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www.naija-times.com

June 2010 | ISSN 1758-6275 for what we were, are and will be

MY Lagos
Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi

Life After The

Win: Kizito, the
one9ja million
dollar winner

Yaw,
the face behind the voice

Introducing
Soccertimez,
WorldCup
Special
ie s
i s a bilit re
No D He

The bang in Hiking on the famous My man

Femi Anikulapo-Kuti TableMountain Fridayscoco….

naijaTimes 1
naijaTimes
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Yaw, Yaw, Yaw!
Editor’s note
I am sure not many people would be kind of Lagos is different from what we have
able to put a face to the wave making today,’ I hear you say? Why not flip through
voice of Yaw on Wazobia FM. Well, in this the pages of the magazine to read more
interesting edition of NaijaTimes, we about his Lagos of the 1960s and 2010?
bring you Steve Onu popularly known as
Yaw.  Yaw’s journey into radio began few In the entertainment section, Femi Anikulapo
years ago when he went to Wazobia FM to Kuti speaks about living his father’s legacy
see a friend of his, Braimoh Abubakar, who and life after being nominated for his most
told him he was about to start a radio recent Grammy.
station with pidgin English as the language
of communication. Today, Yaw has become Well, our story on Sport ‘No disabilities
a household name on radio. here’ peeps into the world of people who
play tennis on wheels. There is hope for
Also in this issue, astute businessman, Chief
Rasheed Gbadamosi talks about the Lagos
stock investors as the story “Nigeria capital
market; investors get their groove back” in
of the colonial times where he grew up. He the Money Section shows.  Of course this
recalls as a young child walking on sandy edition would be incomplete without the
sidewalks in a Lagos in which the local Shop, Mysterious Shopper, Style, The Young
government health inspectors were tough at Entrepreneur among others. Just sit back,
work as they opened drainages. There were enjoy all we have to offer and see you again
people who came and cleaned up debris of next month!
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E: ben.milesmathewson@cargolinkexpress.com
naijaTimes 5
 naijaTimes
In The Next Issue...
Funmi Iyanda on life outside the studio
Saheed Balogun on “Let me you about women”
Mercy Aigbe on “Let me tell you about men”
Make sure you don’t miss out, subscribe to NaijaTimes, and have
your own copy delivered to your door.
Visit www.naija-times.com/subscribe-today for more details.
June 10
THINGS TO
WATCH OUT
FOR IN JUNE
1. An exhibition on the Kingdom of Ife-
sculptures from the ancient city, will
be showcased at the British Museum,
London, till June 6th 2010
53
2. NOGTECH: Nigeria Oil & Gas 2010
12 Tech holds at the Expo Centre,Victoria
Island Lagos from 8th June – 10th June
59
2010
3. VC4Africa Meetup – Nigeria will
hold at the Sage Hotel, Benin City, Edo
State on Thursday 17th June.
38 32
6 naijaTimes
Yaw,
the Face
Behind
the Voice 46
Travel & Culture My man Fridayscoco…. 38
My Lagos 8 When Women Talk to Men 44
Hiking on the famous TableMountain 12
Cover Story
Fashion & Lifestyle
The Ankara: History, Evolution, and
Yaw, the Face Behind the Voice 46
current Fame 14 Feature Story
Young Entrepreneurs 16 A Spell of Roads in Bad Shape 50
Diamonds are forever! 18
Health
AM to PM 23
Celebrities join hands with SAMI to
Money Touch A Cell.
52
Nigeria capital market; Investors get their
Sports
groove back 24
No Disabilities Here 55
The Unusual Business of Sex 28
Soccer timez 58
Entertainment
The Shop
After the win; having fun, staying focused
Mysterious shopper 64
-Kizito the, One 9ja Millionaire 30
The bang in Femi Anikulapo-Kuti 32
Directories
Let Me Tell You About Women 34
Business Listings 66
Young up and coming
talent, MAKI-OH 37
7

MY Lagos
Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi
I grew up in the Lagos of colonial times.
There are aspects of Lagos I remember, if
not developed, they were neat. They had
sandy sidewalks but the local government
health inspectors were tough at work and
they opened drainages. But there were not
enough resources to open underground
drainages- we were made to understand that
underground drainage were hard to maintain
in the tropics. They had people who came
and cleaned up the debris of the drainage
from the previous day. There was an anti-
malarial programme to make sure you did
not have stagnant water. There was continual
public education of what you should not
do. It was not that crowded in those days.
In a given street we youngsters knew one
another very well. Schools were scarcely
populated.  It was pleasurable and we did not
have the menace of traffic. The memories are
still with me. With the influx of rural urban
drift it became apparent that people rolled
8 naijaTimes
Travel & Culture
in from all sorts of places and our economy
became much more internationalised.
My Isale Eko childhood immersed me in
the appreciation of dramatic and creative
possibilities. The perennial Oro shrieks in the
heat of the night which forced me sinking
under the bed covers in the belief that I
could not be snatched from my mother’s
bosom, my mother’s Isale Eko roots which
she transmitted to me by forcing me to
stand by her side outside her shop on
Reclamation Road while Tarzan, Sokolobo,
Bamgbose, Olukoso, Alpansanpa, the Egungun
“My Isale Eko
masquerades in procession paid their homage,
greeted her in the rhymes of the dead man’s
voice, caged money off he, frightened the
daylight out of me and vanished into the
receding silhouette of the evening towards the childhood immersed
me in the appreciation
Oba’s palace.
Mother’s greatest love, of course, was the
of dramatic and
creative possibilities.”
9
 “Mother’s greatest love, of course, was the
fascinating Adamu Orisha play, the Eyo”
fascinating Adamu Orisha play, the Eyo,
that enduring heritage of her ancestors. I
remember once, a stray Eyo came into her
room for a quick swig of beer, unmasking
himself, mouthing and displaying bravado
exaggeratedly and reciting prayers and
incantations. With an exchange of money
and gently, playful strokes of the “opambata”
on my mother, the Eyo would jump and twirl
and disappear into the fold of returning dead
symbolized by the awesome Eyo group.
No wonder mother got me enrolled in
the Eyo Agere group on my return from
academic pursuits where the Pinheiros, the
Da Rochas, the Damazios, the Grillos had
bequeathed artistic architectural landmarks
to replace the back-to-back compounds
10
(Agbole) of yesteryears where children of
those days were identified sometimes by
their Agbole origin. The Island of Lagos was
then quite small and everybody knew one
another and juvenile delinquency was bare.
Also at school, Pa Aina Onabolu fearsomely
ambled into school premises donning his
trademark well-spruced tropical suit complete
with rimless glasses and walking stick. The
day’s routine was thus: a boy, on Pa’s orders,
climbs the teacher’s desk and, models a pose
at angle, another boy moves his chair to the
middle of the space between the blackboard
and the font desks. Pa Onabolu draws lines
on the blackboard, nasaling like an Englishman
the phrase: “angular perspective!” It was a
wonderful experience growing up at Isale Eko.
naijaTimes 11

Hiking on the famous
TableMountain
Adedoyin Johnson
I never knew what lay ahead that sunny
Saturday morning when the guide at the
hotel where I was lodged offered to take me
to the famous Table Mountain in Cape Town.
A short holiday in South Africa is incomplete
without visiting Cape Town, that beautiful
city, and hiking on the flat Table Mountain is
a plus. Hence it was excitement all day way
as the guide and I rode in a taxi towards this
famous mountain.
 
When I lay my eyes on Table Mountain, it
exerted its powerful and charismatic pull
on me, as it usually enchants and draws
anyone who falls under its spell. It is really
true that the way to the top has never been
easy, and as I hiked on the mountain in the
mild December sun, I could not help but
agree with this old saying.  Joseph, the guide,
informed me that for many centuries only a
handful of bold and enterprising people could
say that they had climbed it.
 
“By the late 1870’s, several of Cape Towns
more prominent citizens had suggested the
introduction of a railway line to the top,”
explained Joseph. Plans to implement a
proposed rack railway got under way but the
outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war put a halt
to the plans. By 1912, with a strong desire to
gain easy access to the top of Table Mountain,
the Cape Town City Council commissioned
an engineer to investigate the various options
of transport to the top. The engineer, a
Mr. H.M. Peter, suggested that a funicular
railway running up from Oranjezicht through
Platteklip gorge would be the most suitable
option. A vote was held with the vast majority
12
Travel & Culture
Meals may be complemented with a selection
of fine local wines. The restaurant seats 120
months (16 September to 30 April) and at
08h30 in winter (1 May to 15 September).
people. Cable cars depart every 10-15 minutes.
Closing hours vary depending on the time
The Cableway Cocktail bar was also a of the year and during the peak season (16
wonderful experience. I watched the sun set December to 15 January) the last cable car
over Camps Bay and the twinkling lights of ascends at 21h00 and descends at 22h00.
the Mother City. I sat and lingered over one  
Cableway Prices
of Cape Town’s residents voting in favour.”
of the special cocktails while looking out over
the bay and Table Mountain. Going up the
  mountain was a wonderful experience but R145 return or R74 one way per adult, R76
However, the Table Mountain project was please follow the signs once you’re on top! return or R38 one way per child (under 18).
delayed yet again by the outbreak of the First   Discounts are available for South African
World War. “The plan was resuscitated in 1926 Things to know students and senior citizens, as well as for
after a Norwegian engineer, Trygve Stromsoe, families and Wild Card holders. Prices are
presented plans for a cableway to the top of Opening Hours subject to changes without prior notice, so
Table Mountain. The Table Mountain Aerial The cableway opens at 08h00 in the summer please check beforehand.
Cableway Company (TMACC) was formed to
finance the construction. Work began soon
afterwards and the project was complted
relatively quickly. On the 4th of October 1929,
the Mayor of Cape Town, Rev A J S Lewis,
headed the official opening ceremony that was
attended by over 200 other guests.”
 
It is amazing to discover that since it’s opening
in 1929, over 16 million people have taken
the trip to the top of Table Mountain. The
Table Mountain cableway has since become
something of a landmark in Cape Town,
and has carried some of Cape Town’s most
illustrious visitors including King George VI,
Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Oprah Winfrey,
Sting, Steffi Graf, Arnold Schwarzenneger,
Margaret Thatcher, Prince Andrew, Micheal
Schumacher, Brooke Shields, Micheal Buble,
Tina Turner, Jackie Chan, Dolores O’Riordan,
Skunk Anansie and Paul Oakenfold.
 
