life & times spring 2015

SPRING 2015 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 3

We are elated by the good newscoming out of Nigeria.For the first time in the historyof Nigeria, a sitting Presidenthas been voted out of power.The significance of this is thatthis phenomenon is rare inAfrican politics where it is oftenthe norm to have sit tightleaders who perpetuatethemselves in power evenwhen the people they lead haveroundly rejected them.Through bare fisteddictatorship or brazenmanipulation of the electoralprocess- leaders like RobertMugabe, Mobutu Sese Seko, IdiAmin, Paul Biya, De Santos etcdot the African landscape asfestering sores to our collectivepsyche.

It is a new day in Nigeria-Congratulations to GeneralBuhari for a well deservedvictory and to Dr. GoodluckJonathan for being graceful indefeat. History will be kind tothis man who despite seeingthe handwriting on the wallallowed the votes of Nigeriansto count and quickly concededvictory to his opponent. Thiswe all know is rare in Africanpolitics. The Jonathanadministration may have beenmired in corruption especiallyperpetuated by those very closeto the President but he couldhave chosen to steal the voteagainst popular opinion. It hasbeen done previously inNigeria and continues in

several African countriesthrough brazen electionrigging, ballot box stuffing andmanipulation but Jonathanchose to allow electronic cardreaders to properly recordvotes cast and his ouster frompower.

The task now before the newBuhari administration is to healthe country after a very divisiveelection and to be inclusive andfair to all parts of the countrydespite their political leanings.The Nigerian voters haveelected Buhari as President ofNigeria of all tribes andtongues and all politicalleanings not as President of theAll Progressive Congress, thenew ruling party.

We do need fundamentalchanges in Nigeria and anexorcism of the cancer ofcorruption that have crippledthe development of Nigeria.Like General Buhari often says-"if Nigeria does not killcorruption, Corruption will killNigeria"

We do need a diversification ofthe Nigerian economy. Asituation where 90% of ourforeign exchange earningscome from crude oil exports istotally unacceptable. Nigeria,Africa's largest economy, needto tap into its other vastpotentials in processedagricultural exports, solidminerals, manufactured

goods and outsourcing ofour huge manpower. If Indiacould be the outsourcingcapital of the world, why notNigeria.

We need to ensure steadyelectricity supply and rebuildour dilapidated infrastructureso that our cost ofmanufacturing can comparewith other emerging economiesaround the world so as to spurgrowth in our manufacturingsector. With the exorbitant costof diesel and power generationin Nigeria no serious investorwill locate a manufacturingplant in Nigeria and expect tocompete in the global market.

These are some of thechallenges and imperatives forchange that the Buhariadministration must have totackle.

Chike NwekePublisher

Spring 2015

From the Deskof the Publisher

4 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE SPRING 2015

LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 5


CONTENTS3. From the Desk of the Publisher8. Cover StoryChief Willie Obiano, One Year Of Giant StridesAs Anambra Governor16. People & PlacesCandy and Eldon, Together as One26. Mo AbuduMedia Personality & Forbes Africa Woman of the Year 201431. Beauty of the MomentChinyere Adogu32. People and PlacesHand in Hand Celebration of Marriage 201544. SpotlightThe Foundation Center - Deluxe and Elegant48. SpotlightKwara State, State Of Harmony52. People and PlacesCelebration of Mama Comfort Okonkwo Anyakpor @ 8058. Business & FinanceAccess Bank, A Colossus in the Making64. Legal IssuesRight Of Females To Inherit Property In Nigeria

26

31

58

16


CONTENTS68. People and PlacesEvangelist Gabriella Eluwa @5074.Beauty of the MomentPrince Chuks Nasa Iro & His Princess - Blessing76. Country ProfileKenya, The Magic of Africa82. Lifes IssuesEducated, Unmarried And 30 Something 84. Health & WellnessHow To Avoid The Deceptions Of The Food Industry86. Iruka's CornerAn Affair With the Unknown88. News & PoliticsHistory and Lessons from Nigeria 2015Presidential Election92. Music & EntertainmentThe World Of Davido!96. Music & EntertainmentThe Rave Of Flavour100. Religion & Spiritual AffairsHow Much Are You Worth This Easter Season?

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Cover Profile

Willie ObianoOne Year Of Giant StridesAs Anambra State Governor


Cover Profile

Chief Willie MaduabuchiObiano, Executive Governor ofAnambra State, Nigeria sinceMarch 17, 2014 holds a B.Sc.Second Class Upper inAccounting and a Masters inBusiness Administration(MBA)both degreesfromUniversity of Lagos.

Chief Obiano was John F.Kennedy Essay Winner 1974 atCKC and holds a national MeritCertificate for outstandingservice during hisNYSC(National Youth ServiceCorps) in Benue State, Nigeria inthe 1979/80 Service Year. He isa Fellow of the Institute ofChartered Accountants ofNigeria (FCA).He is the

President AMP (AdvanceManagement Programme) ofLagos Business School for Tenyears running. He is also a 2006BNV (Building New Ventures)Class member of HarvardBusiness School, Boston USA.Also he is the Patron, Institute ofChartered Accountants ofNigeria (Lagos MainlandDistrict) and National YouthCouncil of Nigeria, AnambraEast Chapter.

Chief Obiano started hisbanking career as a supervisorwith First Bank of Nigeria in1981 from where he moved toTexaco Nigeria Plc. an oilmarketing company as anAccountant. ChiefObiano rose

to the position of Chief InternalAuditor in Texaco before joiningFidelity. In Fidelity, he hasworked in various departmentsranging from operations tomarketing and internal audit.He served as an ExecutiveDirector, Business Banking ofFidelity Bank Plc. Chief Obianohas attended numerous bankingcourses including the following: - Credit & Trade ServicesCourse - Citi Bank, New York(1994)- Treasury and Money Market -Natwest, London (1996)- Emerging Market Course -FIM Bank, Malta (2002)- Managing Integration Process- Houston Texas 2006.


Cover Profile

In 2012 Chief Obiano retired asExecutive Director of FidelityBank. As Executive Director,Chief Obiano was in-charge ofBusiness Banking (CorporateBanking, Non-Bank Financial

Institutions, Treasury,(Naira and ForeignExchange, Oil & Gas,Telecom & Food andBeverages, Transportand Aviation). All theRegional Managers ofthe bank reportedthrough him to the MD/CEO.

Chief Willie Obiano contestedfor election under the platformof the All Progressive GrandAlliance (APGA) which he wonwith a resounding victory andwas sworn in as Governor ofAnambra State on March 17,

2014.

Chief Obiano is married with abeautiful daughter and a youngson.

Before Chief Willie Obianostenure as Governor, AnambraState had the dubious reputationas one of the kidnapping andarmed robbery epicenters inNigeria. Within one year of hisassumption of office, peace andsecurity reigns in AnambraState. This feat was achieved in

so short a time because of theeffective strategy of communitypolicing that Chief WillieObiano adopted on taking thesaddle as the Governor ofAnambra State.

The government throughthe bold step ofstrengthening townunions and fundingcommunity endorsedvigilante groups haveeffectively put a stop tothe rampant cases of

armed robbery and kidnappingthat hitherto made AnambraState a State where most peopleresiding outside the State oroverseas dreaded to visit. ChiefObiano also took the bold andcourageous step of demolishingseveral houses that were erectedby illicit wealth from


Cover Profile

kidnapping and effectively gavenotice to the practitioners of thatdubious enterprise that they hadno hiding place in AnambraState. As a result, last Decembersdroves of Anambrarians, whohitherto dreaded coming homebecause of fear of beingkidnapped trouped back homein large numbers.

Anambra State is now truly apeaceful State that ishome for all

Since assuming office,Chief Willie Obianohas embarked on amajor drive torevolutionizeagriculturalproduction inAnambra State as away of creating youthemployment andincreasing theinternally generatedrevenue in the State. He hasattracted over $200 million indirect investment in Anambra

States agricultural sector bylarge corporations like EkcelFarms and Coched FarmsLimited. Chief Obiano envisionsan Anambra State that is self-sufficient in food productionand less dependent on thefederation allocation by the timehis fist tenure ends in 2018.

Chief Obiano from the first dayof assumption of office has

embarked on a strategy ofconnecting every part ofAnambra State with modern

asphalted road network. Frommajor State highwaysconnecting the major urbancenters in Anambra State torural feeder roads connectingthe rural villages to the majorurban centers, every day wehear of the flag off of a new roadproject and the completion/commissioning of yetanotherone. Governor Obianosmaster plan and strategy for

road construction inAnambra State isanchored on hisconviction that this is oneof the major engines thatdrive economicdevelopment anywhere inthe world.

Governor Obianos driveto attract foreign capitaland expertise into healthcare delivery in AnambraState is yielding fruit. Acase in point is the

building of the RISEcomprehensive Health Center inAdazi Ani by RISE Global

Chief Obiano has embarked on a

strategy of connecting every part ofAnambra State with modern asphalted

road network.


Cover Profile

Health Inc. an Americancorporation and an additionalcommitment of a $1.5Minvestment in Anambra State byRISE. Health we all know iswealth and Governor Obianodreams of an Anambra State thathas the best health care facilitiesin Sub Saharan Africa to stemthe tide of medical tourism toEurope, America and India.

Since the summer of 2014, oilprices and proceeds whichconstitute about 90% of Nigerianforeign exchange earnings havetaken more than a 50% plunge.The implication of this is thatthere is less money to share fromthe federation account and lessmoney coming to the Statesfrom the federal government.The Willie Obianoadministration is doingeverything to increase the Statesinternally generated revenue to

cushion the effects of the loss ofrevenue from the federalgovernment. This includes morecomputerization and moreefficient ways of collectinginternally generated revenuefrom corporate bodies inAnambra State and frommarkets and motor parks in thecommercial nerve centers of theSate like Onitsha, Nnewi, Awkaand Ekwulobia.

