When it comes to the ongoing protests and the labour strike in Nigeria it isn’t easy to get a clear perspective of the situation without being in the country. There are many articles by journalists and bloggers who unfortunately aren’t bothering to understand the contextual particularities of the bombings and of the #OccupyNigeria protests. As [...]
Since 1960 Nigeria has had no more than eleven years of unbroken civilian rule. Out of those, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) now led by Goodluck Jonathan has held a tight grip on power whilst barely contributing to any growth. Shell has just admitted that thousands of barrels of oil have spilt in the Bonga oil leak, the worst [...]
In the 1960s and 1970s when most African countries became independent states, one of the fundamental ultimate goals of rising pan-African ideology was to consolidate aspirations of African unity. Part of those ambitions manifested in ideologically driven cultural festivals such as the Rumble in the Jungle, FESMAN and FESTAC 77 which were pivotal in nurturing [...]
First things first, Lagos is not a bed of roses. You may have Nigerian friends who have told you stories about extravagant nightclubs and cruising on motor boats to privately owned beaches. They aren’t lying, I have often enjoyed such luxuries myself. But that’s the Lagos that makes people forget about the rest of Lagos, [...]
I am currently in Lagos. I am working on projects with TV and Radio Continental and the STAR company/Seeing through the Arts collective who are using art and creativity to promote important causes in society. There is a similar reasoning behind the MsAfropolitan Boutique, namely to use fashion and creativity to highlight the importance of the African [...]
I will be taking part in the inspirational Nigerians panel at the Africa Rocks Expo this Sunday, a one-day event celebrating African culture and showing why Africa is a great place to visit, work and do business in. This year’s expo focuses on Nigeria and “aims to dispel the misconceptions and show people that Nigeria is [...]
How can someone who propagates themselves as a chosen messenger of god advocate such divisive, confused and love-lacking opinion as Pastor Tapiwa Muzvidziwa? “God”, he says, disapproves of mixed marriages as these are “wrong” and detrimental to the children born of such relationships. Doesn’t he understand that the whole idea of banning interracial and interfaith relationships is deep [...]
Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached – Simone Weil When I think of London my thoughts float lightly because I feel detachment. Scandinavia is an abandoned home. Whenever I spend a long time (one week +) there, I’m reminded of why I moved to [...]
The mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. Through this work, I meet many inspiring women whose Afropolitan stories are featured in an interview series features which you can follow here. Last week the MsAfropolitan Boutique added its [...]
Do you know of the Africa Centre in London’s Covent Garden? If you don’t it’s a kind of home away from home for Africans in London. It hosts regular events of interest to diaspora groups, it sells books and other lovely products and it’s of historic significance. Despite this, it was revealed this year that [...]
Last Friday MsAfropolitan and I (some split-personality going on) participated in a wonderful event at the V&A Museum in London. We presented a fashion show and a panel discussion to a visitor count of over 5,000 people. Here are some of our, okay my, thoughts on the event. By the way, if you’re new to [...]
Thanks for all your recommendations to the ’7 Afropolitan artists to watch’ list. As I’m sure you will understand after listening to these three artists, I simply cannot choose. So I’ve got three runners up. 1. Blitz the Ambassador Seriously, you got to hit play and groove to this full album stream. Ghanaian, US-based emcee [...]
1. Kay Elizabeth Kay Elizabeth is a vocalist living in London, born in California, of Jamaican and English heritage. Her unique sound and performance style has formed through her personal voyages through history, experience and education. Becoming disenchanted in her youth with American education and popular culture, Kay found her musical interests moving away from [...]
Bright red double-decker buses. I don’t know why these particular vehicles have come to represent any sense of alienation that I feel in England. Nevertheless, the reflection of one against my window feels unwelcoming. I miss Lagos. It started last week, I began to prefix all my actions with the word ‘last’. I ate my [...]
I don’t know what to make of the Finnish elections last weekend, where the nationalist True Finns party won 39 seats of a 200-seat parliament. The Nigerian elections, which have led to violent clashes in Northern Nigeria where hundreds of people have now died, sadden me even more so. To make sense of things, I [...]
There comes a point during my stays in Lagos when I feel like I’m going to have a nervous breakdown. I dare say that most people who live in the developed world and travel to the developing world will experience a similar frustration if they stay long enough. Usually it is something trivial that triggers [...]
The right words are on the tip of my tongue, the ones that will touch somewhere in people’s souls where yellow is yellow and can never be red. But I am not sure that I can write them yet. Maybe I first need to be less colour-blind myself. In the meantime what I do know [...]
in·spi·ra·tion Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Thursday 03/02/11: Experienced lack of stimulation of the mind resulting in a low level of feeling towards activity = leth·ar·gy I’ve been feeling sluggish this week, and particularly yesterday. I tackled work assignments in the morning, went to an interesting [...]
It’s a shame that we black people are the ones that analyse and debate race and racism the most. If society was as post-racial as some try to claim, then I believe that it is white people that should be analysing and debating the effects racism has had on the world, whilst black people should [...]
Happy Holidays people! See, I’m supposed to be writing this from Lagos, Nigeria but then we had this snow incident in London last Saturday that meant my flight got cancelled. And honestly speaking it would have been irresponsible for me to fly regardless because I’m down with a relentless flu. So I’m in London, recovering, [...]
One of the challenges, and also opportunities with writing an opinion blog like mine is having to take a stand on the range of topics you write about. Whether it’s feminism, women’s libidoes, pornography or natural hair, when you take a firm stand on something you can appear to be unable to relate with the opposing side. [...]
In his book ‘Society must be defended’, written in 1976, Michel Foucault speaks about historical revisionism, hinting to a an earlier statement made by Winston Churchill who said that “History is written by the victors”. These discussions are still relevant today. A significant amount of historical narrative is still being written by those with the [...]
Violence against women is the single biggest threat to peace. And November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) marked the beginning of 16 days of activism for ending gender-based violence so I am writing this post to highlight and to express frustration with the (at best) lack of interest from African men [...]
The mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase and offer a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. As part of my journey to achieving this goal, I’ve met many inspiring women whose stories I want to share with you in an interview series features which [...]
The mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase and offer a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. As part of my journey to achieving this goal, I’ve met such inspiring women whose stories I want to share with you in an interview series features which [...]
The mission of the MsAfropolitan Boutique is to showcase and offer a handpicked range of products made by African Diaspora women on a rotating basis. Visit us here. As part of my journey to achieving this goal, I’ve met such inspiring women whose stories I want to share with you in an interview series feature. [...]
(Cross-posted on Nigerian’s Talk) Let’s face it, when it comes to the state of our country, we Nigerians are like infants refusing to admit that we’ve pooped. How else can we explain that despite being such an aware group of people, we also are collectively so complacent? After all, Nigeria surpasses many nations in submerging [...]
I’m not religious but I believe religion has enriched my life. I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria in what might be considered a typical African family home. It was a two story house with a three-bedroom flat on the top floor, and another similar flat on ground level. In the back compound there were two [...]
Beauty is composed of an eternal, invariable element whose quantity is extremely difficult to determine, and a relative element which might be, either by turns or all at once, period, fashion, moral, passion ~ Jean-Luc Godard When it comes to beauty, all women have to find a way to feel adequate and love themselves amidst [...]
Is there anything good about ageing? I spent a week in Finland this month, with my grandmother, in an elderly home amidst woods and lakes, and I must say, there’s something about being in a home for the elderly, a stillness that should be a part of younger life too. I don’t mean to glamorize old [...]
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