From the waterfront at night, the Table
Mountain is a breathtaking site to behold.
The restaurants are ever busy attending to
the huge number of visitors that throng the
mountain daily. The self-service restaurant at
the top of Table Mountain offers a wide range
of foods ranging from hot breakfasts, the hot
meal of the day, snack menus and a coffee bar.
naijaTimes 13

The Ankara: History,
Evolution, and
current Fame
Omo Sandra Idugboe
V ibrant colours, alluring prints, moving
fabrics, and sensational styles are the current
trend of Nigerian Fashion. In every event,
whether it is a marital union, red carpet,
corporate or social, this fabric is sure to
dominate and tinkle the senses, and most
of all instill in you a desire to own it, yes
the one you have just seen, no matter the
number you may already have at home.
Walking through the streets of Lagos, for
instance, is like déjàvu as almost every
mannequin in store displays, especially the
designer shops, are clothed in designs made
from this fabric. As if this is not enough,
try watching a fashion show on TV, or flip
through the fashion editorials of magazines
and you will be blinded, or shall I say ‘shown
the light’, by eye watering, greed binding,
pocket draining, yet irresistible clothing and
fashion accessories made from this same
fabric. It is established and there is no going
back. It is the era of the ultimate Ankara
fabric and if you happen to be amongst the
few that do not like it, honey you will have
to find a way to survive through this because
it is a trend that has come to stay and many
have referred to it as the Ankara Revolution.
And as it usually is with revolutions, the
Ankara has come to change the Nigerian and
African fashion scene and the way people
perceive it forever.
What is this Ankara anyway? The popular
materials made and sold by Yoruba women
in the markets? What has changed now and
why the hype and sudden buzz about it?
I remember the Ankara way back, when I
14
was a little girl playing on the streets (laugh
like you didn’t do the same) as the material
called Hollandaise usually brought as gifts for
my grandmother by people returning from
overseas. However, for many years I didn’t see
any and I never wore one until recently.
The Ankara, also known as Hollandaise (many
popular brands are from Holland, hence the
name Hollandaise) has been around for long,
and dates to the 19th century, 1846, when a
company formed by the Dutch, in Helmond,
Holland began to produce and sell colorful
wax print fabrics made by printing patterns
with melted wax on cotton fabric which was
then soaked in dye to penetrate the areas
where the wax had not been applied. The
excess dye is then washed off to reveal a
subtle image of the printed patterns. 1876
saw the arrival of these batiks in the shores
of Africa. It was not long before the company
shifted all its attention to Africa where the
import and sale of the batiks met more
favorable import conditions and market than
they did in Indonesia where they previously
exported. The batik market was especially
stronger and more lucrative in Ghana
because of the African soldiers that returned
from Indonesia to settle there between
1837 and 1872.  With UAC running the wax
business and distribution on behalf of the
Dutch company, they did not see any need
to come to Africa themselves until 1932. As a
result, the company made significant changes
to the pattern designs and colors adapting
it more to suit African tastes. By 1954, the
African market accounted for 50% of their
total production, and eventually became
their main market. Recently, Vlisco (also a
Dutch company that sells Hollandaise) has
started trading in the Nigerian market.
Years of study went into understanding
the consumer needs and culture and this
has been integrated into their prints and
patterns making their market even more
successful. As a result of their success, the
company has faced a major threat from
imitations and cheaper competitors. In
Nigeria, for example, textile mill companies
were set up to produce local and cheaper
versions of the colorful Dutch wax print
fabrics. This is the fabric the Yoruba called
Ankara, hence the name till date.
The question on the lips of many is why
the current and sudden resurgence? How
long will this last or is it just a fashion fad
like many others? Why is the quality so
different now and yet so affordable? When
did we even begin to see the Ankara in a
different light?
Well, to start with, t numerous designers
put the Ankara out there by consistently
using it in their creations with the result that
catwalks all over the world are bursting with
creations and designs made from Ankara.
There is no limit to what these designers
have done or can do with the fabric. In
Fashion & Lifestyle
the United Kingdom while show casing his
summer 2009 collections, Junya Watanabe
wowed the world with extraordinary designs
which he made using Ankara with a Japanese
twist. In the USA, Maya Lake’s (the designer
behind the label Boxing Kitten) jump suits made
with Ankara grabbed headlines when celebrities
like Fergie and Solange Knowles wore them.
Over here in Africa Jewel by Lisa has started a
new trend with embellished Ankara.
These designers have all done well with
their persistence and creativity but let’s not
forget that without the availability of good
quality Ankara fabric; there would never
have been a rebirth of the fabric. Companies
like Woodin in Ghana and Vlisco in Nigeria
have been commended for the part they
have played in changing the way people,
especially Nigerians, see the Ankara fabric.
To combat the issue of imitation and cheap
quality Ankara, Vlisco has introduced more
base colors like sepia, brown and claret, for
the fabric as opposed to using only indigo,
along with the Super Wax which is produced
with superior quality and special cracking
technique. The name: Real Dutch wax Vlisco
appears on the white edge of all its fabrics.
The colours do not wash out and the fabrics
are printed on both sides.
The African culture and symbols, and our
colorfulness are so integrated into the
patterns and designs that people hardly
believe that not all the patterns are made
in Africa by Africans. Today the Ankara
has become the prestigious and infallible
fabric that can be used for any occasion
and adapted to make any style, even swim
suits. This versatility and bold display of
colors are the advantages the Ankara has
over other fabrics. Nigerians love fashion,
colors, quality and we definitely have the
purchasing power to go for anything we see
these attributes in. This is the reason the
Ankara has stolen its way into our hearts,
and I am not an exception.
naijaTimes 15

The Young
Entrepreneur
Tosin Aina, CEO, Abbey Links Limited
I grew up a hustler and I have always been
someone who hates being idle. In the primary
school, while my mates were solely waiting on
their parents for their daily upkeep, I was already
on the streets fending for myself. I sold anything
from sugar to powdered milk tied in nylon. Not
that my parents could not take care of me, but
I just believed in doing something all the time.
Often, I have taken every chance to make money
in a legal way.
My love for entertainment since childhood has
always channelled my industrious spirit. Above
anything else, I wanted to sing and become a
force to be reckoned with. I believed I could
make money from such talent, hence I can say
I have always wanted to be in business even
from childhood. I remember I once had a
confrontation with one of my teachers back
then who scolded me for selling things in school.
She called me into her office one day and just
when I thought she was going to discipline me,
16
she asked me if I could start selling her own
goods side-by-side with mine. I agreed and she
was later brought her own goods which I sold for
her on a commission basis.
Growing up was thrilling. As a young girl I would
say that I was lucky growing up amidst boys.
Though I am from a family of four girls and a
boy, I had more male friends. My closeness to
them turned me into a tomboy.Through such
association I developed the love for football
which I played up to my tertiary school level. I
represented the Yaba College of Technology in
Lagos for about seven years back playing football
in the NIPOGA games in Auchi. Initially I played
in the Puma Street Soccer competition and later
for the Okota Queens football club. I was actually
paid more like a professional.Though I can be
very reserved at times but I must say I have
very good memories of my childhood. I grew up
knowing what I wanted to do and become in life.
I have never seen myself as someone who would
depend on others to make a living. So as a child,
I played and mingled with my friends; did all what
children would do but never lost focus about
what I felt I should/would be.
 
At Abbey Links Limited, I rent out state-of-the-
art cameras and cranes.We also sell bulbs, tapes,
lights and other things.The most challenging
aspect of the business is when you have to
spend a huge amount of money on some
equipment that you are not sure will work or
what might happen to such equipment.We’ve
had issues where clients return some equipment
damaged and they argue that it was received in a
damaged state.What can one do? The challenges
basically are in the servicing and constant
maintenance of these equipment. I must say
that the cost of maintaining some of these
Fashion & Lifestyle
equipment sometimes can be more expensive
than maintaining a car.
 
 
Education
 
I attended Ansar U Deen Primary School and
attended Okota Grammar School for my
secondary education.
Before going to Yaba College of Technology, I
was admitted to the Polytechnic, Ibadan to study
International Refugee Studies. After a brief stay
there I could not stand staying away from Lagos
basically because it was limiting my business
opportunities. I moved back to Lagos and a little
while later, I got admitted to Yaba College of
Technology to study, Business Studies.
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naijaTimes 17

N ow if you are anywhere within your
mid twenties to late thirties you must be
aware of the wedding mania that continues
to sweep over Nigeria. It usually takes about
Diamonds
30 minutes for the newly engaged bride to
change her status from ‘in a relationship’ to
engaged on facebook, complete with a profile
picture of her hand with her newly acquired
are forever! ring.
But the sentiments behind the euphoria that
Glory Edozien surrounds engagements these days are not
what they used to be. Gone are the days
when ‘being engaged’ signified commitment
towards a life for better or worse. Today,
engagements are all about the size of the
rock!  So here is my health warning to all
the unsuspecting young men out there, if
you are about to buy the love of your life an
engagement ring which she can ‘manage’ until
your ruby anniversary, you might want to
read this article first and think through your
choice of rings carefully before you go on
bended knee. Do not say I didn’t warn you o!
“It usually takes about 30
minutes for the newly
engaged bride to change her
status from ‘in a relationship’
to engaged on facebook,”
18
Fashion & Lifestyle
Sometime early last year my friend’s older
sisters broke off her engagement to her
boyfriend of 3 years - her fiancé of 6months.
His crime? He lied about the price of her
engagement ring. Well, lying might be a strong
word, let’s just say he concealed the truth.
The young man in question had proposed to
his girlfriend with a ring that came in a Tiffany
box. Now, you know how we girls can be. The
newly engaged woman told all her friends the
ring had been bought from Tiffany & Co and
she still had the box to prove it. Her friends
“ooed” and “aahed” and all seemed extremely
jealous. Unfortunately, one of her friends, a
jewellery connoisseur of some sort, spotted
the fly in the ointment and was only to happy
to point it out to the beaming bride to be.
Furious, my friend’s sister accused her friend
of being a jealous cow who could never be
happy for anyone else but herself. And in her
bid to prove her man’s worth, stormed over
to the nearest Tiffany store with a few of her
close friends only to find out the ring was
indeed a fake. You may cast blame where you
naijaTimes 19
 will, but the fact remains that the actions
of all 3 involved in this story goes to show “Maybe it’s about
exactly what society has become.
time we begin
To love and to cherish, in sickness and in
health, till death do us part, have now been
to revaluate
replaced by Tiffany & Co, Harry Winston and
Cartier. If a man can afford to shop in
our priorities
such places, that’s all well and good but if
he can’t, why force him to steal? The size
and stop
of a man’s love is now measured by the comparing our
relationships to
size of the diamond on his bride’s finger. 
And the sentiments of unending love and
commitment have become buried under the
dazzle of exquisitely cut diamonds! But who what Hollywood
can blame us girls, after all, we have been
taught to believe that diamonds are a girl’s would have us
best friend and not our fiancé!
believe”
But let’s come back to reality for a second.
Maybe it’s about time we begin to revaluate
our priorities and stop comparing our
relationships to what Hollywood would have
us believe. Perhaps it’s time we begin to take
into account what’s really important and stop
focusing on trivial issues. If a man proposes,
it is because he loves you and wants to
spend the rest of his life with you. The size
of the diamond is not directly proportional
to the length of your martial years neither
does it signify the quality of your prospective
marriage. As an example, let’s examine the
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck scenario. After
Ben reportedly proposed to Jennifer with a
pink 6-carat diamond ring valued at over a
million dollars. They didn’t even get to the
altar.