Anambra State recently gaveland for the construction of 500units of housing by the FederalGovernment in Anambra Stateduring a recent visit to Hon Mrs.Akon EtimEyakenyi, Ministerfor lands, and Housing andUrban Development in Abuja.This is part of the plan ofGovernor Obianosadministration regardinghousing provision in AnambraState. The WilllieObianos

administration plans to makethe problems of housingownership a thing of the past inAnambra State.

Acquiring quality education isalways the dream of everyAnambra family for theirchildren. To this end the Obianoadministration is working hardto improve the standard ofeducation in the State throughdeveloping additionalinfrastructure and renovatingexisting ones in all the Stateowned schools. These includethe Chukwuemeka OdimegwuOjukwu UniversityAnambraformerly known as theAnambra State University Uliwith campuses in IgbariamandAwka, The EkwenugoOkekePolytechnic and all thesecondary and primary schoolsthat dot the landscape of theState. The State government


Cover Profile

recently gave grants to 62secondary Schools in the State asa way of funding them toacquire much neededinfrastructure.

The Obiano administration

maintains excellent relationshipwith the church and clergy inthe State and this has helped theadministration in effectivelymobilizing the people fordevelopment. It has also made iteasy for the citizens to

understand the developmentalgoals of governmentChief Obiano spent a significantperiod of time after retiring fromthe banking sector in HoustonTexas so he very wellunderstands the importance that

Diaspora Nigerians can play inthe development of our country.To this end he has employed alot Diaspora Anambrarians tohelp in the development of theState. A number of hiscommissioners and specialadvisers used to live outside theshores of Nigeria. Chief Obianoappreciates the fact thatDiaspora Nigerians are a source

of attracting cutting edgetechnology, financial resourcesand technical expertise to theState. A case in point is the RISEclinic Adazi a multi-disciplinaryhealth center that wasestablished as a vision by Dr.EmekaOkeke, a Pharmacistbased in San Diego California,U.S.A in conjunction with theG.U.O. Okeke foundation.

Willie is truly working and atthe end of his first four years inoffice, Chief WilllieObiano,AkpokuedikenaAguleri sees anAnambra State that surely takeson a comprehensive andIntegrated development strategyin all facets of development inthe State.


People and Places

Bride: Candy Kehinde Awosika


Friends and family gatheredto celebrate the love ofCandy Kehinde Awosikaand Eldon St. Patrick Lewisat the Serenity garden, Tor-rance Marriott South bay asthe two sweethearts took avow 'to live together for bet-ter for worse till death dothem part" on Saturday Jan-uary 17, 2015.The ceremony was offici-ated by Pastor CharlesCharthern and as he blessedthe couple, he told them tostay strong together no mat-ter what adversities theyface in life.Guests were treated afterthe ceremony to a fine re-ception at the Zen lounge atthe Torrance Marriot...

Los Angeles, CASaturday January 17, 2015

People and Places


People and Places


Profile in Excellence

MO ABUDUMedia Personality &Forbes Africa Woman of the Year 2014



Mosunmola Abudu,usually known as MoAbudu, is a talk showhost, TVproducer,mediapersonality, humanresourcesmanagementconsultant andentrepreneur.

Abudu was born in the UK. Atage 7, her family relocated toLagos, Nigeria and she was sentto stay with her grandparents attheir cocoa farm in Ondo State,to learn about African culture.At age 11, she attendedFiwasaye Girls GrammarSchool. At 12, shortly after herfather died, Abudu returned tothe UK and attendedHammersmith CountySecondary School beforemoving to the Ridgeway Schoolin Kent where she lived with herguardian in Tunbridge Wells.From there, she went to WestKent College and MidKentCollege. She has a MastersDegree in HR Management fromthe University of Westminster,London.Abudu is a member of theBritish Psychological Society,and is qualified in occupationaland personality testing.

Abudu started off her career inthe UK as a recruitmentconsultant in 1987, becoming abranch manager. She went on towork for the Starform Group,managing the Corporate CreditManagement Exhibition from1990 to 1992.In 1993 she joined ArthurAndersen for Esso Exploration& Production Nigeria Limited(now ExxonMobil) to head theirHuman Resources and Trainingunit. She left in 2000 to establisha privately owned specialisthuman resources developmentcompany known as VicLawrence & Associates Limited(popularly known as VLA).While running VLA, Abududeveloped an executive trainingcentre at the Protea Hotel,Oakwood Park, Lagos.

Moments with MoAbudu is the Executive

Producer & host of a TV talkshow, Moments with Mo, whichis the first syndicated daily talkshow on African regionaltelevision.By October 2009, over 200episodes had been recorded andaired with numerous topicsranging from lifestyle, throughhealth, culture, politics,entertainment, tradition, tomusic and inter-racialmarriages. Guests have includedcelebrities, Presidents, NobelLaureates, and the 67th USSecretary-of-State HillaryRodham Clinton. Abudu saysthe show "highlights the life andaccomplishments of a usuallywell known, but sometimes anundiscovered African individualwho by his or her own tenacityand determination hasaccomplished something,overcome something or been acatalyst for something that



makes her or him a role model toothers."Aired on M-Net with TVcoverage in 48 African countries,the show now also airs onterrestrial and cable TV in otherparts of the world.Abudu is the creator andexecutive producer of "TheDebaters", a reality TV show.Funded by GuarantyTrust Bank, it launchedon 3 October 2009. Theshow focuses on"giving Africa a voice"by promoting oratory.

Inspire AfricaFoundationAbudu is the founder ofThe Inspire AfricaFoundation, a humaninvestment arm ofInspire Africa Ltd. It isregistered as a non-profit organizationfocused on raisingfunds to implementsociety-transforminginitiatives.In January 2009, theInspire AfricaFoundation alongsideMoments with Mo, theLagos State Government andUNICEF held a telethon and acharity benefit concert with thetheme "Rock with a Conscience".Donations from the concert havegone towards the protection ofstreet children.The Foundation has opened acharity store branded "TheDesigners Outlet for Charity",which opened on 5 December2009 in Lagos, Nigeria. Thefoundation is also developing a

children's shelter called "TheHarbour".

AwardsIn recognition of heroutstanding work in diversefields especially the media,andher service to humanity, she hasbeen honoured with manylaurels. These include

recognition by Forbes Media asthe first African woman tolaunch a Pan-Africa TV channel;and Entrepreneur of the Yearaward by Women Werk in NewYork. She has also been listed asone of the 25 Most PowerfulWomen in Global TV by theHollywood Reporter. Mostrecently, she was also honouredwith a Honorary DoctorateDegree (Honouris Causa) fromBabcock University; Nigeria's

premier private university.

Ebony Life TelevisionMo Abudu launched Ebony LifeTelevision "Africas first GlobalBlack Multi-BroadcastEntertainment Network" on 1July 2013. As obtained on thetelevision website, Ebony LifeTV is "a multi-platform

broadcaster set to reachAfricas most importanttarget demographic, thecustodians of the presentand the future. We are setto produce and broadcastover 700 hours of non-stop,original programming withworld-class productionvalues. We are set to dothis through a variety ofengaging platforms thatinclude TV, Mobile,Online, Apps and Live. Weare positioned to be thehome of the best of Africancontent available." Asubsidiary of Media andEntertainment City Africa(MEC Africa), Ebony LifeTV is located in TinapaResort, Calabar, CrossRiver State Nigeria. EbonyLife TV has been founded

with a mission to create"Original, Premium andInspiring content with anAfrican Soul that showcases thebest of Africa for a Global Blackaudience."The television station transmitscourtesy a complete broadcastsystem from PlayBoxTechnology for a new DTHchannel transmitting in HD tosubscribers in sub-SaharanAfrica. The installation includes



ingest, storage, contentmanagement, channel brandingand playout automation usingPlayBox Technology AirBox andTitleBox servers.According to PlayboxTechnology UK Sales Director,the system was assembled inour test centre and configured tosuit the requirements ofEbonyLife before beingdelivered. Dual high-definition servers drive thechannel output. The mediaasset management andtraffic system power theoperation before going toair. A PlayBox TechnologyMAM server allowsoperators to access theirgrowing content library.The traffic system providesadvanced scheduling withforward planning and reportingfor the advertising sales team.It is currently transmitting toSouthern Africa and is channelnumber 25 on DSTV.The launch of the station, whichwas attended by dignitariesfrom all around the world, saw

notable Nigerians awarded fortheir contribution to theentertainment industry. SteveForbes was on stage to presentdeserving Nigerians the awards.In a report titled NigerianWoman LaunchesEntertainment TV Network,Mosunmola Abudu wasreferred to as Africa's OprahWinfrey. With a catchphrase

that says "Everything you thinkyou know about Africa is aboutto change forever, Ebony LifeTV seeks to start selling thegood bits of Africa. Not everyAfrican woman has a pile ofwood on her head and a babystrapped to her back!" Mo

Abudu told the Associated Pressduring an interview session.This exploit by Mo Abudu alsocaught attention of ForbesMedia. According to TheGuardian (Nigeria), ForbesMedia, a renownedestablishment, which hasbecome a symbol of distinctionfor recognising worthy businessdecision makers, investors and

progressive individuals,who have impacted theworld through theirstimulation of businessgrowth, has named MoAbudu as the first womanon the African continent toown a pan-African TVchannel.Abudu lives in Lagos,Nigeria, and enjoysinternational travel to

London, Paris, New York City,Cape Town, and Johannesburg.She has a son and a daughter: "Ilove them so very much; I cantget over the fact that I am amother.

