Wande Coal NEW Video: "Private Trips"

You know, I love promoting Nigerian music, especially if it's Hip-Hop or R & B. Hope you enjoy this new song by Nigerian megastar, Wande Coal.

Open for business

Aerial view of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The city recently reopened it's national theater.

Two very interesting things have happened this week north of the equator on my favorite continent. In Nigeria, states and local government areas (LGA) have been given authorization to distribute and produce electricity. In Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, the national theater has reopened after being closed for nearly 20 years.

For Nigeria, this looks like the beginning of the end of several power outages in a day, which, despite it's steady economic growth in the past decade, has pretty much crippled it's full economic potential. In Mogadishu, notorious for being a failed city in a failed nation, maybe this marks a cultural revival (theater culture, that is). Looks like in both countries, a lot more open signs will be up.

"Chop my money...because I don't care"

I'm definitely not talking about my money; my wallet is on lock and chain. P-Square and Akon, however, have explicitly stated they want women spending their dinero in their new song cleverly titled "Chop My Money."

Of course, all of these guys are pretty much ballers (SURPRISE! Not everyone in Africa is poor and helpless) and they are not afraid to flaunt it...in the music video that was released today.



Even though the song's melody and chorus feel kind of average to me, the overall music is well done. Kudos! Despite all of this, I could not get past thinking of another music video starring a popular Nigerian comedian, Nkem Owoh.

Nigeria Teams Up With China to LIFT OFF

China has been pretty involved in re-development and development projects in Africa for a while now, and on a very large scale. Yesterday, Spaceflight Now reported that Nigeria and China joined on another venture - space. No, as far as I know, no Nigerians will be floating thousands of miles above our atmosphere, but Nigeria definitely will be marking itself as Africa's leader in satellite communications and definitely pave the way for China to become the global leader in the space industry.

Reading this, I couldn't help but to reminisce my younger days as a coordinator for a traveling Vacation Bible School team.



The theme for this was hot air balloons, not spacecrafts, but for some reason, this song is going through my head (probably because it is forever ingrained and I still think of a rocket ship when I hear "lift off").

Tweets From Nigeria's News Desk

In the midst of Nigeria's National Assembly passing a bill that adds strengthens anti-homosexuality laws in Africa's most populous nation, reliable news source Nigeria's Newsdesk tweeted some rather interesting news bites:

"@NigeriaNewsdesk: Anyone who discriminates against HIV/AIDS persons in Cross River State is liable to three months’ imprisonment or option of fine."

Immediately after, they tweeted this:

"@NigeriaNewsdesk: The CNPP yesterday asked President Jonathan to heed the warning by former President Obasanjo against a possible mass revolt in the country."

This brings two things to mind. First, wouldn't this state law conflict with the new federal law? And three months for discriminating against someone with HIV/AIDS (usually assumed to be homosexual in Nigeria) yet a homosexual can receive up to 14 years in prison and is denied certain rights. There's a lot of things that conflict here.

Secondly, I don't think a mass revolt would occur from the formation of this law, since a sizable lot of Nigerians are in support of this bill and a minority is actively against it. However, this brings me back to some of the things I said in my last post about the priorities of Nigeria's government. This issue was put ahead of issues that have been chronic issues in the country for the past decade: a spotty electrical grid (shameful for one of the world's largest oil producers), poverty, health care and education. These are issues that the most attention should be focused on. Businesses and homes need a reliable supply of energy so they don't have to resort to using polluting generators, a unnecessary expense when there should be more than enough electricity for everyone. Nigeria has a vast shortage of doctors and nurses and a health care system that is still being reorganized. The educational system, especially in rural areas, is in shambles. Poverty levels have barely decreased since the beginning of the last decade. Strengthening homosexuality laws is not going to solve any of these problems. Maybe focusing on these important issues can actually avoid any kind of mass revolt.