I guess what I am trying to say in a nutshell

is, we need to begin to value the immaterial
over the material. Value the sentiments
behind the proposal and prepare ourselves
for the commitment marriage requires. Yes,
diamonds may last forever, but marriages
should as well

20 naijaTimes 21

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AM to PM
LOLA AGBAJE
J uggling work & play can be tough, especially
Reverse Auction Competition if you work long hours & can’t afford to
waste valuable time getting dolled up to go
Exclusive to Zain out after hours. Switching from a day to night
customers only.
4 look doesn’t have to be time consuming if
you plan ahead a little. Here are some helpful
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little forethought, and some extra accessories.
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to 33665, the lowest unique bid wins an Ipad. E.g. materials; something that makes you sweat
Send “Bid 39” to 33665 text cost N50. Terms and during the day will look terrible come night-
conditions apply. Open to Zain subscribers only. time. Fabrics that wrinkle easily are your
worst enemy, and they should be avoided
completely. Also steer clear of colours that
Magic Word Competition will show stains. Black is popular for a reason
Complete the following word and the darker the colours, the less they will
show most stains, wrinkles or sweat.
Exclusive to Etisalat
customers only. Adding or removing pieces can spice up a
basic outfit like a plain black dress or a black
top and trousers. Tops or bodices with peek-
a-boo cut-outs are fantastic for that day-to-
1 2 3 4 K night need. A shirt that has a conservative
front and a sexy back is easy to play with. All
you need to do is throw a jacket or vest over
for work, remove them for drinks, and you’ve
set an entirely different mood. No one sees
It regulates our daily movements, but it feels no the plunging back in the office, yet you’ll look
interest in our lives. It directs us when to come sexy in the evening.
and go, but does not care if we pay attention. However, trousers are a little more difficult
to spruce up. To go from a dull to a jazzed up
What is it? look, pair slacks with the right belt and shoes.
A big belt helps soften the all-business slacks
Text answer to 35810 for a chance to win N10,000 worth of Naija Clothing and makes the overall outfit more relaxed.
Merchandise. Text cost N100 Accessories can change the tone and attitude
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22
Fashion & Lifestyle
Small earrings and necklaces may be proper
at work, but they suck the fabulous, right out
of your evening outfit. Use larger, flashier
jewellery to wipe clean any remaining office
attitude. But be careful not to pile on the
accessories. Make sure all your accessories
look good together, and don’t forget that
dressing up means taking work jewellery off.
Brooches or pins will make you look drab, so
they should be removed and stuffed in your
purse. Shoes should always be sexy, no matter
what. The slinkier, sexier and higher the shoe,
the flirtier you’ll feel. But not too high ladies; a
sprained ankle is not sexy!
All that’s left is to freshen up your makeup
and you’re good to go. For daytime keep it
light ladies. The objective is to be able to add
more colours on for a night-time look. Carry
a small make up bag filled with essentials like
face powder, mascara, baby wipes, lip-gloss
or lipstick. Include a tiny bottle of lotion and
perfume so you can add those final finishing
touches before you hit the dance floor.
Gentlemen, I haven’t forgotten you either.
The same rules also apply to you (except
obviously the make up, unless you are that
way inclined). For guys the transition is so
much simpler. Simply just take it off! Well,
maybe not all of it, but once the tie and
jacket come off you go from corporate to
casual. It might also be prudent to pack an
extra shirt with you just in case the one
you have on gets wrinkled or stained. I end
this session with a caution. You may look
and feel hot but remember you have work
the next day. Trust me, there is no way you
are going to stroll into the office feeling
fabulous, when suffering from a hangover. So
go easy on the drinks and the dancing. You
can always do it again tomorrow!
  
naijaTimes 23

It started tentatively but gradually gained
Nigeria capital market; steam and right now investors in the Nigerian
capital market are getting their groove back
Investors get
as the market sustains an unprecedented
bullish run in the first quarter of 2010. As
at the time of writing this report in the first
week of April, the All Share Index (ASI), which
their groove back
measures the average changes in prices of
stocks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange
(NSE), has made an average gain of 30.6 %, on
track to recover almost all of the 34% loss it
Kwekwu Brown recorded in 2009.
A good number of stocks on the exchange
have enjoyed the bullish run currently taking
over the market. In the banking sector banks
like Access Bank, Skye Bank, GT Bank, First
Bank and UBA have all enjoyed an appreciable
increases in their share prices although they
are yet to hit the high prices they fell from
last year.
The rise in these bank’s shares have been
mainly helped by the fact that they were
unaffected by the CBN’s recent action of
taking over eight banks it had judged to be in
a grave situation. Banks like Zenith Bank, GT
Bank and UBA have also announced positive
results. While Zenith Bank declared a profit
after tax of about N20 billion and declared
both a cash dividend and bonus issues, GT
Bank has also announced a profit after tax of
“A good number of stocks
on the exchange have enjoyed
the bullish run currently
taking over the market.”
24
Money
about N23 billion and also announced both
cash and bonus share issues. UBA was only
able to pay cash dividends after announcing a
deep drop in profits to N2 billion.
Even the rescued banks have experienced
some surge in their share prices though
not in the same way as the non rescued
banks. Analysts attribute the non significant
appreciation in the share prices of the
rescued banks to a combination of lack
of confidence in the CBN appointed
management of these banks as well as the
expectation that the rescued banks are
likely to make huge provisions for the non
performing loans on their books plunging
them into further losses. Besides, the lingering
court cases over the CBN action against the
rescued banks may also have given investors
cold feet about the banks as any chance of
a new investor buying into them while the
court case remains unresolved is remote.
The cement manufacturing companies listed
on the NSE have also gained considerable
ground in the new bullish run. Benue Cement
Company (BCC) has led the bullish pack
rising by more than 180 % from its 2009
lows of N21 per share to a current price of
about N63 per share. The company’s bullish
run has been helped by strong improvement
in quarterly earnings and the announcement
that it has resolved its power problems and
naijaTimes 25

expanded its production capacity at its
factory. Although its full year result is still
being awaited as at the time of this report,
investors and analysts in the market are quite
optimistic of a good result being announced
by its management. In the third quarter that
ended September 2009, BCC had announced
turnover of N27 billion and profits after tax
of N12 billion representing about 177 %
and 200 % increase respectively on previous
year’s figures.
 
There have also been some significant price
gains in the food and beverage sector of
the economy with significant gains recorded
by Flour Mills Nigerian Plc, Dangote Flour
Mills Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc and even the
Dangote Sugar Refinery. Flour Mills Nigeria
Plc has seen a significant 400 % appreciation
in its share price from a 52 week low of
N14 per share to a current price of N70
per share in the first week of April. The
Company’s strong showing has been helped
26
by a significant 1000 % improvement in its
third quarter profits after tax which stood at
more than N8 billion as at September 2009
compared to just N770 million in September
2008. Investors have picked the scent of
profitability that may have returned to the
company. Flour Mills has a good track record
of paying both cash dividends and making
bonus issues.
Cadbury Nigeria Plc on the other hand is
riding on the success of its rights issue and the
resolution of the controversy surrounding its
2008 financials. The company has since seen
its share price rise from a year low of N9.60
to a current price of N19.18. The company’s
third quarter results however show that it
is still deep in the red to the tune of N1.2
billion just about 28 % lower than the N1.27
billion loss position it was in the same
period of 2008. There is however a strong
expectation that the worst is over for the
company going forward.
Dangote Flour Mills riding a good financial
outing has also seen its share price rise more
than 300 % from a year low of N4.38 to a
current price of N20.38. Similarly Dangote
Sugar has risen from a year low of about N13
to a current price of about N20.47.
People familiar with the capital market
believe the current gains in the market are
sustainable for the year. “First the market
had essentially hit rock bottom in 2009 when
volumes and prices were at their lowest. Also
the fact that the CBN forced most banks to
make full provisions for all their share backed
loans helped in that it reduced the selling
pressures in the market as banks no longer
had the strong urge to dump the shares
in their portfolio since they were already
provided for. Then this year, the expectation
that the Asset Management Firm to be floated
by the CBN and Ministry of Finance may
eventually become a reality has also increased
Money
investor confidence in the market” said an
analyst with Source Capital.
However, the current rise in share prices
can also not be divorced from the excess
liquidity ironically plaguing the Nigerian
banking industry currently. Following the
brutal intervention of the CBN in the
banking sector, most banks have withdrawn
into their shells refusing to lend to the
economy. The result is that banks are now
building Cash Mountains which has driven
deposit rates to unprecedented low levels
in the money market. In a bid to find better
returns, most investors have turned to the
capital market that has been weather bitten
to its lowest levels and in the process has
returned the groove back to the Nigerian
capital market. Either way, capital market
investors are certainly enjoying the current
bullish ride with a silent but persistent prayer
to the heavens “please do not let it stop.”
naijaTimes 27

The unusual
business of sex
Shola Okubote
T his land is incredibly green. The diversity
of our dense population, with the differences
in class, income, education, gender, religion,
shapes, colours and sizes, is a big plus that
allow all kinds of businesses to thrive. No
matter what you sell or how you sell it,
you can still claim a sizeable portion of the
population as your market. It is like the
Atlantic Ocean; fetch, wash, and drink from
it yet it will never run dry! Is your boutique
located in the highbrow areas and stocked
with top of the range quality products by
designers from all over the world, or your
shop is at the heart of Yaba market filled
“It is a licensed and ethical business
not hidden in a dark alley”
with cheap second-hand products massively
imported from lands across many oceans?
Do you run a posh Italian restaurant in Lagos
Island or a grubby ‘mama-put buka’ in a
makeshift tent under the Obalende Bridge?
All you have to do is identify and research
your target market and reach out to them
in the way they understand best and if you
are lucky enough to be one of the first few
players in your industry, then you are in for
a constant jolly ride to the banks. (at least
till a million more people start the good,
the bad and ugly versions of your business).
Well, just in case you are already thinking
of business ideas that will take advantage
28
of this boisterous population, think no more
because here is a big one for you – Sell Sex!
(believe me, it is not what you think!) With a
population of over 140 million, about 55% of
which are between the ages of 18 – 60 (where
the very sexually active resides), it is hard to
understand the hush, hush about sex around
here. Why has it taken so long for more
people to take advantage of this amazingly
endless market? Now let’s face it, many of us
have serious relationship-threatening sexual
problems and really wish we had a place to
turn to for informed and responsible help. We
need a holistic approach to sexual advice
that will focus on a balanced and all-inclusive
sexual experience, helping us to understand
the spiritual, emotional, psychological and
physical aspects of sex. Call it The House of
Sex, or a Sex Clinic or whatever you think is
appropriate, but this is what it could look like;
It is a licensed and ethical business not hidden
in a dark alley but situated on a regular street
in the city. Customers don’t lower their heads,
or have a hurried dash in and out for fear of
being seen, they can make eye contact without
a feeling of embarrassment.
The atmosphere brings all senses into play.
The interior is thematic and appealing to
the eye, customers are welcomed by soft
romantic music in the background and the
air is filled with a tender invigorating smell.
They can pick up decadent and delectable
desserts while they walk around, and when
they sit, the softness of the silky and plush
sofa welcomes them.
 
There are categorized sections with a wide
array of products ranging from sex education
books and videos, sensual musicals, assorted
condoms, creams, lubricants, massage oils,
scented candles, sex toys, fancy costumes,
roses, edible sexual products, supplements
and whatever your fantasy can accommodate.
 
There is also a counselling section where
they can talk to a male or female expert
depending on their preference about
any sexual challenge. The experts and
counsellors will provide education,
recommendations, training, medical
examinations and therapy, by addressing
Money
issues on sexual health, sexual behavior,
sexual identity, sexual dysfunction and sexual
behavior. They will also make referrals to
sexperts, sex therapists, psychologists, and
medical personnel where appropriate.
 