Source: Wikipedia


Beauty of the Moment

Chinyere Adogu is a Nigerian student, model, aspiringactress and the firstAfrican-American to become

America's Perfect Teen.

For bookings please contact [email protected]


People and Places

Hand in HandCelebration ofMarriage 2015Rancho Palos Verdes-CALos Verdes Golf Club

International Christian Center (I.C.C.), Los Angeles

The International ChristianCenter (I.C.C.) Los Angelesheld its annual valentine partyand celebration of Marriage(Hand in Hand Celebration-2015) on February 7th. It was anight of love ballads by soloists

Natachi and Makeda, comedyby ace Comedian Wams Ekas,great music by DJ Paul and finecuisine by the chefs at theupscale Los Verdes Golf Club,Rancho Palos Verdes CA.Senior Pastor ICC -Dr. Dipo

Kalejaiye exhorted couples tolove each other unconditionallyregardless of the "perceivedfaults" of their spouses becausethat was how Jesus loved usdespite all our failings. Alsospeaking- ICC 1st Lady Dr.Nony Kalejaiye said theVirtuous women's fellowshipof ICC holds this annualceremony to give couples anopportunity to recommit to each other and renew theirvows. She also said manytestimonies have come out ofthe 13 years of the hand inhand celebration. It was a nightof fun as couples wined anddanced into the early hours ofthe morning.....

Pastors Dipo & Nony Kalejaiye


People and Places

Pastor Wole & Deaconess Bimbo Adefeso Pastor Oje & Deaconess Helen Uwadia

Pastor Yinka & Deacon Phemi Adeniran Pastor Nkiruka & Deacon Segun Benson

Alejandro & Marbely Briceno Saturday & Sophia Aisuan


People and Places

Pastor Wole & Deaconess Bimbo Adefeso Chike & Mercy Nweke

Minister Laja & Sumbo Ibraheem Festus and Nkechi Apakama

Dipo & Funmi Fashakin Eugene & Vivian Odega


People and Places

Paul & Celstine Osaji Christopher & Loveth Amakor

Alex & Angel Okafor Kenny & Jummy Ojute

Mr & Mrs Arogundade Chuka & Oby Chidi


People and Places

Kenneth & Ijeoma Udeh Bolade & Foluke Ayo-Ariyo

Deacon Tunde & Deaconess Ronke Pastor Donnie & Dirichukwu Ukattah

Deacon Godwin & Wunmi Obele Alex & Uche Iroha


People and Places

Mr & Mrs Adelakun Dada & Tosin Ojeisekhoba

Paul & Blessing Ojekwe Deacon Ike and Minister Chika Onyebalu

Ugo & Chioma Oranu Emman & Onyi Chukwuma


People and Places

Christopher & Ethel Ojeikere Albert & Angela Williams

Pastor & Pastor Mrs. Akinnitire Pastor Fredrick & Evelyn Ejiofor

Ben & Pastor Julian Omaivboje Ehis & Linda Inegbenoise


People and Places

Pastor Festus & Pastor Mrs. Nkechi Anwuli Femi & Bose Saliu

Austin & Nkechi Ene Orakwue & Uche Onwuli

Francis & Khadijah Dibia Rex & Amaka Anyaoha


People and Places

Olukunle & Caroline Bamishile Olawale & Grace Ogundimu

Marvin & Karen Uveda Gabriel & Lorena Castrejon

Wamilele & Makeda Ekas Oliver & Deaconess Daisy Anajemba


People and Places

Dr. & Mrs Addo

Deacon Badewa & Taiwo OlukunleEzekwesiri & Nnenna Ekejiuba

Kester and Anna Ezuma


People and Places

Chike & Ifeatu Ejizu

Sunny & Nkechi NwanisiobiGibson & Comfort Ojukwu

Kola & Meg Sofeso


Spotlight


Spotlight

KwaraState State Of HarmonyAt its creation, the state wasmade up of the former Ilorinand Kabba provinces of thethen Northern Region and wasinitially named the West Cen-tral State but later changed to"Kwara", a local name for theRiver Niger.

Kwara State has since 1976 re-duced considerably in size as aresult of further state creationexercises in Nigeria. On 13 Feb-ruary 1976, the Idah/Dekinapart of the state was carved outand merged with a part of thethen Benue/Plateau State toform Benue State.

On 27 August 1991, five localgovernment areas, namely Oyi,

Yagba, Okene, Okehi and Kogiwere also excised to form partof the new Kogi State, while asixth, Borgu Local GovernmentArea, was merged with NigerState.

Kwara Stateconsists ofsixteen (16)Local Gov-ernmentAreas. Theyare:

AsaBarutenEduEkitiIfelodunIlorin East

Ilorin SouthIlorin WestIrepodunIsinKaiamaMoroOffa

Kwara State was cre-ated on 27 May 1967,when the Federal Mil-itary Government ofGeneral YakubuGowon broke thefour regions thatthen constituted theFederation of Nigeriainto 12 states.


Spotlight

Oke EroOyunPategi

Important tourist attractions inKwara State include Esie Mu-seum, Owu Falls, ImolebojaRock Shelter, Ogunjokoro,Kainji Lake National Parks andAgbonna Hill Awon MassWedding in Shao. there is needto develop tourist centers in thestate to enhance physical devel-opment, a place like owu fallneeds standard hotel and agood road, which will encour-age people to visit the fall as apicnic center.The Nigerian Railway Corpora-tion extends services fromLagos through the state to thenorthern part of the country.The Ilorin Airport is a majorcenter for both domestic and in-ternational flights and has nowbeen built up into a hub fortransportation of cargoes.Agriculture is the main source

of the economy and the princi-pal cash crops are: cotton,cocoa, coffee, Kolanut, tobacco,beniseed and palm produce.

Mineral resources in the stateare Gold, limestone, marble,feldspar, clay, kaolin, quartzand granite rocks.

Industries in the state includeDangote Flour Mill, Lubcon Lu-bricant Company, Kam Indus-tries Nigeria Ltd, TuyilPharmacy Nig Ltd, Padson In-dustries NiG Ltd, Kwara Brew-eries, Ijagbo Global Soap andDetergent Industry, UnitedMatch Company, Tate and LyleCompany, Resinoplast PlasticIndustry, Phamatech NigeriaLimited, Kwara Textile andKwara Furniture Company allin Ilorin. Others are Paper Man-ufacturing Industry, Jebba,Okin Foam and Okin Biscuits,Offa, Kay Plastic, Ganmo andKwara Paper Converters Lim-


Spotlight

ited, Erin-ile. Oth-ers are Sugar Pro-ducing Company,Bacita, Kwara ani-mal Feed Mall,Ilorin and the Agri-cultural ProductsCompany.

The state has a fed-eral university ,TheUniversity ofIlorin, a state uni-versity (h that com-menced in the2009/2010 session,two polytechnics,Kwara State Poly-techic and OffaPolytechic, threecolleges of education, school ofHealth technology and schoolof nursing. It also has a navy

school and aviation college. It isalso home for Landmark Uni-versity (http://lmu.edu.ng)

and Al-Hikmah Uni-versity, both privateuniversities which arelocated in Omu Aranand Ilorin respec-tively.

Sporting activities aremanaged by the StateSports Council. Theimportance attachedto sports led to theconstruction of a sta-dium complex. Thefacilities available atthe stadium complexare mainbowl, indoorsports hall, hostel,recreational press cen-

ter as well as an Olympic sizeswimming pool.

"Kwara" is a

local name forthe River

Niger


People and Places

Celebration ofMama ComfortOkonkwoAnyakpor @ 80


People and Places

The Okonkwo-Anyakpor familycelebrated the 80th birthday of theirmom-Mrs. Comfort Okonkwo on December13, 2014. The ceremony was attendedby mama's children and grandchildrenand several relations and friends of thefamily. The celebration started with athanksgiving mass at St. PhilomenaCatholic Church Carson California andan evening reception at the upscaleFoundation Centerin Los Angeles. Allof Mama's children- NnamdiAnyakpor,Caroline Okowi,IkeOkonkwo, Emi Anyakpor and OkusMichael Okonkwo along with Mama'sgrandchildren prayed blessings onMama for a long life and testified of thehard work she did in raising them andthe love she poured into their lives.Guests were lavishly entertained withfine African cuisine and a free flowingbar.One of Los Angeles's best deejays-Jasper was also on hand to play thelatest Naija jams and fine oldies thatmade guests dance till the early hoursof Sunday morning...