Nigeria Anti-Gay (Marriage) Bill

I've been thinking about some of the issues I have with the fight for gay rights in most of sub-Saharan Africa, mainly it's approach from the West (or should I say the former colonizers).

There's a condescending nature of the West when they tell African nations: "We'll pull aid from countries that pass anti-gay legislation." The United Kingdom's Prime Minister David Cameron said something of a similar vein not to long ago.



Before I go into it, I do believe every minority group in every country should be treated and respected as a human, regardless if you are a racial, ethnic or sexual minority. More so, whoever you sleep with is only your business, as long as you're not having sex with them in public.

The part that bothers me most about this is not even the recent legislation being passed in Nigeria or some that may be passed in other countries, but the passive aggression coming from the West. "They're all on a journey and we want to help them get there," said David Cameron. But did you ASK these nations what is their journey and WHERE they would like to be? You assume that these nations want to be like the West? Many of them want to be African. If you listen to some of the homophobic rhetoric of these leader, despite their bases for the argument, they want to make sure their country has a strong African identity. Do I believe anti-homosexuality laws define an African identity? Hell no. But I also do not believe that African nations should be told aspire to be "Westernized."When you begin to realize African cultures are not backward and they need to be TAUGHT how to think, then maybe change can happen. African countries, based on all the resources they have are more than capable of making their countries work for them. Plus, many of their economies are doing better than many Western nations at the moment. Didn't Angola just offer it's former colonizer Portugal aid?

Now that we are in a post colonial and increasingly global society, the approach of these Western nations to anti-gay policies in Africa should not be "we won't give you money" but instead understanding how to approach the issue that would be effective in an African nation and not basing it on how things are done in West.

To be quite honest, African cultures are very active cultures, especially when it comes to politics. When Africans are angry, we are angry. That's why protesting almost always turns into bloodshed and militant groups form. Do I support this violence? No, not at all because in the end the statement is made at the cost of innocent lives. However, I understand where it is coming from - the mind.

In the United States, when laws are created to protect the rights of minority groups, it doesn't change the minds of people by any means, but because the culture is passive, little is done to challenge the laws which in turn changes HOW people discriminate against minority groups (for example, "white flight" from Northern US cities from the mid 1960s onward).

In South Africa, considered the most liberal African country, who have had laws to protect the LGBT community for around a decade now, corrective rape toward lesbians is still rampant, if not worse than before, DESPITE the laws to protect women from rape combined with the laws created to protect lesbians. In many African countries, people don't passively obey a law simply because it's in place. Instead, the laws will be completely ignored unless the mindset is changed.

If the greater society of an African nations believes homosexuality is sinful, they are not going to support any legislation that protects gay rights. However, if there is dialogue between groups, a compromise can be reached and a change in the mind can begin. It will be a slow process, but in the end, Africans from both sides of the aisle can live peacefully. After that, there's a much higher possibility of this kind of legislation being supported by the majority. This does not mean the West needs to interfere, but instead support dialogue when asked.

Long story short, when the need is there, they'll ask. The West needs to stop assuming Africa needs them. What Africa needs right now are more leaders who are more interested in their populations than their bank accounts.

I'm Back...With A LOT of News

Hey all! I've been gone for a while because of all the madness associated with planning International Education Week and most recently Thanksgiving. Now that that's over, I can sit down and give some of my thoughts on recent events throughout the Black World:

Herman Cain - Oh my, where do I begin? The sole black presidential candidate for the Republican party is already in a scandal and the primaries haven't happened yet. Even though I am most likely not going to vote for him, I must say what he's in seems just another group of gold diggers trying to fill their pockets and maybe even discredit the sole black candidate for the Republican party. Overall, all the candidates so far seems like the biggest jokes. I'm surprised that the lot to choose from for this upcoming election, if you plan to vote for a Republican candidate are pretty much using those old and now laughable political tactics in hopes of gaining favor with the American public. Americans are a lot smarter than back in 2004, so I think all of these candidates need to take a seat a really become more engaged with the voters, not whose pockets they've placed their hands in.

