tourists to seven most treasured destinations (everybody knows that in Egypt you must see the Pyramids and in India you must look for the Taj Mahal.) What would be on that list?

What are the Seven Wonders of Nigeria? Why?

Some suggestions are Yankari (I just visited), the much talked about Tinapa/Calabar experience, and maybe some of those beaches in Lagos.
Maybe you prefer the very historical, like Nok or Igbo-Ukwu sites; the cultural, like Argungu Fishing festival, Eyo masquerades, Durbar horseracing festivals; the macabre, like the bullet-ridden car in which Murtala Muhammed was assassinated.
Is there a church/mosque grand enough to merit inclusion on the list? A theater, museum, stadium? A football?

Chime in below.

The Seven Wonders of Nigeria

You've been reading about Dora Akunyili's charge to rebrand Nigeria. "Good people, Great Nation," goes the slogan. What if we had a list to direct tourists to seven most treasured destinations (everybody knows that in Egypt you must see the Pyramids and in India you must look for the Taj Mahal.) What would be on that list?

What are the Seven Wonders of Nigeria? Why?

Some suggestions are Yankari (I just visited), the much talked about Tinapa/Calabar experience, and maybe some of those beaches in Lagos.
Maybe you prefer the very historical, like Nok or Igbo-Ukwu sites; the cultural, like Argungu Fishing festival, Eyo masquerades, Durbar horseracing festivals; the macabre, like the bullet-ridden car in which Murtala Muhammed was assassinated.
Is there a church/mosque grand enough to merit inclusion on the list? A theater, museum, stadium? A football?

Chime in below.

Destination weddings in Africa

I just saw this wedding show on TV.
Please advertise if you're a wedding planner in Nigeria, Kenya, or other gorgeous place in West or East Africa. Post a comment here with business contact information.

Why let South Africa have all the fun?

Hey June.

Source

Jolie-Pitt baby photos now Namibia's most valuable export

Friday, 02 June 2006

The African nation of Namibia has welcomed the birth of Angelina Jolie's baby, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, who will briefly double the country's GDP. Pictures of the child are expected to be worth more than the country's scam email and civil war industries combined. The proud parents say they were attracted to the country's beautiful scenery, rich history of tribal conflict and recently ratified death sentence for paparazzi photography.

According to Finance Minister N'kome Ahumgda, the economic good news is proof that his ten year program of corruption has finally paid off. "In the past month, our annual average income has increased from $US200 to US$35 million dollars," he pointed out. "Tourist spending has increased 12000%, and our ‘hot or not' rating has never been better. Now who wants to have a coup?"

He when on to affirm strong ties with new key trading partners NW and Hello! magazine, and thanked the actors for their $370,000 donation to the nation. "This generous gift could give our whole country clean water to drink, or two Mercedes E-Class sedans and a Patek Philippe watch," he said.

Bouyed by the economic turnaround, Mr Ahumgda has since unveiled a bold new vision for his country, abandoning subsistence agriculture in favour of a celebrity child-birth-based economy. The World Bank has reacted with caution, saying it would only finance the plan if the celebrity births were managed by the private sector.

Action Tourism- is this the way forward?

Often countries like Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon- African countries with immense oil and gas wealth often pay lip service to diversifying their economic base. However, it has often not moved beyond the rhetoric phrases of the political leaders of these countries. On the other hand countries like United Arab Emirates and Norway with declining Oil reserve have confronted their fast depleting national wealth in a more precise and succint manner. UAE specifically is a good example: turning to Tourism and Trade as a key revenue generator for the future. With its oil reserve depleting in 2015, it has invested heavily in tourism - building over 4 man made Island currently and experiencing a technology and property boom that goes with it. The Free Trade concept around its Zero Duty zones of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have also turned this pennisular nation to the fastest and most modern Middle Eastern economy, far ahead of both Israel and Saudi Arabia - even though these countries are bigger and more powerful by many standards.

I just came back from the city Island of South Padre off the coast of Mexico and Texas : called "Texico"- joining college spring breakers to catch up on some of the missen fun of college days (just because of engineering- don't blame me). I liked South Padre Island , and cannot get past how this kind of tourism spot cannot be in our continent and specifically Nigeria. Starting with 5 beach or Island settlements in Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Rivers and Cross Rivers- Nigeria can develop infrastructure - road, electricity and water and encourage local property investors to put up posh clubs, parks, golf courses, food joints (mama put will do), condominums and hotels as well as convention centers to facilitate this push into real tourism. Instead of the dispersed 30 day public holiday we currently run, government can grant its own workers (that account for 25-40% of formal workforce) a long public holiday similar to the memorial day weekend or thanksgiving weekend- to jump start this critical sector yearly. Bonuses and offers to entice local vacationers to these developed beach spots in Nigerian coastal cities will achieve among many things economic revival for these towns and cities, increased diversification of our economy, better understanding of the peculiar nature of the geography of these areas which will encourage other zones to become more interested in their development(since we all definitely enjoy good vacations) and better health for Nigerians that seem to have the word "vacation" missing from their dictionary with a resultant high rate of cardiac arrest and sudden death.

It is my belief that the way forward for Nigerian tourism is not bringing in foreign tourists. We already have a 120 million man strong market for local tourism and it provides a unique opportunity to strenghten national unity as well as our economy. Until practical steps are taken in this direction and our leaders start leading by example (case in point all governors and the President can head to the new beach cities to encourage vacationers to be there as well), then we will just be wasting precious newspaper space by vaunting some myopic economic development vis a vis diversification policy. You can check out my Flash-Album (No Flash?) of my visit to South Padre island and I must say it is highly recommended.

Perspectives. From the outside looking in.

I recently emailed an old friend who's American and whose work/life interests include penetrating the African investment market.
I hope he checks out this blog / that I can help him along in his quest ;)

Meanwhile, I just found a host of other "oyinbo-in-Nigeria" weblogs, by using the search blogs button at the top of this page with keyword "Nigeria."
I've learned a lot about my country from being an outsider (living in the US) these past years and definitely from reading outsider accounts of the place.

I'll only link to this, this, and this, but you can find a lot more.

Urban Hospitality in 1983, or Hit the Road, Jack

I just found a most vivid and enjoyable description of Lagos, Nigeria. It was written by a guy who visited in 1983 from the States with the goal of filming Fela Anikulapo Kuti. He also has pictures that I really like. Read the journal. Warning: This is a long piece that takes about a half hour to read.