Nigerian markets in a "downward spiral"

Into business or a need a project to work on? Here's some lucrative to research and invest your time in.

Diaspora of the Week - Black Irish

This is definitely another loaded term, but I am sure many of you know what group people I am talking about.

The term "Black Irish" can have a different meaning based on context. Here are the main definitions:

1. White Irish peoples with dark hair and dark features.
2. Black peoples who were born and raised in Ireland and a part of Africa's diaspora.

What I am going to focus on is, of course, the latter. Also referred to as Afro-Irish, the Black Irish are primarily of (but not limited to) Nigerian ancestry. Like the Black British, many of the Black Irish (in both definitions) have faced discrimination. Unlike their British counterparts, they are small minority, currently making up only 1.1% of the population of Ireland. Sadly, there are not as many resources about the Black Irish in the African diaspora sense, but below are a couple resources to find out more.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ei.html

http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census/start.html

FIFA dubbs South Africa's World Cup 2010 as "great success"

Isn't this exciting! The first World Cup EVER held on African soil was dubbed AMAZING! That plants a BIG smile on my face. I see more coming in the future. But I am happy about the next one being hosted in Brazil. :) Check out the story.

The Investigation of the Four Days of 300 Rapes Continue

It looks like the UN is still trying to explain what has happened - or they are admitting that they failed in protecting people from being systematically raped in DR Congo. This particular monstrous and disgustingly literal rape of pretty much an entire village happened last month and appalled and angered many (myself included).

Rape for a long time has been used a weapon by rebel groups in the DR Congo. Sadly, it has been successful in prolonging guerrilla warfare in this country, intimidating and hurting hundreds, mainly women and girls.

What saddens everyone is the strong possibility that none of the victims will see justice. Read the story for more info.

Bishop Eddie Long's Oratory Off The Pulpit

Bishop Eddie Long has made his parishioners quiver and shake with the Spirit, but supposedly he has made some of them quiver and shake in other ways.

A top trend on Twitter this morning, the bishop of one of Atlanta's megachurches has been accused of having sexual relations with two of his male church members. Read the story to find out more on this fiery tale.

I am not going to comment on this too much today, but I am definitely going to save this for later when talking about homosexuality/bisexuality in the African-American community. But the one thing I will say is he is a married man and if he did do what he is being accused of, he'll be punished accordingly, and if he is innocent, those who falsely accused him will be punished accordingly.

It is a shame that we have yet another sex scandal dealing with a pastor, but this story seems as the investigation goes on, it is going to have the juiciness of reality show on VH1 coupled with a show on the CW. I see a BET movie being made out of this, regardless of the outcome...

Diaspora of the Week - The Gullah

Many of you may think of the TV show "Gullah Gullah Island" when you see that word Gullah, but did you know that the Gullah are REAL group of people? The show "Gullah Gullah Island" was designed to expose the Gullah culture to children, in an effort to end ignorance in regard to the diversity within the African-American culture. The Gullah are a group within the African-American culture that have successfully maintained most of their cultural roots from West Africa for hundreds of years, despite the efforts of slave traders and slave holders to strip all African slaves of their culture.

I found this beautiful and intriguing mini-documentary on the Gullah that you may find informative and maybe even shocking on so many levels. Sadly, I was not allowed to embed this video, but you can watch it here. http://bit.ly/JcY3V

As you're watching, these are the questions I think we should keep in mind:

1. Who are the losers in this piece?
2. Is their actual effort to preserve Gullah culture?
3. What can African-Americans learn about themselves (their past) from the Gullah culture?
4. What can Americans overall learn about themselves from the past and present of the Gullah?
5. Based on this piece, who is benefitting (profiting) from the Gullah and their culture?

Vangaurd's "Soccer's Lost Boys"

If you do not watch Current TV, start watching it. The channel has amazing and interesting documentaries and entertainment shows that I find to be well done and well put.

Tonight, I watched one of their TV Documentary series "Vanguard" and the episode "Soccer's Lost Boys," which I think actually aired towards the tail end or when the World Cup 2010 ended. This gives you a fascinating and almost appalling look into the world of soccer player trafficking, primarily from Africa to Europe. Below is the trailer for the episode. As soon as I find a full version, I will have it up, but meanwhile, check out Current TV on your local listing. If you don't have it, call your cable company to get it real fast and real quick.

An Old Saying Comes to Life

I found this video rather remarkable. We seldom hear about the contributions of wealthy Africans to those less fortunate, but hears one story that brought a big smile to my face.

This video is about a man from Cote d'Ivoire who has invested his time to improve the lives of many in Haiti by following a simple old saying. Take a look.

Highlight from the "New Blood" Art Showcase

Remember when I mentioned a pretty awesome art showcase earlier this month? Well, in case you missed it, here are the highlights (sorry, for some reason it wouldn't let me embed the video).

Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks - Round Two

You're probably wondering why I have a Middle Eastern issue being discussed on my blog. I have TWO reasons.

First, these talks are taking place in Egypt (an African nation), so by default, it fits into the theme of the blog.

Secondly, this issue does affect many Africans and its diaspora along with many other groups throughout the planet. I personally believe (along with many others) that this extremely long dispute is more religious than anything else, and there are many Muslims and Jews that live throughout the African continent, some peacefully, some not-so-much.

My hopes are that these talks not only have a peaceful and lasting resolution, but also marks as a starting point for cultural relativity between Jews and Muslims in a general sense. Read the story to find out more.

Diaspora of the Week - Nigerian-American

Many of you may have this question lingering in your head: "Isn't Nigerian-American the same as African-American?" For those who are thinking that, I ask this question to you: "When you refer to a White American as European-American or Irish-American, German-American, etc?"

When that question is posed, the vocabulary usually changes to: "Well, what is the difference?" Glad you asked because that is the very purpose of this entire blog: to give knowledge of Africa and the African diaspora. Like Europe, Africa is very diverse and rich in cultures (in fact, maybe even more so, since Nigeria alone has at least 250 native ethnic groups). So, now, the question is: "Why are African-Americans not referred to as Ghanaian-American, Cameroon-American, etc?"

African-Americans' ancestors arrived to the United States against their will and were stripped of nearly every single cultural and ethnic tie to their countries. Even though many of them did come from West Africa, records show that there are others that came from every region in Sub-Saharan Africa making it almost impossible to trace back their ancestry without any documentation. All in all, African-Americans have been in this country since it's beginnings and developed their culture from what they were able to retain from Africa here in the United States.

Nigerian-Americans, however, refers to Americans whose parents immigrated to the United States from usually post World War Two era until today. There are some distinct cultural difference between African-American and Nigerian-Americans (like foods, vocabulary/dialect, traditional activities), but there are some similarities. Since I am Nigerian-American, there are certain foods I grew up with that are seldom seen in a African-American household. I grew up not only eating typical American foods like hot dogs and french fries, but also egusi soup with pounded yam, jollof rice with plantains, chin-chin and the list goes on. Many African-Americans tend not to hear about these food until they are older. In fact, I didn't really know what soul food was until I was about 9 years-old. Similarly, due to skin color, like African-Americans, Nigerian-American face and have faced discrimination.

Overall, Nigerian-Americans and African-Americans have very different and distinct cultural experiences, but in some cases they can be similar. I found an interesting website made for Nigerian-Americans and Nigerians living in the US. Below are a few others:

http://nigerian-americanchamber.org/

http://namsausa.org/

http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Nigerian-Americans.html

Here is also a video summing up Nigerian-Americans rather well.

The Nigerian American Community Part 1/4

Soweto Sets the Trend

I learned today that Soweto, an urban township just outside of Johannesburg , is a trendsetting city. Check out this photo essay and see for yourself. Maybe you'll want to take some of these trends.

Cheap and Innovative South African Filtration

I love cheap. Who doesn't? I love cheap more when it is innovative. I love innovation more when it is cheap and could pave the way to solve a global problem. And the icing on the cake is best when it is made in Africa!

South African researchers have developed an amazing cost-effective tea bag filtration system that almost anyone can use to turn non-drinkable water into refreshing yummy good for you water. Considering that a large number inhabitants of Sub-Saharan African countries and many other parts of the world do not have access to clean water, this innovation can change the lives of millions and also improve the lives of those who have drinkable water and make it cleaner. Read more about this awesome yet simple device.

Remember When the UN Pissed Me Off? More on That Story...

So there has been an update to the post/story about the recent rapes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Should I still be pissed at the UN? You decide.

Here We Go Again...Nigeria's Super Eagles in Another Mess

What words can describe this? Only one: STUPID. After Nigeria's Super Eagles lost to South Korea's team during the 2010 World Cup, the Nigerian government attempted to intervene and punish the team for their performance throughout the group round (which was rather ridiculous until the their game against South Korea). Of course, government intervention in football affairs are against FIFA rules and regulations and the Super Eagles could have faced exclusion from the 2014 World Cup. The Nigerian government quickly backed off.

Now, we got a NEW kind of drama, which is this time (apparently) more internal. Supposedly, some of the coaches for the Super Eagles have stolen a reported $8m during the 2010 World Cup from the team. I heard this and a HUGE sigh of disgust came out of my mouth without any thought.

If they did, each one of them should be ashamed of themselves and deserve jail time. Nigeria's government is notorious for money games like this and you would hope that athletic teams would at least be more honest, especially a national team, in hopes of showing progress.

However, there is a possibility that they did not. As you read the story, the underlying possibility that the Nigerian government is trying to find another way to punish the team for their performance is evident. I am going to keep everyone posted on this hot mess.