Voting in the Democratic Republic of Congo - Many of us probably are praying that this election brings massive change to this war torn country that has been named as the rape capital of the world. But, as we noticed, change doesn't always come easy, and in the case of the DRC, it came with violence. Already, three people have been killed in voting violence - and that's just the canopy of the jungle. I simply don't get it. Why must voting have violence? If you like a certain candidate, don't for them - plain and simple. Why must you force others to not vote for them? Maybe I'm out of touch with this issue as much as the Republican candidates are with American voters...Otherwise, maybe things might be hopeful since just as powerful as the eruption in violence during the elections, volcanoes have propelled their lava into the air causing tourists from all over to stay over night to that lava glow. Sounds like an economic boost is in the DRC's near future...maybe a start to the end of bloodshed and the beginning of, well, lava-shed.

(Anti-) Same-Sex Marriage Bill in Nigeria - I was kind of annoyed to find this out this morning. Nigeria is one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in Africa, yet nearly half of it's people are living in poverty, the public schools have gone from good to bad and electrical blackouts are commonplace (despite it being one of the top ten oil producers in the world). There are so many problems that are paramount to feed it's rapidly growing economy, but the government is focusing on strengthening it's already strict anti-homosexuality laws? To me (and I think to the majority of Nigerians) the priorities are obvious - focus on the development of the economy by creating jobs, improving education, and continue to improve the infrastructure. Afterward, maybe you focus on some of the social issues that are pretty much based on fear.

Question of the Week - Part 2: "Are there rich people in Africa?"

I'm a bit late posting this question, like two weeks late. This is from someone in Korea.

Question: Are there rich people in Africa?

Answer: Yes. Plenty. I know several Western news media tend to mostly show Africans in poverty (which there's a lot of that, too), but they also forget that several African countries are leaders in production of some resources we take for granted, like gold, diamonds, oil, to name a few. Of course, where is all this money going? Mainly to the African businesses owned by Africans, of course!

The wealthiest black person on the planet is Nigerian and lives in Nigeria. His name is Akilo Dangote, founder and owner of one of Africa's largest multinational conglomerates, Dangote Group. I mentioned him before on my blog in regard to solar energy in Africa, particularly in Angola, South Africa and Nigeria.

There's a list of the wealthiest Africans on TheRichest.org, and Akilo Dangote is, of course, at the top.

A Royal Nigerian Wedding

Seeing someone who's not Nigerian in Nigerian clothing is always cool to me. Another reason why I love CNN's Christian Purefoy. Check this out.

Another Accolade for Lagos, But Who Knows About This?

Lagos, Africa's second largest metropolis has been experiencing a lot of good press in the past decade. Reports show the city of 15 million is successfully facing African urban challenges (for example, traffic and cleanliness has dramatically improved over the past few years, due to rigorous improvements in public transportation and smart environmental schemes). The city, already popular for it's booming entertainment industry, is becoming better known for world-class urban feats, primarily Eko Atlantic, the reclamation project off the coast of the exclusive upscale neighborhood, Victoria Island. Most importantly, the Lagos State government has been successful in collecting taxes to fund statewide projects. Today, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola's accomplishments were highly noted by Nigeria's federal government, according to the governor's website.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Muhammed, is touring Lagos today along with Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, in hopes to make similar improvements on a national level and continued work in Abuja. The best part is when Muhammed congratulated Fashola on his improvements in Lagos and how it shows that "Nigeria is working."

Similar success stories have been going on in several other African nations, Rwanda being a great example. Lately, we've been hearing about the disaster in Somalia (which I have yet to address). My biggest problem at the moment is African success stories seemed to get little press and African problems, like the one in Somalia, seem to be at the top of the news. Not the the famine in Somalia shouldn't be addressed (it's a very serious and complex issue), but I wonder what happened to balance in our news coverage (some may argue it was never there)?