These people will have seen it all and will be
highly motivated to put customers at ease
when asked questions. They pleasantly give
information and they also provide round the
clock, helplines and online support.
There you go!
What do you think?
Trust me it is a viable business and many
people are ready to see what lies behind ‘the
veil’ and your harvest is surely overripe. But
be ready to face opposition from conservative
segments of the population who will pretend
like sex is dirty; they will criticize you and
threaten you with hell! Brace yourself for
the challenges and rewards of being a Sex-
Entrepreneur!
naijaTimes 29
29

After the win; having fun, staying
focused-Kizito the, One 9ja Millionaire
Lola Agbaje
30
I t is perhaps the ultimate sign that one
has ‘arrived’ when people find it hard to
get a hold of you. To say it is hard to get
to Kizito is an understatement. It’s like
going through a series of rooms; you hope
to find the prize inside but you just end
up encountering another set of doors.
Surprisingly, upon getting to the final room
my prize turned out to be nothing at all
like I expected.
I expected cockiness, I got humility; I
looked forward to tales of extravagant
shopping sprees, I got level-headed
spending. What is wrong with this man?!
Any Nigerian worth his salt knows
that as soon as you ‘hammer’ you must
splash out on things you don’t need to
colour people green with envy. Obviously
Kizito missed this lesson at school. So
if he hasn’t blown his winnings on fancy
watches and flashy cars, what in heavens
name has he been up to?
For Kizito, life has pretty much remained
the same. Yes, he might have the odd ‘old’
friends trying to reacquaint themselves,
but his real friends, those who knew him
before the win, haven’t changed their
attitude towards him. The ladies also seem
to be singing a different tune, but none of
this fazes him; he already has a lady in his
sights, so too late!
Campus life is pretty much the same
too; he gets no special treatment from
lecturers and has to study just as hard
as any other student. One would even
Entertainment
think the pressures would be more for
him considering the fact that he is now a
campus celebrity.
When I asked what the main changes to his
life have been since he became the dollar
millionaire in Etisalat’s One 9ja Million
Dollar Gameshow, he jokingly told me ‘a fat
bank balance’. That is not to say the money
has remained idle. It has been invested in
certain business ventures, mainly real estate,
dealing in major properties, a business his
family is very involved in.
He can now afford things that make him
happy. His most expensive buy to date
is a house, a family house. With so much
publicity after the show, Kizito decided to
take some time off from studying medicine,
time which he spent with his family. One of
the benefits of having money is the ability
to do what pleases you the most, and what
pleased him was to buy a house where all
his family can be close together.
As I said earlier, the guy is focused. While
you would expect him to use the money to
set himself up in business and forget about
his studies, this isn’t the case at all. He has
his head firmly on his shoulders, and a clear
plan of where he is heading. He fully intends
to graduate as a doctor.
Apart from completing his medical degree,
in a couple of years, Kizito has a strong
desire to open up his own hospital, so he
can give back to the community that made
him the man he is. More long-term plans
involve him staying a millionaire; he says he
quite likes the feeling. I can’t say I blame him.
naijaTimes 31

The bang in
Femi Anikulapo-Kuti
Adedoyin Johnson
On a cool Saturday evening, as is the norm,
the Shrine is agog with all manner of people-
great fans of Afrobeat music. On a large
stage in the expansive compound is Femi
Anikulapo-Kuti performing with his band
to an audience that was as euphoric as the
voice singing on stage. As he performs, Femi’s
strong political views remain unmistakable
in his lyrics. Like his father, Fela Anikulapo-
Kuti, Femi has shown a strong commitment
to social and political causes throughout his
career, though he differs from his father in
his religious views. Perhaps, his message and
dexterity on stage have earned him another
Grammy nomination this year. A nomination
he says he is “very, happy, very excited”
about.
“I think I am happier than the first time when
I think back,” he says. “The last time, many
people made so much noise about it. I’m very
happy because this is coming at a point when
I need to be heard politically. If my music is
being heard enough to be nominated for the
Grammy, it is very important to me. I am
having a very difficult time in my country. For
instance, people in Sokoto do not get to hear
what I’m doing at he Shrine, and the same
for those living in Delta State. Even in Lagos,
people find it difficult to because they come
all the way from Victoria Island, Ajegunle or
Mushin to The Shrine.”
For Femi, being nominated the second time
shows Nigerians have not been sleeping
neither have they been consumed with the
poor economic state of the country not to
have listened to his music.
32
In addition he says the Grammy is important
to Nigerians since being nominated shows he
is not just a one-off musician but one whose
music has stood the test of time. Therefore,
one can easily trace the root of his success
to hard work and people’s love for his music
worldwide.
“To be nominated two times means that I’m
really working hard because I might as well
be nominated for the first time only and that
is the end,” he says smiling. “Two nominations
show that I am working. I think people are
happier than me because on Thursday people
were just jumping up, they were all getting
drunk.”
Femi blames his lack of popularity in Northern
and Eastern Nigeria to lack of basic social
amenities which are topical social issues he
talks about in his music.
“Do we have an industry in Nigeria? Do we
have electricity in the country? Do we have a
good educational scheme in the country? In
many parts of an independent country, there
is no water in the cities, not to talk of the
villages or towns, there is no electricity. We
have never had stable electricity supply for 40
years,” he says angrily.
All of Femi’s songs from the very first day he
started singing are political, yet he has been
criticised in some quarters that his criticism
is not as fierce as his father’s. Femi has never
agreed with these critics and he never will.
“Some people say I am not as political as my
Entertainment
father, that is not true,” he says. There is no
person that I have opposed whom I have
not mentioned in my music. When my father
it outside Lagos. Many of the promoters
believe when it is released in Lagos that
ends it.
even died and everybody was afraid to call
former president, Olusegun Obasanjo’s name, Nigeria is so big and to get one’s music to
I mentioned him very well and called the late a 100 million people is not easy, to radio
Sanni Abacha’s name. They want me beaten stations in Sokoto, Maiduguri so even if
and locked up before they know that I am as Lagos is playing it, it doesn’t mean one has
political as my father?” sold enough. What about the East, in states
Yet Femi’s watch word is still caution because like Calabar, Delta, and Benin that is just
he says he does not want to make the same three hours away, have you gone to see
mistakes his father made. “I will say that I the DJ’s there? I will get frustrated that
have learnt more from my father not to make promoters are not doing their job properly.
the mistakes he made. If the police come to They will always complain that, like my
arrest me, I will not fight with them; I will just father, I just like fighting everybody. But I
go with them. I don’t want them to break am fighting because I want it to be done
my bone for no reason. But I can understand properly.”
why my father did the things he did. I am just  
saying I have learnt from his mistakes. If I am
arrested, the whole world will shout: ‘why
are you touching Fela’s son.’ I am in such a
position that it will be difficult to arrest me, I
must first be found guilty.”
No doubt, Femi has taken Fela’s music to
a new generation of those who love his
music but found his absence on the world
music scene. Femi’s hit song Bang, Bang, Bang,
sparked a new reawakening in the mind of
lover’s of Afrobeat who have never stopped
attributing the song to late Fela Anikulapo
Kuti.  “Many people who knew Bang, Bang,
Bang did not connect Femi Kuti with Fela Kuti
by the time they knew Femi Kuti and Fela
Kuti, Fela’s name became a bigger name than
it was and it is still selling till today. It is just
that I have been more tactful in my political
approach.”
Like any other Nigerian musician who does
business at home, the main setbacks have
been poor promotion, piracy and poor
remittance of royalties. “I have released my
albums so many times in Nigeria and they
have done a very bad job at giving me my
dueb returns. They have never promoted
naijaTimes 33
 Magical Spaces in association with IO furniture
“ The desire to create the perfect living space often leaves us wondering how to achieve
that perfect balance of your physical and emotional well being. Well ,an
important component is a well thought out space.

The general design and philosophy behind good furniture should be that it
suits your lifestyle and emotional needs.”

34 naijaTimes 35
 Entertainment

Young up and
I usually laugh at people’s ignorance orcoming talent,

MAKI-OH
should I say wrong impression that in a
relationship, men are more inclined towards
sex while women are inclined towards love.
Based on personal experience, I can tell you
that women love to play the game of sex.
Avoid disappointment. Wendy
Who saysEmesie they don’t like it? I can boldly say
they love it a lot. I would not like to cite
personal examples but with all sincerity,
T
women he beauty
love sex about justfashion
as men is not
do. only in
But there attractively crafted conventional motifs with
exemplifying the works of the
is a condition to their love for sex and that well-known contemporary elements.
topif designers
is they find in thethe industry.
right It is also
partner.  If theabout
have
Don’t miss another issue of Naija Times again! Get it
experimenting
the right man, and thensaluting
you will theknow
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they are The in-depth detail of African culture and
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tend to tame their emotions, they alwaysTiffany Amber, Odion
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However, the African
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have thebringing
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For our readers outside of Nigeria, please visit most breathtakingly unique
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traditional
than men, but themes expertly
I disagree withpersonify the
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http://www.naija-times.com/subscribe-today for
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That is emotional
a wrong notion. spectrum I don’tadding
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Maki studied
instance, at the Arts University
in a relationship where true College
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at Bournemouth
exists, the lady may where she the
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naijaTimes
Bachelors
the degreethrough
guy is going in Fashionwhen Studies. Maki’s
betrayed. Men
love for culture inspires her
who are truly in love are more affected than collection, with
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when a lady cleverly
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cultural heritage and strongly embracing
IAfrican artisanalthat
love a woman couture.
is submissive and
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Her label Maki-Oh
possessiveness is based
or being in Nigeria
bossy. Experienceand
its taught
ha debut collection
me that women titled “Everything
do that to take in
Proportion” showcases an amalgam of

36 naijaTimes 37
 Entertainment

I need to type up a letter quickly.

too worried. Later that afternoon, he took
It’s a letter of invitation for my guy Fridayscoco
me to see a couple of people, and he was just
to come and visit.
cracking me up, asking all kinds of strange
questions.
I know what you’re thinking. No, Fridayscoco
is not a common houseboy o. The guy is my
“Bros FB, shey na true say for Yankee, you
main man! In fact last December, he was known
and bros Akinzo just dey organize all those
as my Personal assistant. Na the guy even give
American girls like water?”
himself the name.
And he always started laughing excitedly when I
I met Fridayscoco through my longtime
confirmed Akinzo’s stories.
homeboy and former flatmate Akinzo. Akinzo
moved back from NY a couple of years ago,
“HAAAA! Bros mi, u mean am?? Chei!”
and lives down the road from me in Nige as
well. Fridayscoco used to be a pump attendant
I ended up getting attached to Fridayscoco o.
at a petrol station that Akinzo frequented, and
The next morning, I came downstairs and Mr.
Akinzo just liked the dude. When Fridayscoco
Morris told me that one of my friends was
lost that job, he needed a new one and a place
waiting for me. At 10 am? Fridayscoco was just
to stay, so Akinzo said he could stay in his BQ.
chilling downstairs o. He had told the gateman
They already had a housegirl, so the dude
that he was my PA, and he was reporting for
pretty much just helps in any way he can, mostly
duty. The guy had showered and everything o,
by running errands and stuff.
ready for the day.
My first day in Lagos, I walked across to
“Ah ah. Fridayscoco. How far?”
Akinzo’s house, and Fridayscoco opened the
gate. The guy damned near hugged me o!
“Bros I dey. I don ready o. Anywhere you dey
go, na me and you. No shaking. Make I go wash
“Bros Fineboy! I don dey wait you bros!”
the car?”
Ah ah. Where do I know this joker from? I
This guy was serious o. He ended up driving
realised then he must have been Fridayscoco
me that day, and before you knew it, the dude
‘cos he sometimes picked up the phone when
was with me 24/7. The drivers at my house
I called Akinzo from London. Apparently he
ended up hating the guy, because apparently
recognized me from some of Akinzo’s pictures.
‘the bobo too dey demo!’ When he wasn’t
driving, he was busy marvelling at my friends.
Later on, Akinzo and I were catching up in the
One night, after I had walked a couple of
living room, when Fridayscoco walked in.
guests to the gate, he goes,
“Bros, na me go dey drive you for this Lagos o!”