Mama and her children

Mama and her son-in-law & daughters-in-law

Guests at the Mama Comfort Okonkwo Anyakpor at 80 Celebration


People and Places

Ik & Juliet Okonkwo and children

Mama and her grandchildren

Mr.and Mrs. Nnamdi Anyakpor Mrs. Vivian Odega


People and Places

Saturday & Sophia Aisuan

Ike & Juliet walking Mama into the hall

Olukunle & Caroline Bamishile

At the church service

Princess Ije Fine Diokpa blessing the Kola


People and Places

Big brother Nnamdi Anyakpor welcoming guests

Mama cutting her birthday cake

Ike Okonkwo extolling Mama

Unique ladies

Chief Ben Amadi & other guests Mr & Mrs Biosah


People and Places

Unique ladies and men

Guests

Guests

Guests

Radiant guests with Mama and Ike


Business & Finance

ACCESS BANK

A B a n k i n g C o l o s s u s


Business & Finance

Over the past 26 years, AccessBank Plc. has transformed froman obscure Nigerian Bank intoa world class African financialinstitution. Today, Access Bankis one of the five largest banksin Nigeria in terms of assets,loans, deposits and branch net-work; a feat which has beenachieved through strong long-term approach to client solu-tions providing committed

and innovative advice.Access Bank has built itsstrength and success in corpo-rate banking and is now takingthat expertise and applying it tothe personal and businessbanking platform it acquiredfrom Nigerias Interna-tional Commercial bank in2012. The last two years havebeen spent integrating the busi-ness, investing in the infrastruc-

ture and strengthening theproduct offer.As part of its continued growthstrategy, Access Bank is fo-cused on mainstreaming sus-tainable business practices intoits operations. The Bank strivesto deliver sustainable economicgrowth that is profitable, envi-ronmentally responsible andsocially relevant.The Beginning (1988 2001)

December 19, 1988: AccessBank was issued a banking li-cense and on February 8, 1989:Access Bank was incorporatedas a privately owned commer-cial bank and on May 11, 1989:Access Bank commenced oper-ations at its Burma Road,Apapa Head Office. On March24, 1998: Access Bank became aPublic Limited Liability Com-pany and in November 18,1998: Access Bank listed on theNigeria Stock Exchange OnFebruary 5, 2001: Access Bank

obtained a Universal BankingLicense from the Central Bankof NigeriaThe ChangeIn March 2002, the Board of Di-rectors appointed Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede as ManagingDirector/Chief Executive Offi-cer and Herbert Wigwe asDeputy Managing Director.The mandate was clear:Reposition the bank as oneof Nigerias leading finan-cial institutions within a fiveyear period (March 2002

March 2007). This task wasperceived by many as impossi-ble given the realities of theBank at the time. Simultane-ously, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode,who brought commendableand useful board experiencegathered from some of Nige-rias leading companies, in-cluding MTN Nigeria, OkomuOil Palm Plc, was also ap-pointed to the Board. The newmanagement team subse-quently created a transforma-tional agenda for Access Bank


Business & Finance

which represented a departurefrom all that characterized theBank in the past and becamethe road map for the conver-sion of the bank into a worldclass financial institution.The impact of the transforma-tion agenda was reflected in thefirst year. The bank grew itsbalance sheet by 100% andposted an impressive N1 billionprofit before tax. The profit be-fore tax figurewas more thanthe cumulativeprofit made bythe bank in theprevious 12years. This alsomarked the be-ginning ofwhat would bea six yearrecord triple-digit growthtrend. Simi-larly, earningsper share hadrebounded to21 kobo from a negative 2 koboposition, leading to a declara-tion of a 5 kobo dividend toshareholders for the first timein three years.In recognition of the role of anenhanced capital structure, theBank embarked on a capitalraising exercise in July 2007.The exercise was an astoundingsuccess recording an over sub-scription of over 300%. Thepublic offer comprised of anOver-The-Counter GDR place-ment of US$250 million whichwas similarly oversubscribedby 700%. The Banks share-holders fund today stands

at over N240 billion with an ex-panded shareholder base ofover 1,000,000 domestic andforeign investors.Access Bank is consistentlyseeking for ways to expand itsservice platform across theAfrican continent. The bankcurrently operates through anetwork of about 366 branchesacross major cities and com-mercial centers in Nigeria,

Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zambia,Rwanda and Democratic Re-public of Congo.The "W" WOMEN GRASS-ROOTS BANKING INITIA-TIVE: ACCESS BANK OFFERSSUCCOUR TO WOMENGlobally, women dispropor-tionately face financial accessbarriers that prevent them fromparticipating in the economyand from improving their lives.Women make up 40 per cent ofthe worlds workforce.Many of the sectors that arecritical for economic growth insome of the poorest countriesrely heavily on women. Small

and medium scale enterprises(SMEs) with female ownershiprepresent 30 per cent to 37 per-cent of all SMEs (8 million to 10million women-owned firms)in Nigeria and other emergingmarkets. These businesses, ac-cording to a recent World Bankreport, have unmet financialneeds between $260 billion and$320 billion a year across theglobe.

This therefore iswomensbiggest barrier togrowth and de-velopment. Ac-cess to credit canopen up eco-nomic opportuni-ties for women,and bank ac-counts can be agateway to theuse of additionalfinancial services.However,women entrepre-neurs and em-

ployers face significantlygreater challenges than men ingaining access to financial serv-ices. The Global Findex, a com-prehensive database measuringhow people save, borrow, andmanage risk in 148 countries,revealed that women are lesslikely than men to have formalbank accounts.In Nigeria and many other de-veloping economies, womenare 20 percent less likely thanmen to have an account at a for-mal financial institution and 17percent less likely to have bor-rowed formally in the pastyear. Even if they can gain ac-


Business & Finance

cess to a loan, women oftenlack access to other financialservices, such as savings, digi-tal payment methods, and in-surance. Restrictions onopening a bank account, suchas requirements for a male fam-ily members permission,restrictwom-ensaccess toaccounts.Lack offinancialeducationcan alsolimitwomenfrom gaining access to and ben-efitting from financial services.Nonetheless, as part of effortsto offer women exclusive accessto banking services as well as awide range of lifestyle-orientedvalue added benefits and privi-leges, Access Bank Plc recentlyunveiled the W initia-tive.The initiatives promoting gen-der equality and fosters greatereconomic development.According to Access Bank, re-ducing gender-based barriers inthe business environment; cre-ating business opportunities forinstitutions and in the privatesector to improve working con-ditions for female employees,market segmentation, and in-clusion of women in commu-nity relationships; supportingbusiness skills and financial ca-pability trainings for women;and building the business casefor equal economic opportuni-ties for men and women, would

help stimulate inclusive growthin the Nigerian economy.The W initiativeAccording to the bank, part ofthe privileges for women andtheir families under the initia-tive includes access to a com-prehensive

range of loan product andcredit facilities; access toW community withhelpful advice on family and fi-nance matters, home and fam-ily articles and details of specialoffers; access to a wide range ofgreat discount, special offersand freebies on health, beautyand fitness.Others include early saversclub for children, access to ma-ternal health support, familyprotection as well as access toseminars on family planningand parenting. The GroupManaging Director/Chief Exec-utive Officer, Access Bank, Mr.Herbert Wigwe said the initia-tive would also support SMEsowned by women. SMEs con-tribute to improved living stan-dards, bring about substantiallocal capital formation andachieve high level of productiv-ity and capability.They have also been identifiedas a vehicle for employment

generation and providing op-portunities for entrepreneurialsourcing, training, develop-ment and empowerment.Developing nations such asNigeria characterised as low in-come earners by the World

Bank, valueSMEs forseveral rea-sons. Ifyou look atSMEs today,they are con-trolled about30 per centby womenand yet no-body pays

attention to them. From myown experience when westarted it in 2006, they had thelowest default rate. Thesecond and most importantthing is that by supportingwomen and the businesses thatthey do, it would lead to eco-nomic growth in this country. Itis not a new initiative, it issomething we started in 2006,but we are re-launching it prop-erly and embedding it in ourinstitution, Wigwe ex-plained.Wigwe said the initiative be-came necessary because a coun-try grows by supporting SMEs,insisting that if Nigeria mustgrow greatly, women must besupported. Noting that researchin the past two years showedthat women have far lower de-fault ratio than men on loansrepayment, he lamented that onthe contrary; they have lowerpatronage by financial institu-tions than men. He added that

Aig Imokuede, Former MDHerbert Wigwe, Current MD


Business & Finance

women empowerment is en-trenched in Access Bank toguarantee their liberation andequality. According to Wigwe,every staff member of AccessBank now understands andpays greater attention towomen and their needs. Withthe initiative, he said womennow have an online communitywith W where theycan reach out and connect.So it is all about thewomen who want to be in-spired, connected and empow-ered. W speaks to thestrength that every womanaround the world carries. It isabout women, the Nigerianwomen and women around theworld, he added.Benefits of the initiativeAccording to the bank, theW is the first bankingsolution that allows an entirefamily to bank and benefit to-gether, while also operatingtheir individual accounts.We have a variety of ac-counts to help you manageyour unique financial needs.There are accounts designed foryoung family members to pro-mote and develop their finan-cial management skills, it

stated. The initiative accordingto the bank is all about womenthat desire to be inspired, con-nected and empowered. It fur-ther explained that it is itscommitment to bankingwomen. Its maternal healthsupport segment was speciallydesigned to help women over-come financial barriers whilesupporting them in their questfor health and motherhood.This scheme supports local andinternational treatments for fer-tility, natal support, other spe-cialist procedures include-Hysterectomy (Uterus Re-moval), myomectomy (FibroidRemoval), dental, bariatric andorthopaedic Our new ap-proach to banking women pro-vides banking solutions to meetthe lifestyle needs of the identi-fied sub-segments: young pro-fessionals, woman and familyand women in business.Purely, they are bankingproducts bundled to meet theirfinancial and lifestyle needs e.g.family banking for the womanand family. The Wcommunity provides businesscontacts and platform for shar-ing in community forum, accessto seminars and networking

events, helpful tips to helpwomen enjoy their lifestyle.It is a social communitydesigned for women to be in-spired, connected and empow-ered, the bank added.In addition, the scheme pro-vides opportunity for reward-ing and developing femaleentrepreneurs and achievers.There is also a mentoring pro-gramme where some womenhelp others grow in a struc-tured manner. Successfulwomen who would mentor andguide younger women have al-ready been identified by thebank. We are contributingto economic development andwomen empowerment by pro-moting qualified start-up ideas building an incubator ofgreat ideas. We are sup-porting start-ups not just withflexible access to loans, butwith capacity building andbusiness monitoring as wellfree banking services. Thefirst 100 women to embracethese bundles would enjoy freebanking services till December31, 2014, free CoT, card requestcharges, free draft issuancescharges, amongst others,the bank explained.