I have said this many times before, but the reason why many people have this negative and very one-sided stereotype of Africa (Africa is a poor and devestated NATION) is because there are usually ONLY reports of the continent's problems. Yes, the famine in Somalia is horrible, but look at Ghana and Rwanda and Nigeria and Botswana - these are just some countries that have been having positive change in the last decade. Tell me how often you've heard about any of these positive changes.

Nollywood is Online (duh!)

Apparently, as much as love CNN International's Christian Purefoy for his coverage of Nigeria, he is kinda late on this.

This week in African Voices, Nollywood's online presence is the focus. In fact, the focus on the YouTube channel, Nollywood Love, which has hundreds of Nollywood titles for peeps to watch - FOR FREE.

One of my friends got me hooked on Nollywood Love a few months ago when I was taking care of business in Korea. Seriously, this is a treasure for any person of the African diaspora and another simple way for non-Africans to take a look into the continent (and, of course, the world's second largest film industry).

And, for readers of this post, if you can name the Nollywood actress spotted WORKING in this edition of African Voices (watch all three parts), I have THREE Nollywood DVDs to give away to the ONE person that gets the answer right (after random selection if there are several with the right answer)! To enter, follow me on Twitter (@theobomanu) then comment on this post like so:

Answer

Your Name

Twitter ID

City, Country

The three I have all have good stories and one is hard to find online and even in typical African stores. I think anyone will enjoy all of them! The winner will be announced at the end of August! Good Luck!

Nigeria, Angola and South Africa Should Invest in Solar Power

Nigeria, Angola and South Africa are three of the most prosperous countries in Africa. Nigeria and South Africa are the most influential not only throughout the continent, but increasingly in the world. If these two countries begin to focus more on green energy alternatives, not only will they fuel their economies, but they will be Africa's green leaders. If Angola follows suit, it could potentially be in the top 5 of Africa's largest economies and people could even move out of poverty at rates like those in China and Brazil.

An obvious resource, Africa receives a lot of solar energy throughout most of the year. In fact, North Africa alone receives so much that it is estimated that there's more than enough to provide electricity not only for the region, but also for neighboring Europe and the Middle East. Imagine the potential of other African nations combined. Furthermore, it is a clean and renewable resource, which translates to less pollution (which means fewer people being sick) and poverty reduction. It can also be used on a small scale to power remote towns and villages, as is being done in several African countries now.

Let's look at Nigeria first. Nigeria is currently Africa's largest oil producer and it's third largest economy (maybe the second, since Egypt still has a lot of stability issues at the moment). Also, Nigeria is still plagued with infrastructural issues, the main complaint being it's electrical grid. If a Nigerian invests in this (especially if it is the world's richest black man, Akilo Dangote, owner and founder of Dangote Group, West Africa's largest conglomerate), the money to be made would be incredible and the jobs created would be astounding. On top of that, the energy provided would affect every aspect of business and raise the living standards (Nigeria has one of the highest in Africa). For immediate solutions, Nigerian governments on the state or even federal level could give incentives to businesses and developers that invest in solar energy. What Nigerian would not want to wave good-bye to their loud, smokey generator? I know the businesses would be more than happy. Mr. Dangote, I seriously think this should be your next endeavor. You will not only make a great investment for yourself, but also for you country in one of the best ways.

Angola, which has experienced astronomical growth since it's nearly three decade civil war has ended in 2002, is quickly becoming an African powerhouse - and the world has taken notice. It's global notoriety has even made it's capital and largest city Luanda the world's most expensive for expatriates. However, Angola currently has one of the widest income gaps in Africa, and most of it's poverty is in the rural areas. Investment in small to medium scale solar energy projects, especial in remote areas, would close the income gap and even quicken the pace of developing schools, hospitals and other public facilities that have been closed or destroyed during the war. All of these things are necessary for continued economic growth and to raise the standard of living and Angola is currently relying on their oil wealth.