My man
“Bros mi, these your Yankee friends na wa
o. I no go lie you, mammy water go dey
“What makes you think I can’t drive in Lagos?”
among them.”
“Ha! Nooo bros, this lagos driving na kolo
“What? Mammy water ke?”
driving o!”

Fridayscoco…. His mind was made up. Me sef I just gbadun

the guy so I agreed to let him drive me once.
“No vex bros Fineboy. But that yellow one wey
just comot, she fit be mammy water.”
Mr Fine Boy Akinzo said he was a good driver, so I wasn’t

38 naijaTimes 39

I laughed. “Why?
“You no see as all of them fresh, fine well well,
come dey laugh ‘rererere?’ I never see woman
like these ones o. They fine no be small.”
“I can hook you up o.”
“Me? God forbid. Me I no fit follow that kin’
woman o.”
“Why not?”
“Bros mi, you be my person, I no fit bobo you.
One day like that, I go one hotel for Ikeja, go
drink pepper soup. Come see yellow yellow
babies! Ha! They boku for there well well. I
come begin mark one. The day wey I carry am
enter room….hmm bros Fine, the thing wey
my eye see ehn?”
“What did you see?”
“Bros, coolele! As I comot all my cloth finish,
she off light, come commot her cloth sef…..
Na im I look her leg o. Bros Fineboy! Na goat
leg dey there o! If you see as I run comot bros,
my leg dey knack my head for back!”
“Ha! Fridayscoco! You can lie ehn!!!!”
“Oooooh Bros Fineboy, you no go wan hear
my own…..”
“You mean she had a goat’s hooves for feet?”
“Ese Ogunfe! (Goat’s leg!) If you like we fit go
the hotel sef, people don know am well well
for that area. Na winch now.”
“Hmm….Fridayscoco!”
t And seeing the amount of nonsense I
experienced with the guy last December, I
wouldn’t be surprised if some of them were
true.
40
“The guy
Lagos to get married in December. He came
with his fiancée, Krystal (who’s American) and
some members of her family. Fridayscoco went
had mad with us every time we took the foreign visitors
out, and he was really eyeing the Krystal babe’s
cousin, a 22 year old chick called Alisia.
stories. At When he first told me, I laughed it off, like, ‘see
first they
your mouth like you like am.’ Omo, believe
it or not, the babe too was feeling the guy
o! She told Krystal, who told Akinzo. When
were hard
I first heard, I thought I was gonna die of
laughter. I really shouldn’t have been surprised,
because the guy sef dey denge like Yankee boy.
to believe, Fridayscoco was positive that this would be his
ticket to Yankee.That’s how one day the Krystal
babe started bombarding Fridayscoco with her
but the thick Yankee accent.
guy himself
“So what you do?”
“Paddin?”
seemed
“Your jab….what kinda work you do?”
to really “Oh, I’m a footballer.” He grinned. (This is true.
He aspires to play professional football)
believe “You’re a football player? Really? Like for a
team?”
them.”
“Yes.” I don’t know why the guy was nodding
his head.
Ha! I was getting worried.
I gave Fridayscoco a bunch of t-shirts and a pair
of jeans, and if you see the way the guy used to “You gotta be a wide receiver or a kicker,
remix the clothes, you wouldn’t believe it. One ‘cos you don’t look big enough to be no
morning, I called him to meet me at Cubes ‘cos quarterback or lineback or nothing like that.
I knew I was gonna be drunk before the end of Haha…you gotta be ‘bout a buck sixty maybe!”
the night, and didn’t wanna drive myself home.
Omo, when the guy bounced in ehn, my friends The look on Friday’s face read “Yeeeeeeparipa,
were asking me if he lived in America or England. which one be dis?”
As in the dude was fresh! He even had a chain
hanging from his belt loop to his pocket! Awon I jumped in quickly. “Nah, he plays soccer.”
Usher guys!
“Oh…..so you go to school down here, or did
One of my boys from the states JJ, came to
Entertainment
you study in the states like Akinzo and ‘em?”
Omo!
“Yeah, yeah.” He smiled. I could tell he was lost
so I jumped in quickly to take the heat off him.
“So Alisia, you like it in Nigeria so far?”
Fridayscoco looked thankful. He used style
to excuse himself, and he had many close
brushes like that. Funny enough, they actually
started to talk on the phone, and they even
keep in contact now. Only God knows how
they communicate o!
Fridayscoco is just an all-round correct guy
men. The only time I ever got pissed off with
him was at my homeboy Roroski’s Sallah
barbeque party. I allowed the guy free rein
most of the time, and since he had no problems
blending in, I always just let him do his thing.
Roroski had his bbq on a roof terrace at his
house, and most people were up there, just
chopping and shacking. But you know Naija
moves now, there’s always one VIP section. It
was downstairs, and a few of us close friends
were kicking it there.
At some point, I needed to get a bottle of
something and went up to the terrace. Who did
I see right in the middle of the floor giving them
mad steps??
Ha! Fridayscoco was the center of attraction
o, doing ‘yahoo yahoo’ dance and singing “why
me o?” Ha! I just got my drink and yelled out to
him “Kokomaster! Enjoy, enjoy!”
When it was time to leave, I got somebody to
call him for me. We got into the car, and my guy
started reversing…….and reversing……and
GBOWW!!!
The idiot had slammed into the generator! I
came out of the car to look at the damage, and
saw that he had chipped the paint pretty badly.
naijaTimes 41

But na just paint abi, no problem. Roroski asked
me, “Are you sure this guy can drive home?”
Why not now? I asked Fridayscoco if he had
shacked. He replied no, and he didn’t even look
tipsy, so I believed him.
My people, we hadn’t even gotten out of
Roroski’s estate, and this morrafucka had
dented the whole side panel after brushing up
against another car! Heee! I wan die men! If
you see the way I screamed at the guy to park
ehn!
“Bros mi, no vex.”
“Are you drunk?”
“No o.”
“My friend give me the keys!”
Even I had been drinking, but there was no
way I was going to allow this weré to drive
home. The next day the joker didn’t even really
remember what had happened. I now realised
that when the guy was giving them all those
yahoo yahoo steps, na vodka dey talk.
That was the only time my main man pissed
me off. Oh, and one other time when we were
stopped by one policeman at some checkpoint
on the mainland.
Officer: Chairman, chairman. I dey hail!
Me: How you dey officer?
He leans against the window, and peers in…
Officer: Na you we dey look now.You know say
na Christmas.
Fridayscoco: (Yelling) Why you stop us now?
Yeye policeman wey dey wear slippers!
Officer: Na fight? Mr.man, you want wahala
42
Entertainment
today? Park well well, comot for road! I will deal
with you maslessly.”
Me: Shut up Friday. Officer no mind am, abeg.
Officer: Park, park, park.
Me: Officer, no need for all that one now. Here.
I put my hand in my pocket.
Fridayscoco: Bros mi, no give am anything!
Come search! Na because of am you come
back come Lagos?
Officer: My friend, you are provoking my
temper! I will deal with you o. Shut up your
mouth!
He turned back to me.
“So you be international sef. I don know. Na
only foreign currency me I dey collect o. Na
Christmas we dey.”
I give him a N5oo note.
“Chairman, ah ah…….from a whole oversea?”
“Don’t worry I’ll see you later…I’m still in the
area.”
“Okay o. (He looks at Friday) Na your chairman
save you today.”
We drove off, and I warned Friday never to try
that nonsense again, before he got us arrested.
The stubborn goat wouldn’t budge.
“Bros, na we dey Naija. We sabi holo them.
Nothing dey happen!”
I’ll holla soon, y’all!vv
naijaTimes 43

When Women
Talk to Men
Adedoyin Johnson
In addition to age, gender is one of the
universal dimensions on which status
differences are based. Gender here refers
to the social and cultural constructions
of masculinities and feminities. And so,
the stage drama, The Ultimate Face Off:
V-Monologues Vs Tarzan Monologues, at
Terra Kulture, organised by KIND and Jason
Vision, highlights the biological and cultural
differences between males and females.
The V-Monologues co-written by Tunde
Aladese, Tracy Lebeanya, Ijeoma Ogwuegbu,
Princess Olufemi Kayode and Wole
Oguntokun stemmed from the original text
‘The Vagina Monologues’ written by Eve
Ensler. ‘The Tarzan Monologues’ on the other
hand was written by Wole Oguntokun who
also directed both plays.
Quite thrilling and engaging is the face off
between the male and female actors and
actresses as each of them tell their stories
of pain, agony and frustration, of how gender
has become a social construct, specifying
the socially and culturally prescribed roles
that men and women are to follow. The cast
walks in amidst praise chants of Eledumare
(the Almighty) also known as Aseda (the
Creator) in Yoruba. This is very symbolic as
it acknowledges the supremacy of God, the
creator of all things, male and female, who
alone knows and understands the disparity
between both sexes.
The play recounts how the belief that men
are superior to women has been used to
validate and sustain the male monopoly of
positions of economic, political and social
44
power.  In Nigeria, like in most societies,
women have always had a lower status than
men. This view has been used to keep women
powerless by denying them the educational
and occupational means of acquiring economic,
social and political power. This inferior position
long occupied by women in a patriarchal
society has been culturally, rather than
biologically, produced.
Therefore, the dismal representation of
women in the country is not unconnected
with the patriarchal nature of traditional
societies, in addition to the colonially inspired
value judgment of the time. Women in most
traditional societies, as is the case in Nigeria,
are hardly visible, they are restricted to
domestic chores and subsistent farming while
the struggle for independence spearheaded by
men, focuses attention on the colonial model
of civilisation. Western education became
the yardstick for measuring civilisation and
schools then were dominated by men.
The play also highlights all kinds of problems
associated with women. For example, it
shows that the Nigerian institution of
marriage is unconventional by western
standards. Traditional and Islamic systems of
polygamy flourish within every social class
and women expect very little from men in
terms of companionship, personal care, and
fidelity. Their relationships exist without the
emotional elements.
As women get older, they have the comfort
of knowing that the burden of their marriage
does not fall solely on their shoulders. A
woman’s position in society changes vastly
once she gets married since she becomes a
possession, with relatively no rights in her
husband’s family. In fact, the husband’s mother
and sisters have more influence over him than
his wife. The wife resents this lack of control
or even respect within her marriage. This view
is brought to bear in the monologue titled:
The Black Widow narrated by Ego Ogbaro. In
the Igbo society, as in many other societies,
ravenousness exists in many families and
the death of a male member of the family
offers an opportunity for the other males
in the family to increase their hold on the
properties of the deceased, especially land.
The materialism of relatives is what controls
the dehumanising treatment of widows.
Therefore, other activities serve the same
purpose and any mystification and other
rituals, superstitious sanctions are towards
the oppression of the widow. Dehumanised
and humiliated by the religious rituals and
other practices, the widow becomes more
acquiescent to keep quiet over other forms of
oppressions.
The monologue also depicts how the Nigerian
system of inheritance reflects the lack of
male responsibility to his wife and children.
If a husband dies, for instance, the woman
Entertainment
usually receives nothing, although the law
entitles her to a share. If she has no children,
the treatment is worse. Within marriage,
women have an obligation to have children.
The same way, the discriminatory position the
woman holds in the society is shown in the
first monologue that opens the play. “They
asked me how many children I had for my
husband? These sisters of my husband. I said:
‘Five children.’ They said: ‘We said children
and not daughters. It is only a male child that
can take part in our inheritance,” narrates
Carol Adoghe-King, who took the monologue.
Traditionally, society blames the woman for a
marriage that produces no children, including
that in which the woman gives birth to only
females. Society not only condemns women
who cannot have children, but unmarried and
divorced women as well.
Throughout the play, for every female
monologue, there was a corresponding one
by a male, which makes this edition quite
different and interesting. The women also have
their own fair share of how badly they treat
men as most of the monologues narrated
by the men shows. In a monologue, a male
cast talks about his childhood experience-
how his aunt introduced him to sex at a
tender age. “She was 32 and I was12. Touch
me here, touch me there she would say.
Hold me close, don’t let go,” he says. The
same way in the monologue Daddy’s Little
Girl, looks at how some men sleep with
their “favourite” daughters.  Other male
monologues look at salient issues like low
sperm count, heartbreak, street credibility
and financial crisis among others that
constantly beset men.
In spite of these problems and the different
characteristics of both sexes, the resolution
comes when the play ends with the song Lean
on Me by Michael Bolton, which means both
males and females need one and another as
one cannot do without the other.
naijaTimes 45