Legal Issues

Right OfFemales To

InheritProperty In

NigeriaIn 2010, I was asked to provideexpert opinion on a pendingimmigration petition where theissue of a potentially leviratemarriage in Eastern Nigeriancame up. In the end the factualscenario did not qualify as alevirate marriage but wasmerely an incident of widowinheritance. I had opined thatwere the case to come before aNigerian Court, the practice ofwidow inheritance, which isengendered by the problem ofpatrilineal inheritance practicedin almost the whole of Nigeria,would be deemed repugnant toequity, natural justice and goodconscience and would not beenforceable. The samepatrilineal rule of inheritancethat restricts the right ofwomen to inherit the property

of their husband also placedrestrictions on the right ofdaughters to share in theproperty of their father uponhis passing.

In 2011, the Nigerian SupremeCourt made significantpronouncements that did awaywith such laws andstrengthened the inheritancerights of females in Nigeria.

The practice of widowinheritance was the usualchannel for a married womanwho lost her husband to beguaranteed of continuedsupport for herself and herchildren. Some scholarserroneously term this type ofunion a levirate marriage.Levirate Marriage is a type of

marriage in which the brotherof a deceased man is obligatedto marry his brothers widowand the widow is obligated tomarry her deceased husbandsbrother. This form of marriagehas ancient roots and itspractice was mainly amongstthe Hebrews and Indians. It isprevalent in areas where thespread of restriction onconsanguinity practicallyresulted in marital exogamy. Asignificant difference betweenlevirate marriage and widowinheritance is that under thesystems that practice widowinheritance, there is noobligation on the part of thedeceased mans brother tomarry his widow and thewidow is not obligated tomarry her deceased husbands

By Ogochukwu Victor Onwaeze, Esq


Legal Issues

brother. The family maydictate a relative of thedeceased husband to inherit hiswidow, but consent of thewidow is necessary toeffectuate the arrangement.There is however noceremony that takes placeto solemnize the union as amarriage, for indeed it isnot regarded as a marriagein the traditionalcustomary sense.

Widow inheritance arosefrom the need to providecontinued maintenance ofthe widow and herchildren within the familycircle due to the patrilinealnature of property inheritancein those areas where widowinheritance is practiced. Thereason for widow inheritance isfound in the customary laws ofSouth Eastern Nigeria relatingto dissolution of marriage upondeath of a spouse coupled withthe customary laws of propertyinheritance. The death of ahusband terminates themarriage, amongst the Igbos,but it does not terminate thecustomary law status of the

widow as a married woman.So long as the widow remainsunmarried, she remains amember of the deceasedhusbands family with the same

rights and privileges as if thehusband were still alive.

In terms of real property, thecommunal ownership of landwas an additional problem.Land in most cases is owned bythe family and the right toown land is based on affinityor blood relationship. Since thewife is not a blood member ofthe family of her husband she isnot able to inherit real propertyupon the death of her husband,

because in customary realitythe land did not belong to herhusband but to the husbandsfamily.

Of course advancements ineducation made some ofthese practices obsolete, infact, if not in law, especiallyin the urban areas.However, they continued tohold true in the rural areasand grave injustice wasmeted to widows anddaughters upon the deathof their husband and fatherrespectively. It wascommon for a wife to bedriven away by herhusbands relative upon his

death without as much as anyof the property acquired duringmarriage to support herself.

Although lower courts haveprogressively whittled downthe custom, the first majorbreakthrough came in 1997 inthe case of Mojekwu v.Mojekwu. In that casedecedents male relative,relying on the Ili-Ekpe customof some parts of South-EastNigeria, had instituted action

She is not able to inherit realproperty upon the death of

her husband, because incustomary reality the land did

not belong to her husbandbut to the husbands family


Legal Issues

against the decedents wifeclaiming that he was entitled toinherit her deceased husbandsproperty. The basis for hisclaim was that the deceased, hispaternal uncle, was survived bythe respondent [his wife] andtwo daughters. Being allwomen, they were excludedfrom inheriting property underthe Ili-Ekpe customary lawsapplying to the deceased.

Fortuitously for the wife anddaughter, the court found thatthe property in question wasnot subject to the Ili-Ekpecustom but subject to a KolaTenancy which allowed thewomen to inherit the property.Despite this, the Court ofAppeal gave a ray of hopewhen it held that were the Ili-Ekpe custom to be applicable itwould have been found to berepugnant and unenforceableas contrary to public policy orrepugnant to natural justice,equity and good conscience.The Court also pronounced the

custom contrary to humanrights guarantees in theNigerian Constitution and inthe Convention on theElimination of all forms ofDiscrimination against Women,which prohibit discriminationon the ground of sex.

Unfortunately, when the casewound its way to the SupremeCourt in 2004 as Mojekwu v.Iwuchukwu , the SupremeCourt, while finding for thewomen based on the KolaTenancy that was applicable,berated the lower Court fordeeming the ili-Ekpe custom asrepugnant when that issue wasnot necessary for thedetermination of the case. Thiswas certainly a set back for thedecision which had been hailedas a major human rights victoryfor Nigerian women.

It took seven more years beforethe right of women to inheritproperty was finallyentrenched by two Supreme

Court cases decided on thesame day, April 11, 2011. InUkeje vs. Ukeje the daughter ofthe deceased sued the wife andson of the deceased claimingthat as the daughter of thedeceased, she was entitled toshare in the estate of her father.The Supreme Court agreedwith her and in affirming herright to inheritance clearlystated that no matter thecircumstances of the birth of afemale child, such a child isentitled to an inheritance fromher late fathers estate ...Consequently, the Igbocustomary law, which dis-entitles a female child frompartaking in the sharing of herdeceased fathers estate is abreach of Section 42(1) and (2)of the Constitution, afundamental rights provisionguaranteed to every Nigerian ...said discriminatory customarylaw is void as it conflicts withSection 42(1) and (2) of theConstitution


Legal Issues

In Nweke vs. Nweke , thebrothers of the deceased,sought to exclude her widowwho had six daughters frominheriting property belongingto her husband on the groundsthat she had no male child. TheSupreme Court on April 11,2011 enforced the right ofinheritance of the widow anddeclared Nigerian customswhich disinherit women asrepugnant to natural justice,equity and good conscienceand should therefore not beallowed to stand. The courtdescribed such laws aspunitive, uncivilized and onlyintended to protect the selfishperpetuation of maledominance which is aimed atsuppressing the right of thewomen folk in the givensociety.

These little known women inthese three cases, especially thelatter two have been hailed aschampions of human rights forwomen in Nigeria. It is hoped

that the courts and especiallythe society will abide by thesedecisions and begin torecognize the injustice in ourmostly patrilineal system ofinheritance in Nigeria.Unfortunately, despite theseclear pronouncements, NativeCourts in rural areas continueto adhere to the outdated andanachronistic concepts denyingwomen the right to inheritance.Many a time, the women in thecases do not have thewherewithal or the will tocontinue to fight with the malemembers of the society forseveral reasons. It may be afear of reprisal, physical andotherwise from her in-laws inthe case of the widows or fromher brothers and uncles in thecase of the daughters.

The delay in dispensation ofjustice and the attendant costalso act as deterrence to thewomen seeking to enforce theirrights. The women in the casesdiscussed persevered for over

20 years before the cases finallygot to the Supreme Court. Inthe Mojekwu case for example,the original party to the case,had died and the daughter wassubstituted as a party to thecase, hence the change in thedesignation of the case toMojekwu vs. Iwuchukwu.

If these rights are to stick, it willtake the collective recognitionof the male dominated societythat women do indeed deserveto share in the inheritance ofthe property of their husbandsand parents.

Ogochukwu Victor Onwaeze,Esq.

The author is an attorneypracticing in Los AngelesCalifornia and can be reached [email protected]


EvangelistGabriellaEluwa @50


Family, friends and colleagues of EvangelistGabriella Eluwa gathered on December 20, 2015at the church hall of Christ Ambassador'sChurch Los Angeles to celebrate a great andloving woman, mother, sister, colleague, friendand evangelist for Christ at the golden age of50.Pastor Moses Gago in his short exhortation dida graphic illustration of how many seconds,minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and yearsSister Gabriella has spent on earth and extrapo-lated it for even double of those number ofyears and told the gathering of friends and fam-ily that we really do not have a lot of time tospend here on earth compared to eternal life inheaven. He therefore urged the gathering tocount and number their days and spend it inpursuits that will grant them eternal life inheaven as the time we have here on earth isvery short.Friends and family poured glowing tributes toGabriella the mother, the sister, the friend, thecolleague at work, the Evangelist and every-body had nothing but good to say about thisvirtuous woman.Special performances were done by Amagae-Gabriella's grandson who sang a special num-ber, Jeremiah Sanusi who delivered a speechthanking mom for being there for her childrenand Sister Dora Duru who performed a praisedance.There was plenty to eat and drink and guestsdanced into the late hours of the day...Following is a photo essay of the event:

Celebrant with Church Family

A time of joy

Cross Section of guests


People and Places

Celebrant enters with family & friends

Mr & Mrs Eka and Bro Michael

Celebrant with children

Celebrants colleagues from Hillcrest

Pastor Moses praying Cross section of Guests


People and Places

Celebrant with children Amagae sings a special number

Pastor Moses and Hasana Gago with guests Cross section of guests

Jeremiah Sanusi delivers a speech Celebrant and daughter Chioma dance


People and Places

Dancing Time

Words of exhortation by Pastor Moses Gago

Guests dancing

MC, Bro. Chike Nweke

Celebrant with Pastors Moses and Hasana Celebrant and Mrs. Tamplin-Jones


People and Places

Celebrant with extended family Celebrant with MC & wife Mercy Nweke

Celebrant with Church Family Pastors and Ministers pray for Celebrant

Sis Dora Duru performing praise dance Evang. Chinyere leads the toast to Celebrant



Prince Chuks Nasa Iro & His Princess - BlessingEngaged



Happy Mar r i ed Li f e


Country Profile

Kenya , officially the

Republic of Kenya, is a

sovereign state in

Africa. Its capital and

largest city is Nairobi.