Finally, we have South Africa, Africa's largest economy and sometimes even considered with the BRIC. South Africa has not been have infrastructural problems or a dire public service problem like Nigeria and Angola respectively, but they are going to have a severe environmental problem if they don't stop investing in coal plants. Last year, the World Bank contributed nearly $3.75 billion to South Africa to construct these toxic factories in an effort to avoid a power shortage. Seriously, that is one of the worst excuses I've heard. We know a power shortage is looming, but resorting to the dirtiest option will simply cause more problems and only prevent one.

Despite each country's unique problems, there is one problem each country has: lack of human capital. Most importantly, for any economy to grow, it needs human capital. If there is not enough power, there's no way to train the people needed to fuel the economy. If people are suffering disease due to the pollutants from a coal plant or from mining coal, that would mean less people able to work. If homes are without electricity, how will these workers store food and how will their children do their homework? A common saying in Nigeria is "charity begins at home." If you're not doing well at home, how will be able to do well at work. Investing in solar energy does more than keep the lights on. It's a lucrative business investment that can last a lifetime with little to no harm to the environment and the people.

Africa on New York's Runway

Over a week ago was the fabulous (yes, I did use that word) Africa Fashion Week in New York. This annual event was directed and created by Nigerian-born fashion entrepreneur and owner of the fashion agency Adiree, Adiat Disu. Hopefully, by the end of the week I will have a review of this fashion presentation, from a guest blogger. Meanwhile, I'm going to do two things: feature one of the designers that were present and put in my commentary (of course).

The designer I would like to feature (which had one of the few, if not the only, line for males) is South African Stiaan Louw. My favorite attribute about his clothing is you can see the influences of traditional attire from various cultures across the continent, yet it has a modern and forward vibe. I can see a bit of Nigeria, and a bit a of Egypt and of bit of Sudan and of course South Africa in many of the pieces. The colors are brilliantly muted, giving the lyrical drapery of the garments sense of masculinity. Finally, it LACKS prints, which seem to be the standard when one thinks of African clothing. The pictured outfit is one I'm considering for inspiration for my style (it's from Joburg Fashion Week 2011).

What do I think about Africa Fashion Week in New York? Well, I think it is brilliant. It is one of the BEST ways to bring the talent of Africa to the Western world (especially the United States, since the views of Africa are still very narrow/one-sided). Having a taste of Africa in your own country ends the excuse: "Oh, I can't learn about Africa because it is too far/I don't have the money/I don't have the time." There are things that relate to each person in this nation that have a taste of Africa in it. If you like spicy food, go to a West African restaurant. If you love fashion, go to Africa Fashion Week. If you like to dance, go a to community center and see if they offer an African dance class. If you're in business, check out the stock markets in Nigeria, Angola, Ghana, South Africa, any African nation. If you're bored and online, Google or Wikipedia an African nation (or even read some of the posts on my blog). Whatever it is you like to do, it's in Africa, just like it is in the United States, South Korea, the UK - anywhere. You just have to open your mind and get out of your damn box (yes, I said it). Stop making excuses and do it!

Men in Love

I don't even know where to begin with this movie. (Literally, after I typed that last sentence, I unconsciously sighed.) Men in Love is a Nollywood film starring Tonto Dikeh and John Dumelo, two famous actors in West Africa. This movie, though...

Okay, I guess I'll simply break this movie down in the easiest terms:

1. Man cheats on wife with a ton of women.
2. Wife catches him with his secretary and whoops her ass, then threatens to leave her husband.
3. Man stops cheating and he and his wife have make-up sex; everything's cool.
4. Man meets old friend.
5. Old friend invites man to dinner; old friend reveals he's gay and in love with man.
6. Old friend drugs man at a party then rapes man.
7. Man wakes up knowing he was raped and pissed, but doesn't know he's been "charmed" by the old friend.
8. Man cheats on his wife with old friend; wife catches them having sex.
9. Wife discovers man has been charmed after praying/crying at a church for 5 days via divine revelation from the pastor's wife.
10. Pastor's wife has a prayer vigil and the charm is lifted from man.
11. Wife and man live happily ever after.