I
Yaw,
t was few minutes past eleven on a sunny
Tuesday morning.The waiting room at the AMB
building where Wazobia FM is located was packed
full. I waited for a few minutes for the receptionist
the Face Behind the Voice to attend to the guests I met at the front desk.
However, before I could voice my request, the
Funke Adetutu receptionist stood to address the seated visitors.
“I am afraid, those of you waiting for Yaw will have
to leave now,” he said.“You have been waiting for
more that two hours which is way past the fifteen
minutes stipulated by the company.Yaw is still in
the studio and will not be out for another hour.”
I was a little taken aback to discover that more
than half of those seated were waiting to see Yaw.
This said a lot about the kind of man I was billed
to see. I took a few minutes to survey the room.
Luckily, there was an empty seat at the far end of
the room courtesy of someone who walked out.
And so began the waiting game for Yaw, whose
real name is Steve Onu.
“Yaw’s journey into radio began a few
years ago when he was at Wazobia FM”
Even after he signed off the airwaves at twelve,
Yaw did not show up until an hour and a half later.
His reason for the delay? “One day after I closed
from work, I was coming out of the studio; I met
a lady outside my office who said she loves me.
Hence she had a permanent tattoo on her waist
with Yaw written on it. I asked her why she did
that. She said to show how much she loves me.  to say that their roads and transformers which
That was the first time I met her! Yet I did not
shout, I handled the situation calmly. She asked for
my number but I did not give her.That’s one of the
reasons why I don’t come out immediately I close
from work.”
Yet Yaw agrees that he cannot do without these
people who constitute his teeming fans--- the
ardent listeners to his programme on Wazobia
FM every Monday to Friday morning from nine
to twelve. “Without them, he explains, “there
is no Yaw. I just have to find a way to interact
with them and I don’t allow it to go beyond
that level. It’s not easy.”
46
Cover Story
Yaw’s journey into radio began few years ago
when he was at Wazobia FM to see a friend of his,
Braimoh Abubakar, who mentioned that he was
about to start a radio station with pidgin English
as a the language of communication. Before then,
he was with the BBC where he had worked for
eight years on a project called Story, story.
When he took off at Wazobia, the challenge
before Yaw was to create a concept that is
uniquely his.“I created everything that is being
heard today,” he says with a smile.
Hence pidgin, the medium of communication,
being the people’s language, is in sync with the
subjects treated on his programme.“It is about
what happens in the society, the day to day
activities, preaching good governance and about
the essence of trying to make the society a bit
easier for the man on the street.” This has been
the underlying philosophy of all that Yaw says and
does on air.
Hence what gladdens Yaw’s heart is the positive
responses he gets from listeners whose social
problems featured on air have been attended
to.“I also feel happy when people call me back
they earlier complained about on air have been
fixed. Everyone recognises that the programme
is for the man on the street.The day I spoke to
Governor Fashola’s wife on the phone, she spoke
in pidgin, which was great”
Yaw’s show is not just about social issues, it
is about “yabis cum cruel jokes laced with
rib cracking humour”, the substance of what
has endeared him to several listeners across
the country.
 
“I’ve learnt something about radio, if you say
naijaTimes 47
 something about somebody, the person listening
may only hear your own comment and not the
other sides own and they may start saying that
“so and so is rude on radio, I don’t like listening
to him”, without these people there is no Yaw. If
people don’t listen to you, you’re nobody so the
people come first. I just take it like that,” he says.
Yaw is not just a radio personality, he is also
a theatre and TV actor. Last month, he co-
produced and acted in the stage play Private
Lies by Tyrone Terrence.Also, last November, he
organised a tattoo beach party which he hopes
will become an annual event.
He is a graduate of Theatre Arts from the Lagos
State University, and also has a diploma in Radio/
TV and Film Production.
“Yaw is not just a radio personality, he is also a theatre and TV actor”
48
For a curious fan, the source of the nickname
Yaw is vital; and Yaw says:“It’s simply a nickname. It
started off from my days in Flatmates, a soap opera
on TV.The name of the character was Wilberforce
but because I was always saying “uwa wu pawpaw
men, yaw” it means that the world is like a
pawpaw, that was how it started. Everywhere I go,
people just call me Yaw.”
While this interview lasted,Yaw spoke impeccable
English but when asked to give his last word for his
fans, there was a swift change as pidgin took over.
“I say to everybody out there wey still dey hustle, I
go tell them one thing, I no be pastor but Jehovah
Shammah go make everybody hammer. Dem go
buy hummer, go for summer, wey them go chop
dinner, na so life go be when you follow the things
wey God don put for your heart.”
She was born Olamide Phillips in Illinois, Having been tagged an ‘Aje Butter’ by industry
Chicago. Having lived in and travelled to
colleagues, she is actively learning pidgin
different parts of the globe she draws her
English (we hear she is quite fluent now!)
get noticed
personal and musical influences from far
and wide. At the tender age of 8 years,
You can never find Lami without her I-Pod and
she began performing on stage! She laughs
Phone
quietly as she recalls holding the remote
control and singing any song her mind
For a star this is quite surprising, but she hates
could hold on to from then on. She never
getting her picture taken
fails to mention her passion for performing
live!”It’s organic”, she says. For her, music
Her favourite exclamation is “Sacrebleu”
is an unscripted adventure.
The Story Behind the Music
The sheer contrast of the songs on her
album titled INTUITION is a testimony to
Know: One rainy night late last year,
that. The album has broken stereotypical
I had to go to MI’s studio to complete
mindsets and received awesome reviews
production and mixing of the 3 initial
locally and internationally. It features a
tracks he produced. He was travelling the
strong helping of Neo-Soul with a dash
next morning so I had no choice. Everyone
of Hip-Hop and a tinge of that traditional
told me it was too late but if you have
ingredient that makes it intrinsically
worked with MI you know how hard it is
Nigerian. Her album boasts of the best
to pin him down! So, stubbornly, I went.
production and collaborations with support
Once my bit was done he started mixing
from heavyweights including ID Cabasa,
and I nodded off. I remembered he told
Eldee, MI, OJB, SyndiK8 and Jeremiah
me once “Lami I hear you doing a slow
Gyang.
reggae type song in my head” so I asked
him about it then he started playing and
There
She is no to
is unafraid better way
raise her to get
voice through to your hard to reach customers.
for what
humming before I could blink “Know” was
is right. As her support for the light Up
born! I listened to it all the way home and
Nigeria movement and her stand on the Jos
all through the next day. Once he got back
crisis. She is also a youth leader
Call:and runs+ 44 20 8144 3403
(UK) to Lagos, he had no choice but to complete
an NGO tagged “Be the Change”. With
or (Nig) +234 18104856,
the song. That song has a very special place
music as her weapon, she seeks to continue
+234 8066638029 forinamy heart Pack.
Media and I’m indebted to MI for
to be relevant. For Lami, music is a means
giving it life!
of communicating the essence of life, as
we know it. “Music heals, music speaks;
Nuttin: I had been recording with Ikon at
it teaches and guides. Music is more than
the Syndik8 red room and he played the
words, more than notes and beats. It is life’s
naijaTimes
beat for me. I knew what I wanted to say
way of conversing with the human mind”.
but seeing as my Yoruba is far from perfect
we got into an “overly” intellectual debate
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Lami:
www.naija-times.com/advertise
about what the hook should be. Thing is, all
of us that were at the studio that day are
At 5 Feet, she is petite and is almost always in
stilettos
naijaTimes 49