Kenya lies on the

equator with the Indian

Ocean to the south-

east, Tanzania to the

south, Uganda to the

west, South Sudan to

the north-west, Ethiopia

to the north and

Somalia to the north-

east. Kenya covers

581,309 km2 (224,445

sq mi) and has a

population of about 44

million in July 2012.


Country Profile

The country is named afterMount Kenya, the secondhighest mountain in Africa.Kenya is divided into 47 semi-autonomous counties that areheaded by governors who wereelected in the first generalelection under the newconstitution in March 2013.These 47 counties now form thefirst-order divisions of thecountry. Under the oldconstitution, Kenya comprisedeight provinces each headed bya Provincial Commissioner(centrally appointed by thepresident). The provinces (mkoa singular, mikoa plural inSwahili) were subdivided intodistricts .Constituencies are anelectoral subdivision, with eachcounty comprising a wholenumber of constituencies. AnInterim Boundaries commissionwas formed in year 2010 toreview the constituencies and inits report, it recommendedcreation of an additional 80constituencies. Previous to the2013 elections, there were 210constituencies in Kenya.

The current President of Kenya,Uhuru Kenyatta ran and wonwith 50.51% of the vote in March2013.

Famous for its classic savannasafaris, Kenya is a country ofdramatic extremes and classiccontrasts. Deserts and alpinesnows; forests and open plains;the metropolis of Nairobi andcolorful tribal cultures;freshwater lakes and coral reefs.For many people, Kenya is EastAfrica in microcosm. Thewildlife safaris have been the toptourist attractions in Kenya fordecades while other activitiesinclude trekking Mount Kenya,ballooning over the Masai Maraand snorkeling in Malindi on theIndian Ocean coast.

10- Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park is just a 10minutes drive from the center ofNairobi with only a fenceseparating the parks wildlifefrom the metropolis. Nairobisskyscrapers can be seen from thepark. Despite its proximity tothe city and the relative smallsize of the park, NairobiNational Park boasts a large andvaried wildlife population.Migrating wildebeest and zebragather in the park during the dryseason, and it is one of Kenyasmost successful rhinocerossanctuaries.


Country Profile

9- Malindi

Malindi provides a very niceintroduction to the coastaltourist attractions in Kenya withits extensive coral reefs andbeautiful beaches. There aresurfing, snorkeling, deep-seafishing and other water sports.The Malindi Marine NationalPark is protected and has finebeaches clear water and verycolorful fish. Malindi is servedwith a domestic airport and ahighway between Mombasa andLamu.

8- Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya is the highestmountain in Kenya and thesecond-highest in Africa, afterKilimanjaro. The mountain

offers a beautiful sight. Its seriesof peaks are crowned withsnow, and its slopes are coveredwith forest. The 5199 meter(17,057 ft) high summit is adifficult technical climb, severallowers peaks however are aneasy destination for any fittrekker.

7- Samburu National Reserve

Samburu National Reserve is avery peaceful national park inNorthern Kenya. It attractswildlife because of the UasoNyiro River that runs through itand the mixture of forest andgrassland vegetation. All threebig cats, lion, cheetah andleopard, can be found here, aswell as elephants, buffalo andhippos. The Uaso Nyiro River

contains large numbers of Nilecrocodile.

6- Hell's Gate National Park

Hells Gate National Park is atiny park named after a narrowbreak in the cliffs, once atributary of a prehistoric lakethat fed early humans in the RiftValley. It is unique amongKenyas wildlife parks, as youare allowed to walk or cyclewithout a guide. Theresdramatic scenery, with steepcliffs, gorges and basaltcolumns. The national park ishome to a wide variety ofwildlife, though many are few innumber. Examples of little seenwildlife include lions, leopards,and cheetahs.


Country Profile

5- Lamu Island

Lamu Island is a part of KenyasLamu Archipelago, and hasmanaged to stay unspoiled anduntouched by the mass tourismthat has hit much of Kenyascoastline. As the oldest livingtown in Kenya, Lamu Town hasretained all the charm andcharacter built up over centuries.There are no roads on LamuIsland, just alleyways andfootpaths, and therefore, thereare few motorized vehicles onthe island. Residents moveabout on foot or by boat, anddonkeys are used to transportgoods and materials.

4- Tsavo National Park

Tsavo is the largest nationalpark in Kenya and one of thelargest in the world. Due to itssize the park was divided intoTsavo West and Tsavo East. TheTsavo West has spectacularscenery with a rolling volcaniclandscape while Tsavo East hasmore open savannah than itswestern sibling. Tsavo NationalPark is the ideal destination inKenya for people who seeksolitude and privacy as well asthe chance to explore thewilderness.

3- Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru is a very shallowlake in central Kenya. The lakes

abundance of algae attracts vastquantities of lesser flamingos,sometimes more than onemillion at once. Often called thegreatest bird spectacle on earth,the flamingos are one of Kenyastop attractions. Sadly, in recentyears the number of flamingos atLake Nakuru has beendecreasing, due toenvironmental degradation andpollution.

2- Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is arelatively small park locatedclose to the Tanzania border atthe foot of Africas highestmountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.The park is famous for being thebest place in Africa to get close


Country Profile

to free-ranging elephants.Other attractions of theAmboseli National Parkinclude opportunities tomeet the Maasai peopleand spectacular views ofMount Kilimanjaro.

1- Masai Mara NationalReserve

The Masai Mara NationalReserve is one of the top

touristattractionsin Kenyaand thecountrysmostpopular

game park. Each year the MasaiMara National Reserve isvisited by thousands of touristswho come here to watch theexceptional population of gameand the annual migration ofzebra and wildebeest. TheGreat Migration takes placeevery year from July to Octoberwhen millions of wildebeestand zebra migrate from theSerengeti in Tanzania.

Famous for its classic

savanna safaris, Kenya is acountry of dramatic

extremes and classiccontrasts.


Beauty Tips

skin careby Nana Ama Afrifa-Addo

With summer around the corner, Iwant to feel good from the insidebecause what glows from theinside will automatically show onthe outside. There are endlessbeauty tips and beauty productsout there to make you lookremarkable. These tips and beautyproducts which range from naturalto laboratory synthetics cannotmake your skin glow if you are:stressed out, eating high fat foods,deprived of sleep or living asedentary lifestyle. Our skin tellsour life story and with littlechanges, you can help tell a goodlife story.Here are a few tips that will help allof us: Diet: when it comes to skin,you are what you eat.o Eat a variety of fruits andvegetableso The Mediterranean diet is greatfor the skino Salmon and foods rich inomega-3 will make a positiveimpact

o Excessive sugar increasesinflammatory response in the bodyo Green tea is anti-inflammatoryand in the lab has been shown toheal skino Drink water to clean out toxins Keep your skin clean andmoisturize dry skin; dermatologistsrecommend moisturizing dry skintwice a day and overnight For oily skin, use a toner ornatural fruit acids A little sun is healthy andmood-elevating. However, protectyour face by wearing sunscreen Exercise to shed stress hormonesand improve circulation Get your beauty sleep duringwhich your skin rejuvenates andhormones balance Dont smoke, and stay awayfrom second hand smoke and otherobvious pollutants Aim for good health - whenyou are healthy, you look moreyouthful and act that way; illnessweighs you down and saps yourenergy.

Smile and you will lookyounger and prettier Avoid stress; it ages anddepletes vitality. Instead ofradiating happiness andpositivism, you appear pessimisticas you secrete pollutants in yourbody. Avoid strong chemicals andtreatments. Avoid severe changes and alot of makeup.Beauty should not be forced butrather improved and enhanced.Express who you are not somefalse ideal. Dont conceal the realyou. Living the truth of who youare is dazzling!

Nana Ama Afrifa-Addo


Lifes Issues

A Nigerian friend and I wererecently chuckling about aconversation shed had with heraunt, who expressed concernedthat she was approaching 40 andfar from settling down. Her auntasked her: Eh youre 38 years andyoure not married; are you sureyoure not gay? If you are, you cantell me, its okay, Im your auntie, Iwill still love you! Those of us bornbetween late 1970s and early 1980shave learned that our society hasgreatly changed the expectationsplaced on us, especially girls;however the social expectationsremain the same.

The order of events growing up,though unspoken was quite clear:nursery school; primary school;junior secondary school; seniorsecondary school; university;career. At some point in betweenthose, a husband and possiblychildren were to be insertedin the right places.

And I followed those rules. As ateenager with raging hormones, school officials and family made itclear that boys were taboo. Anyone caught with remote interest in the oppositesex was quickly put in place, often times punished. Even in high school, my father

completely avoided the subject but

Educated, UnmarriedAnd 30 Something: An African Womans RealityGrace Neequaye MPH CHES


Lifes Issues

still made it clear that I had nobusiness socially hanging out withboys. My mothers loving begood at the end of everyconversation werethe constantreminder thatthough thousands ofmiles away, sheexpected me to keepup with the decorumof the prim andproper Christian girlshe had raised.

