Breaking News: Uwagboe explores root cause of insecurity in Africa

Breaking News: Uwagboe explores root cause of insecurity in Africa
By Prisca Sam-Duru

 The ongoing group exhibition at the Art21 gallery, Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, has raised a lot of question as to how Nigeria got to the pitiable state it has found itself especially regarding politics and mechanism of the mass media as well as challenges of insecurity. Tagged Breaking News, the exhibition, which runs till June 22, showcases stunning art pieces by Jakob S, Boeskov, Teco Benson, Obinna Makata, Native Maqari, Abraham Oghobase, Bob-Nosa Uwagboe, Chibuike Uzoma and Uzorka. It explores the politics and 



mechanisms of the mass media through their operations. Works on display ranging from paintings to drawings, photography, video and installation, interrogates how information is disseminated, fact is constructed and how social and political life of the people are filtered through the lens of the culture industry. The works speak eloquently of how the artists are critical about divergent social and political issues in the country. Very topical and mindboggling is the body of work titled The Illicit Proliferation of Large and Small Arms, by Bob-Nosa Uwagboe which probes poor leadership and the state of insecurity in the country. Featuring brightly coloured figures in neon and fluorescent hues, Uwagboe creates element forms with heavy emotional charge, typical of his characteristics. Vividly, the artist’s characters are in the midst of a struggle, from militants with guns creating a state of panic, to trigger-happy policemen drinking local liquors and attacking innocent civilians- two ugly tales that have hunted Nigeria for too long. As an artist from the Niger-Delta region, Uwagboe’s burning desire to make his thoughts on the plight of Nigerians with regard to the destructive effect of insecurity, public, led to his exhibiting the first five works in the project; The unregistered gun, The unchained dog, The abuse of power, The elite and his gun man and The unregistered gun2, at the ongoing exhibition “Breaking News” at Art21 gallery, Eko hotel, Lagos. In explicit terms, Bob-Nosa explained that “The unregistered arms poses a serious problem to both international and national security especially in some part of Africa which  has witnessed the most monumental destruction and violent conflicts over the years. From the genocide in Rwanda, long conflicts in Liberia(1989-97), the sierra Leonian crisis, the war in Democratic Republic of Congo, the prevailing unrest in Niger Delta, the Boko Haram insurgence in the northern part of Nigeria and the Biafra agitation in the eastern part of Nigeria, Africa has so far, experienced very tumultuous periods due to illicit proliferation of arms.” “Proliferation of small arms is one of the root causes of insecurity challenges in Nigeria and Africa at large. I am using this current body of works to document and create more awareness of the root cause of the prevailing insecurity challenges in our time and using this to call on the federal government to wage serious war against proliferation of small arms in the country, which will be a step in reducing the challenge of insecurity in our nation. Both the rich and poor are at risk.” He said. Employing divers media, “the artists explore how Nigeria is defined in the local and global news media, and how cultural myths are articulated and perpetuated. In an act subversion, they cut, crop, and shred the vernacular news archive, a literal and symbolic act of destruction. Rather than succumb to commercial pressures of the media industry, they created a visual language to portray new perspectives and alternative narrative. But whether critiquing current events or its distribution in newspapers, television, and the Internet, the artists form a self-reflexive view of the media, identifying how it forms our personal and collective worldview.”

Come 19th June, 2016, a new documentary television show, INSPAYA, will be launched at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

The program is a flagship and original documentary with the theme " REAL PEOPLE, REAL TESTIMONIES". It is a documentary that tells the stories and testimonies of everyday people in their own words. It is a high quality presentation that will run from next quarter on several TV platforms.