A Spell of Roads in Bad Shape
ONODOME JAKPOR
At almost 34 degrees centigrade, it is
another sultry day at the popular Alaba
International Market in Ojo Local Government
Area. Traders and customers wear grim faces
as they go about their business. Expectedly,
the Ojo-Igbede Road which runs through the
market is clogged up with traffic. Street traders
rain invectives on one another and chase
commercial buses in an attempt to peddle
their wares. Sweaty passers by jostle for space
with cart-pushers and play cat-and-mouse
games with the ubiquitous tricycles otherwise
known as ’Keke NAPEP’/ ‘Keke Marwa’, not to
mention commercial motorcycles (okadas).  of the agency frantically dump the garbage they
The reason for the gridlock is easy to
determine: besides the numerous craters
that deface the surface of the road, a short
and misplaced concrete divider takes pride
of place somewhere in the middle. Its front
end is blocked by a wooden police post while
50
50
its rear end terminates abruptly – serving as a
death trap for unsuspecting motorists at night.
Late last year when the median was newly
constructed, a pickup truck rammed into it with
such force as to be totally written off. But that
has not constrained the authorities to look into
the situation if the reactions of some traders are
anything to go by.
Naturally, the embankment serves as a depot
of sorts for street traders and trash bags and
it is hardly a surprise that a Day Glo orange
LAWMA truck is nearby, into which employees
can lay their hands on. “The traffic situation is
very bad here and affects our business,” laments
Ikemefuna, a dealer in generators and other
electronics at the market. “Besides the potholes
all over the place, I can’t help wondering what
that median is doing in the middle of the small
road. What’s even worse is that nothing is being
done to get the road in proper shape.”
His sentiments are shared by Adewale, a
banker, who observes that the situation is and
no one seems to care that the road steadily
takes a turn for the worse.
The plot thickens. From that point up to the
outskirts of Olojo Drive, it’s a story of deep
potholes and irregular speed breakers, some of
which only stretch halfway across the road. For
this reason, motorists are forced to swerve
dangerously to avoid bumping against them –
sometimes grazing oncoming vehicles in the
process. For the residents of Ojo LGA, some
belt-tightening would certainly be in order: the
rainy season is fast approaching.
After much ado, the notorious Lagos-Badagry
Expressway is finally getting some much-
needed reconstruction. Daily, engineers with
Julius Berger Limited can be seen with their
forklifts and trucks at the Orile end of the
road, trying to deliver on the terms of their
contract. But for such a major project that is
many months from completion, the mantra
on the lips of many is that “it will get worse
before it gets better.”
 Well said indeed, because motorists are having
a hard time plying the stretch, especially at
night or whenever it rains. At Okokomaiko,
for instance, a greater part of the road is
usually filled with green, slimy water after each
heavy downpour, a situation which is caused
by pockets of potholes and a non-existent
drainage system. Alaba Rago is filthy and smelly
even at the best of times, but it is certainly
no sight for sore eyes during such periods. Its
inner roads are usually filled with thick, knee-
deep mud, causing both residents and traders
untold hardship.
Feature Story
From Abule Osun through Abule Ado to
Agboju, deep craters which can only be
navigated by experienced drivers pop up at odd
spots.  Consequently, speeding trailers - many
of whom convey fuel - keel over in those areas
almost every passing day.  Traffic snarls are so
frequent that residents don’t have to hedge
their bets that every hour will witness one.
“Yes, the road is already being reconstructed,
but that does not mean the government
should not get these potholes properly filled,
at least temporarily,” says Femi Olaitan, a
commuter who plies the route daily. “Besides
causing vehicular accidents, these craters give
robbers the leeway they need to harass unlucky
motorists.”
Other dwellers and commuters appear
grateful for the slow and steady changes taking
place in a city they love so much, but feel
now is the time to get on the fast lane with
reconstructions and repairs before the rainy
season begins its muddy spell.  
With its estimated 15.5 million residents, many
of whom are either entrepreneurs or company
executives, it is easy to understand why Lagos
is dubbed ‘the city of excellence.’ But the flip
side is that the bustling metropolis is also
famous for its bad roads and shoddy drainage
system, which is why the rainy season, is often
nightmarish for commuters.
However, many thoroughfares across the state
are now getting a facelift, from the glorified
dirt tracks in some parts of Ajegunle, Egbeda
and Ipaja to the pothole-riddled Oshodi-Apapa
Expressway. But that is not to say it is Eldorado
yet, at least not for the inhabitants of such areas
as Alaba International Market, Okokomaiko,
Abule Ado, among others.
naijaTimes 51

Celebrities
join hands
with SAMI
to Touch
A Cell.
Toyin Adesola
In an intimate and exhilarating evening of dance,
music, fashion, comedy and a charity auction, the
Sickle Cell Advocacy & Management Initiative (SAMI)
in an effort to create awareness and raise funds
to provide medical support to people living with
Sickle Cell Disorder, (SCD) organised the Touch a
Cell Benefit Concert recently, it featured prominent
artists such as Yinka Davies, Cohbams and ID Cabasa
among others.
Taking place in the serene environs of the Corel
Reef event centre, the evening began with the arrival
of guests on the red carpet, followed by cocktails.
A charity auction followed which had the guests
bidding on items ranging from a HITV decoder to a
membership of a Gym and spa.
The actual show took off after a beautiful rendition
of the national anthem by the artist Efe, then came a
splendid and breathtaking contemporary dance solo,
52
depicting the trails and victories in the life of
someone living with SCD, by the co-winner
of MNET’s Lets Dance, Justin Ezirim. Next
on the bill was Tomiwa of Project Fame
West Africa, Season2 who had the audience
dancing, followed by producer and singer Flo
who rocked the audience with a wonderful
soft rock performance. Kore of Infinity then
performed and thrilled the guests followed
by an awe-inspiring performance by the
foremost producer Cobhams. However, it
was the astounding Afro centric performance
of Yinka Davies with Cobhams on keyboards
that brought the house down, even as she
enjoined people to show love and concern
for those living SCD.
It was not all music at the event as models
in stunning attires engaged the audience
with their catwalk, presenting designers like
Tuopsy’s with her ethno fused fashion and
Act of God with her hand painted designed
kaftans, giving fashion, creativity and music a
perfect blend
The harmonious combination of Tosyn
Bucknor of Top Radio, Ify Onyegbule of Radio
Continental and Senator, a comedian, was
an ideal mix, bringing out both the joy and
seriousness of the event. A thought provoking
mini documentary called “A World Imagined”
and Ify’s reading of excerpts of, Still Standing,
a book by the president of SAMI, brought
people back to the reality and purpose of the
event. The Chairman of the event, Professor
Yemi Osinbajo, the former Commissioner
of Justice & Attorney General of Lagos
State, had earlier praised the courage of the
President and CEO of SAMI, in not looking at
her circumstances but instead in making an
effort to affect the lives of people. He further
enjoined people to support the initiative to
ensure that more people living with SCD will
have their lives impacted.
The climax of the evening saw ID Cabasa
with his band on stage, first with a
Health
collaboration with Yinka Davies, Kore and
Tomiwa, and then thrilling guests with tracks
from his debut album. Efe brought the event
to a close with a stirring performance. The
event ended leaving people entertained, awed
& inspired.
Touch a Cell a brand project of SAMI aims
at creating awareness on SCD through
entertainment, the arts and sports. The
annual benefit concert, which is the second
of its kind included support from various
organisations and individuals.
SAMI plans celebration of World
Sickle Cell Day
In a continued effort aimed at creating more
awareness on issues dealing with Sickle Cell
Anaemia, ranging from genotype testing,
medical stigmatisation, social challenges etc,
SAMI will be organising a walkathon, seminar/
discourse & exhibition in June, a day set
aside by the United Nations to celebrate
World Sickle Cell Day. This year marks 100
years in the discovery of SCD, yet compared
to other medical ailments, advancement
in care, cure or even prevention has been
slow. Holding at the Nigerian Institute of
Medical Research, Yaba the seminar will
involve stakeholders living with SCD and
their families, Health Management /Insurance
Organisations, Pharmaceutical Companies,
State & Local Government Health Officials,
Community based Sickle Cell NGO’s and
other related NGO’s on issues ranging
from Pain Management, dealing with the
psychological & social issues of SCD to
effective collaboration of related NGO’s
with the government in creating community
awareness on SCD. Let’s come out, let’s
speak out and show we care. For further
information, participation and collaboration
contact SAMI on 0809800SAMI(7264) or
info@stillstandingng.org.
naijaTimes 53

Letting you know we are doing more
without necessarily saying more
GTCOMMUNITY
No Disabilities Here
S c a m A l e r t
Roadwell Osahon
F a c e b o o k | Tw i t t e r | Yo u t u b e | F l i c k r
years of service
The saying “there is ability in disability” may
be one of those clichés, but it is one that
ORANGE obviously rings true in the lives and careers
Z0NE
GTBank Download point A voice for of certain Nigerian Wheelchair Tennis players.
special needs
It was something of a spectacle watching
those guys show their skills in the courts of
Guaranty Trust Bank
the National Stadium during the New Era
Wheelchair Open, which ended last month in
Lagos. The ease with which they manoeuvred
GTBank e-Quarterly
their wheelchairs from one end of the court
GreenInitiative
to the other while returning serves, volleying
backhands and forehands, never ceased to
amaze the spectators.
They are never-say-die Nigerians, who have
decided to take their destiny in their own
hands rather than succumb to the often easy
orangeicons
route of depending on others for sustenance.
Wasiu Yusuf is one of them.
introducing the
As the number one wheelchair tennis player
in Nigeria and Africa, Yusuf has travelled round
the world doing what he loves. In spite of
being perhaps the most successful of the
bunch, Yusuf who won the 3rd Edition of the
New Era National Wheelchair Championships,
beating rival Jude Uwazie in the final, still has
challenges which have worked against his
ambition of getting to the top in the world.
54
www.gtbank.com
Sports
New Era is the brainchild of the former
Lagos state First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
‘‘Since I started playing, my game has
improved tremendously, but there is still
so much room for improvement and
that is why I want to go abroad to play
professionally. But my main problem has
been sponsorship, I know that if I get out
there, I will be among the top ten in the
world,’’ says Wasiu who started playing in
2001.
‘‘The painful part is that right now I am not
even in the world rankings anymore. After
the Beijing Olympic Games I was ranked
as 359th player in the world but right now
I am not there because I have not been
playing as there are no tournaments here
to keep one busy. To make it to Beijing I had
to play in the qualifiers in South Africa and
that helped my ranking then. The dearth of
competitions in Nigeria is a major obstacle
to the development of the game.
‘‘Even the wheelchair I am using currently
is old, it doesn’t move well any more. In
fact it was given to me in Holland the first
time I went there for an ITF development
programme.’’
naijaTimes 55

As is often the case with sportsmen, his
parents were against his playing tennis but as
he says ‘‘I knew that was where my future lay
and I just refused to budge.’’ Jude Uwazie,
who is the country’s number two player also
experienced the same parental resistance at
the initial stages. But his parents have come
round now that they’ve seen him going
places. ‘‘My parents didn’t encourage me
at all because their belief was that Nigeria
doesn’t pay attention to sports except
football, but I didn’t let anything discourage
me. Determination and hard work kept me
going. In fact when I came back after the All
Africa Games in Algiers in 2007, my dad came
to the airport to welcome me home. He was
very proud, he couldn’t believe it after initially
thinking that I was just wasting my time,’’
Uwazie narrates.
Uwazie who also took part in the 2008
Olympic qualifiers, where compatriot Yusuf
picked the ticket to the Games, takes us
through their experiences in South Africa and
how getting there late and not being conversant
with the surface worked against them.
‘‘I went to South Africa twice in 2007, one
was an Olympic qualifier but I lost in the
quarter final to a Moroccan but thankfully
Wasiu won to make it to the Olympics. We
“By the end of 2010, I
want to be in Europe
playing in the
circuits since that
is where you really
get developed”
56
got there just a day to the tournament didn’t
have enough time to train in the courts there
and that is also worsened due to the fact
that we don’t play regularly here to master
the surfaces. My next trip to South Africa
was a ranking tourney and I made it to the
final but Wasiu and I combined to make
Nigeria proud by winning the double against
Switzerland. The Imo-state born athlete also
had something to say about the quality of
wheelchairs on offer here, arguing that they
will do far better if they can get the latest
tennis wheelchairs. ‘‘I actually started out
using a hospital wheelchair, in fact when the
ITF development officer came to Nigeria
he was so surprised to see me using that
kind of wheelchair and doing so well with
it. What we currently use are not the new
models, besides all of them came from our
trips abroad, Nigeria has never bought
wheelchairs for our use.’’
Uwazie who was born in 1982 hopes to go
to Europe to continue his tennis but says he
has been hamstrung by lack of sponsorship.
‘‘In Europe, players enjoy sponsorships from
organisations and that explains their vast
improvement, but it is not the same thing here.
That is why we keep calling on sponsors to
come to our aid, if we can get sponsorship I can
tell you we will be among the best in the world.’’
On his part, Mohammed Audu explains that
Wheelchair Tennis is a game he loves because
it gives him so much happiness and joy and
has opened vistas for him so much so that he
doesn’t miss being able bodied.
The Kogi state-born Audu reveals that he
came to Lagos in search of a job, but had to
settle for tennis when faced with obvious
discrimination as a result of his disability.
‘‘After searching for a job without success I
decided to take to sports. Segun Akinlotan
who was the secretary for special sports
then encouraged me and there has not been
any regrets ever since. In fact I’ve had such
opportunities that I don’t even miss being able
bodied,’’ Audu says half jokingly.
Audu who became disabled as a result polio,
traced his involvement with the game to
1996 when an instructor whose name he
can’t really recall came from London for a
programme here, but that a period of lull
followed until 2004 when the wheelchair
tennis association rallied back with the help
of the current national coach, Frank Tarmenah.
So where does Audu see himself in the next
couple of years. He was unequivocal.
Sports
‘‘By the end of 2010, I want to be in
Europe playing in the circuits since that is
where you really get developed because
of the several tournaments available there.
Wheelchair tennis is a fast developing
game around the world. It is in the
Olympics, Grand Slams, Masters etc. But the
problems we have in Nigeria are related to
sponsorship, funding, equipment and lack
of tournaments. The federation is trying its
best to get sponsorship, that’s is how this
particular New Era tournament came about.
And then the president of the federation,
Sani Ndanusa is a great man who has done a
lot. But I hope that corporate organisations
can come in to help out.
Audu would readily dismiss the issue of age,
explaining that with Wheelchair Tennis the
older a player gets the better he becomes.
‘‘Age is not an issue. In Wheelchair Tennis
and in disabled sports in general, the older
you get the more experienced you are as a
player. In fact most of the top players in the
world are elderly men in their sixties. So it
is not an issue,’’ Audu concludes.
naijaTimes 57
 Sports