Soaps Connecting Nigeria and Brazil

Brazil and Nigeria have had many cross-cultural exchanges for nearly three centuries (mostly evident in Salvador, Brazil and Lagos, Nigeria), and almost all of them have shaped the contemporary cultures and subcultures within those countries. This is definitely a more contemporary example of how two different countries have a lot in common.

Dear Senate, Please Fix This Hot Mess

Here we go again with this same stupid, dumb, low-level, crazy, twisted, racist hot mess. This is one of those games by our U.S. government that seems to me like a form of discrimination on case that is supposed to RESOLVE a past discriminatory measure.

In short, over a decade ago, a case was settled out of court for minority farmers (mostly black) who have been denied farm loans based on their skin color. Each of the farmers who filed claims were supposed to have received their monies based on the settlement back in 1999. However, as CNN.com reports, many of them filed their claims too late and did not receive their piece of the settlement. Too bad, right?

Well, folks, this is where it gets interesting and where I got mad. This video and corresponding article has more details.

Diaspora of the Week - Black British

This is probably one of the most interesting terms that I have heard in a long time. Why? It's various meanings.

In a contemporary sense, Black British refers chiefly to a British resident of Sub-Saharan African decent. However, I have discovered that their all others meaning to this term, and some are still in use today.

Black British can also refer to all ethnic minority groups in UK (which is no longer widely used, but is around, contextually). More specifically, it can also refer to those of South Asian decent along with those of Sub-Saharan African decent.

Now that the definitions are somewhat clear, I found some interesting historical information about some race riots that have occurred in the UK (primarily in England). Most of them usually involved those that are Black British in either the contemporary definition or the definition that includes those of South Asian and Sub-Saharan African decent. Some of them are actually very recent, but not as severe as the ones in the past.

I thought these cases were interesting to bring up since we tend to neglect some of the racial incidents that have occurred in Europe involving those of African decent. I also thought it was interesting since South Asians were/are also a part of the term "Black British."

The questions I have for all of you is:

1. Why were/are South Asians considered "Black" in the UK?
2. What similarities (after reading some of the cases) do the riots have in comparison to those in the US?
3. Why are race riots in the UK not talked about as much as those that occurred in the US and in South Africa?

Moving on from the race riots, there's plenty more. I must discuss the cultural/sub-cultural differences of the Black British (the contemporary definition) compared to the mainstream. In all, it is very similar to African-American culture, but there are some striking differences, based on how the Black British culture developed and evolved:

• Black British English (BBE) is heavily influenced by Jamaican English, mainly because many of the Black immigrants to the UK are from Jamaica.
• Black British music (which it is NOT called, by the way) is heavily influenced by reggae.

The similarities to the African-American community are just as striking, however. The disparities in employment and crime compared to their white counterparts are comparatively as great in both communities (even though the crime rates in the UK are significantly lower than they are in the US). Also, many successful Black Britons are in the entertainment business in some way, just like many of those in the African-American community. (I must note that there are many that are successful in virtually all employment sectors as well in both and all aspects of the African diaspora. Don't get it twisted...)

To learn more about the Black British, I found blackpresence.co.uk to be rather helpful.

Marriage Dance in the Christian Faith

Christianity is a BIG portion of the African-American culture. It has pulled the slaves through slavery, helped the Civil Rights workers pull through the insanity of de facto and de jure segregation, and it has grounded many African-Americans today.

Yesterday, my friend found this video with married couples dancing. I found this to be hopeful for those who wish to be married and beautiful for those who are married. This is I think a Godly way enhance and prolong a marriage because it a loving bonding experience that is being presented to an entire congregation.

Some argued that this is not church appropriate. I would like to hear your thoughts on this aspect of a married couples' ministry and tell me how you feel. I must also point out that this is at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago (the church President Barack Obama used to attend).

I'm Back and Turning the Light on Nigeria

Sorry, peeps. I know it's been a few days since I have posted something, but this week has been INSANELY crazy. I've met many new students this week, from literally every corner of the world, and they all have fascinated me with their personalities and expected contributions to the art community, which was the main solace during the craziness.

Anyway, so today I read an interesting editorial on President Goodluck Jonathan's proposal to improve the power sector in Nigeria (the comments on the editorial were just as great, btw). As many who are familiar with Nigeria's embarrassingly frequent blackouts (Nigeria is the world's 13th largest oil producer), this major problem has been addressed with resolutions that were never followed through. Sadly, the last proposed measure was not followed through due to the former president's ailing health which resulted in his death.

Hopefully, President Jonathan's measure will follow through and keep Nigerians in the light. As many economist have already projected, if Nigeria can improve it's infrastructure while re-diversifying its economy and rejecting its over-dependence on oil, it will be on a light speed track to continuing to be one of the Next 11.