Details later

Lagos @ 50: Nigeria has been brutalised, traumatised- Soyinka

Lagos @ 50: Nigeria has been brutalised, traumatised- Soyinka 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 
Nobel  Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka yesterday, described Nigeria as a nation that has been brutalised and traumatised in so many ways, stressing the need to utilise culture as a political weapon to win the battle against what he described as activities of nihilists. Soyinka spoke during a press conference heralding the Lagos at 50 celebration held at Freedom Park, Lagos. His words: “Culture is a political weapon. In certain circumstances, it is more of a political weapon than at other times. I believe that this country was never in greater need of the aggressiveness of cultures. ‘’If we had salves  of this country destroyed by some Philistines, who considered themselves messianic, but in actual fact lunatic, lunatic movement, which hate education and culture, their mission,  existence is simply to destroy the imagination of humanity and its products. ‘’They kill children, abduct children simply because those children are sent to places where they can expand their horizon, expand their minds and create, use their hands, heads and  voices, they take them away, lock them away in some forest, abuse them, use them, defile them and treat the rest of the nation with total contempt and arrogance. ‘’They are negativists, nihilists and when events like that hit community, a people, they have a responsibility to themselves and to their future to assert, to build, reinforce, augment, to enhance that very objective that remains an object of hate for them. ‘’This nation has been brutalised, traumatised in many ways, but some of us flag the imagination to comprehend and to empathise with. And so one of the big motivations of my again getting involved in this event, is because of what has been happening to this nation and not only this nation, it is world-wide  war, which is a war between culture and philistinism, nihilism. “And for me, we are part of that war and we should be at the forefront of that war and what is our weapon? Cultural weapon of course. ‘’The soldiers will do their bit, the politicians will do their bit, but we are all engaged in a war against nihilism. And so we are all engaged in a war against nihilist. ‘’When we talk about political issues, it goes beyond unemployment, lack of opportunities, deterioration of our entire community of all those involved, beyond the failure for government to even cater for the basic material needs of the people and there is something called spiritual needs and at the core of spiritual needs is culture. ‘’And those who abuse us, those who hate us, those who destroy culture in any corner of this nation should be countered by the cultural insistence and the cultural aggression of the rest of the nation. “One thing stands at the centre and that’s imagination, that’s the only thing that stops stagnation. And I believe politically we are all against stagnation. So, see this as being participation in the great socio-cultural battle that the world is waging against the nihilism.”  

Down the Rabbit Hole: Critical reflection on mega city

Down the Rabbit Hole: Critical reflection on mega city 

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

Photographer and filmmaker, Logor’s recent body of work titled Down The Rabbit Hole is at the moment, making waves at Alara Contemporary Art, Victoria Island, Lagos. Down The Rabbit Hole, the artist’s maiden exhibition at ALARA Art is part of the ‘ALARA Emerging Artists Series’ which opened last Friday and runs till June 18, 2016. Deriving his signature from real name, Logo Oluwamuyiwa Adeyemi, Logor, one of Nigeria’s finest artists who works predominantly in black and white has his works, adorning the aesthetically designed Alara while drawing viewers attention to his unique approach to conceptual documentation of the human carnival. ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’, a conceptual installation of light and photography featuring excerpts from Logor’s widely acclaimed ‘Monochrome Lagos’ and other works, takes the observer from ‘clash’ to ‘subtlety’, ‘noise’ to ‘calm’. Logor’s first major project, ‘Monochrome Lagos’, is a unique reflection on the city of Lagos that strips down the noisy colours of the busy metropolis. 



The works are a visual digital archive, a unique reflection on an old city, and an extraordinary expose of its idiosyncrasies and aesthetics. Logor showcases the beauty of this extraordinary city in a poetic, mystical, mythical and romantic form, delivering a place to which none has hitherto been or seen. Logor’s is a fresh perspective on a well trod path, presented in enchanting portraiture and landscape photography. His uncommon perspective on the city of Lagos, led to the selection of his recent body of work ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ as the debut exhibition in the ‘ALARA Emerging Artists’ series. Chicken Wings, Last Train of Sanity, Point of Entry and Exit, Dusty Foot Philosophy, No Smoking of Indian Hemp, Hard Drugs & Ilegal Meeting, are some of the titles of works on display. For viewers who are curious as to why Logor had to go down ages to unravel mystries in the rabbit hole, he explained that “I was born in the 90s and Alice in Wonderland from which the title of the exhibition was taken from, happened to be one of the classics I read. Things I read were not neccessarily by choice. ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ is one of the most famous works by Lewis Caroll who was an English writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer. What’s interesting about his writing, to me, is the alteration of logic and creation of fantasies and alternate realities. The idea of altered reality is as fertile a subject for fantasy as it is for science fiction, allowing for epic settings and godlike. protagonists which are perfectly efficient in both the arts and the sciences.” Aside being inspired by the Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, the photographer also draws inspiration from his cultural background having spent his early stage in life in his home town. His art which he described as a study rather than statement, most often, reflects his state of mind. For instance, Chicken Wings aims to draw attention of the public on how a lot of things that would have impacted the public positively, have been left undone while its been all talks and flexing of muscles, a situation he likens to the flapping of the chicken’s wings. His approach revolves around conceptual and documentary style photography, carried out through his trained eye and camera, which are shrewd observers of the human carnival. Logor captures photographic narratives from perspectives that are often considered banal and are either overlooked, ignored or taken for granted, by exposing subtle nuances that resonate with his audience enough to hone a paradigm shift on how the subject captured is typically perceived. In its breath, freshness and daring, Down the Rabbit Hole achieves a true paradigm shift on how the city is presented and appreciated by a global audience, including local residents who typically rush past the unchanging beauty of this old town. 