Can you see my problem with this movie? If not, maybe you need to watch it yourself (there are two parts).

I found this movie entertaining, but there are two things that I just feel I need to discuss. On one had I have the spiritual aspect (no Nollywood movie would be complete without some diabolical ploy being extinguished.) On the other hand, I had this portrayal of homosexuality, which has it's negative overtone (which I have discussed how this is taboo in many black communities before).

This spiritual battle, if you will, is interesting. I knew the old friend (Alex) used some kind of evil magic based on this one thing: no one (gay, straight, bi, smart or stupid) would EVER fall in love with their rapist. Period. That was a dead giveaway. If you were a rape victim and you knew your rapist would you fall in love with your rapist? I think not.

Now, the homosexuality message is worrisome. Even though I think this is the first time I think I have seen two straight men act gay well in Nollywood movie, the message about homosexuality is worrisome - and I am not talking about the overt message that it is a sin. The part that bothers me is it has the undertones of the reasons to support the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, a bill that still sits in Ugandan parliament, waiting to be passed or vetoed due to international intervention. This movie seems to say homosexuals are rapists, use black magic and cannot control their lusts, even though the movie really showed a diversity of gay men.

Since Nollywood is not only Africa's largest movie industry but the second largest in the world based on the amount of movie produced, this message can and will (if not already) reach Uganda and can be used (if not already) by the bill's supporters. Now if this movie is used as a tool to cause the death of thousands of Ugandans, the producers would have some bloody hands to wash.

Before anybody starts to say something crazy, let me tell you I do not support ANYONE being forced to do something against their will. Period. Rape is forcing someone to have sex. I do not support rape under any circumstance; there's no justification for it.

Anyway, regardless of what you may think of homosexuality, there are two things we can all agree on: murder is murder and ignorance can lead to hate.

Nigeria's Disappointment

Many great things have happened in Nigeria over the past decade. Nigeria has seen steady economic growth (it's now a middle-income economy), a lot of new development, steady repair and replacement of infrastructure, the gradual clean up of political corruption, and an evident (but slow) growth/return of the middle class. But there is one big problem - education.

Nigeria's educational system has gone from being great immediately after independence to one of the worst in Africa, despite it being the third largest economy in Africa and the continent's largest oil producer. Investors main concern is human capital; well-educated middle income Nigerians seem to leave for Europe or North America and those who are poor are left with below substandard educational facilities and teachers. This video from CNN International shows the importance of education for continued and stabilized economic growth and compares African economies.

With all the money pouring into Nigeria thanks to it's oil wealth, fixing it's educational infrastructure should be a breeze, especially since places like Rwanda have no natural resources and yet is rebuilding itself quickly and it's economy is growing.

Rem Koolhaas is in Love with Lagos

Some people who are close to me know I have a secret love for architecture. As a child, for a period I really wanted to be an architect. Then I noticed the amount of math involved and the dream faded quickly.

However, I am still in love with architecture and urban planning and one of my favorite names in the business is Rem Koolhaas, a world-renowned Dutch architect and a professor of Architecture and Urban Planning at Harvard University. Seriously, this guy has some of the sickest buildings I have seen, and if I am blessed with tons of money, I would love for him to design my house. (BTW, he has a building on the Illinois Institute of Technology's campus, for my Chicago peeps. During the day, pretty much anyone can walk in and see this rather chic and colorful display of academia.)

So, what does this man have with Lagos? Well, I discovered there's an entire documentary that was made nearly 8 years ago about his Lagos love, rightly and simply titled "Lagos/Koolhaas." Below is a bit of it I found on YouTube.