Playstation PSP
1st Prize : Correct
Entry before start of the
tournament

Hi everyone… We are pleased to introduce PS3 FIFA 2010

Soccertimez to you all. The one stop cool location for
all your soccer fun and games. Every month, we have 2nd Prize : Correct
Entry before start of the “last 16”
lots of fantastic prizes up for grabs, when we test your
football brain and resilience in the penalty box. In each
edition of Naija times, expect more entertainment as
the ball keeps spinning into all the nets around the
Free Entertainment Tickets
world. 3rd Prize : Correct
Entry before start of the Quarter
Our very first thinker this month is based on the Finals
upcoming glorious World Cup. Do you have what it
takes to fill your prize cabinet. Take care of yourselves T Shirts
and look out for us only in Naija-times..
4th Prize : Correct
Entry before start of the Semi
Competition Time Finals

The world Cup is just around the corner, and this is the
1st time this great event will be played on African soil. the higher
The earlier you send in your entries,
your chances of winning top prizes.
All the superb teams are ready but what about you?
Which teams do you have your eye on?

Guess the 2 teams that will make it into the

final and stake your part in the prizes. Yes,
think very carefully and send your texts in

Final
VS
Text your answers to 35810, E.g.
“NT Nigeria v Brazil” to 35810.
Open to Etisalat Glo and Zain
subscribers only
Texts cost N100

58 naijaTimes 59
 Sports

Group A Group B Group C Group d

June 11th – June 22nd June 12th – June 22nd June 11th – June 23nd June 13th – June 23nd

First Place Second Place First Place Second Place First Place Second Place First Place Second Place

June 11 June 17 June 12 June 22 June 12 June 18 June 13 June 19

South Africa Mexico France Mexico S Korea Greece Nigeria S Korea England USA Slovenia USA Serbia Ghana Ghana Australia

June 22 June 23
Uruguay France Argentina Nigeria Greece Argentina England Algeria Germany Australia
Mexico Uruguay Ghana Germany
June 16 June 17 June 13 June 23 June 18
South Africa Uruguay South Africa France Argentina S Korea Algeria Slovenia Slovenia England Germany Serbia Australia Serbia

Greece Nigeria

Group e Group F Group G Group H

June 14th – June 24th June 14th – June 24th June 15th – June 25th June 16th – June 25th

First Place Second Place First Place Second Place First Place Second Place First Place Second Place

June 12 June 24 June 14 June 20 June 15 June 21 June 12 June 18

Holland Denmark Denmark Japan Italy Paraguay Slovakia Paraguay Ivory Coast Portugal Portugal N. Korea Honduras Chile Honduras Switzerland

Japan Cameroon Cameroon Holland Brazil N. Korea June 25 Switzerland Spain Chile Spain
Italy N. Zealand
June 15 Ivory Coast N. Korea
June 19 N. Zealand Slovakia June 24 June 20 June 13

Holland Japan Slovakia Italy Ivory Coast Brazil Portugal Brazil Chile Switzerland

Cameroon Denmark Paraguay N. Zealand Spain Honduras

60 naijaTimes 61
 Last 16 Semi Final
June 26th–June 29th July 6th –July 7th
The (L) numbers represents a match. Follow the The (S) numbers represents a match. Follow
code to the quarter finals the code to the next rounds

June 26 June 27
Winner of Group A 2nd Place of Group B Winner of Group B 2nd Place of Group A July 6
Winner of Match Q1 Winner of Match Q2
L1 L3
S1
Winner of Group C 2nd Place of Group D Winner of Group D 2nd Place of Group C

L2 L4
July 7
Winner of Match Q3 Winner of Match Q4
June 28 June 29
Winner of Group E 2nd Place of Group F Winner of Group F 2nd Place of Group E S2
L5 L7

Winner of Group G 2nd Place of Group H

L6
Winner of Group H 2nd Place of Group G

L8
3rd Place Playoff
July 10th
Guess the Winner before the match

Loser of Match S1 Loser of Match S2

Quarter Final
S1

July 2nd –July 3rd

The (Q) numbers represents a match. Follow
the code to the Semi finals Final
July 11th
July 2 July 3 Guess the Winner before the match
Winner of Match L1 Winner of Match L2 Winner of Match L3 Winner of Match L4

Q1 Q3 Winner of Match S1 Winner of Match S1

Winner of Match L5 Winner of Match L6 Winner of Match L7 Winner of Match L8 S1

Q2 Q4
Fifa Cup Champion

62 naijaTimes 63

Mysterious
shopper
My adventure began one Wednesday
afternoon when most people suffer from
the mid-week blues. It was an impulsive
decision to go for an after work movie
with some friends to relieve the tension,
and we decided to meet up at a ‘café’
because it was a late movie. This is how I
found myself at the News Café.
“News Café is one of those
establishments at the Palms
Shopping Mall that I go
past all the time”
News Café is one of those
establishments at the Palms Shopping
Mall that I go past all the time, either on
my way to Shoprite or to the cinema.
I must admit that I’m not the most
metropolitan of people, though I tend
be extreme in my social life. I’m either
relaxing at home by myself, or going all
out and clubbing till the break of dawn
64
The Shop
The décor is elegant, with rich wallpaper splashed against walls strung with comfy sofas. There
is the option to sit at the bar or at floating tables located round the bar and outside. The
most interesting thing about the café is perhaps the attention to detail. The tables outside
have newspaper covering on them, as do the toilet seats (in the ladies anyway).
That evening the clientele I saw seated at the tables was mainly young professionals (although
this changed quickly when the venue became packed with football lovers supporting their
teams during a premiership game).
The staff were friendly and helpful right from the security at the door, down to the bar. When
with friends. In fact I have been known to go
we ordered our meal, they were attentive and even made suggestions about what was popular.
When they said the food would be ready in 10 minutes it was! Suprising I know! I thought
incommunicado for days and even weeks. I’m
since it came out so quick it must be badly made but it wasn’t. The food was well spiced and
also not a big fan of eating out. It is not that
delicious.
I hate it, I just don’t see the point. I can cook
and if I want something different mum’s door
Now, I don’t know if it was the movie, hanging out with friends or being at News Café that
is always open (and its free!). The only time
cured my mid-week depression, and quite frankly I don’t care. What ever it was, I had fun!
I ever eat out is to celebrate an occasion,
usually with me not being the celebrant.
Overall
Ambience: 8/10
But here I was, on a Wednesday evening, Food: 8.5/10
sitting in a restaurant/pub/bar/lounge. I have
no real idea how to classify News café, but
it does not seem like a café. The interior is Taste and Range: 8/10
shaped like a doughnut with the bar in the
centre. The set up reminds me of a posh
English pub or bar, with glasses coming down
Customer Service: 6/10
from the ceiling.
naijaTimes 65
 Directory Doshlaps Ventures Limited
(Blinds Experts)
Suite 191, BLK A2 – 16 Sura Shopping Complex Lagos.
Want to be included in the Business
Directory please call (Nig) 018104856.
Listings
0700 – DOSHLAPS, 0802 3002455
 
Kuddy Cosmetics Int’l. Ltd. 3AG Global Resources Limited
Importer, Exporter, Wholesales & Cosmetics Creative Cuisine Caterers (Overseas Student Placement)
Shop F17 – 19 Delta Plaza BBA Trade Fair Complex (Catering) 1st Floor backwing, 9 Olufunmilola Okikiolu Street,
08023045983 Block 6, Apartment 2, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja
  Ilubirin/Osborne Foreshore Phase 2, 08029566546; 018545174
The Chariot Mandy Utd. Ikoyi info@3agglobal.com
(Hotels & Hospitality) Style, Entertainment & Promotions 0803 3151418, 07025395208, 01-7624420
2/4 Akinbolagbe Street, Off Ligali Ayorinde Street 18 Oremeji Street, off Medical road, Ikeja. DGRooms
Victoria Island, Lagos 028767642 Circa 64 Jewellery (Corporate, native, Kaftans & Fashion designers)
01-2703651, 08023166834 (Contemporary Handcrafted Jewellery) 6/8 Babalola Gardens, Lekki Phase One
www.chariot-group.com Artezia Security Systems 5 Sanusi Fafunwa Street, 07029811142; 08028325927
Access Control, CCTV, Fire & Integrated Security Systems) Victoria Island. London: 07906832947; 07789452145
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55 Opebi Road, Ikeja, Lagos 0802.70.70.700; 01-7944960 Powercell
08038491208 The Orchid Bistro (Renewable Energy: Inverters, UPS & Solar)
Icecool Contracts Limited (Restaurant, Bakery Products, Catering) 17 Unity Road, Ikeja
Lace Fabrique Collection (Domain Management, Web Design, hosting & Internet 58A Isaac John Street, 08037177539; 012557197
(Fabrics & Laces) Consultants) GRA, Ikeja. tayolizy@yahoo.com
43 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos 315 Akin Ogunlewe Street, Victoria Island. 01-7739090,
08029461611, 01-7412651 0700 ICE COOL (423 2665), 0803 3787067 theorchidbistro@me.com Taiwo Adesina Printing Ent.
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Candor Foods Limited http://www.icecoolcontracts.com.ng Ann Marie Printer
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enquiries@ismailandpartners.com Pitter Patter (Beauty Spa & Health)
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07023031156 1 Abiola Segun Ajayi Street, Off Etim Inyang Crescent, sales@pitterpatterng.com (Blinds, Laminate Floors & Interior Design)
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66 naijaTimes 67
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68