U.S. Statement of Concern on Niger Delta Violence

U.S. Statement of Concern on Niger Delta Violence

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is monitoring reports of attacks and other incidents in the Niger Delta.  We share the concerns of all Nigerians about these attacks.  Furthermore, the United States remains supportive of efforts, including the promotion of dialogue, to address grievances in the Niger Delta.  We encourage all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and emphasize that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected.

We continue to call on all Nigerians to persevere in efforts to achieve common goals: to end violence and curb the activities of criminal elements; to establish conditions and mechanisms for profound, positive, and lasting changes in the region; and to provide economic opportunity and needed services for residents of the Niger Delta.

Solidlink cautions on fake admissions overseas

Solidlink cautions on fake admissions overseas 
By Prisca Sam-Duru

 IT is no news that in spite of the stereotypes and misrepresentations of Nigerians abroad, brought about by few unscrupulous individuals, there are a good number of Nigerians making the country proud in their respective countries of abode. It is also no news that a good number of Nigerians wishing to live abroad by all means, do so by obtaining admissions into foreign universities but end up not attending school for a day. The fake admission only becomes a means to an end as they end up on the streets without a means of livelihood and are eventually deported. 


To stem the ugly tide, Dr Niyi Kolawole, a lecturer/researcher in the Department of Sociology, University College Cork, Cork Ireland and Executive Director of Solid-link Consulting, Janvari, Knocknahorgan Wood Sallybrook, Cork, Ireland, disclosed during his visit to Nigeria that aside the huge impact his organisation has made in terms of equipping Nigerian students studying in Ireland with quality education, it has also helped to discourage illegal migration and fake admissions abroad. This it has done by ensuring that students who are not ready to go to school are never linked with any institution. 
Explaining why Solid-Link Consulting was established he said, “Every year in Nigeria we have more than one million students leaving secondary schools and unfortunately, we don’t have enough higher institutions to absorb them. What happens is that individuals with the wherewithal send their children abroad to study. Victims of  exploitation So what we do is to create a solid link for interested people to get the background information about quality, desired and globally recognised institutions so as to make the right choice. For instance, the university where I lecture was established in 1845 and it is globally recognised. Most of the time, Nigerians are desperate to study abroad such that they become victims of exploitation. With my help as an insider, students under our care never regret the services we render. Besides, I know what it takes to go to school both within and outside Nigeria.” Solid link which helps in linking prospective students with approved higher institutions abroad to avoid exploitations, provides services in the areas of visa application, accommodation and pick-up from Airports. Other specific services include basic consulting (getting to know the student’s interest, be it art, music, medicine, etc and then matching him or her with suitable institutions), Standard link which takes care of admission processes until the student is admitted, and Pastoral Service which entails helping the students study the environment, prevent culture shock, protect them and helps them to withstand the pressure of freedom until the student fully acclimatises. For young students, Kolawole noted, the organisation goes as far as putting them in the care of nannies who ensure they do not stray. With strong passion for quality education, the Sociologist with specialty in understudying foreign countries’ immigration, said that “The decline in Nigeria education system and moral values spurred him into setting up Solid link which is in existence for over a year. His mission is to build students with all round empowerment, independent and productive thinkers who would bring back the expertise home and build a better Nigeria. “We also aim to ensure that Nigerian students get education that will not lock them into a corner but holistic”, he expressed, adding that, “SolidLink is here to help groom individuals who could think outside the box and bring back their expertise home and make a difference in the country. And to encourage excellence, we plan to give scholarships to bright students who lack the resources to study in Ireland.” On the issue of whether, his venture is not one that promotes capital fight, Kolawole posited that “At the moment, we cannot avoid capital flight because the country is still trying to develop. We need to meet our educational needs, we have shortage of institutions, lecturers and poor remuneration. What we need to do is ensure that we direct capital flight such that it comes back to the country.” In order words, Solid-Link encourages students to excel in their studies enough to fill in spaces being occupied by expatriates in Nigeria.”