More interesting than this video was also some of the highlights in the description of the documentary on the filmmakers' website. This stood out to me:

"...In most North American cities we grumble about the traffic and turn up the CD. In Lagos, traffic jams are such an overwhelming feature of the city that they have become a key marketplace. When the cars stop, the trading begins. Or, as Koolhaas's report puts it, "the ubiquitous traffic jam: lulled in congestion, captive to the road's breadth, and thriving with entrepreneurial activity.'"

This is such a brilliant insight to an urban situation or problem and goes directly to some of the things I have told people that feel more comfortable not leaving their city (sometimes even their neighborhood). When we go outside of where we have been most of our lives, we begin to see different perspectives on life. Of course, Koolhaas has cool in his name, so his insight was not surprising to me.

I think what is more important is someone of his prominence in the world of architecture and urban planning is looking to Lagos (a city that is getting closer to world class status, but still has a lot to fix up in regard to infrastructure) as inspiration to solve problems in already world-class metropolises. Is this showing the Western World that Africa is not as backward as they think? Maybe it even shows that it is more forward or progressive than the West?

West Africa's Largest Art Gallery

I am slowly becoming of fan of famous fabric dyer Nike Davies Okundaye from Nigeria. Her craft is not the only thing that draws me to her, but also her vision to bring arts back to the Nigerian forefront and bring more women out of poverty through art. She is seriously a phenomenal woman (and yes I see her as the Nigerian Maya Angelou).

Okundaye also owns the largest art gallery in West Africa. Take a look at this excerpt from CNN International's "African Voices."

I think many people tend to neglect and/or forget that art is alive and well throughout Africa in so many ways and has been for centuries and continues to be inspiration for artists in every discipline. Not too long ago, I even found some info about a documentary that focuses on the youth culture in South Africa.

With the recent events in Libya and Ivory Coast, which have brought a necessary but negative attention to this diverse continent, maybe this might open doors to a world that has been greatly generalized for so long. The countries that are center stage in the news are going through very different experiences and yet are on the same continent - an example of how there are sharp contrasts, contrary to the stereotype that African cultures are the same. Now it is up to viewers to realize the contrasts and maybe begin to see Africa beyond wars, poverty, AIDS and safaris.

Fela! in Lagos

Oh, how fitting! The successful Broadway musical "Fela!" is going to Lagos in April to honor the late Fela Kuti, according to BBC News. Kuti is from Lagos and is applauded as the King of Afrobeat and one of the greatest musicians of the second half of the 20th century. This musical chronicles his life and the executives producers are Jay-Z and Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

What I like most about this is not only the fact that Nigeria's economic potential and strength is being recognized by some prominent African-Americans, but also that this is to pay homage to someone who help shape the way Nigeria is today. Also, this move shows the growing and more apparent middle class in Nigeria.

Nigerian Performer: WizKid

I think some of the younger blog fans might like this rising Nigerian in the African music scene, WizKid (maybe some of the older people, too).

Nigerian Sworn in as First Black MP in Poland

I told someone this before and I am going to say it again: BLACK PEOPLE ARE EVERYWHERE. They tend to be in what some may believe as the most unexpected places - Poland being one of them.

BBC News today said that John Abraham Godson, a Nigerian who emigrated to Poland in the 1990's, caused a media stir with his entry into the Polish Parliament.

Poland is a country with a large white majority (97% is ethnically Polish and about 2% is of non-European decent). BBC also reports that racism is still a problem in Poland, so this is definitely a triumph for a person of color.

Because our world is become smaller (thanks to the Internet), I think it is imperative for all of us to become more culturally relative and more knowledgeable about the other countries on our planet and to be well-read on current global issues. Of course, if money were not an issue, I would strongly suggest travelling (and there are ways as a high school or college student to travel on a budget), but if you wallet can handle going to another place, reading is the next best thing.