My motherscampaign continuedwell into collegewhere she wouldoften call and askpointed questionsabout the company Ikept. Her be good remindersstayed quite strong. We continuedwell into grad school.

Then one day she says to me, itwould be so wonderful when Ihave grandchildren! Wait, what?When did this transition happen? Ithought boys were bad news.

African parents are notorious forbeing very strict with their childrenespecially girls. In fact, my parentkept a shotgun behind the frontdoor of our home. Im sure it wasfor easy access in case there was aburglar, but we all knew that it wasalso to let any daring boy whocame into the house know who hadauthority. It is a perfectly validbehavior, especially in a societywhen girls are often preyed on, andour naivet used against us.

However, in the quest to protectour innocence, we are often left ill-equipped to tackle the world ofnegotiating social scenes and

interactions towards marriage andsettling down. Culturally, Africanparents expect their children to bemarried by the time they are 30.Indeed, most of my friends inGhana are married with childrenand the few stragglers have eitherdisavowed marriage or aredesperately seeking any mate. Incontrast most of my African friendsliving in the U.S are single: nopotential partner in sight, amidstcomments from family membersincluding you must be too pickyand youre not the queen, loweryour standards a little. Thesecomments of course do very littleto help someone who really wantsto be married but does not seem tomeet the right people.

So how do we find a happymiddle? Times have greatlychanged and we must also adjust

our perspective. Children must betaught how to navigate not onlycareers, but family life, startingwith making connections with bothmales and females. As girls havebeen afforded the sameopportunities as boys, there aremany women who will pursue acareer, shifting their focus from thepursuit of a husband. And as wecurrently see, there are manywomen, though unmarried, wholead well-connected, stable andfinancially secured lives. Childrenshould be raised to understand thechoices available and theconsequences of each decision. Wemust not shy away from thepossibility that our daughters maydecide never to get married, or thatthey may have children without ahusband.

I personally appreciate the valuesthat my family strived to impart tome. While navigating my 30s, Ihave relied on many of thesevalues to make sound favorabledecisions. As I work towards thebest me,Icontinueto shakeoff thefeeling ofbeingthestrangeone andunder-standthat lifeis whatever Imake of it.

Then one day she says

to me, it would be so

wonderful when I

have grandchildren!

Grace Neequaye


Health & Wellness How To Avoi d The

Deceptions

Of The Food IndustryOlufemi Y. Saliu, M.D.

The art of fishing has truly beenperfected by the food industry.Consumers are baited andhooked by food. As a result, thefood industry exposes all of usto dangers similar to the onesfish face at the hands offishermen.

On Saturday the 14th ofMarch, 2015, I visited aneighborhood grocery storewhere Ive shopped for sixteenyears. I walked the aisles,intending to refresh myknowledge of food packaging.I wanted to see how the foodindustry makes us devourunhealthy, and naturallytasteless food. I randomlyexamined the food packages Ipicked off the shelves. Familiar

slogans appeared repeatedly onthe products: no animal fat,1%low fat, 2% reduced fat, 100%

pure, supports brain, multigrain,organic, gluten free, greattaste..naturally, original, noartificial flavors, no artificialcolors, honey roasted, 100%

natural flavors, and zerocholesterol. Foods were alsogiven the appearance of

healthfulness by the additionof earthy food coloring andseeds, such as sesame seeds ona bagel. Why do you thinkseeds on bagels are healthy? Ialways thought they wereadded for flavor.

I used to pick many of myfood items according to theirhealthy packaging. On amemorable day in the fall of2011, I had my usual two slicesof whole wheat bread smeared

with peanut butter and a glass ofwarm 2% fat milk for breakfast.Between 7:00 and 11:00am, I hadthree cups of unsweetened coffeeand a sesame studded bagel. By


Health & Wellness

noon I had, along with my lunchof grains, meat, a handful ofvegetables and two chocolatechip cookies. But, even though Ifilled up on these apparentlyhealthy foods, I did not stay fullfor long. On the way home, by2:00 pm, I stopped by thedoctors lounge to grab twomore cookies and a cup ofcoffee. Upon arrival at home Iwent straight to the kitchen toget a bowl of cereal with reducedfat milk. After drinking thesweet milk residue in the bowl,I decided to go for another bowl.After the third bowl I had to stopbecause my stomach was verytense. But I still had poundedyam at dinner time.

Why did I eat so muchon that day when I hadeaten the food that the foodindustry claims to behealthy?

The answer can befound on the nutrition factslabel of our favorite foods:sugar. During my visit Isaw different food itemswith varying amount ofsugar per serving: 1% lowfat milk-12 grams of sugar,another brand of 1% milk-30grams of sugar, berry punch-25grams of sugar, 100% pureorange juice-22 grams of sugar,honey roasted cereal-12 gramsof sugar, and 2% reduced fatmilk-13 grams of sugar. Everysupposedly healthy food item Iexamined had an unhealthymeasure of added sugar. Acouple of weeks ago I went toanother store to buy proteinpowder. I decided not to get itbecause the tin of whey protein

had 9 grams of sugar per

serving. Its supposed to beprotein. Why the added sugar?

Why are these deceptivephrases on the boxes? Why is itthat virtually every food item ina package has sugar added to it?Asking these questions is like

asking a fisherman why hefishes with bait and hooks.

The phrases are the baitwhile sugar is the hook!

The fishermans bait-zerocholesterol- reeled me inwhenever I picked up myfavorite snack of honey roastedpeanuts; but 5 grams of sugar aserving got me hooked. So, fortwelve years I kept going back tothe aisle with nuts. It is the samesugar that got me hooked tochocolate chip ice cream, avariety of cookies, apple juice,

and bread. This human hook-sugar- is

potentially as dangerous as ahook is to fish! In one of hisarticles, Dr. Robert H. Lustigopined that sugar is ashazardous as alcohol. Accordingto him, excessive consumptionof fructose can cause many ofthe same health problems asalcohol. Chronic alcoholexposure is associated withhematological disorders,electrolyte abnormalities,hypertension, cardiac dilatation,cardiomyopathy, dyslipidemia,pancreatitis, obesity (insulinresistance), malnutrition, hepaticdysfunction, and addiction.Chronic exposure to fructose,

one of the sugars in food,causes the same long list ofterrible conditions. Just ascorporate lawyer DavidGillespie writes in hisbook, sugar truly is asweet poison.

Whenever you gogrocery shopping, take asecond look before youdrop any food item intoyour cart. Those deceptive

phrases are the bait so look forthe hook-the amount of sugarper serving. You have the powerto remain a fish or free yourselffrom the hook of the foodindustry.

References:1. Gillespie, David. 2008.Sweet Poison: Why Sugar MakesUs Fat. Australia: Penguin Aus.2. Lustig, Robert H. et al. 2012.Public health: The Toxic TruthAbout Sugar. Nature 482.27-29(02 February 2012)

Why is it that virtually every

food item in a package has

sugar added to it?


Iruka's Corner

UnknownAn Affair With the

A few months ago, I declaredto some friends that one of mygoals for the year is to be boldand audacious. Interestingly,most of them reacted with theresponse you already are.This response took me bysurprise each time. None ofthem asked what I meant orwhat I hoped to achieve. Theyjust assumed that I have theguts to leap into any goal I setfor myself. Its either I ambolder than I think I am or Ihave gotten good at faking it.If they only knew that I amconstantly riddled with self-doubt and second guessingmyself; that sometimes I am

crippled with fear and canbarely make the next move;that for each move I make,there are many more I did notdare to make. I am stillprocessing how I feel abouttheir unanimous reaction -either they do not truly knowwho I am or they believe I cando anything.

I rarely see myself as bold oraudacious. I do not alwayshave the nerve to tackle a lotof the things I would love todo. So, why do my friendsbelieve or see me as brave? Isit because I tend to dive in,even when I dont have all the


Iruka's Corner

answers or know how it will allplay out? Or because I try not to letmyself be deterred by obstacles?This is why I do not agree withthose who define courage as theabsence of fear. I may be seen ascourageous but it does not mean Iam fearless. I get anxious that itmay not work out. I get stressedthat my plan will fail. I have doubtsthat the venture may notbeprofitable. I worry that I maycome up short and disappointpeople.Whenthesevoices offear reartheirheads, Isilencethem andmusterthecourageto goaheadbecause Ibelievethe priceofinactionis greaterthanmaking a mistake. I choose to focuson the process not the finaloutcome. If it fails, I learn from itand move on.

My favorite definition of courage isby Osho, the Indian guru, who saysthat courage is a love affair withthe unknown.It is natural to beafraid particularly when youcannot guarantee the final outcomeor do not know your ultimatedestination. The problem ariseswhen you let fear put you in a stateof paralysis to a point where youcannot take a step. Thepreferred

option is to use fear as a guide.Acknowledge the fear and come upwith creative options to tackle it.Clearly, you will not have all theanswers, but you will be able tomove your legs and make a move.This is your first brave decision andan important step in the rightdirection. You have chosen to actinspite of your fear. That is the truemeaning of courage.Remember,fear is not a fact; it is only a feeling.

Life is fullofunknownsand thereare veryfewguarantees.On a dailybasis, weneedcourage toface ourday. Weneedcourage tomake thatfirst call,apply for anew job,become an

entrepreneur, take that trip, ask forhelp, offer assistance, resolve aconflict, popthequestion,ask for araise,submit anapplication,take thatclass or justmake adecision.Fear ofrejection orfailure may

keep you from embarking on anyof these ventures. Do not let thatdeter you, rather confront your fearhead on and proceed regardless ofit. Focus on the process of gettingthere. Once you do that fearbecomes paralyzed, not you. Yourperception changes and you findyourself embracing the unknown.There might be disappointmentsalong the way.Its okay. Use themastools to help you make the nextmove.

I am determined to stay in thegame as I continue my affair withthe unknown. The outcome isuncertain and failure is apossibility. However, I am learningmy lessons along the way as Iembrace the uncertainty of it all.

Resolve today to enter into arelationship with the unknown.Moveforward in spite of fear. Slowdown enough to face your fearsand do not get deterred byobstacles. They are just speedbumps. Acknowledge them. Driveover. Keep moving. Yourdestination is veryimportant.Something greatawaitsyou there.

cour age is alove affairwith theunknown

Iruka A. Ndubuizu is a contractguru, attorney, entrepreneur,consultant and trainer. She is anAssistant Director for ContractsAdministration at Emory Uni-versity in Atlanta, Georgia andthe Founder of Eureka Consult-ing, LLC (www.eurekaconsult-ingllc.com). You can reach her [email protected];678.224.1960.


News & Politics

History and Lessonsfrom Nigerias 2015

Presidential Election

History was made in March 2015with the victory of APCspresidential candidate and thePresident-Elect, General Buhari.

This is the first time an oppositionparty is allowed to win anelection and President Jonathan,the seating president of PDP, whichhas being leading Nigeria for thepast 16 years promptly calledGeneral Buhari to congratulate himand also conceded defeat, asreported by BBC. I doff my hat offto these two gentlemen because ofthe lessons to be learned from theirrespective actions.Lessons from the President-Elect,General BuhariGeneral Buhari has shownremarkable resilience,perseverance, as well as the highestlevel of industriousness in his questto serve as a democratically elected

president of Nigeria. This yearscontest marks his fourth attempt towin a presidential race, and he hasfinally won it because of hisdogged determination and refusalto give up. By all accounts, the roadto Buharis presidency has not beeneasy. He was not lucky to besummoned or chosen to run andhe was not anointed for theposition; he fought hard for it. In2003, he lost by over 11 millionvotes to President Obasanjo, but hewas not discouraged. In 2007, hesuffered another brutal loss toPresident Umaru YarAdua bywinning only 18% of the votes; herefused to quit. Then again in 2011,he took another shellacking fromthe incumbent President Jonathan,but he remained undaunted. Whata determination!Now, at a retirement age of 72 inthis 2015, General Buhari tried for

the fourth time and prevailed. Ifthis is not a success storyreminiscent of Abraham Lincolnsfeat and resilience, I dont knowwhat else is. As Nigerians, weshould all learn from GeneralBuhari determination tocontinually fight for what you wantas opposed to standing idle waitingfor a handout. I am hopeful that thefire burning in GMBs belly to serveNigeria as her president will alsolead him to do what is in the bestinterest of the country. At 72 yearsold, the only thing worth living foris a great legacy that will outlivehim. I join President Jonathan andthe rest of the Nigerians and theworld in congratulating GeneralBuhari in his well-deserved victoryas the President-Elect. Lesson from President GoodluckJonathanLike or hate him, President

Prince Dr. Chinedu Ikeanyi


News & Politics

Jonathan harbors two salient beliefsthat will forever endear him tomany Nigerians:

Belief #1: I believe in oneman, one vote. PresidentJonathan

Belief #2: I do not wantto shed any blood or for anyone toshed bloodfor me because of a vote. President Jonathan President Jonathan did not onlyimbibe these beliefs, he lived andpracticed them every day. Underhis presidency, his ruling party,PDP, lost more election court casesthan during the tenures of any ofhis two PDP predecessors -Obasanjo and YarAdua. This wasonly possible because PresidentJonathan was never interested ininfluencing the court system. Hesimply left the judiciary alone to dotheir job (this does not mean thatthe corrupt judges did not have a

field day during his tenure).Compared to President Obasanjosera, PDP never lost any major courtcase. OBJ would either impose anational holiday to prevent acrucial court decision or send hisinfamous EFFC after the plaintiffs.Regarding his Belief #2, we are yetto experience any ingloriousand/or mysterious exit of any ofthe big name politicians duringPresident Jonathans tenure.Someone once said that, PresidentJonathan is the only NigerianPresident that you can openlyinsult on Nigerian soil and still gohome and sleep with your two eyesclosed; then wake up the next dayand go about your regular businesswithout any harm. The man cannotand does not hurt a fly. Comparedto President Obasanjos era, we areyet to solve the mysteries behindthe deaths of so many high profileNigerian politicians including the

former Attorney General of theFederation, Chief Bola Ige, andChief Marshall Harry, the NationalVice Chairman of ANPP, who wasbrutally assassinated in Abuja in2003. Finally, the biggest lesson fromPresident Jonathan is that heembodies humility by doing todaywhat over 99% of Africans cannotdo the decision to relinquishpower without resorting toviolence, power-sharing or suicidaltendencies. Recall, with theexception of Ghana and Senegal,there has not been any othercountries in Africa where anincumbent President willingly gaveup power after losing an election toan opposition party. In most cases,opposition parties are neveraccepted in African continent they are perceived as radicals andnuisance who do not add anyvalue to the polity. Remember the


News & Politics

case of muammar Gaddafi whochose to die after 41 years in officerather than give up power; the caseof former President LaurentGbagbo of Ivory Coast who wascaptured like a rat by the Frenchforces in 2011 for refusing to handover power when he lost anelection after 11 years as thePresident, and Robert Mugabe atthe age of 91 and 28 years as acurrent serving President, who willrather kill as many of hiscountrymen as possible than giveup power.

President Jonathan has carved hisname on the stone for picking upthe phone to contact andcongratulate General Buhari forwinning the Presidential election2015. He will forever beremembered as the person whoadvanced Nigerian democracybeyond any other known patriotsin the history of our country. Mr.President, I salute you for thissingular class act.Respectfully,

Prince Dr. Chinedu Ikeanyi


Music & Entertainment

THE WORLD OF

DAVIDO!



His 2011 single, "Dami Duro",was well-received throughoutNigeria. Along with his elderbrother Adewale Adeleke,Davido is the co-owner of HKNMusic (a record label home toSina Rambo, B. Red andDeeKay). He has produced fornumerous artists, includingNaeto C, Skales, Tiwa Savageand Sauce Kid. In April 2012,he signed an endorsement dealwith MTN Nigeria. On October23, 2013, Davido partneredwith Guinness for the"Guinness World of More"concert. Davido has won a BETAward, a Kora Award, aChannel O Music VideoAward, a Ghana Music Award,a Nigeria Music Video Award,two MTV Africa Music

Awards, two African MuzikMagazine Awards, five TheHeadies Awards, seven NigeriaEntertainment Awards and twoDynamix All Youth Awards,among others.Born in Atlanta, Georgia,Davido relocated to Lagos at ayoung age. He released hisdebut album Omo Baba Olowoin 2012, which includes thesingles "Back When" featuringNaeto C, "Dami Duro", "All ofYou", "Overseas" featuring SinaRambo, "Ekuro", "Gbon Gbon"and "Feel Alright" featuring IcePrince. Davido has released thesingles "Gobe", "One of a Kind","Skelewu", "Aye", "Tchelete(Goodlife)", "Naughty" and"Owo Ni Koko" off hisupcoming album which was

slated to be released in thefourth quarter of 2014.In a 2014interview with the NigerianTribune, Davido said that hissecond studio album will notbe released in 2014.19922010: Early lifeDavido was born on November21, 1992 to Mr. and Mrs.Adeleke in Atlanta, Georgia.His father, Chief Deji Adeleke,is a Nigerian business magnatewhile his mother, the late Dr.Vero Adeleke, was a universitylecturer.He attended TheBritish International School inLagos. Davido studied BusinessAdministration at OakwoodUniversity prior to relocating toNigeria. He is currentlystudying at Babcock University

David Adedeji Adeleke(born November 21, 1992),

better known by his stagename Davido, is an

American-born Nigerianrecording artist, performer

and record producer



in Ogun State.

20112012:Omo Baba OlowoWork on Davido's debut studioalbum, Omo Baba Olowo,began in 2011. On May 7, 2011,Davido produced and releasedhis first musical recording"Back When".The song servedas the album's lead single andreceived frequent airplay.[1]The music video for thesingle, uploaded ontoYouTube on May 9, 2011,was shot and directed inNigeria by ClarencePeters.Davido told Factory78 TV that he recorded "BackWhen" in London.Davido co-produced "DamiDuro" with Shizzi andreleased it on October 30, 201The music video for "DamiDuro" was released onJanuary 8, 2012. It was shotand directed in Lagos byClarence Peters, and wasreleased during the OccupyNigeria protests. In aninterview posted onNotjustok, Davido spoke onthe release and compositionof "Dami Duro". He said herecorded "Dami Duro" inAugust 2011. Three monthslater, the song got leaked afterhe sent it out to some friends.On May 6, 2012, HKN Musicreleased "Overseas" as a singleoff the album. The unfinishedversion of the song leaked priorto the official release. OnSeptember 28, 2012, HKNMusic released the music videofor "All of You". The song wasproduced by Gospelondabeat.

When the song was released, itwas rumored to be a "beeftrack". In another interviewwith Factory 78 TV, Davidodebunked the rumors and

life & times spring 2015

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